Quote:
Originally Posted by boaz212
I have another question on Acts. When was Paul saved?
Act 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Act 9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
Act 22:13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
Act 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
I thought Paul was already saved when Ananias went to see him, calling him Brother Saul. If that's right, then why did Ananias tell Paul to wash away his sins, calling on the Lord?
I know I am missing something here. Any insight will be great. Thanks in advance.
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Tim, if you want to know the exact instant Paul was saved, it would be Acts 9:6 when He acknowledged Jesus Christ as Lord and ask him, what wilt thou have me to do?
Now, let's compare Scripture with Scripture and look at the passages rightly divided, look at the progressive revelation:
Ac 9:10 And there was a
certain disciple at Damascus, named
Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
Acts 21:40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence,
he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
Ac 22:12 And one Ananias,
a devout man according to the law, having a good report of
all the Jews which dwelt there,
The 'people" Paul is speaking to in Acts 22
are Jews, and we must remember, as i keep pointing out, the Jews had a blistering hatred and racial/spiritual bigotry against
anything not Jewish. Paul is not going to point out that Ananias was a "disciple" of Jesus Christ;
these people do not know who Jesus Christ is, Paul is in the prcess of preaching Him to them. Thus Paul will point out Ananias's status and stature as being a Jew and a man of good report regarding the Law. Anaias would be one of the converts of Acts 2 and understanding Leviticus 8, would know
just exactly what water baptism was as Ananais received it himself as a "disciple". He was a "priest" of the "kingdom of priests", he had been batized in water(consecrated) and had the gift oif the Holy Ghost(sanctification), note Ananais lays his hands on Paul and heals his blindness. Ananais knew nothing of the Body of Christ, he knew nothing of the books of Romans and Galatians, he knew nothing of the One Baptism of I Cor. 12:13
becasue none of this had yet been given to Paul yet. That's called, "progressive revelation".
Acts 9:15 contains
our commission for today: To bear the name of Christ to Gentiles, kings, and Jews as ministers of the reconciliation, as ambassadors for Christ, to preach Christ crucified. Paul's commission
was not to baptize in water, neither is ours. Paul's commission after Acts 28 when his ministry to national Israel ceased was without:
Water baptism
Tongues
Signs
Wonders
Healings
Drinking deadly poisons
Raising the dead
So is our commission. Why is our commission in exclusion of the above, Tim?
Because they are for to make a
show in the flesh.
1Co 1:22 For
the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk
by faith, not by sight: )
Ro 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Ro 8:4 That the righteousness of
the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen: for the things
which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
1Co 12:13 For by
one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
This is why Paul was chosen, as a wise masterbuilder to be custodian from one dispensation to another, from Time Past to But Now. Salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ crucified apart from the works of the Law,
which water baptism is part of. The water baptism of Acts 9 is the water baptism of Acts 2 and Matt. 3 and Lev 8 and Paul
had no remission of sin without it, as no one in Acts 2 had remission of sin without it.
Thus Paul
had to be water baptized, water baptism to the Jews was still operative under the entire book of Acts. Paul
had to receive his sight again via the actions of Ananias, Paul was a Jew and
was looking for signs, Paul required a sign.
I hope you have found this helpful.
Grace and peace
Tony