13 Objections To Baptism

Baptism in the Christian faith unfortunately is a much debated topic. There are many reasons and man-made doctrines that have all been debated and fought over for hundreds of years by scholars and bible students alike. Yet God's instructions and commands on baptism are clear and forever. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

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“JESUS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS BECAUSE HE WAS SINLESS; THEREFORE, PEOPLE TODAY ARE NOT BAPTIZED IN ORDER TO BE FORGIVEN. THEY MERELY IMITATE JESUS’ EXAMPLE.”

 

“THE THIEF ON THE CROSS WAS NOT BAPTIZED, AND HE WAS SAVED.”

 

 
"THE BIBLE SAYS, 'CHRIST STANDS AT THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART,' AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO TO BE FORGIVEN OF SIN AND BECOME A CHRISTIAN IS TO INVITE HIM INTO OUR HEARTS."

“A PERSON IS SAVED THE MOMENT HE ACCEPTS CHRIST AS HIS PERSONAL SAVIOR—WHICH PRECEDES AND THEREFORE EXCLUDES WATER BAPTISM.”

“WE ARE CLOTHED WITH CHRIST AND BECOME HIS CHILDREN WHEN WE PLACE OUR FAITH IN HIM.”

 "BAPTISM IS LIKE A BADGE ON A UNIFORM THAT MERELY GIVES EVIDENCE THAT THE PERSON IS ALREADY SAVED."

“BAPTISM IS A MERITORIOUS WORK, WHEREAS WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE, NOT WORKS.”

“NOT ONLY IS BAPTISM NONESSENTIAL TO SALVATION, EVEN FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD TO A PERSON. MAN IS SO DEPRAVED THAT HE IS INCAPABLE OF BELIEVING.”

“THE PREPOSITION ‘FOR’ IN THE PHRASE ‘FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS’ IN ACTS 2:38 MEANS ‘BECAUSE OF.’ HENCE, THEY WERE BAPTIZED BECAUSE OF SINS FOR WHICH THEY WERE FORGIVEN WHEN THEY BELIEVED.”

“WHEN THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER ASKED WHAT TO DO TO BE SAVED, HE WAS SIMPLY TOLD TO BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”

“SAUL WAS SAVED BEFORE AND WITHOUT BAPTISM WHILE HE WAS ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS WHEN JESUS APPEARED TO HIM.”

“IF BAPTISM IS NECESSARY TO SALVATION, JESUS WOULD HAVE SAID, ‘BUT HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE AND IS NOT BAPTIZED WILL BE CONDEMNED’ IN MARK 16:16. AND BESIDES, THE LAST TWELVE VERSES OF MARK 16 ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE OLDEST AND BEST GREEK MANUSCRIPTS.”

“ROMANS 10:9-10 INDICATES THAT ALL ONE NEEDS TO DO IS BELIEVE AND CONFESS JESUS.”




Dave Miller, Ph.D

Apologetics Press

Why Suffer?

WHY DOES GOD allow us to go through trials and suffering? Here is a poem called, "And God Said If . . ." that helps explain this.





If you never felt pain, Then how would you know that I’m a Healer?

If you never went through difficulty,
How would you know that I’m a Deliverer?

If you never had a trial,
How could you call yourself an over comer?

If you never felt sadness,
How would you know that I’m a Comforter?

If you never made a mistake,
How would you know that I’m Forgiving?

If you never were in trouble,
How would you know that I will come to your Rescue?

If you never were broken,
Then how would you know that I can make you Whole?

If you never had a problem,
How would you know that I can Solve them?

If you never had any suffering,
Then how would you know what I went through?

If you never went through the fire,
Then how would you become Pure?

If I gave you all things,
How would you appreciate them?

If I never corrected you,
How would you know that I Love You?

If you had all power,
Then how would you learn to depend on Me?

If your life was perfect,
Then what would you need Me for?

Anonymous.

Biblical Obedience To Be Saved

The Bible is a love story spanning 1,500 years of God's interaction with His greatest creation - us. It's central theme is the gospel of Jesus Christ (death, burial, resurrection), and its power to save man from Gods judgement to those who believe it (Rom 1:16). But according to the scriptures, just believing the saving message is not enough to become a saint of God in His kingdom. God asks us to obey the gospel with obedient faith in order to make His free gift of grace real in our lives. Below is the unfolding of the great commission spoken in Matthew 28:19-20 on behalf of Ms. Caitlin Jones’ and any who desire to be saved.

HERE WITNESS A BIBLICAL BAPTISM INTO CHRIST. This is the work of God (Col 2:11-12) upon her in a matter of seconds.

 

The sinner has already heard and read the word of God. Romans 10:14-17.

 

The sinner is already on a path of repenting of her sins. Acts 3:19, 2 Peter 3:9.

 

The sinner by faith is obedient confessing Christ as the Son of God before witnesses. Acts 8:36,37, Romans 10:10.

