Articles
Repentance That Lead To Life - Acts 11
Received the Word - Acts 10
When the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his gathering, Peter concluded that they should be baptized in water (A. 10:47). He then commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (vs. 48). It is interesting to note that it doesn’t SAY they were baptized, but what it does say is that the Jewish brethren heard “that the Gentiles ALSO had received the word of God” (11:1). This has been a reoccurring phrase in speaking of conversion.
In Acts 2, Peter commanded the people to “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (vs. 38). Then Luke states that “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (vs. 41).
When Philip went down to Samaria, he “preached the word” (8:4), "proclaimed to them the Christ” (8:5), and told them “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (vs. 12). The result is predictable: when they believed they were baptized (8:12). When the report of their believing and being baptized in the name of Jesus reached Jerusalem, it was reported that ‘they had received the word’ (14).
The preaching of these men caused people to want to be baptized. They were baptized ‘in the name of Jesus’. This baptism in the name of Jesus was done in water. They were baptized WHEN they believed, immediately and without delay. It was after such believing and being baptized that they were consistently said to have ‘received the word’.
Several things have been changed by modern men. Today, preachers can finish their preaching of what they call the good news and the name of Jesus, yet people never even hear about baptism. Secondly, we observe that people supposedly receive this message and are not baptized for many days, and sometimes not at all.
Receiving the word was to believe the message and be baptized in water in the name of Jesus unto the remission of sins. Have you received the word? Hugh DeLong
