Act 8:15 - Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Act 8:16 - (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Then how do you explain this?
Acts 2 (The people in Jerusalem that Acts 8 refers to)
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people.
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
And How does one BECOME a disciple?
Matthew 28
19 Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Just like the Eunuch in Acts 8:36-39
They didn't receive "miraculous gifts" until Peter and John was sent to them to lay hands upon them. See, miraculous gifts we passed on by apostles. No apostle, no passing of gifts to do miraculous wonders like Philip did.
Hence the reason Simon was so amazed and then tried purchasing it when the apostles came to lay hands.
Don't be fooled by that other posters loaded questions that catch you in a pickle, trapping you.
Those people were saved before the apostles came. The apostles came to give them "miraculous gifts" by laying of hands, not salvation. Because if that were the case, think about it, then we would need apostles now days to be saved, and people would seek salvation from men, not Christ. That other poster is not putting two and two together.
1 Peter 3:20-21
It's not that the water is some magical property that saves you, it is a command by the scriptures to do so, " a good conscience toward God", see also Romans 6:1-5 combined with 1 Corinthians 15:1-5. That is why we get dipped into water. "Eight souls were saved by water", "even now, baptism now saves you", reason "not for the removal of filth but a good conscience toward God".
You were on the right track before that other poster. He is cherry picking scripture and that lead him to forgetting what other scripture earlier had mentioned. The verses I put down easily show his belief is contradictory to the scripture. Anyone can twist a verse when cherry picking.
