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The Great Commission, Pentecost, and Paul's Meeting with the Apostles


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I've debated on whether to post this, because it's been covered...and covered...and covered...and recovered on this forum already. No one's mind has been changed either way (that I'm aware of), so I feel that I'm posting this in vain...but I'm posting it anyway.

1. The Great Commission

Do we still believe that the Great Commission applies for us today? The Great Commission is comprised of 3 things...

  1. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, (aka...preach the gospel in Mark 16)
  2. baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 
  3. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

That's what the Lord Jesus Christ told them to do. Preach the gospel, baptize, and teach.

2. The Day of Pentecost/Peter's sermon

When Peter preached the sermon on the day of Pentecost, what did he do?

  1. Peter included the first part of the Great Commission. He most definitely preached the gospel; he thoroughly covered the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sermon...that's what the entire sermon was about! After which, the hearers were strongly convicted and asked what they should do.
  2. Peter included the second part of the Great Commission. He first told the hearers that they needed to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (see Luke's version of the Great Commission in Luke 24:47). What were they to repent of? Well, if you read Peter's sermon, you will note how often he exclaimed that THEY were responsible for Christ's death. THEY had rejected Christ. They now needed to accept Christ. In other words...he was telling them that they needed to accept the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Next, he told them that they should be baptized. Isn't that part of the Great Commission? Don't we tell people the same today? You're saved now, so you should get baptized. The problem people seem to have is with Peter saying, "and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Some claim that Peter was preaching works + faith, but I beg to differ. Don't we also tell people that if they get saved, they'll receive the Holy Ghost? The hearers asked Peter what they should do. Peter told them what they should do...repent and be baptized...get saved and be baptized. That's what they needed to do. Receiving the Holy Ghost is what happens when one is saved. Was Peter preaching work + faith, or was he just giving the natural result of being saved much the same way that we do today? What should the hearers do? They should repent and be baptized...after all...that's what the Lord Jesus Christ told his followers to do in the Great Commission. Peter told them what they needed to do, because the Lord Jesus Christ said that was what they were to do. We later read that those that gladly received his word (believed) were baptized...yet, we read nothing of them receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Hmmm...
  3. Peter included the third part of the Great Commission. We also later read that those who were saved "continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine". So Peter was also involved in teaching the new believers. Peter preached the gospel, baptized, and taught them. He was doing what the Lord Jesus Christ told them to do in the Great Commission...

Now, those who say that Peter taught works + faith seem to have no trouble explaining away the "baptismal requirement" of the Great Commission in Mark 16...

(Mark 16:15-16) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

So, is baptism necessary or not? We can explain away Mark 16's baptismal requirement (and rightly so), but Peter...oh no...Peter taught baptismal regeneration! Strange, because he got the Great Commission from the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter gets lambasted for saying they should be baptized, but the Lord Jesus Christ's own words can be explained away? Hmmm...

***Now, for those new here, and before anyone gets any crazy ideas about me...no, I DO NOT believe in baptismal regeneration. No,,,NO...NO!!!

3. Paul's Meeting with the Apostles

Just to keep it short...what happened at that meeting? The apostles agreed that Paul was teaching the same thing they were teaching. Hmmm...

 

Finally, let's not forget that in the giving of the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus Christ said that they were to go unto ALL THE WORLD...ALL NATIONS...preaching the gospel, baptizing, and teaching. ALL OF THE WORLD...ALL NATIONS. The Lord told them to take THE gospel to ALL nations. He didn't tell them to take the works + faith gospel to the Jews...then take the gospel of grace to the Gentiles. No, he said to take THE gospel to ALL nations beginning at Jerusalem. The gospel that Jerusalem received was the gospel that all of the nations of the world were to receive. Preach THE gospel to EVERY creature. One gospel. The one and only gospel. The gospel of grace...and what is THE gospel? How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. That's the gospel that Peter preached on Pentecost...

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39 minutes ago, No Nicolaitans said:

I've debated on whether to post this, because it's been covered...and covered...and covered...and recovered on this forum already. No one's mind has been changed either way (that I'm aware of), so I feel that I'm posting this in vain...but I'm posting it anyway.

