43 All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message.

47 “Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”

48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.

— Acts 10:43-44, 47-48

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

— 1 Corinthians 1:17

2 Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

3 Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

Galatians 5:2-3

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

Another confusion regarding the gospel presentation is the one must believe and be baptized to be saved. Water baptism is a public testimony of salvation for people who have believed in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, but it is no t a requirement to the means of salvation for the unsaved. If water baptism was required for salvation, Paul made a major blunder when he said that Christ did not send him to baptize, but to preach the gospel that the cross of Christ would not be made void. The thief on the cross was unquestionably saved without getting baptized in water and this is another confirmation that the ritual of baptism is not necessary for salvation.

Does one have to believe and be circumcised to be saved? Although this false gospel is not common today, it was a problem in the early church when the majority of Christians were still Jews. Many of these Jewish believers felt that in order for Gentiles to be saved, they also needed to be circumcised. God made it clear that is a person was relying on circumcision to be saved, he would need to keep the entire Law, not just the circumcision requirements. Since no no one has ever been able to keep the entire Law, any effort to gain eternal life through circumcision falls miserably short.