Salvation the Pentecostal way

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Michael Cates writes:  They "continued STEDFASLY in the APOSTLES' DOCTRINE".
What is the *apostles doctrine*? Its not too hard to figure out.
Only one sermon has been preached at this point. Its Acts 2:38.
Also notice the phrase "apostles' doctrine". "Apostles" is plural
while "doctrine" is singular.  All *twelve* apostles had *one*
doctrine.

I write:
You say only one sermon has been preached at this point. Its Acts 
2:38.  Acts 2:38 is not a sermon, it is a reply to a question. The 
question is in verse 37 of the same chapter " Men and brethren, what 
shall we do?"  It doesn't say what shall we do to be saved, but it 
says what shall we do? Do you really think that Acts 2:38 is the 
sermon and that is the only sermon they preached.  You know why some 
apostolic churches are not advancing in their experience with the 
Lord? Because that is basically the only message that is being 
preached sermon after sermon.  After you have heard that for years, 
as if we don't know how to baptize ,etc. you become hungry for more 
deep things of God, going on unto  perfection according to Hebrews 
6:1-2. Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on 
unto perfection, part of that is the doctrine of baptisms, in verse 
2. Too many apostolics it seems to me remain in the principles of the 
doctrine of Christ and don't go on unto perfection.
Acts 2:38 is not a sermon, nowhere in Acts did Peter preach it as a 
sermon, it was a reply to a question. What happened in Acts 10 is 
very interesting . How did the apostles say that those folks in Acts 
10, Cornelius and those present were saved.  Following scripture 
carefully we find some interesting conclusions.   First in Acts 10 
Peter did not preach Acts 2:38 he had not even mentioned it even, 
when the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost fell on those present and they 
received the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  Peter was just saying that 
"through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission 
of sins.  " Notice no word of repentance, no mention of Baptism in 
Jesus Name, no mention of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Why?
The early apostolic church did not go about preaching one same sermon 
all of the time.  They preached Jesus, preached him crucified, buried 
and resurrected and they presented it in different ways with other 
texts from the Old Testament to back them up.   Their message was 
Christ, not baptism, etc.  After the message came the response, they 
would repent, etc. some places it is recorded they were baptized , 
others that they received the Holy Ghost. So to be apostolic is to 
preach Christ,  Jesus Christ is our message not Acts 2:38. Acts 2:38 
is but one reply to a question.  Now after they received the baptism 
of the Holy Ghost Peter asked if any man could forbid water, that 
these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as 
well as we?  verse 47 and in verse 48 of chapter 10 he commanded them 
to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Here he had an excellent 
opportunity to "preach" Acts 2:38 but he didn't, doesn't even quote 
Acts 2:38! Where is mention of repentance in this passage? Now this 
caused a great stir in the early church, first of all the order was 
reversed, people getting buried after they resurrected, if that is 
what the baptism of the Holy Ghost is. This is not the way it is 
supposed to be, gentiles receiving what Jews had received! Chapter 11 
of Acts verse 14 "who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy 
house shall be saved." Again an excellent time to preach the same 
sermon Acts 2:38 but notice in Acts 10 that Peter preached something 
else and he said "and as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on 
them, as on us at the beginning". Peter had just begun his sermon and 
God filled them with the Holy Ghost, does God baptize sinners with 
the Holy Ghost? No he doesn't, notice verse 17 "Forasmuch then as God 
gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord 
Jesus Christ: what was I, that I could withstand God?"  It is the 
same today, people that receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, who have 
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who are we to question their 
experience with God or even question God? Then notice the next 
interesting verse 18, that said "Then hath God also to the Gentiles 
granted repentance unto life"  They had actually repented, when ?
Well that is an interesting question, did they repent, yes they did, 
and God baptized them with the Holy Ghost.
In chapter 15 again we find the same issue is faced about the 
gentiles and their experience with God.  Notice again Acts 2:38 is 
not mentioned but salvation is mentioned. In chapter 15:1 the issue 
was that unless they were circumcised they cannot be saved.  Here the 
Cornelius crowd we notice,  is used for an example to say that the 
gentiles didn't need to be circumcised to be saved. In verse 5 of 
Chapter 15 of Acts again we find that circumcision  is mentioned and 
the keeping of the law of Moses. Peter replied in verse 7 "Men and 
brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, 
that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and 
believe."  No mention absolutely of Acts 2:38, just the gospel. Acts 
2:38 is not the message, the gospel is the message and they responded 
to the message by Acts 2:38, in Acts chapter 2. Acts 15:8 " And God, 
which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy 
Ghost , even as he did unto us"  God baptizes with the Holy Ghost, 
because he knoweth the hearts, they were filled with the Holy Ghost 
before they were baptized in water, why because God knoweth the 
heart. What about their hearts, notice the next verse, He baptized 
them with the Holy Ghost because their hearts were purified by faith, 
again before they were baptized in water! Verse 9 "And put no 
difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."
And in verse 11 it says "But we believe that through the grace of the 
Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they".  On the great 
occasion here Peter had an excellent opportunity to reestablish Acts 
2:38 to the church, but he mentions only some parts of Acts 2:38. 
What does this mean, that they were saved by the Lord Jesus Christ 
and didn't get sidetracked from that main theme, preaching Christ. 
Repentance , baptism in water in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ 
and the baptism with the Holy Ghost as on the day of Pentecost, were 
all subsequent to the main message, which is Christ, preaching of 
Christ, or preaching of the cross. Let us continue in what the 
Apostolic early church did, preaching Christ, and then disciples, or 
believers will be filled with the Holy Ghost, baptized in His Name, 
etc.

gdrost@nbnet.nb.ca

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