1. The Great Commission

Do we still believe that the Great Commission applies for us today? The Great Commission is comprised of 3 things...

  1. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, (aka...preach the gospel in Mark 16)
  2. baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 
  3. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

That's what the Lord Jesus Christ told them to do. Preach the gospel, baptize, and teach.

2. The Day of Pentecost/Peter's sermon

When Peter preached the sermon on the day of Pentecost, what did he do?

  1. Peter included the first part of the Great Commission. He most definitely preached the gospel; he thoroughly covered the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sermon...that's what the entire sermon was about! After which, the hearers were strongly convicted and asked what they should do.
  2. Peter included the second part of the Great Commission. He first told the hearers that they needed to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (see Luke's version of the Great Commission in Luke 24:47). What were they to repent of? Well, if you read Peter's sermon, you will note how often he exclaimed that THEY were responsible for Christ's death. THEY had rejected Christ. They now needed to accept Christ. In other words...he was telling them that they needed to accept the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Next, he told them that they should be baptized. Isn't that part of the Great Commission? Don't we tell people the same today? You're saved now, so you should get baptized. The problem people seem to have is with Peter saying, "and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Some claim that Peter was preaching works + faith, but I beg to differ. Don't we also tell people that if they get saved, they'll receive the Holy Ghost? The hearers asked Peter what they should do. Peter told them what they should do...repent and be baptized...get saved and be baptized. That's what they needed to do. Receiving the Holy Ghost is what happens when one is saved. Was Peter preaching work + faith, or was he just giving the natural result of being saved much the same way that we do today? What should the hearers do? They should repent and be baptized...after all...that's what the Lord Jesus Christ told his followers to do in the Great Commission. Peter told them what they needed to do, because the Lord Jesus Christ said that was what they were to do. We later read that those that gladly received his word (believed) were baptized...yet, we read nothing of them receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Hmmm...
  3. Peter included the third part of the Great Commission. We also later read that those who were saved "continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine". So Peter was also involved in teaching the new believers. Peter preached the gospel, baptized, and taught them. He was doing what the Lord Jesus Christ told them to do in the Great Commission...

Now, those who say that Peter taught works + faith seem to have no trouble explaining away the "baptismal requirement" of the Great Commission in Mark 16...

(Mark 16:15-16) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

So, is baptism necessary or not? We can explain away Mark 16's baptismal requirement (and rightly so), but Peter...oh no...Peter taught baptismal regeneration! Strange, because he got the Great Commission from the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter gets lambasted for saying they should be baptized, but the Lord Jesus Christ's own words can be explained away? Hmmm...

***Now, for those new here, and before anyone gets any crazy ideas about me...no, I DO NOT believe in baptismal regeneration. No,,,NO...NO!!!

3. Paul's Meeting with the Apostles

Just to keep it short...what happened at that meeting? The apostles agreed that Paul was teaching the same thing they were teaching. Hmmm...

 

Finally, let's not forget that in the giving of the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus Christ said that they were to go unto ALL THE WORLD...ALL NATIONS...preaching the gospel, baptizing, and teaching. ALL OF THE WORLD...ALL NATIONS. The Lord told them to take THE gospel to ALL nations. He didn't tell them to take the works + faith gospel to the Jews...then take the gospel of grace to the Gentiles. No, he said to take THE gospel to ALL nations beginning at Jerusalem. The gospel that Jerusalem received was the gospel that all of the nations of the world were to receive. Preach THE gospel to EVERY creature. One gospel. The one and only gospel. The gospel of grace...and what is THE gospel? How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. That's the gospel that Peter preached on Pentecost...

First off, all the bible is still for today as per II Tim. 3:16. It just might not all be DOCTRINALLY applied to the church today.

Secondly, the "all nations" part was fulfilled at Acts 2:5. Many of the apostles never left Jerusalem so in essence they would have disobeyed the last commission (which was given directly to them) so I see Acts 2:5 as a fulfilment of the Lord's command to them.

