Today, the majority of so-called religious leaders, those who have the most influence over churches associated with the 16th-century Protestant Movement, teach that man is saved by faith alone.  This leads most denominational churches to reject the necessity of baptism.  Any suggestion that one has to be baptized to be saved becomes a major controversy.

In the New Testament, there is no such controversy.  The church we read about in the New Testament never opposed the doctrine of baptism because it was taught by the apostles.

Acts 2:36–38 (ESV)
³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” ³⁷ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Could this passage be any clearer?  The people asked what they had to do to be saved and Peter told them.  They had to repent and be baptized (ver. 38)  All the talk by denominational preachers and scholars about repentance being necessary but not baptism because one is plural and the other is singular is absurd.  I am not going to explain the fallacy of the argument here because it is a waste of time.  If the argument had any validity to it, it would suggest that one would have to be a Greek scholar to understand the truth about Acts 2:38.  I suggest to you that anyone can read Acts 2:38 and see the truth.  The people asked what they had to do, Peter told them, and those who accepted Jesus as Lord and Christ, did it.

Acts 2:41 (ESV)
⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The Book of Acts, a book full of conversions, shows us clearly what the place of baptism is in God’s plan of salvation.  When Philip preached to the people of Samaria, what was their response?

Acts 8:12–13 (ESV)
¹² But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

Why were all these people baptized when all Philip did was preach about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ?  It was because baptism is a part of the doctrine of Christ.  When one preaches Christ, he preaches baptism for the forgiveness of sins.  We see the same thing when Philip preached to the Ethiopian eunuch.

Acts 8:35–38 (ESV)
³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶ And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” ³⁸ And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Philip preached Christ to the eunuch.  What was the eunuch’s response?  He asked what was stopping him from being baptized.  Why? Because that was a part of Philip’s message when he told him the good news about Jesus.  What did Philip do when the eunuch asked him about baptism?  Did he say, “You don’t have to be baptized because you are saved by faith alone”?  No, he baptized him (Acts 8:38).

We do not have the space in this short blog to examine every conversion in the Book of Acts, but they all have something in common—believers were baptized into Christ.  The first-century church believed in baptism for the forgiveness of sin, and, remember, they were continuing in the apostles’ doctrine.  As long as we continue in their doctrine, that is, as long as we follow the inspired word of God, we will teach and practice baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.