Common Sense Commentary: The Greek, gnostos, means "to know". Add an "a", agnostos, means "do not know". An agnostic does not know if there is a God or not.
He is uncertain. Uncertainty has become the philosophy of many modern, educated people. It is a dark path they trod. Humanists believe that "uncertainty" is an absolute fact ... they are certain of it.... of course. The world is especially skeptical to believe anything, with certainty, in the spiritual realm. Since they cannot believe in a Creator God, evolution is the only other alternative ... but, then, it is a hypothecated theory of which nobody can be certain. It is true that we cannot be completely certain about many things. But one thing is absolute ... GOD, His word and His care about us. He wants us to believe in Him and His plan of salvation to save this world full of sinners. So He sent us a Savior and witnesses of His life, death and resurrection.... plus a book of record, a book of history or His Story... the Bible.
When a sincere, frightened seeker of truth asked the Apostle Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?", they answered the man's question without hesitation. The question is, did the Apostle Paul know the full answer to the question or not? When he gave answer, did he guess at it, make something up, mislead or lie to the man or did he tell the man exactly all he needed to know and do, to be saved, adding or deleting nothing? If you believe he guessed, lied or misled the man, you can stop reading what I have to say. The very next verse records their immediate, short and total answer ... "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house (can be saved the same way)". PERIOD. Acts 16:30-31. If a single other thing than that, "believe", was required, Paul would have included it in his answer.... but he didn't. The man and his family were taught more thoroughly and baptized later, but Paul's answer stands as the single requirement to salvation. The key is in the meaning of the word, "believe". It's Greek counterpart is pisteuo and means, "to steadfastly trust and rely on". When a person has that kind of believing faith, repentance and good works are the natural fruit of it. They are embedded in the word "believe" so that Paul needed not mention them. "Believe" was his all inclusive answer. Any true believer, in Christ, is repentant and committed to good works.
If Paul's answer is not enough for you, ask Evangelist Philip, "What must I do to be saved?" In Acts 8:34-37, Philip was preaching Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch when the eunuch saw a pool of water and asked if he could be baptized. And Philip said, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." PERIOD. "And (the eunuch) answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." That is all that Philip required of him to then be baptized. If more was needed, he would have included it in his answer to this sincere, seeking eunuch. Nothing else was mentioned by Philip.
If you want still more proof, ask Apostle Peter, the leader of the Apostles, "What must I do to be saved?" Peter's answer comes back loud and clear and complete... "To him (Jesus) gave all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." PERIOD. Acts 10:36& 43. Nothing else added. If more than that is needed, Apostle Peter would have said so, right then. But he didn't.
If you are still not satisfied, ask Apostle John, beloved of the Lord, "What must I do to be saved?" John's answer ..."He (Jesus) came unto his own (Jews) and his own received him not. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Jn.1:11-12. Not one other thing added. Why? Because true belief in Jesus Christ results in repentance, baptism and a life of good works. But those things don't save you; they simply prove you truly believe. They are the natural result, the fruit of believing.
So, you don't accept the witness of the above disciples and apostles who walked with Jesus and knew Him and His teachings better than anyone. So let's ask Jesus Himself, "Lord, what must I do to be saved?" He answers the question many times with the same answer as His Apostles....
John 3:16-18 " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." PERIOD. Not one other thing added. Jesus said it.
John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Period. Not one other thing added. Jesus said it.
John 6:47 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." Period. Not one other thing added. Jesus said it.
John 11:25-27 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."
Put a PERIOD at the end of those verses. Not a single thing added by Jesus.
John 16:17 "For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God." PERIOD. You loved me and believed in me.
John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." PERIOD. How many times does God have to say it for you to believe it?
The same John who recorded these words of Jesus, was closest to Him of all the Apostles, and also wrote the other three books of John. In 1 John 5:13, he concluded the book with these inspired words.... "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." So who can know that you "know that you have eternal life?" .... "You that believe on the name of the Son of God." RB
If you say, "But I know of a verse that adds this requirement or that", it doesn't matter.
If any other thing was required to be saved, that thing would have been included in every place the question was raised or the answer to it given. None would have left any additional requirement out. None! That is unthinkable and untrue.
Now, reason with me. If true "believing" is the only thing mentioned in all these verses of all these witnesses, in answer to the question, "What must I do to be saved?" and therefore, if only "believing" will save you, then only "unbelieving" will condemn you. That is, not believing in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross, in your place, to pay for all of your wicked sins. If it isn't works that save you, it isn't works which keep you saved. And unbelief produces no good works for God. Only believing on the Lord Jesus produces truly good and lasting works. Self-righteous works salvation is a lie. You cannot be good enough to be saved. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...." Titus 3:5.
RB
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