Acts 22:16 and Washing Away Sins Baptism, Calling on the Lord, and the Conversion of Saul Acts 22:16 is one of the clearest baptismal texts in the New Testament: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”— Acts 22:16, NKJV This…
Acts 2:38 and the Apostolic Pattern Repentance, Baptism, Forgiveness, and the Gift of the Spirit Acts 2:38 stands at one of the most important turning points in Scripture. Jesus has been crucified. God has raised Him from the dead. He has ascended to the right hand of God. The Spirit has been poured out at…
Baptism and Covenant Entry Entering Christ, the Body, and the New Covenant People of God Baptism is not a loose religious symbol attached to Christianity after salvation has already been fully defined elsewhere. In the New Testament, baptism stands at the threshold of Christian identity. It is where the repentant believer calls on the name…
What Must I Do to Be Saved? The Apostolic Response to the Gospel The question is not new. When sinners are confronted with the reality of God, judgment, guilt, and the lordship of Jesus Christ, the question eventually becomes unavoidable: What must I do to be saved? This question appears in different forms across the…
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism Apostolic Unity, Covenant Entry, and the Gospel Response Paul writes: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in…
Why Doctrine Must Be Tested Discernment, Apostolic Warning, and the Duty to Examine What Is Taught Doctrine must be tested because not everything taught in the name of Christ comes from Christ. That statement may sound severe, but it is one of the clearest assumptions of the New Testament. Jesus warned about false prophets. The…
Scripture Over System Why the Biblical Text Must Govern Every Theological Framework A theological system can be useful when it serves the biblical text. It can help organize doctrine, clarify categories, expose contradictions, and show how different passages relate to one another. No serious student of Scripture reads the Bible without forming some kind of…
What is the Apostolic Pattern? When the apostles preached, people responded. And when they responded, their responses, account after account, followed the same recognizable shape. The “apostolic pattern” is simply this: the consistent way the apostles taught people to come to salvation, as recorded in the New Testament. It is not a system imposed on…
False Doctrine and Spiritual Warfare Doctrinal Distortion as a Strategy of Deception False doctrine is not merely an intellectual problem. It is spiritual warfare. That does not mean every mistaken teacher is knowingly serving Satan. It does not mean every doctrinal disagreement should be treated as demonic. It does not mean Christians should become paranoid,…
What Must I Do to Be Saved? The Apostolic Response to the Gospel The question is not new. When sinners are confronted with the reality of God, judgment, guilt, and the lordship of Jesus Christ, the question eventually becomes unavoidable: What must I do to be saved? This question appears in different forms across the…
