“Is it real—or is it Memorex?”

Memorex today makes televisions, dvd players, flash players, clock radios. But back a million-years-ago, Memorex made cassettes. And “Is it real–Or is it Memorex” was their slogan. It was a slogan the company used to tout the superiority of its tape for authentic recording productions. The “Memorex” company put its recorded sound up against a live voice. You got to decide. Was there any difference? Of course, they decided for you–they claimed there was no difference.

The text in Acts this week echoes that claim. Does the baptism of new believers inside of Jerusalem and performed by someone outside the Jerusalem apostolic community still recall and rebirth the true baptism of believers as experienced by the apostles at Pentecost? Or are non-apostolic baptis…