John Calvin Commentary Acts 8:36

"And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" — Acts 8:36 (ASV)

What letteth me? The eunuch’s baptism now follows, from which we gather how greatly he benefited in a short time, since he willingly offers himself to take Christ’s name. For it must be that faith was, in a way, ripe in his heart, since he broke out into outward profession with such desire.

I do not agree with what Chrysostom notes, that he was held back by modesty from requesting baptism plainly; for that question has greater vehemence than if he had simply said to Philip, “I want you to baptize me.” But we see that Christ was preached to him in such a way that he knew baptism was a sign of new life in him, and therefore he would not neglect it, because it was added to the Word and was an inseparable addition.

Therefore, as he willingly embraced what he heard concerning Christ, so now he breaks out with a godly zeal into the outward confession of faith; nor does he think it sufficient for him to believe inwardly before God unless he testifies before men that he is a Christian. Many things might have come into his mind that might have held him back from being baptized, lest he should expose himself to the hatred and reproaches of both the queen and the whole nation.

But he denies that any of these things hinders him from desiring to be numbered among the disciples of Christ. If, after being instructed for only a few hours, he came to this point, how shameful is the sloth of those who suppress the faith they have received, though they have been taught for five, ten, or twenty years?

If thou believest with all thy heart. Since the eunuch is not admitted to baptism until he has made confession of his faith, we must draw a general rule from this: those who were previously estranged from the Church ought not to be received into it until they have testified that they believe in Christ.

For baptism is, as it were, an accompaniment of faith, and therefore it comes later in order. Secondly, if it is given without faith, whose seal it is, it is both a wicked and an excessively gross profanation. But fanatical people both unskillfully and wickedly attack the baptism of infants on this pretext.

Why was it fitting that faith should precede baptism in the eunuch? Specifically, because since Christ marks with this sign and mark only those who are of the household of the Church, those who are to be baptized must be grafted into the Church. And as it is certain that adults are grafted in by faith, so I say that the children of the godly are born children of the Church, and that they are considered members of Christ from the womb, because God adopts us on this condition, that He may also be the Father of our offspring.

Therefore, though faith is required for adults, this is incorrectly applied to infants, whose condition is very different. But certain prominent men have misused this passage when they sought to prove that faith receives no confirmation by baptism. For they reasoned as follows: The eunuch is commanded to bring perfect faith to baptism; therefore, nothing could be added.

But Scripture often takes “the whole heart” to mean a sincere and genuine heart, the opposite of which is a double heart. So there is no reason for us to imagine that those who believe with the whole heart believe perfectly, since there may be a weak and faint faith in someone who will, nevertheless, have a sound mind and a mind free from all hypocrisy.

Thus we must understand what David says: that he loves the Lord with all his heart. Philip had, indeed, baptized the Samaritans before, and yet he knew that they were still far from the mark. Therefore, the faith of the whole heart is that which, having living roots in the heart, nevertheless desires to increase daily.

I believe that Jesus Christ. As baptism is grounded in Christ, and as its truth and power are contained in Him, so the eunuch sets Christ alone before his eyes. The eunuch previously knew that there was one God, who had made the covenant with Abraham, who gave the law by the hand of Moses, who separated one people from the other nations, who promised Christ, through whom He would be merciful to the world.

Now he confesses that Jesus Christ is that Redeemer of the world and the Son of God; under which title he briefly comprehends all those things that Scripture attributes to Christ. This is the perfect faith of which Philip recently spoke, which receives Christ, both as He was promised in past times and also fully revealed, and that with the earnest affection of the heart, as Paul insists that this faith must not be feigned.

Whoever does not have this when he is an adult, in vain does he boast of the baptism of his infancy. For Christ admits infants by baptism for this purpose: so that as soon as their age and capacity permit, they may devote themselves to be His disciples, and that being baptized with the Holy Spirit, they may comprehend, with the understanding of faith, His power which baptism prefigures.