Counting conversions?

As pointed out in a previous post "discipleship and baptism", immersion was/is a part of making a disciple.  It is the turning point, where one goes from darkness to light.  Let's look at some further evidence for the idea that the NT church knew of or marked the turning point:

"Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia." - Romans 16:5b, NIV, emphasis mine

"You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people." - 1 Corinthians 16:15a, NIV, emphasis mine.

The word being translated here as "convert(s)" actually literally means "first-fruits" from the Greek word aparché.  The idea comes from the first part of a harvest that was offered in a sacrifice or a gift to a deity.  

The early church (in this case, Paul in particular) knew who the first converts were in particular areas and if someone was a recent convert or not.  Look at one of the qualifications given for someone to become an elder/shepherd in the church:

"He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil." - 1 Timothy 3:6, NIV, emphasis mine.

The word being translated "recent convert" here comes from the same word that the English term "neophyte" is derived.  It can mean novice or beginner, but it literally means "newly sprouted".  An idea that is not foreign to the Biblical concept of conversion (see John 12:23-25,  1 Corinthians 3:5-9, and 1 Corinthians 15). 

Finally, we see reference to a certain Cypriot named Mnason who had been a disciple "of old/of long standing":

"Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples." -Acts 21:16, NIV, emphasis mine.

So, the early church was cognizant of or understood the idea of "how long" someone had been a disciple.

WHEN then does this change occur?  

2 Corinthians 5:17 refers to this as being "in Christ", being "a new creation".  The way that a person gets into Christ is through faith and baptism:

" Or are you ignorant that as many as were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed* into his death?  Therefore we were buried together with him through the immersion* into death; that just-like Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we might also walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:3-4, MLV

 For you are all sons of God, through the faith, in Christ Jesus.  For as many as were immersed into Christ were clothed with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bondservant nor free man, there is no male and female; for you all are one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:26-28, MLV

The only way the Bible refers to a person becoming or getting "into Christ" is immersed/baptized into Christ.  The Bible never uses the terms "believed/repented/confessed/prayed into Christ".  

This idea corresponds with what we see in Acts, the only book of the Bible with conversions recorded in it:

Acts 2:41-42 - 3,000 baptized and then they devoted themselves...(like Matthew 28:18-20, baptize them then teach them to obey everything...).  See also Acts 4:4, Acts 21:20 for a "tracking" of the number of converts to five thousand (men) and thousands respectively.  

Now, in no way am I advocating that church should be run like a business with spreadsheets and stats about growth and conversions;  I do think it is interesting that to at least a degree the early (Jerusalem) church did somewhat monitor their numbers.  This isn't totally surprising coming from the Jewish brethren given Israel's history of keeping records and counts.

I think the lesson here is that it is always exciting and a good thing to want to see lots of people become followers of Christ, but we have to remember it is the Lord adding to the number daily through the power of his Spirit and not necessarily our efforts or "church planning".  

Be strong in the grace,

Fenton

NOTE:  for verses dealing with baptism I tend to use the MLV because I prefer the more accurate translation of "immersion/immersed", but for the ease and familiarity of the reader, other verse citations will be in the NIV.