 

The sinner by faith is then buried (into death like Jesus) by immersion in water. Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3, 1Pet 3:21.

 

The sinners past sins are cleansed by The blood of Christ in the burial. Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Colossians 2:11-12, Titus 3:5.

 

The new Saint is raised a new creature white as snow in the eyes of God. Romans 6:4, 2 Cor 5:17.

 

The new Saint receives the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38, Acts 5:32, Ephesians 1:13.

 

The new Saint now begins to walk a new life clothed with Christ rejoicing. Acts 8:39, Galatians 3:27, Philippians 4:4, 3 John 1:3,4.

Caitlin Jones' Baptism! from James Nored on Vimeo.

Christian's Aren't Sinner's

SHOCKING! Now wait a minute.

I believe it's a healthy practice to read and study on religious things penned by writers I don't agree with because they are asking questions I'm not asking. They turn the camera angle in a way I haven't. It's not that I think they are right, I usually don't. But sometimes I don't even know to ask the question. Here is a faith challenging topic I would like to share and I am sure at first, your going to raise some eyebrows by it's title.

A persons identity is changed from a worldly identity when one has obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ transitioning from outside the church to inside the church a new member of the Kingdom. Lets explore.

Throughout the letters of the New Testament, the people of God are called lots of things. They are the “elect” (1 Pet 1:1), “faithful brothers” (Col 1:2), “beloved” (1 John 2:7), “children of God” (1 John 3:2), a “holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9), and most of all they are called “saints.”

Conspicuously absent from this list is the term “sinners.”  There is no place I am aware of where the church, the people of God, are collectively called “sinners.”  Moreover, an argument can be made that there is no instance in the New Testament where a believer is referred to as a “sinner.”  The closest is Paul’s well-known reference to himself as the “foremost” (or “chief”) of sinners in 1 Tim 1:15.  But, the context makes it plain that Paul is using this terminology to refer to his old life as a persecutor of the church.  He says, “formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” (1:13).

Now, of course, this does not mean that Christians do not sin.  Indeed, Christians do sin, and sin in ways that are much deeper and more serious than we often realize.  This is the whole point of Romans 7 where Paul laments the fact that he often does what he does not want to do.   The entire Christian life is a struggle between the new self and the old self, and the latter often wins out.  Paul can even refer to himself as a “wretched man” (Rom 7:24). 

"If we instead view ourselves as “saints,” then we will begin to see our sin in a whole new light."

But, here is what is interesting.  As Paul diagnoses his own law-breaking he concludes that whenever he sins, it is not the real Paul that is doing it.  He declares, “So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (7:17).  And again, “Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (7:20).

Do not misunderstand what Paul is doing here.  He is not trying to conjure up some excuse where he is not guilty of these sins by reason of having a schizophrenic, split personality.   No, Paul knows he is culpable for these sins.  But, in the midst of doing so, Paul is keen to make it plain that it is not the new Paul that is sinning, but the old Paul.  In this sense, he can say that when he sins, he is not his true self.

Put another way, Paul’s identity is bound up in the new man that he has become in Christ.

If so, then this explains (at least partially) why Paul is so keen to refer to believers as “saints” (literally “holy ones”) at the beginning of almost all his letters.  Paul is not naive about the fact that Christians still sin, and sin in major ways (indeed, his letters are often about their sins!).  But, he wants Christians to think of themselves in regard to their new natures, not their old.   They are saints who sometimes sin, not sinners who sometimes do right.

And when our true identities are understood rightly, it actually affects the way we view (and respond to) our sins.  We might think that the best way to appreciate the depth of our sin is to think of ourselves primarily in the category of “sinners.”   But, this can actually have the opposite effect.  If we think of ourselves only as “sinners” then our sins are seen as something rather ordinary and inevitable.  They are just the result of who we are.  Sure, we wish we didn’t sin.  But, that’s just what “sinners” do.

If we instead view ourselves as “saints,” then we will begin to see our sin in a whole new light.  If we really are “holy ones” then whatever sins we commit are a deeper, more profound, and more serious departure from God’s calling than we ever realized.  Our sin, in a sense, is even more heinous because it is being done by those who now have new natures and a new identity.

And it is this “cognitive dissonance” between our identities as saints and our sinful actions that leads us to repentance.  We repent because these sins are not ordinary and expected.  They are fundamentally contrary to who God has made us to be.   It is this tension between our identities and our actions that is lost when we cease to think of ourselves as saints.

In the end, I am not suggesting that Christians can never refer to themselves with the word “sinner.”  If rightly understood, this can be fine.  But, we should also be keen to think of ourselves as saints.  After all, when Christ returns that is what we will be.  In glory, there will be no sinners.  Only saints.

Dr. Michael Kruger

Charlotte, NC

Video lesson by Just Christians

Word study on PRACTICE

PRACTICE and its Varying Natures in the Bible.

