In this lecture, you’ll learn what Jesus and the book of Acts have to say about conversion. From Jesus, we will examine his parable of the Sower with special focus on the good soil–those who hear the message, understand it, accept it, hold it fast, and bear fruit. Next we’ll work through all of the conversions in the book of Acts to discover the four elements of conversion: belief, repentance, baptism, and receiving the holy spirit. Lastly, we’ll dig deeper into each of those elements to understand them better.

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Jesus on Salvation

comparison of soils in Sower and Seed parable

Mt 13.23; Mk 4.20; Lk 8.15

hear, understand, accept, hold fast, bear fruit

Four Elements of Conversion in Acts

These examples of conversion from Acts that show 4 elements of conversion:

believe
repent
get baptized
receive the spirit

reference	belief	repentance	baptism	spirit
Acts 2.38		x	x	x
Acts 3.19		x
Acts 8.12, 17	x		x	x
Acts 8.13	x		x
Acts 8.36			x
Acts 9.17; 22.16			x	x
Acts 10.44, 47-48			x	x
Acts 11.21	x
Acts 13.12	x
Acts 13.48	x
Acts 14.1	x
Acts 16.15			x
Acts 16.31, 33	x		x
Acts 17.30, 34	x	x
Acts 18.8	x		x
Acts 19.5-6			x	x
Acts 28.24	x

Believe the Gospel

what is the gospel?

message preached, that if believed results in salvation
2 Tim 1.10

what the gospel is not

music
a biography of Jesus (originally called “according to Mark”, etc.)
any kind of good news
a general communication about the bible (confusion of the “word”)

Understanding the “Word”

Old Testament

God’s activity in the world
- “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host” (Ps 33.6)
- “he sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” Ps 107.20; cf. Ps 147.15, 18-19; Is 55.10-11
- “The three (spirit, wisdom, and word) are simply alternative ways of speaking about the effective power of God in His active relationship with His world and its inhabitants.”[1]
God’s message spoken by the prophet
- “And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite saying, ‘Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring disaster upon his house.’” 1 Kings 21.28-29
a synonym for the law
- “I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. 17 Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.” Psalm 119.16-17

New Testament

God’s command in the law
- “thus making void the word of God by your tradition…” Mk 7.13
typically it refers to the message or gospel
- “word of the kingdom” Mt 13.19 (shortened to “the word” in vv20, 21, 22, 23)
- the word (v4) = Christ (v5) = the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (v12) = word of God (v14) = word of the Lord (v25) = the gospel (v25) Acts 8.4, 5, 12, 14, 25
- can’t be scriptures b/c in Berea they checked Paul’s word against the scriptures to see if was true Ac 17.11
- born again through the living and enduring word of God…this is the word which was preached as gospel to you 1 Pe 1.23
God’s activity in the word to search people’s hearts and find out the truth
- “11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Heb 4.11-13

Three Elements of the Gospel

kingdom
1. Mat 16.21
2. Mt 3.2; 4.17 (cf. Mk 1.14-15); Mt 4.23; 9.35; 24.14; Lk 4.43
cross
1. 17: the message of the cross of Christ is powerful
2. 18: the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those being saved it is the power of God
3. 23: we proclaim Christ crucified
  1. To those Jews, a stumbling block
  2. To the Gentiles, foolishness

To those called, the power and wisdom of God

2: he knew nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified when he came to Corinth

resurrection

1. Acts 1.22; 2.32; 3.15; 4.33; 5.30-32; 10.39-41; 13.29-31; 26.22-23

Repentance and Baptism

kingdom message includes not only good news for the world but bad news for sinners
- judgment and restoration
- judgment aspect of kingdom inspires repentance
sending of 12
- Mk 3.14 sent to preach
- Mk 6.12 preached that people should repent
commissioning after resurrection
- Lk 24.44-49 repentance and forgiveness of sins
Pentecost
- Acts 2.37 pierced to the heart
- Acts 2.38 repent!
Jesus ordered them to preach
- Acts 10.38-43 Jesus as appointed judge (cf. 17.30-31)

Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit

people often ignore this element, but the scriptures include it frequently
Acts 2.38 includes it
not receiving the spirit was a cause for concern Acts 8.14-17
first question Paul asked believers in Ephesos Acts 19.1-7
not optional; have to have spirit of Christ or else don’t belong Rom 8.8-11
- indwelling spirit means we belong to him and he will resurrect us!

[1] James D. G. Dunn, Christology in the Making, (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1980), 219.

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