"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16:16.
Both of these are examples of the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, preached by John the Baptist and Christ BEFORE Christ's crucifixion.
The reason this is important is the anyone who was there and who was convicted of sin KNEW what they MUST do to be saved: REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED. No doubt about that. Right?
The baptism of repentance for the remission of sins was part of the "Great Commission" given to the 12 by Christ. Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16 are clear. Right?
And so it was also preached AFTER Christ's crucifixion and resurrection and ascencion, as Acts 2:38 CLEARLY states. Right? The "great commission" demanded repentance AND baptism for sins to be remitted.
I'm not sure WHAT point you're trying to make with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You'll have to be clearer.
As far as Peter and Cornelius, you are not understanding what I'm saying here. The Great Commission states: "AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD, AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE. That they were to go into all the world was clear. There was no misunderstanding. right? So, why did Peter need a vision about unclean things? And why did he doubt in himself what that vision meant? And what did it matter? There was nothing in the great commission about clean and unclean things, it was about preaching the gospel to all the world. Right? Then why did Peter hesitate? WHy did he question the Lord? The great commission says "go". Why did Peter hesitate? He was filled with the Holy SPirit, right?
Just to piggyback on your last post...
Acts 10:44-48 (AMP)
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the message.
45 And the believers from among the circumcised [the Jews] who came with Peter were surprised and amazed, because the free gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed and poured out largely even on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them talking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and extolling and magnifying God. Then Peter asked,
47 Can anyone forbid or refuse water for baptizing these people, seeing that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?
48 And he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Then they begged him to stay on there for some days.
Peter preaches the Word to Cornelius and his relatives. It must have been one heck of a sermon, because the Holy Spirit was poured on them with evidence that was heard by, and “surprised” the Jews with Peter.
Now here is where you must put on the theological big boy britches. Why did Peter want to baptize them in water? What could mere water, an outward ordinance, do for someone already filled with the Holy Spirit? This dovetails nicely with your previous point about John’s baptism.
Note also the religious division still actively recognized. There is not ONE BODY IN CHRIST at this time.
**I’m not understanding what you are trying to say, Zuriel. “There was no remission of sins until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ...”: Mark 1:4: “John (the Baptist) did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”**
That was like the rolling ahead of the sins, as the sacrifices had been for. With the sacrifice of Christ the sins were finally remitted before God with his blood. If sin was blotted out before the crucifixion, then there would have been no need for Christ to have suffered and die. That’s why Paul REbaptized the certain disciples in Ephesus.
“Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”. Acts 19:4,5.
It’s the power of the name of Jesus in baptism:
“Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” 1Cor. 1:13
**Why did Peter hesitate?**
Prove that he hesitated. The church was still new, in the same old world. It’s growth was resisted by Satan at every turn. It was WORK. Up until the last 200 yrs, everything was by walking, or by tamed beast. Peter was led by the Spirit of God. Why didn’t God simply tell him in the vision that the time had come to go to the Gentiles? If you can answer that, then you can answer MANY things that are not in the scriptures. The fact remains: AFTER the vision, God openly told him to go with the messengers, “doubting nothing, for I have sent them” (10:20).
That’s it. No other info. Peter meets them, listens to what they say, and learns about Cornelius. HE NOW KNOWS he’s to go to meet this Gentile man that has ask him to come. He lodges the messengers (I don’t know if they were Gentiles), then leaves with them on the next day.
In short, I believe you’re really taking this hesitation thing a bit too far.
**I’m not sure WHAT point you’re trying to make with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You’ll have to be clearer.**
“...Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. Rom. 8:9
Acts 2 is where that requirement was initiated.
Feel free to address the details of Paul’s conversion (Acts chapters 9,22, and 26), and of those in Acts 19:1-7.
Mark 16:16 was stated by the Risen Christ not before Christ's crucifixion.