Last of all, like you said, Acts 2:37 says the Holy Ghost isn't given until after baptism. So apparently, something different was going on early in Acts to at least Acts 15 maybe even later where Paul rebaptizes John's disciples in Acts 19:1-6. In this case they didn't received the Holy Ghost until Paul laid his hands on them. Just like there are no more tongues and prophecies now but there were in the early church so baptism seems to play an important role in salvation or at least in receiving the Holy Ghost in the early church. All of this took place before Paul received his revelation of the body of Christ and the gospel of John was written. 

The problem we have is if the bible doesn't read like we want it to read so as to fit into our theology (in most cases here it would be independent Baptist) we either go to the "originals" and change what it says to fit our theology or we just outright reject what it says. This is a fatal mistake, IMO, that will shut off any more understanding of the scripture. If you believe what it says and start questioning your previous theology or beliefs (question with an honest heart to know the truth) then more understanding and light will be cast on these difficult passages. You should be a bible believer first and a baptist second.

 

 

Edited by Critical Mass
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1 minute ago, Critical Mass said:

First off, all the bible is still for today as per II Tim. 3:16. It just might not all be DOCTRINALLY applied to the church today.

Secondly, the "all nations" part was fulfilled at Acts 2:5. Many of the apostles never left Jerusalem so in essence they would have disobeyed the last commission (which was given directly to them) so I see this as a fulfilled of the Lord's command to them.

Last of all, like you said, Acts 2:37 says the Holy Ghost isn't given until after baptism. So apparently, something different was going on early in Acts to at least Acts 15 maybe even later where Paul rebaptizes John's disciples in Acts 19:1-6. In this case they didn't received the Holy Ghost until Paul laid his hands on them. Just like there are no more tongues and prophecies now but there were in the early church so baptism seems to play an important role in salvation or at least in receiving the Holy Ghost in the early church. All of this took place before Paul received his revelation of the body of Christ and the gospel of John was written. 

The problem we have is if the bible doesn't read like we want it to read so as to fit into our theology (in most cases here it would be independent Baptist) we either go to the "originals" and change what it says to fit our theology or we just outright reject what it says. This is a fatal mistake, IMO, that will shut off any more understanding of the scripture. If you believe what it says and start questioning your previous theology or beliefs (question with an honest heart to know the truth) then more understanding and light will be cast on these difficult passages. You should be a bible believer first and a baptist second.

 

 

They were to go INTO all the world...to every creature...not the world come to one place.

 

In fact, they were to go to Jerusalem, all Judaea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

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1 hour ago, No Nicolaitans said:

I've debated on whether to post this, because it's been covered...and covered...and covered...and recovered on this forum already. No one's mind has been changed either way (that I'm aware of), so I feel that I'm posting this in vain...but I'm posting it anyway.

1. The Great Commission

Do we still believe that the Great Commission applies for us today? The Great Commission is comprised of 3 things...

  1. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, (aka...preach the gospel in Mark 16)
  2. baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 
  3. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

That's what the Lord Jesus Christ told them to do. Preach the gospel, baptize, and teach.

2. The Day of Pentecost/Peter's sermon

When Peter preached the sermon on the day of Pentecost, what did he do?

  1. Peter included the first part of the Great Commission. He most definitely preached the gospel; he thoroughly covered the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sermon...that's what the entire sermon was about! After which, the hearers were strongly convicted and asked what they should do.
  2. Peter included the second part of the Great Commission. He first told the hearers that they needed to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (see Luke's version of the Great Commission in Luke 24:47). What were they to repent of? Well, if you read Peter's sermon, you will note how often he exclaimed that THEY were responsible for Christ's death. THEY had rejected Christ. They now needed to accept Christ. In other words...he was telling them that they needed to accept the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Next, he told them that they should be baptized. Isn't that part of the Great Commission? Don't we tell people the same today? You're saved now, so you should get baptized. The problem people seem to have is with Peter saying, "and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Some claim that Peter was preaching works + faith, but I beg to differ. Don't we also tell people that if they get saved, they'll receive the Holy Ghost? The hearers asked Peter what they should do. Peter told them what they should do...repent and be baptized...get saved and be baptized. That's what they needed to do. Receiving the Holy Ghost is what happens when one is saved. Was Peter preaching work + faith, or was he just giving the natural result of being saved much the same way that we do today? What should the hearers do? They should repent and be baptized...after all...that's what the Lord Jesus Christ told his followers to do in the Great Commission. Peter told them what they needed to do, because the Lord Jesus Christ said that was what they were to do. We later read that those that gladly received his word (believed) were baptized...yet, we read nothing of them receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Hmmm...
  3. Peter included the third part of the Great Commission. We also later read that those who were saved "continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine". So Peter was also involved in teaching the new believers. Peter preached the gospel, baptized, and taught them. He was doing what the Lord Jesus Christ told them to do in the Great Commission...

