Author : Tom Rainwater
Question
About your the article on the thief of on the cross: Certainly John the Baptist could’ve baptized this man prior to the cross, but that would be purely speculative and difficult if not impossible to prove. You will remember the Damascus Road conversion of Saul, and he called Jesus “Lord.” Paul was not baptized prior to his conversion.
My point is that there is not any solid evidence in the scriptures for the baptism of the thief on the cross. With a lack of evidence for his baptism, one would seriously question any teaching that teaches baptism is necessary for salvation.
Answer
Hi! Thanks for your comments.
Was He or Wasn’t He?
Friend, I think you missed major points in Mr. Sharp’s article. First, indeed no one can prove whether or not the thief had been baptized by John or Jesus or one of the disciples. You admitted the possibility of it, but then argued against it. For you to say that he wasn’t baptized and for me to say that he was would be presuming something not stated. So making a case for or against baptism using the thief on the cross is, using your words, “purely speculative and difficult if not impossible to prove.” We have to turn to other scriptures that discuss baptism.
Scriptures Addressing Baptism
Secondly, you didn’t answer the first major question posed by the original article: “Does this one case nullify the plain teaching of Jesus and His apostles?” They clearly taught baptism as a requirement for salvation:
Jesus after His resurrection: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16).
Peter on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38).
You stated that if there wasn’t any solid evidence for the thief’s baptism, that “one would seriously question any teaching that teaches baptism is necessary for salvation.” Do you seriously question the clear words of Jesus and His apostles?
Conditions for Salvation in the New Testament Age
Thirdly, you also ignored passages given in that article that show us the Gospel Age began after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Before then, the Law of Moses was still in force to the Jews. When Jesus walked the earth, He submitted to the Law and obeyed it perfectly. Meanwhile, He taught the moral principles of His coming spiritual kingdom which would replace that of Moses’ Law. At His death, He took the Law of Moses “out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14). His will (or testament) as given to the apostles was then to be followed. As Brother Sharp stated in the article:
“We live in the New Testament age (Hebrews 9:13-15). The New Testament did not acquire force until after Jesus died on the cross (Hebrews 9:16-17). The Lord blessed the malefactor with the promise of paradise as they both hung on crosses, before the death of Christ. The conditions of salvation were different at that time. For example, we must believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to be saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), but no one could believe these facts before Jesus’ resurrection.”
Upon His resurrection, He said to His apostles:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Did Jesus say, or did He not say, that baptism would be required of all the nations? Did He say, or did He not say, that this is how you make disciples? Please answer.
Regardless of what Jesus did on the earth before His death, even directly forgiving the sins of some people to demonstrate His power (Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:17-26; 7:47-49), His will for this age is clearly stated. Friend, how did Jesus and His apostles say that your sins are forgiven?
The Conversion of Saul
About Saul’s conversion: (1) You need to reconsider when he was converted, and give scriptural proof exactly when that was. Do not assume it was on the road to Damascus. (2) Remember that the account is told in three different chapters in Acts: Acts 9, Acts 22, and Acts 26.
When Jesus appeared to him on the road, he told Saul to “arise and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do” (Acts 9:6). In Acts 22:16, Ananias tells him what he must do:
“And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
Salvation is being saved from our sins, isn’t it? According to Acts 22:16, Saul still had his sins though he had seen the Lord on the road and believed, and had been praying and fasting for three days afterwards (Acts 9:9,11). What did Jesus want Saul to be told that he must do? When did Ananias say Saul’s sins would be washed away?
What must we do today? What washes our sins away today?
Conclusion
Faith in Jesus as the Son of God is absolutely essential for salvation, but it is not the only thing. Let’s gladly accept the truth given to us in Scripture, and humbly follow “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
