Hello Pilgrim,
Joe alerted me to the fact that I had not replied to your post, so blame him for what follows <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bif.gif" alt="" />
Pilgrim said:
If we take Peter's words "literally", i.e., at face value, bifurcating them from the rest of Scripture; for argument's sake setting aside the Analogy of Faith
Hmmm.....Why would we want to do that? Surely we should not set aside the Analogy of Faith? By using it, we can see that repentance assumes faith (compare Matt 4:17 with Mark 1:15 ). It was because these Jews were convicted by the truth that they cried out, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'
You continued:-
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Let's return to the original text:
Acts 2:39 (ASV) "For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him."<br>
First of all it must be determined what this "promise" is. Would you agree that it is salvation, summed up in Peter's exact phraseology, "remission of sins"?
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Yes, I would. You continued:-
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Secondly, it must be determined who the "you" are. (a) Are they only those who were "pricked in their heart" and who asked, "what shall we do?"(vs 37)? (b) Or, are they those who "received the word and were baptized" (vs 41)? (c) Or, are the "who" everyone who was within Peter's voice? (vs. 5 & 6)? I do not think a case can be made for (a) since the "promise" spoken of was not to those who had a movement of conscience, but rather to those who would repent and be baptized. And further, he also mentions them "who are afar off", i.e., those who weren't even there. Even more so, (b) is actually untenable because the "promise" was mentioned BEFORE their actual receiving of the word and were baptized. So that leaves us with (c), i.e., everyone who was in the audience that day was told that the promise was to them and to their children.....'
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Yes, (c) will do me nicely, thank you. Anyone in that crowd who trusted in Christ would be saved. And the same promise applied to their children.
You went on:-
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Thirdly, Peter's words are actually OLD COVENANT phraseology and should not be construed as something totally "new". He was simply repeating what the Lord had told Abraham concerning his salvation and that of his "seed". (Gen 17:7ff)
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Hmmm again! Peter did not mention either Abraham or Gen 17:7ff. You are reading them into the text (eisogesis! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> ). What he was doing was expounding Joel 2:28-32 (Acts 2:17ff) and saying, 'This is that!' <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bigglasses.gif" alt="" /> The promise of Joel had come to pass in their time, and the promise has reference to Joel 2:32; 'And it shall come to pass that whoever calls upon the Name of the LORD shall be saved.'
Now that promise was not just for those who were present; it was for their children (descendants) also. If they (the children) called upon the Name of the Lord (which they should do by repenting of their sins and being baptized), they would be saved. And the promise went still further; it is, 'to those who are afar off.'
Now who are they? Well, they could be those far off in time, but they are usually comprehended by 'children'. They could be those far off in distance, the Jews of the Diaspora, but if we compare Scripture with Scripture, we come to Eph 2:17. 'And [Christ] came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.' In the context of the preceeding verses this can only mean the Gentiles, and so it does in Acts 2.
But let us take into account your predilection for Gen 17:7. 'And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations.' Who are the descendants of Abraham? 'If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise' (Gal 3:29 ). You and I and all believers are the seed of Abraham and we should take upon ourselves the covenant sign.
You concluded:-
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Within God's purpose of election are included infants, or do you wish to deny this? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratchchin.gif" alt="" /> [/quote]
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Indeed they are, and when they come to profess faith in Christ, they too should be baptized. But not until then. There are no children mentioned in Acrs 2:41.
I don't intend to post here again unless you particularly want me to, so you may have the last word.
Every blessing,
Steve
