虽然《圣经新约》写于第一世纪，不能说《圣经》的内容限于第一世纪。举个例吧！《新约》使徒行传第二章包含着一句话，讲员宣布说是为了“远方的人。”“远方的人”是谁呢？
首先，请让我介绍“远方的人，”此句话的上下文，好吗？耶稣的使徒彼得正在讲道。彼得告诉听众说，受难及钉十字架的耶稣已经从坟墓里出来了，从死里复活了。他的结论是；“故此，以色列全家当确实的知道，你们钉在十字架上的这位耶稣，神已经立他为主为基督了” （使徒行传2:36）。意思就是耶稣是以色列人所仰望的弥赛亚。神叫他复活，立他为万王之王，万主之主。
之后，听众问彼得一个问题，表示他们相信及接受彼得的话。《圣经》记载：“众人听见这话，觉得扎心” （使徒行传2:37）。意思是，听众心里很悲痛，他们“听到这里，仿佛感到一把刀刺进他们的心脏”似的（普通话本）。他们“就对彼得和其馀的使徒说，弟兄们，我们当怎样行？”意思是彼得说服他们一件非常可怕的事实，就是他们把上帝的儿子钉十字架！现在他们问彼得，“…我们当怎样行？”（和合本），“…我们怎么办？！”（普通话本）。
彼得回答听众说，“你们各人要悔改，奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦，就必领受所赐的圣灵。因为这应许是给你们，和你们的儿女，并一切在远方的人，就是主我们神所召来的” （使徒行传2:38-39）。
朋友，请注意，彼得说，“一切在远方的人，”是谁呢？是您！是我！全世界上的人都包括在“一切在远方的人”这句话里。因此可知，虽然《圣经新约》写于第一世纪，不能说《圣经》的内容限于第一世纪。
使徒彼得告诉我们，如果相信耶稣是神所差来的救主，相信神叫他从死里复活了，就应该悔改罪孽，受洗。当受洗时，就获得神给的两个应许：1）罪得到赦免；2）圣灵赐下。换句话说：1）神让耶稣的宝血洗去我们的罪；2）神让他的圣灵居住我们的心里。
从此可知，洗礼是一件重要的事情。如果您相信耶稣，但是还没有受了洗，请快一点决定听从神，顺服耶稣，受洗成为基督徒。
【洗礼】八：远方的人
“Baptism” 08: Those Who Are Far Off
作者：谢德华
Those Who Are Far Off
Acts 2:39
Even though the Bible was written during the first century, we can’t say that the Bible belongs only to the first century. For example, in the second chapter of Acts, we find a sentence in which the speaker announces that something is “for all who are far off.” Who are those “who are far off?”
First, let me introduce the context of the phrase “all who are far off.” Peter, one of the apostles of Jesus, was preaching. Peter told his audience that Jesus who suffered and was nailed to a cross had already come out of the tomb; he had been raised from death! Here is Peter’s conclusion: “Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36 NIV). The meaning is that Jesus was the Messiah whom the Jews had anticipated so long. God raised him from death, and crowned him king of kings and Lord of lords.
The crowd asked Peter a question which indicated that they believed and accepted what Peter had said. The Bible records it this way: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart…” (Acts 2:37 NIV). This means that the people were pained in their hearts as if they had been stabbed with a knife. In response, they “said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” This means that Peter convinced them of a very fearful fact, namely that they had crucified the Son of God! The audience then asked Peter, “…what shall we do?”
Peter faced the people and replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39 NIV).
Peter said, “all who are far off.” Who are these people? “These people” are you and I! “…all who are far off” includes everyone in the world! With this in mind, then, we can see why I said that even though the New Testament was written during the first century, we can’t say that the Bible belongs only to the first century.
The apostle Peter tells us that if we believe that Jesus was sent by God to be the Savior, believe that God raised him from the grave, we should repent of our sins and be baptized. When we are baptized, we receive two promises from God: 1) sins are forgiven; 2) the Holy Spirit is given. In other words, 1) God allows the precious blood of Jesus to wash our sins away, and 2) God enables his Holy Spirit to live in our hearts.
From the Scriptures above, we learn that baptism is one very important action. If you believe in Jesus but have not yet been baptized, please determine to listen to God, to obey Jesus, and to be baptized and thus become a Christian.