Acts 10:43-44

Acts 10:43-44, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.”

You've probably heard false prophets like pastors' Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016), Gene Kim and William P. Grady foolishly teach that people were saved by works in the Old Testament under Mosaic law. Nothing could be further from what the Holy Bible teaches! Our text passage from Acts 10:43-44 plainly teaches that “all the prophets” give witness that remission of sins comes only through faith in the Messiah.

Also, the following passage plainly teaches that it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to have ever been saved by works at any time in human civilization, because if they were saved by works, then God owed them eternal life as an incurred debt. Romans 4:4-5, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

For any incompetent pastor or theologian to claim that people were saved by works, or partial faith plus works under Moses, is to say that God owed a debt of salvation to those people. Romans 4:4-5, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” Listen, God has never owed anybody anything except to let us all plunge directly into the fires of Hell and burn forever. We're all wicked sinners and no amount of works can atone for our wretched condition.

Jesus warned everyone in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

Acts 15:1-5

Acts 15:1-5, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

I do believe the Pharisees in Acts 15:5 were saved because the Bible calls them “believers.” THEY BELIEVED. They weren't trusting in works; but rather, I think they were errantly requiring the Gentile believers to keep the Jewish ceremonial laws (the law) to please God. In Acts 15:24 the Apostle Luke explains that the disciples didn't teach these things, false teachers did.

The group in Acts 15:1 weren't saved because they added works to faith, which clearly identifies them as unsaved. I think the Pharisees in Acts 15:5 were theologically confused, still caught between grace and works concerning sanctification (i.e., becoming Christlike).

If a man is wrong on the Gospel he is NOT saved. They were wrong on the Christian life, not salvation in Acts 15:5. That is my humble opinion. I don't think anyone is saved who is trusting in Jesus PLUS something else.