Study of Acts, chapter 22, message 61, week 28, Wednesday

DAILY STUDY OF ACTS

MESSAGE SIXTY-ONE

THE SPREAD IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE THROUGH

THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (27)

WEEK 28 – WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 22:1-21

Read and Pray: "And now, why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name." (Acts 22:16)

THE BAPTISM OF PAUL

In Acts 22:1-21, Paul defends himself before the angry Jews. In this message, we will focus on Ananias’s words to Paul in verse 16: “And now, why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.”

In Paul’s case, as in the case of the Ethiopian eunuch, water baptism is emphasized. We need to pay attention to both water baptism and the baptism in the Spirit. Water baptism signifies the believers’ identification with the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12), while baptism in the Spirit signifies the reality of believers’ union with Christ in life essentially and in power economically. Water baptism affirms the believers’ realization of the Spirit. Both are necessary, and one does not replace the other. All believers in Christ should have both appropriately.

According to the Lord’s word in Mark 16:16, for a person to be saved, they need to believe and be baptized. Believing is receiving the Lord (John 1:12), not only for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43) but also for regeneration (1 Pet. 1:21, 23), so that believers may become children of God (John 1:12-13) and members of Christ (Eph. 5:30) in an organic union with the Triune God (Matt. 28:19). Being baptized is to affirm this by being buried to terminate the old creation through Christ’s death and being raised to become God’s new creation through Christ’s resurrection. This baptism is far more advanced than John’s baptism of repentance (Mark 1:4; Acts 19:3-5).

Believing and being baptized are two parts of a complete step to receive God’s full salvation. Being baptized without believing is merely an empty ritual; believing without being baptized results in being saved inwardly without an outward affirmation of inner salvation. Both should go together.

TRANSFERRED FROM ADAM TO CHRIST

Baptism, in truth, is a great transfer. For this reason, the ministry of the New Testament began with it. We have already emphasized that baptism involves termination first and then germination. Through termination and germination, a true transfer takes place. It is no surprise, then, that the New Testament begins with baptism to indicate that the things of the Old Testament must end for a new beginning to take place. However, for many Christians today, baptism is merely a ritual for joining another religion.

When we were baptized, we were transferred from Adam to Christ. Many Christians have never received adequate teaching about this. Others know that through baptism, they were transferred from Adam to Christ, but for them, it is merely doctrine; it is not something practical in their Christian life. In our Christian living, we must be out of Adam and in Christ. We should no longer live in Adam’s sphere; instead, our living must be entirely in Christ’s sphere.

CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

In Acts 22:16, Ananias told Paul to be baptized and wash away his sins by calling on the name of the Lord. In this verse, "calling on His name" modifies both "be baptized" and "wash away." Ananias seemed to say: “Paul, rise and receive baptism. As you are baptized, you must call on the name of the Lord. This is the condition for you to be baptized.”

It is a good practice for us, when baptizing new believers, to encourage them to call on the name of the Lord Jesus. This means that while they are being baptized, they call on the name of the Lord. Just as we can breathe and eat at the same time, so one can be baptized and call on the name of the Lord simultaneously. The transfer that occurs through baptism is strengthened by calling on the name of the Lord. Thus, let us encourage those we baptize to call on the name of the Lord Jesus and thereby have a more definite transfer from Adam to Christ.

Enjoy More: Hymn 378