Baptism Story 2: The Ethiopian Eunuch

In Acts chapter 8 we find the story of Philip and the Ethopian eunuch.

The eunuch is sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah.  The Holy Spirit tells Philip to go to the eunach to preach the Gospel.  Philip begins to explain to the eunuch about whom the passage in Isaiah is speaking...Jesus Christ.  Philip proceeds to "preach to him Jesus".

At the end of Philip's preaching, the eunuch turns to Philip and asks:

"So how do I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior so that I may become a Christian?"

What?  Your Bible doesn't say that??

Oh, I'm sorry.  Let's read it from the King James Bible:  "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water:  and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?'

Now isn't that an odd thing to ask, if Philip had just finished explaining that "the way" of Jesus was to pray the "Sinner's Prayer", to repent of your sins, and to make a decision to ask Christ to come into your heart to be your personal Lord and Savior??

Why would the first thing out of the eunuch's mouth be "what hinders me from being baptized"?

What was Philip's response?  "If you believe with all your heart, you may."

It is just like Jesus said in Mark 16:16:  "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved."

Baptism is not just a public profession of faith.