Now, those who say that Peter taught works + faith seem to have no trouble explaining away the "baptismal requirement" of the Great Commission in Mark 16...

(Mark 16:15-16) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

So, is baptism necessary or not? We can explain away Mark 16's baptismal requirement (and rightly so), but Peter...oh no...Peter taught baptismal regeneration! Strange, because he got the Great Commission from the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter gets lambasted for saying they should be baptized, but the Lord Jesus Christ's own words can be explained away? Hmmm...

***Now, for those new here, and before anyone gets any crazy ideas about me...no, I DO NOT believe in baptismal regeneration. No,,,NO...NO!!!

3. Paul's Meeting with the Apostles

Just to keep it short...what happened at that meeting? The apostles agreed that Paul was teaching the same thing they were teaching. Hmmm...

 

Finally, let's not forget that in the giving of the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus Christ said that they were to go unto ALL THE WORLD...ALL NATIONS...preaching the gospel, baptizing, and teaching. ALL OF THE WORLD...ALL NATIONS. The Lord told them to take THE gospel to ALL nations. He didn't tell them to take the works + faith gospel to the Jews...then take the gospel of grace to the Gentiles. No, he said to take THE gospel to ALL nations beginning at Jerusalem. The gospel that Jerusalem received was the gospel that all of the nations of the world were to receive. Preach THE gospel to EVERY creature. One gospel. The one and only gospel. The gospel of grace...and what is THE gospel? How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. That's the gospel that Peter preached on Pentecost...

Brother Dan,

I "liked" your posting, but that was not enough for my liking.  Therefore, I am posting this to say -- Amen, and AMEN!

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2 minutes ago, No Nicolaitans said:

...and they still do. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ commanded. :)

And therefore I said the passage was still for today.

The backslapping Amen's are nice and dandy but the passages still have to be dealt with without tearing them apart with the Greek. The Holy Ghost was not given until after baptism (in some cases after the laying on of hands) and Mark includes baptism in salvation..

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57 minutes ago, Critical Mass said:

So apparently, something different was going on early in Acts to at least Acts 15 maybe even later where Paul rebaptizes John's disciples in Acts 19:1-6. In this case they didn't received the Holy Ghost until Paul laid his hands on them.

In Acts 19, the Holy Ghost came ON them...it doesn't say that's when the Holy Ghost indwelt them. They Holy Ghost came on them, and they spake in tongues and prophesied...it was a sign. The Holy Ghost empowered them to speak in tongues and prophesy.

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3 hours ago, Critical Mass said:

Many of the apostles never left Jerusalem

I hear this quite often. My only question is...and I'm asking this sincerely and humbly...what is that based upon?

As far as I've read in the biblical record, the only apostle that never left Jerusalem was James (the brother of John), and that was because Herod killed him...

Unless I've missed it somehow, I've never seen any other biblical evidence that any of the apostles stayed only in Jerusalem.

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Well, we know that as late as the problems in the Galatian church, the Apostles were still in Jerusalem, as that was where Paul went to consult with them over the Judaizers. Biblically, as far as we know, they never did leave-if they did, we don't see it in scripture. BUt we are kind of working from a position of silence.

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2 hours ago, No Nicolaitans said:

That's just it Mike...the Bible doesn't say either way. However, I would be more prone to believe they obeyed the Lord and went out to tell others the gospel.

Especially considering that church history DOES indicate that most of them engaged in evangelistic work away from Jerusalem and Judaea.

Just consider, Scripture does not record the death for most of the disciples either; so do we believe that they never died, but are still alive.

Edited by Pastor Scott Markle
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