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Old 06-14-2009, 01:06 PM
premio53 premio53 is offline
 
Join Date: May 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boaz212 View Post
Thanks everyone for responding to my question. It's clear to me now when Paul got saved which the time when he called out Lord the second time knowing it was Jesus.
As far as Ananias telling Paul 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 am still search for the answer.
Tony, I have not studied the NT in the dispensational view you had presented. It will take some more time for me to continue reading and praying for understanding before I am sure how to interpret the dispensations more scripturally. I appreciate your detailed explanation. I will be reading this thread a few more times through in the near future.
Thank you all.
The simple explanation is that baptism symbolizes the washing away of one's sins just as it symbolizes passing from death unto life (Romans 6:4,5). Just as one does not die while in the water, neither can physical water wash away moral and spiritual sins. These are metaphors of baptism.

Peter explains this clearly in 1 Peter 3:21.

I Peter 3:21, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:"

Notice how Paul uses "figure" in Hebrews.

Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Here we have a clear comparison between two scriptures regarding the word 'figure'. In I Peter 3, the 'figure' of salvation is baptism. In Hebrews 9, the 'figure' of heaven (where God dwells) is the holy place. Now we know that the holy place and heaven are not the same thing, as well as baptism and salvation are not the same thing. They simply 'represent' those things.

1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

If water baptism is required to be saved, then it is saved by works first, and then faith, and that is unbiblical. It was the faith of Noah and his family that put them in the ark. The water saving them was symbolic of baptism. It is an outward sign that we publically admit our faith in God and His promises.