01.060. SPECIAL STUDY: ON CONVERSION, AS SHOWN BY REPRESENTATIVE CASES IN ACTS

SPECIAL STUDY: ON CONVERSION, AS SHOWN BY REPRESENTATIVE CASES IN ACTS S.M.-special mention. N.I.—necessary inference.
F.I.-fair inference

It should be noted that special mention is made of preaching or hearing as the beginning, and of baptism as the end of the process.

*This material follows partially the diagram which may be found in the book, Pulpit Diagrams, by the late Z.T. Eweeney. In summarizing the content of the accompanying diagram, the following matters of fact should be noted especially:

1. That there are eight specific cases of conversion to Christ reported in the book of Acts. Of course, there are cases of non-conversion also: notably, the Jewish ecclesiastics who rejected Stephen’s testimony; the Athenian philosophers on Mars Hill; Felix, Festus, and Agrippa (Acts 7:1-60, Acts 17:1-34, Acts 24:1-27, Acts 25:1-27, Acts 26:1-32). The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation only to those who believe (John 1:12-13, Luke 8:14-15, Romans 1:16); to those who reject it, it becomes the power of God unto damnation (2 Corinthians 2:15-16, John 3:17-18; John 5:28-29, Romans 2:4-11, etc.).

2. That in every case of conversion reported, specific mention is made of preaching and/or heating as the initial step, and of baptism as the consummating act of the process.

3. That in all cases, sinners who asked what to do, were told what to do, and did what they were told to do, without delay, and then the Lord added them to His Body (Acts 2:47). There was no praying, agonising, or waiting for a “special experience” (the visitation of an angel, a voice “from heaven,” the singing of a choir invisible, a portent in the sky, an unexplainable ecstasy, or what not) as evidence of a miraculous “call”; the “mourners’ bench” had not yet been built by theological carpentry. All this came in later with human “theology.” There was no catechism, no “confirmation,” no voting on the fitness of sinners for admission into the local church. On the contrary, everything was extreme simplicity. Moreover, all who were added to the church, came into covenant relationship with God through Christ in precisely the same way on precisely the same terms.

4. That in the instances in which rejoicing is mentioned, the rejoicing is reported as following baptism. The only (partial) exception to this principle may be found in Acts 8:8; here the healings wrought by Philip the evangelist contributed to the general rejoicing when the Gospel was first brought to the Samaritans.

5. That in some of these cases reported, no mention is made of repentance. Repentance is, of course, a turning to God in disposition and will, a turning that will manifest itself in a new life (Luke 3:7-14). It seems obvious that such a change was not needed in such cases as those of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), Cornelius and his house (Acts 10:1-22), Lydia and her helpers (Acts 16:11; Acts 16:15). (See, in this connection, Luke 15:7 especially.) These persons were already turned to God in will and life, to the extent of their knowledge; hence, what they needed was additional light, sufficient to make them Christians, and when that light was shed upon them, they proceeded to obey the Gospel at once (Acts 8:36; Acts 10:33; Acts 16:14). In the case of the Philippian jailor, his every act, after hearing the Word, evinced a complete change of heart and of directionality of life, that is to say, a genuine repentance (Acts 16:27-34).

6. What must one do to be saved?—in the light of this clear New Testament teaching? The answers may be cited as follows: (1) to the non-believer, like the Philippian jailor, only a general command could be given, awaiting further necessary edification (Acts 16:31-34); (2) to the believer, like the three thousand on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38); (3) to the penitent believer, as Saul of Tarsus was (Acts 22:16, cf. Acts 9:9); (4) to the baptized penitent believer, the Christian (Php 2:12, 1 Peter 1:5-11, Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 15:58, etc.); (5) to the backslider, as was Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:22; cf. 1 John 1:9). Thus it will be seen that the answer was tailored, so to speak, to the inquirer’s spiritual status—the point to which he had already advanced in the process of conversion—at the time he propounded the question. Romans 10:10—“with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 7:10—“godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation.” Romans 10:10—“with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Galatians 3:27—“for as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.”