Every Convert to Christianity in the Bible
The Bible reveals two covenants, the old covenant and the new covenant. Hebrews 8:13 (NIV) says:
“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”
The old covenant was the Law of Moses. It governed Israel until the coming of Christ. But the prophets had long foretold that a new covenant was coming.
Jeremiah 31:31 says:
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.”
Jesus came into the world during the time of the old covenant. Galatians 4:4 says:
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”
Jesus Himself lived under the Law of Moses. He worshiped under it, taught under it, and fulfilled it. Matthew 5:17 says:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
But although Jesus lived under the old covenant, He continually pointed forward to a coming kingdom and a coming covenant.
At the Last Supper, Jesus said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20
Yet the new covenant did not begin immediately while Jesus was still alive. Hebrews 9:16-17 explains why:
“In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.”
A testament does not go into effect until after the death of the testator. Jesus had to die before the new covenant could begin.
Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again the third day. But even after His resurrection, the apostles still did not immediately begin preaching the gospel to the world. There was a transition period taking place.
During the forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and instructed them concerning the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:3 says:
“After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive... He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”
But they were still told to wait.
Luke 24:49 says:
“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 1:4-5 says:
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised... For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Why did they have to wait?
Because the kingdom had not yet officially opened, the gospel had not yet been fully proclaimed under the authority of the risen Christ, and the Holy Spirit had not yet come in the promised power.
Jesus had already foretold this.
Mark 9:1 says:
“Some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
The kingdom would come with power. That power was the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8 says:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you...”
That moment arrived in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles. Peter stood up with the eleven and preached the first full gospel sermon under the new covenant. He proclaimed the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and lordship of Jesus Christ.
For the first time in history, the terms of entrance into the kingdom of God were publicly announced under the authority of the risen King.
When the people were convicted and cried out:
“Brothers, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37
Peter answered:
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Acts 2:38
This was the opening of the kingdom.
In Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus had promised Peter:
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven...”
Peter used those keys on Pentecost. He opened the door of the kingdom and proclaimed the conditions of entrance into the new covenant kingdom of God.
Acts 2:41 says:
“Those who accepted his message were baptized...”
Acts 2:47 says:
“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
This is why Pentecost marks the beginning of the new covenant age and the beginning of the kingdom in its completed form.
The old covenant had ended through the death of Christ. The resurrection proved His authority. The ascension placed Him at the right hand of God. The Holy Spirit came with power. The gospel was preached. The kingdom was opened. The terms of salvation were proclaimed.
Only then do we begin reading actual conversion accounts under the new covenant.
This also explains why the thief on the cross cannot be used as an example of New Testament salvation.
The thief died before Pentecost.
He died before Acts 2.
He died before the kingdom was opened.
He died before the gospel was preached under the authority of the risen Christ.
He died before the new covenant officially went into force.
Jesus still had authority on earth to forgive sins directly during His earthly ministry.
Mark 2:10 says:
“But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
The thief was saved personally by Christ while Christ still lived under the old covenant system. He was never instructed under the terms announced on Pentecost because those terms had not yet been revealed to the world.
Beginning in Acts 2, however, every detailed conversion account follows the same gospel pattern.
The Samaritans:
“When they believed Philip... they were baptized, both men and women.” Acts 8:12
The Ethiopian eunuch:
“Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” Acts 8:36
Saul of Tarsus:
“Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away...” Acts 22:16
Cornelius:
“So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” Acts 10:48
Lydia:
“When she and the members of her household were baptized...” Acts 16:15
The Philippian jailer:
“Immediately he and all his household were baptized.” Acts 16:33
The Corinthians:
“Many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.” Acts 18:8
The Ephesians:
“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 19:5
One truth becomes impossible to ignore. Baptism appears in every detailed conversion account recorded under the new covenant.
Yet baptism is the very command most attacked in the religious world today.
People gladly accept faith, grace, repentance, and confession, but reject baptism even though the Holy Spirit repeatedly included it in the conversion accounts.
No conversion account teaches the modern sinner’s prayer.
No conversion account says people were saved before obedience to the gospel.
Instead, the consistent pattern is hearing the gospel, believing in Christ, repenting, and being baptized into Christ.
Romans 6:3-4 says:
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?...”
Galatians 3:27 says:
“...all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
1 Peter 3:21 says:
“...this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also...”
Some accounts emphasize certain details more than others, but the apostles preached one gospel everywhere they went.
Ephesians 4:5 says there is:
“one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
The book of Acts therefore stands uniquely in Scripture. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John largely occur during the transition from the old covenant to the new. Acts records the establishment of the kingdom and the conversion of people under the new covenant.
Then the letters from Romans through Revelation are written primarily to people who are already Christians.
Romans was written “to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people,” Romans 1:7.
First Corinthians was written “to the church of God in Corinth,” 1 Corinthians 1:2.
Ephesians was written “to God’s holy people in Ephesus,” Ephesians 1:1.
These letters were not written to unbelievers explaining how to initially become Christians. They were written to people who had already obeyed the gospel and entered the kingdom.
That is why Acts is so important. It is the divine transition book between the covenants. It records the establishment of the kingdom, the preaching of the gospel, and the inspired examples of men and women entering Christ under the new covenant.