Who Was Baptized On Pentecost?
Some may wonder why we should ask such a question. Others may think that it makes no difference who was baptized on Pentecost. I think that it is an important question. I am sure the proper answer will help clear much of the controversy concerning John's converts. Arguments have been made pro and con as to whether those baptized by John the Baptist had to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost or not. In other words, did those baptized by John have to be baptized on Pentecost or thereafter? I affirm that they did. Following are some reasons why I so believe:
Who Was Prepared To Receive The Word?
We are told in Acts 2:41: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." The audience was composed of those devout Jews which were in Jerusalem to observe Pentecost (Acts 2:5). Now, of the Jews, who would have been more likely to receive the word? Would not reason point to those who had been taught that there was one coming on whom they should believe? Was it not the preaching of John the Baptist "that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus"? (Acts 19:4). John came to prepare a people. Did he do what he came to do? Were the people prepared to receive the preaching of the gospel? I believe that they were. Of all the Jews assembled on that Pentecost day, the disciples of John the Baptist were the ones most prepared to receive the word. The fact that three thousand people did receive the word that day is evidence that John did not fail in his work. If it be argued that all those who received the word that day were other than John's disciples, then it follows that there was no need for John's work of preparing a people.
Believe On Him Which Should Come After
Since John told his disciples that "they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus," (Acts 19:4) we may well ask the question, What would people have to do to "believe on" Christ on the day of Pentecost? Now when we find out what those people in apostolic times had to do to "believe on" Christ, we will have determined what John's disciples had to do on that day. We are told in Acts 18:8 that "Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord ..." Question: what did Crispus do? Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:14 that he was baptized. Therefore, to "believe on the Lord" in the acceptable sense, one must be baptized. Hence, if John's disciples did what they were taught to do, they had to (be) baptized on Pentecost.