If Thou Believest with All Thine Heart, Thou Mayest (Acts 8:37)

2023-09-08

And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Acts 8:37)

This verse tells us what we need to do to be baptized, namely, that one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It is left out of many modern translations and some ancient manuscripts. Some yet will even tell you that this verse should not be in the Bible, though they agree with what the verse says. But there is a problem. This is the clearest verse telling us that we must believe on Christ to be baptized. This rules out baptismal regeneration and infant baptism. All the Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many of the Protestant denominations practice infant baptism. There is the motive to remove this from the Bible.

There is evidence that these verses were known by early Christian writers, and that tells me that the verses were in the original manuscripts.

But again: Whom did Philip preach to the eunuch of the queen of the Ethiopians, returning from Jerusalem, and reading Esaias the prophet, when he and this man were alone together? Was it not He of whom the prophet spoke: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb dumb before the shearer, so He opened not the month?” “But who shall declare His nativity? for His life shall be taken away from the earth.” [Philip declared] that this was Jesus, and that the Scripture was fulfilled in Him; as did also the believing eunuch himself: and, immediately requesting to be baptized, he said, “I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.” This man was also sent into the regions of Ethiopia, to preach what he had himself believed, that there was one God preached by the prophets, but that the Son of this [God] had already made [His] appearance in human nature (secundum hominem), and had been led as a sheep to the slaughter; and all the other statements which the prophets made regarding Him. -Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3.12.8.

Philip being admonished went up to his chariot, explained the Scripture, unfolded the faith, preached Christ. The eunuch believed on Christ, and said when they came unto a certain water, “See water, who does hinder me to be baptized? Philip said to him, Do you believe in Jesus Christ? He answered, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Immediately he went down with him into the water.” -Augustine, Sermon 49.11.

In the Acts of the Apostles: Lo, here is water; what is there which hinders me from being baptized? Then said Philip, If you believe with all your heart, you may. -The Treatises of Cyprian, Treatise 12, Book 3, Section 43.

These either predate or are concurrent with the Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, some of the earliest Greek manuscripts. These men knew Acts 8:37 before these manuscripts were around.

If anyone can be baptized and baptism saves people, well, we now have dispensed with grace and have a work where one can find merit. Acts 8:37 is important verse regarding baptism. Do not let anyone tell you that it should not be in the Bible.