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Only They Were Baptized - Acts 8
Only They Were Baptized Acts 8
After the death of Stephen, disciples went everywhere preaching the word. Philip went to Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ (vs. 5). When they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women (vs. 12).
When the apostles hear that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. Why? "… that they might receive the Holy Spirit (vs. 15). Through the Apostles' hands the Spirit could be given, that is, the various spiritual gifts that would strengthen the new church there. What we KNOW is that the Spirit had NOT yet fallen on any of them, but they had ONLY been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (vs. 16).
Such baptism in the name of Jesus was in fact the baptism of the great commission and hence Philip preached unto them and baptized them that believed. In Acts 10:47-48 such baptism is shown to be a baptism in water. Peter asks if any can forbid WATER that these should not be baptized and then COMMANDED them to be baptized (in water) in the name of Jesus Christ.
Earlier, on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Peter had commanded the people who believed to 'repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins (2:38).
The baptism of the early church was the baptism of the great commission. That baptism was performed on those who believed and WHEN they believed. It was done in 'the name of the Lord'. It was done in water. It was commanded of believers. It was a baptism that was 'unto the remission of sins'. Neither God, the bible, nor the act of baptism has changed. We need to continue to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in water in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and teach them to observe all that He commands. Hugh DeLong
