Olson/Smith Debate on Salvation

 
 
 Proposition: 
 Faith, repentance, confession and baptism are for (in order to obtain) the remission of 
sins according to Acts chapter 2.

Affirm: J. T. Smith
Deny: Lloyd Olson

Introduction:
Definition of Proposition
Background Material – Old Testament New Testament
Christ, Zacheeus, Thief on Cross, etc.

Definition of Proposition By “faith” I mean, Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of 
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

By “repentance” I mean, When Jonah went to Neneveh and preached that God was 
going to destroy the city, Jonah 3:8 says the king commanded, “But let man and beast be 
covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his 
evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.”  NT:3340 metanoeoo, metanoo “to 
change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins:”  
(from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database)

By “confession” Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and 
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Acts 8:37 “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.” 

Confession in the Scriptures may either be specifically stated or implied. In I Timothy 6:13 
Paul said, “I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before 
Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession.” However, the 
confession Jesus made was in reply to a question from Pilate. “John 18:37 Pilate 
therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a 
king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear 
witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”

By “baptism” I mean, “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down 
both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39And when they 
were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch 
saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:38-39).

In Colossians 2:12 I read, “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him 
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Thus 
baptism is a burial in water. Cf. Acts 8:38-39 above. This is the one baptism of Ephesians 
4:5 and the baptism of my proposition.

By “for the remission of sin” I mean, the people whom Peter was addressing were sinners 
having crucified Jesus whom God had made both Lord and Christ. After Peter and the 
rest of the apostles made them aware of this fact, “Therefore let all the house of Israel 
know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both 
Lord and Christ: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said 
unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? (Acts 2: 
36-37). “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” (Acts 2:38).

The word  eis “for” the remission of sins in Acts 2:38 is translated “unto” in the American 
Standard Version, and “for” in the New King James Version. Of course we all recognize 
what the word “unto” (ASV) means – in the direction of. We also understand that 
whatever repentance is “for” baptism is “for” since there is only one “for” in the passage. 

The word “eis, a preposition governing the accusative, and denoting entrance into, or 
direction and limit: into, to, toward, for, among.” (from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic 
Database). 

All of the conditions mentioned in my proposition, whether stated or implied, are in Acts 
chapter 2.

Old Testament

We are not discussing what was required of people during the time of the Patriarchs. 
Before the Law of Moses was given at Mt. Sinai, God dealt with the heads of families. 
What he required of them was the same principle that has guided those who have always 
been his servants. This principle is expressed by Paul in the New Testament. “Know ye 
not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye 
obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17But God be 
thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of 
doctrine which was delivered you. 18Being then made free from sin, ye became the 
servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18). The doctrine that was delivered to those of 
the Old Testament had to be obeyed just as we must obey today.

Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: 
and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest 
myself to him. 23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my 
words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with 
him. 24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not 
mine, but the Father's which sent me” (John 14:21, 23-24). God has always required that 
man hear Him, believe Him and obey Him. That is all I am asking people to do.

God required this of those who lived under the Law of Moses. In fact, Jesus Himself lived 
and died while under the Law of Moses. The Hebrew writer gave instructions to those 
who had lived under the Law of Moses, turned to Christianity but were now going back to 
Judaism. In this letter he argued the superiority of following Christ to following Moses. 
They had a greater deliverer – Christ; a better covenant based upon better promises. 
This was the message to the Hebrews.

Christ was not a high priest after the order of Aaron. Instead, He was both king and high 
priest after the order of Melchisedec. “As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest 
for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 5:6). “If therefore perfection were by 
the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was 
there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called 
after the order of Aaron? 12For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity 
a change also of the law” (Hebrews 7:11-12). Paul affirms this change in Colossians 
2:14. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary 
to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” We are no longer under the Law 
of Moses. The Hebrew writer said, “For where a testament is, there must also of 
necessity be the death of the testator. 17For a testament is of force after men are dead: 
otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Hebrews 9:16-17).

We are now under the New Testament that was ratified by the blood of Christ. In fact, 
Christ used the same words as those used in Acts 2:38 when He instituted the Lord’s 
Supper. “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the 
remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). This too was in order that we might receive the 
remission of sins. The language is the same in the Greek and in the English.

Jesus, the Thief, Zacchaues, etc.
All of the male members that were born and circumcised the eighth day were considered 
as member of the nation of Israel. This does not apply today. Today’s Israel is spoken of 
in a completely different way. “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that 
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and 
circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of 
men, but of God”(Romans 2:28-29). In fact, Paul explains how and when this 
circumcision of the heart takes place. In Colossians 2:11-13 we read, “In whom also ye 
are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the 
sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also 
ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from 
the dead. 13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath 
he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” Not only does Paul 
tell us about this circumcision made without hands, but he tells us when it takes place. 
“When we are buried with Him in baptism.” What is being “cut off”? The body of the sins 
of the flesh.

The Lord and the thief both died about the same time. Suffice to say, these lived under 
the Old Law at the time Jesus was preaching to them. As we have already noted, Christ’s 
Testament or will did not go into effect until after His death. Therefore the instructions that 
Christ gave were carried out by the apostles and prophets under the direction of the Holy 
Spirit.  Jesus told the apostles, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; 
but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). This was when Christ 
commanded His baptism. As I noted in my last negative, one is not subject to Christ’s 
baptism before it was commanded. “And that repentance and remission of sins should be 
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). That is 
exactly what happened in Acts chapter 2. The people heard the word, believed it, 
confessed their faith in Christ and at that point asked what they needed to do. Peter 
replied in Acts 2:38 by quoting what Jesus told them. “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.” This same message was 
preached, received and obeyed in every case of conversion in the Acts of the Apostles. 

Thus, my proposition is proven. If Dr. Olson doesn’t like it, let him argue with Jesus and 
the apostles. That is what he will be doing. Go for it, Dr. Olson.