What does Acts 2:38 really mean ??

[Dr. Walter]

GE:
I have contended that, so far, all the while! Water baptism was administered "in the name of" Jesus ... "as authorized" by Jesus to the Apostles, by the Apostles. ONLY.

What do you do with Philip and the Eunoch in Acts 8:35-37???? He was not an apostle but did "go preach the gospel" under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and administered baptism IN WATER just as the Great Commission of Christ commandes????????

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

......... Others than the Apostles administered water baptism throughout the book of Acts (Acts 8:35-37).

GE:
".... throughout the book of Acts".... never denied it. "Others than the Apostles".... never denied it. Others than the Apostles whom the Apostles laid hands on or were otherwise 'authorised' by the Apostles .... NEVER anybody else. Since there are no more apostles or their authorised; there's no more baptism by water.

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

What do you do with Philip and the Eunoch in Acts 8:35-37???? He was not an apostle but did "go preach the gospel" under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and administered baptism IN WATER just as the Great Commission of Christ commandes????????

GE:
As I said, I have no problem with that; they were of the generation of Apostleship of the 'first' Christians, and directly or personally even, connected with the Apostles themselves. (See e.g. BB Warfield 'The Work of Christ')

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

Find one text in Matthew through John that Jesus ever administered the baptism in the Spirit or OBERVED it or the apostles ever administered it????? You cannot do it because it was still predictive prophecy even after Christ's ascension (Acts 1:5). However, the baptism in Matthew 28:19-20 is among those things Christ had already OBSERVED and thus commanded.

GE:
It's the same argument you brought up earlier. You are contradicting yourself.

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

Find one text in Matthew through John that Jesus ever administered the baptism in the Spirit or OBERVED it or the apostles ever administered it????? You cannot do it because it was still predictive prophecy even after Christ's ascension (Acts 1:5). However, the baptism in Matthew 28:19-20 is among those things Christ had already OBSERVED and thus commanded.

GE:
John uses the Present - ongoing time-aspect. If you interpret the Present as a Past Tense it even more says Jesus did baptise with the Holy Spirirt. I am sure you do not really want to deny it? The fact Matthew didn't say it, do you want to insinuate Jesus never did it? Do you imply Jesus ministered without effect upon the hearts and lives of people? Because that is what it means if Jesus never baptised with the Holy Spirit before Pentecost.

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

"GO" is an action word not a PHILOSOPY! "Preach" is an action word not "LISTEN" or "READ"

You cannot have your cake and eat it too. If baptizing and teaching are apostolic only actions then so is GOING PREACHING THE GOSPEL. However, to take that position leaves us only to READING the gospel as GOING and PREACHING and TEACHING it are apostolic only perogatives according to your logic.

Besides, Matthew 28:7-16 demonstrates this was not given to just the apostles but to all the disciples who were equally charged to be there on that mount in Galilee. The fact that Stephen preached the gospel and he was not an apostle proves that it was not restricted to the apostles. The fact that Philip actually did "GO PREACH THE GOSPEL" and administer WATER BAPTISM to the Eunoch proves both of the first aspects of the commission was not restricted to the apostles.

GE:
It's almost half past two in the morning in our world; think it's bed-time for me now. Thanks Dr Walter for this civilised and nice conversation. Please remember I despite my differences with God's Church still strongly and affectionately hold to our Reformed Protestant Christian heritage and Church Body. I LOVE Christ's Own.

God bless

 

[Dr. Walter]

GE:
".... throughout the book of Acts".... never denied it. "Others than the Apostles".... never denied it. Others than the Apostles whom the Apostles laid hands on or were otherwise 'authorised' by the Apostles .... NEVER anybody else. Since there are no more apostles or their authorised; there's no more baptism by water.

It is not the apostles who authorized or gave the commission but Christ!! He did not give it to the apostles as a selective body as the Scriptures refer to them as "disciples" in Matthew 28:16 not "apostles." Furthermore, there is plenty of evidence that all those listed in Acts 1:15-18 were there on that mountain and it was given to HIS CHURCH. Note that Matthew 18:17-18 applies the "keys of the kingdom" to the church not to the ordained members or the Apostles. Your position is just simply error.