Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals
Monday August 17 2026
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Acts 22:16-And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
The words spoken here to Saul of Tarsus (who would eventually become known as the Apostle Paul) teach us some very important lessons about baptism. Consider the following words by brother Everett Ferguson.
The memorable moment was the baptism. Ananias said, “What are you waiting for? Get up [cf. 9: 18], be baptized [βἀπτισαι] and wash away [ἀπóλoυσαι] your sins, calling on his name [ἐπικαλεσἀμενoς τò ὄνoμα].” Paul’s account lays the emphasis on what he was expected to do. Once more, he had to “get up.” “Be baptized” is actually middle voice. The middle voice expressed what one did to oneself, for oneself, or to involve oneself. 559 The latter two would express the force of the middle voice here. In the Jewish context of ceremonial purification, one would translate, “Baptize yourself.” In the Christian context of an administered baptism, however, the meaning of the middle voice would be brought out by the translation, “Get yourself baptized” or “Experience baptism.” Such a translation keeps the emphasis on what Paul did but also brings out that the action was something done to him but in his interest. That a water baptism is intended is underscored by the next verb, “wash away.” This is the verb we found in Josephus and others to describe the baptisms of the Jews and of John. The use again of a middle imperative verb may mean “you wash away,” or, to give it the same force as the verb for baptize, we could translate, “get your sins washed away.” The washing away of sins is associated with the baptism. Special interest attaches to this verse, not only because it associates baptism with forgiveness of sins, but also because of the further statement that the baptism was accompanied by a “calling on his name.” Is this God or the Righteous One (22: 14)? According to the flow of thought probably the latter, for the pronouns at the end of verse 14 and in verse 15 refer to him. The language picks up the quotation from Joel 2 that introduced Peter’s sermon in Acts 2: 21. In Joel the “name of the Lord” was God, but in Peter’s application the reference was to Jesus Christ (2: 38). The salvation that comes to those who called on the name of the Lord is associated here, as in Acts 2, with baptism. In Acts 22: 16 the calling on the name is clearly done by the one being baptized, not by the baptizer. It may refer to a prayer (cf. Luke 3: 21) or to a confession of faith (Acts 8: 37 in the western text); as an invocation of the Name it may be considered an equivalent to “baptism in the name of Christ.” 560 The wording here may give some indication that the formula “in the name” refers to what was spoken or affirmed by the baptizand rather than to something pronounced by the administrator. (Everett Ferguson, Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries, 3755-3744 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
Let’s notice a few things.
First, this passage clearly teaches the fact that the baptism of the passage is in water. Some claim that Paul is discussing Holy Spirit baptism in relating Ananias’ words here, but that is not the case. The same word used here was used by the Jews of Paul’s day to refer to water baptism. This makes sense, especially because baptism in water is what is said to last till the end of the age by Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20).
Second, the baptism of this passage is one that is personally chosen. The verbs here are in the middle voice, denoting action that one personally chooses. There is no indication in Scripture of infant baptism. Infants are without sin (Ezekiel 18:20; 28:15), and are born spiritually alive in the world (Romans 7:9). The common denominational doctrines of “original sin” and “total depravity” are taken from paganism and are not rooted in the Word of God.
Third, baptism here is connected with both the washing away of sin and calling upon the name of the Lord. This reminds us that the words here of the Apostle follow the same pattern of baptism and salvation that we find throughout the New Testament, i.e., baptism always precedes salvation whenever they are mentioned together in Scripture (cf. Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16; John 3:5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 5:26; Colossians 2:11-15; Titus 3:2-9; Hebrews 10:22; 1 Peter 3:18-22).
It is also noteworthy that the baptism of the passage is connected with calling on the name of the Lord, which was a common Old and New Testament designation for obedient prayer (Isaiah 55:6-7; Zephaniah 3:9). This is especially interesting because Saul had been praying for three days and nights to the Lord Jesus at this point (Acts 9:9, 11), yet was still in his sins till he was baptized into Christ Jesus. Please also notice the fact that “calling on the name of the Lord” is not something done by the administrator of baptism, but by the one being baptized.
Finally, the phrase “why are you waiting” was a common Jewish expression denoting urgency (2 Maccabees 7:2, 30; 4 Maccabees 9:10). It was also used in early Christian literature to denote someone not hesitating in making an important decision (Martyrdom Of Polycarp 11:2; Acts of John). We therefore see here another subtle indication that baptism is part of the plan of salvation, and should not be put off and delayed by one who has believed in Jesus and repented of sin.
All of this raises the important question:
If you have not been baptized into Christ, why are you waiting?
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.