I Will Build My Church 2

[Craigbythesea]

Not only one instance at all. When the Ethiopian asked Philip for baptism, we read:

NKJV Act 8:37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Act 8:38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Comparing that to the instance of the Philippian jailer, we see that believing on the Lord Jesus Christ was what was required to be saved:

NKJV Act 16:30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Act 16:31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Afterwards, we read that he and his household did indeed believe, and were baptized:

NKJV Act 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
Act 16:34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Acts 2:35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.
36. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
37. [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]
38. And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

This passage says absolutely nothing about the eunuch being saved before he was baptized, but it does tell us that the eunuch very much wanted to be baptizes. Why:

Because he wanted to be saved!

Acts 16:27. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”
29. And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,
30. and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31. They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.
33. And he took them that {very} hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his {household.}
34. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. (NASB, 1995)

This passage says absolutely nothing about the jailer being saved before he was baptized, but it does tell us that the jailer very much wanted to be baptized. Why:

Because he wanted to be saved! And immediately he was baptized, he and all his {household.} Why the urgensy? Because water baptism is not merely an outward, symbolic ordinance but the actual means of grace.

1 Peter 3:21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (NASB, 1995)

There is only one instance in the New Testament of someone being saved and then Baptized: Acts 10:44-48; and that instance is based upon the assumption that Cornelius and those who were listening to the message were saved because the circumcised believers who came with Peter were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.

For those people who may have a desire to become more familiar with the book of Acts, Craig S. Keener has given to the church an excellent exegetical commentary on that book of the Bible:

Acts: An Exegetical Commentary: (Introduction and Acts 1:1-28:31, 4 Volumes of a Comprehensive Cultural & Contextual Exegesis of the Acts of the Apostles)

• Publisher: ‎ Baker Academic
• Publication date: ‎ October 13, 2015
• Edition ‏ : ‎ Har/Cdr
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 4,640 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0801039894
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0801039898
• Item Weight: ‎ 20 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎ 11.7 x 7 x 15 inches

I have a copy this commentary here in my study and I highly recommend it to everyone who loves the Bible and who is physically able to handle the four large and very heavy volumes.

 

[Aaron]

6. Scripture does explicitly place the church before the resurrection. Christ said during His earthly ministry:

“I will build My church.” (Matt. 16:18)

And in Luke 6:13 He:

called the apostles,
gathered them,
named them,
and constituted them as the foundation stones (Eph. 2:20).

That is the first assembly under Christ’s authority. Nothing in Scripture says:

“The church began at the resurrection.”

The Church began long before then. Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

 

[360watt]

The Church began long before then. Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

That isn't the New Testament church described in Mathew 16:18.

That's Israel gathered in the wilderness. It is a church in the assembly sense, but not the local NT assembly.