WAS CORNELIUS
SAVED BEFORE WATER BAPTISM?
-by A. Ralph Johnson
The
Bible plainly teaches that we are baptized into
Christ (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27; 1Cor. 12:13).
In Ac. 10:44-48 Cornelius was baptized in the Holy Spirit, followed by
baptism in water. It is sometime argued
that the fact that Cornelius was baptized in the Holy Spirit before baptism in
water shows that one is saved before water baptism.
Perhaps
the simplest answer is that baptism, whether in the Holy Spirit or in water, is
the point at which one comes into Christ.
Christ baptized in the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8). We are baptized in water (Mat. 28:19). It may be that the result is the same. However, it is not
conclusive, and there is certainly no basis for maintaining that Jesus
continues to baptize in the Holy Spirit today.
The
problem is, how could the Household of Cornelius have received baptism of the
Holy Spirit without having remission of sins? Remission was to be received through
His name (Acts 10:43) and it was in water that they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts
10:48. cf. Matt 28:18-20; Acts 2:38;
8:16; 19:5.)
In
Acts 11, Peter explains to the Jews at Jerusalem how God had signified both by
vision and by baptism of the Holy Spirit that Gentiles should also be accepted
(11:17; 15:8). Cornelius had been told
that Peter would tell him words
whereby he would be saved
(11:14). However, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as Peter began to speak (11:15),
indicating that his words were not completed.
Thus, by viewing the words he was saying when he was interrupted and
considering them with the words that he spoke immediately after the event, it
may be possible to know just how these words could provide salvation.
In
10:34-42 Peter tells Cornelius of the death, burial, and resurrection of
Christ, and that He will judge the living and the dead. In verse 43 he begins to tell what they must
do to be saved (cf. Ac. 2:37; 22:10). He declares that Through his name, whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins. Notice that immediately after the
interruption of this message Peter turns to the need for water and commanded
them to be baptized in the name of the Lord (10:47-48).
The
requirement for baptism to be in the
name ties verse 48 directly to verse 43 which says that remission of sins is through His name. We may therefore reasonably conclude that
Peter is here speaking the words
whereby they were saved.
We
find this same relationship between baptism and the name of Christ in many
other passages. In the Great Commission
Jesus told them to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into (eis) the name of
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The companion account, in Mark 16:16, adds, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved... (Mat. 28:19).
On
the day of Pentecost, in answer to their stricken cry of what shall we do? Peter commands them to Repent and be baptized, every one of you in (epi) the name of
Jesus Christ unto (eis)
the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. For to you is the promise, and
to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our
God shall call unto Him. And with many
other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, save yourselves...They
then that received the word were baptized and there were added unto them three
thousand souls (2:37-41).
In
Acts 22:16, after Saul (Paul) had seen Jesus (v.8); asked, What shall I do, Lord? (v.10);
had gone to Damascus, where he was to be told what he must do (22:10; 9:6); was three days
without sight, neither eating nor drinking (9:9); prayed (9:11);
had seen a vision of Ananias coming and laying hands on him that he
might receive his sight (9:12); was healed (22:13); yet, after all of
this he still had his sins.
Ananias said to him, Why do you
wait? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his
name (cf. Rom. 10:13-17).
In
each of the above cases we find several things in common with the conversion of
Cornelius: 1. Calling on the name of
Christ; 2. Forgiveness of sins; and 3. Salvation,--all
accomplished in obedience to the command to be baptized.
Water
baptism is indicated by examining the cases.
In Mt. 28:19 the baptism was to be done by those sent out. In Ac. 2:38-41 it was something that they
were exhorted to do. In Ac. 22:16 the
necessity to arise would only fit
water baptism. This was the same
baptism as that of the Eunuch (8:36-39) and the Jailer (16:33). This is the one baptism (Eph. 4:5) into one body (Eph 4:4 cf. 1:22-23), that
was cleansed by the washing of water
through the word (Eph 5:26). It
was in obedience from the heart (Rom 6:17) to the words (Acts 11:14; Rom 10:17)
spoken through the Holy Spirit that they were all baptized into one body (1Cor
12:13). Water baptism continued after
Holy Spirit baptism had ceased with the call of the Gentiles. This is the same one in which the heart is sprinkled from an evil conscience (with
blood --Heb. 10:19; 9:13,14) and the body is washed with pure water. It
is the one in which water, Spirit and blood agree in one (1Jn. 5:6,8), and in which one is born of God (1Jn. 5:4; Jn. 3:5; Rom.
6:4; Col. 2:13).
In
this baptism the emphasis is on faith
in His name. Without the appeal to God for a clear conscience through
the resurrection of Christ, it is invalid (1Pe. 3:21) and must be
performed again (Ac. 19:1-5). This is not salvation by faith only (James
2:14, 19, 24) which is dead, being alone (2:17, 20, 26). Obedience from the heart (Rom. 6:17) works with
faith to give it life (James 2:22; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12, 13). (Cf. Heb. 5:9; 1Pe 1:22; Ac. 5:32; Lk. 6:46;
Mat. 7:21-26; Jn. 15:14; James 1:22-25).
The
twelve disciples at Ephesus who had been baptized with John the Baptists baptism
unto repentance were rebaptized into (eis) the name of the Lord Jesus
(Ac. 19:1-6). The Samaritans (Ac. 8:16)
likewise had not yet had the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them, but were
already baptized into (eis) the name
of the Lord Jesus.
In
Gal. 3:26-27, Paul makes the whole matter perfectly clear when he explains that
the process of becoming children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus is accomplished by putting on Christ in being baptized
into Christ. If any man is in Christ he is a new
creature (2Co. 5:17) and is therefore under no condemnation (Rom. 8:1).
It
was quite possible that the Holy Spirit could act upon one who had not yet been
cleansed by the blood of Christ (Lk.
2:25; 1Sam. 10:10; John 11:51), and may have done so in the case of Cornelius
in order to show that the gentiles were acceptable to God (Ac. 11:17). There is no statement to the effect that
Cornelius had his sins forgiven before he was baptized in water. He had to obey the gospel (Rom. 6:17;10:16; 2Thes 1:8; 1Pe. 4:17) just like
everyone else. He had to arise and be baptized and wash away his
sins, calling on the name of the Lord, (Ac. 22:16) just like Paul. He had to Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins in order to be saved, just like those on Pentecost (Ac. 2:38,40;
11:14,18).
In
baptism we are baptized into
(eis) Christ. We are Baptized into His death (Rom.
6:3,4) in which we are reconciled to God
by contact with his blood and so justified
and saved from Gods wrath
(5:,10). Our old man is crucified with him that the body
of sin might be done away (6:6).
Having died with Christ
in baptism (6:3,4) we are justified from
sin (6:7,18; Col. 2:13) through obedience
from the heart to that form of teaching which was delivered (Rom.
6:17). Just like the Israelites who
began their escape from Egypt through the leading of God before being saved the day they were baptized in the
cloud and in the sea (1Cor. 10:1, 2; Ex. 14:13, 15, 28-30) so Gods
Spirit may have come upon Cornelius before actually being saved in water
baptism.