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 When
I was a boy, we played a game called, “Simon Says.” One person was
selected who had the authority to direct the game, but what he said
was to be obeyed only if he said, “Simon says.” It didn’t matter
what Simon said —- “Play dead, roll in the grass or kiss a girl
(yuk!)” — if you were going to play the game you had to do it.
Therefore, one could be put out of the game by failing to do what Simon
said, or by acting when Simon hadn’t said to do it.
Simon
(Peter) says to people who believe in Jesus and want to be saved from
their sin: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins...” (Acts 2:38). In the game,
pretend-Simon might have said: “Take two steps forward for a soda
water.” Every child playing the game would have obeyed that command
carefully —you see, soda waters were precious.
While
every little boy and girl would know exactly what “for” meant, some
claim today that “for” doesn’t mean “for” and refuse to do
what Simon says that they might be saved. Jesus said, “For this is my
blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for (“eis,”) same
Greek word as in Acts 2:38, —JRE) the remission of sins,” (Mt.
26:28). And we understand that his blood had to be shed in order
that sins be forgiven.
Years
later Simon wrote to the elect scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
etc., and said: “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now
save us...” (1 Pet. 3:21). “Aha,” says someone, “Baptism is only
a FIGURE.” Indeed it is, but Simon says it is a figure of NOAH’S
salvation by water —as Noah was saved by water, we are
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saved by
baptism. Don’t presume that Simon said that baptism was a figure of
OUR salvation.
Simon
explains the scriptural baptism that saves by saying, “not the putting
away of the filth of the flesh (i.e., not washing the body, JRE), but
the answer (interrogation or appeal) of a good conscience toward God, by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” (1 Pet. 3:21). Baptism that saves
is that which Simon said was “for the remission of sins.”
One
lady said that Simon could not have been teaching that baptism saves
(even though that’s what he said), because Peter knew that men were
saved by the grace of God. But, that is exactly what Simon said; hence,
the baptism of which he speaks must be in complete harmony with God’s
grace.
In
the game, “Simon Says,” the difficulty was not in understanding what
Simon said, but rather in willingness, at times, to condescend to the
commands of the leader. Simon says that we must repent and be baptized
for the remission of sins and some pretend that it is too hard to
understand. But I suspect that it may be too costly for them to obey.
Do
not think, however, that Simon originated such teaching. JESUS commanded
Simon and other apostles to go and preach the gospel to every creature,
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved...” (Mk. 16:16).
Jim R. Everett
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