The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Wicked Baptists

Honestly, there is no need for someone to take the extended time needed to exegete every one of the passages you listed to show an inseparable connection between baptism and regeneration, simply because one doesn't exist. The practice of eisogesis could easily do so, but it could also produce just about anything a person could imagine. But, just for fun, I'll take Acts 2:38, but IN CONTEXT (for a text out of context is nothing more than pretext).

Acts 2:14, 37-41 (ASV) "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words. . . . Now when they heard [this,] they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter [said] unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto 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 from this crooked generation. They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added [unto them] in that day about three thousand souls."

Briefly then, what we read first is that Peter stands before the crowd and begins to "preach"; setting forth biblical history and prophesy concerning the Jews and the Lord Jesus Christ, as is recorded in the Scriptures. Secondly, we read that when Peter had finished preaching, there were a group of hearers who were "pricked in their heart", i.e., they came under conviction and consequently cried out asking what they should do. No man seeks after God (by nature)! (Rom 3:11; Jh 1:12, 13; 6:44) Conviction of sin is only possible if the Holy Spirit changes the heart. (Jh 3:3, 5; 16:8; Acts 11:18; 2Tim 2:25) This change of heart and other analogies are synonymous with regeneration. (Ezek 36:26; Jer 31:33; Jh 3:3, 5; Eph 2:1-5; et al) Thirdly, Peter instructs those under conviction that they must "repent and subsequently be baptized". The order is salient here as baptism was to follow repentance. Additionally, believing in Christ although not included in the immediate verse is assumed, which can be seen from v. 41, where it says that all those who had believed were subsequently baptized. Thus the order of events presented by the inspired text is: conviction, repentance, belief/faith in Christ and finally baptism.

One would be more than hard-pressed to find anything which would evidence that regeneration came through, in and/or during baptism. What IS evident is that all those who were regenerated evidenced that they had indeed been "born from above" in that they were immediately converted and then submitted to baptism thereafter.

In His Grace,