I have a couple of questions today for everyone to think about

I have a couple of questions today for everyone to think about. I have actually covered this area of this particular topic in a post or two fairly recently, but the importance of it compels me to repeat it. First of all, which came first, Acts 2:38 or Acts 10:44? And which came first, Acts 10:44 or Acts 10:47? After the holy Ghost first fell, Peter said to be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ and that receiving the holy Ghost baptism would follow (Acts 2:38). Now understand that he said that on the day of Pentecost only to Jews, as the gospel had not gone to the Gentiles as yet. But after some time had passed, God sent Peter to Cornelius the Centurion, who had been told by an angel to send for Peter to come to his house to preach to him and his household (Acts 10:20). These were the first Gentiles to whom the gospel of Christ was preached, and there is a great deal of significance in that fact. The Jews had been under the old covenant law for over thirteen hundred years, and the Gentiles had never been under the law of the old covenant. The scripture tells us that the old covenant law was merely a vehicle to bring the Jews to faith in Christ, but that it was no longer in effect after faith in Christ was made manifest (Gal. 3:24,25). In fact the entire revelation that God gave the apostle Paul was about the reality that true faith in Jesus, resulting in true holiness in the lives of believers, was the all in all of the gospel; and that there was no divine righteousness imparted by the law (Rom. 3:20-22; Rom. 5:1; Gal. 2:16; Gal. 3:21; Heb. 10:4; etc.). And the reason that God gave the revelation of the fulfillment of the law to the apostle Paul, was because he sent him to be the apostle and teacher of the Gentile believers (Rom. 11:13; I Tim. 2:7; II Tim. 1:11). And why was this revelation of faith in Christ without the works of the law given to Paul for the Gentiles? BECAUSE THEY HAD NEVER BEEN UNDER THE LAW TO BEGIN WITH, AND THE LAW HAD ONLY BEEN THERE TO LEAD THE JEWS TO JESUS, WHO IT WAS ALL ABOUT ALL ALONG! So let's get back to Peter, and him being sent to the first Gentiles to receive the gospel. Peter went to Cornelius, and as he had barely begun preaching Jesus to them, they were all BAPTIZED BY JESUS WITH THE HOLY GHOST. And by what means did this glorious experience come to them? BY FAITH IN JESUS FOR THE REMISSION OF THEIR SINS! In fact the last words that Peter spoke to them before the Spirit fell on them were these: "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43). That is what these people were looking for, and that is exactly what they received from the hand of Jesus for their faith.

Now I would like to go back to my opening questions. Jesus baptized Cornelius and his people with his Spirit BEFORE Peter even had a chance to baptize them. Do you suppose Jesus made a mistake and got out of order with Peter's prescribed methodology stated in Acts 2:38? I think not. Do you think Jesus just got anxious to baptize these hungry souls and jumped the gun? I think not. Jesus knew EXACTLY what he was doing, and what he was doing was openly showing that he did not want the Gentiles to be under the law, but rather to take the direct route of faith in him for justification. It is very plain and very simple my friend. What God showed openly on that day was the very truth that he later revealed to the apostle Paul for the Gentiles. Water baptism was a work of the law, and there is absolutely no argument against that fact. Two scriptures end any argument of that very quickly (Mat. 5:17; Mat. 3:15). Read them. Peter did NOT understand the fulfillment of the law, and that is the ONLY reason he went ahead and baptized these Gentiles in water after they had received the Spirit. It was NOT the will of God. The will of God had just been manifested by him purifying these people's hearts from sin through the baptism of the holy Ghost that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to provide (Acts 15:8,9). A day earlier Peter thought God was trying his faith when he commanded him to eat some unclean beasts, and had to be told by the Lord that the law of clean and unclean meats had been fulfilled and thereby eliminated (Acts 10:10-16). Baptism in water was NEVER about anything OTHER than the purpose of going on to be baptized with the Spirit, but once the holy Ghost was made available, it no longer had a purpose (Mk. 1:7,8; Acts 1:4,5; I Cor. 1:17). To continue to observe it, practice it, and regard it, is nothing but idolatry; and takes away faith and honor from all that Jesus did for us. Period. Faith in Jesus unto the Spirit baptism, and the continued purifying of our hearts from all sin is the ONLY way for ANYONE to be in right standing with God. Anything that is added to that equation only distracts from that one calling. The apostle and teacher of the Gentiles said that to believe we are obeying God by observing the ceremonial works of the law makes "Christ of none effect to [us]" (Gal. 5:4). If the body of Christ is to be unified in the love and the power of God, water baptism, along with the so called "communion" observance will have to be eliminated. We ARE NOT honoring the finished work of Christ by continuing in these and other ceremonial practices of the old covenant; and much grace, blessing and glory is being withheld due to these things. Amen.