Romans 6:1-12, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Isaiah 32:6, For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the Lord, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

Matthew 7:23, And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.

Matthew 13:41, The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

Acts 8:9, But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,

Acts 19:19, Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Romans 1:32, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 2:1, Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

Romans 2:2, But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.

Romans 3:13, “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”;

Romans 7:15, For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

Romans 7:19, For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

Romans 13:4, For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

2 Corinthians 12:21, lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

Galatians 5:21, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Peter 2:14, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.

1 John 1:6, If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 2:29, If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

1 John 3:7, Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

1 John 3:10, In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

Revelation 22:15, But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Are Unfaithful Christians Still Christians?

"A gentle reminder to ALL who claim Christ"

Do you still belong to Christ, are you honorably representing Him in all that you do and in front of all you come in contact with everyday? Are you proud of wearing the name "Christian"?

Since it is possible for a child of God to fall from the faith (2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1), drift into error, and so be worthy of dis-fellowship (Romans 16:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Titus 3:10), when such occurs, is it appropriate to continue referring to such people as “Christians”?

"Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter."  (1 Peter 4:16).

Raised To New Life

Romans 6:4 is where it begins...

Ripple Of Light Productions

Objections To Baptism Pt.13

OBJECTION #13: “ROMANS 10:9-10 INDICATES THAT ALL ONE NEEDS TO DO IS BELIEVE AND CONFESS JESUS.”

The use of eis in Romans 10:10 cannot mean “because of.” Verse nine explicitly says one will be saved “if” he confesses and believes in the heart. Confession and faith are therefore prerequisites to forgiveness. They are God-ordained “responses” to the preached Word (vs. 8) and must occur before salvation is imparted by God. In other words, one’s soul is purified when he obeys the truth (1 Peter 1:22). Jesus provides eternal salvation to those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).

But is baptism excluded from salvation since only faith and confession are mentioned in Romans 10:9-10? Notice, four chapters earlier, the order of Romans 6:17-18: (1) slaves to sin; (2) person obeys; (3) made free from sin (righteous). Item (3) cannot occur unless item (2) occurs first. The “whole” of man is to reverence God and keep His commands (Ecclesiastes 12:13). To whom does God give the Holy Spirit?

To those whom He arbitrarily chooses, without any consideration of the individual’s necessitated response? No. Acts 5:32 says God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. God has always conditioned the bestowal of spiritual blessing upon prior obedient response (Jeremiah 7:23; Genesis 26:4-5). Deuteronomy 5:10 says God shows mercy to those who love Him and keep His commands.

In Romans 10, Paul is not stressing the specific aspects of the conversion process. That is not the context. Rather, the context addresses whether one is acceptable to God in the Christian dispensation due to physical heritage (i.e., race/ethnicity), versus whether one is saved when one complies with God’s instruction. Paul was stressing that their nationality could not bring the Jews into God’s favor. Rather, people are saved when they render obedience to the Gospel. He quoted Joel 2:32, where the emphasis is on the word “whosoever” in contrast to “Jews only.” Verse 12 argues that God does not distinguish on the basis of race. The individual’s response to the preached Word is the deciding factor. However, Romans 10 does not reveal all of the details of that obedient response. One must be willing to search out the whole truth on such a subject.

If repentance is essential to salvation, one must concede that such teaching must come from some passage other than Romans 10. Does Romans 10:10 mean that repentance is unnecessary, just because it is unmentioned in the text? No, since repentance is required in chapter 2:4. If not, then why assume baptism to be nonessential simply because it is not mentioned in this particular text? It is enjoined in chapter 6:3-4. To ascertain the significance of baptism in God’s sight, one must go to passages that discuss that subject, rather than dismiss them in deference to verses on faith. If God says, “faith saves” (Romans 5:1), let us accept that truth. If God says, “baptism saves” (1 Peter 3:21), let us accept that truth, too! Jesus Himself said: belief + baptism = salvation (Mark 16:16), not belief = salvation + baptism.

Notice also, Romans 10:10,13 does not say that salvation can be acquired by mere verbal confession (e.g., “I accept Jesus into my heart as my personal Savior”). Why?

(1) Nowhere is the statement, “Accept Jesus as your personal Savior,” found in Scripture.

(2) Jesus forever dashed the idea of salvation by mental acceptance/verbal profession alone in Matthew 7:21 and Luke 6:46, where He showed that oral confession alone is unacceptable. In every age, there have been specified actions of obedience that God has required before He would count individuals as pleasing or acceptable.

In fact, if faith is not coupled with the appropriate obedient action (like baptism), then such faith is unable to justify. Such faith is imperfect (James 2:17,20,26) and therefore cannot save!

(3) The phrase “call on the name of the Lord” is an idiomatic way to say: “respond with appropriate obedient actions.” It is the figure of speech known as synecdoche (i.e., the part stands for the whole). To “call” on God’s name is equivalent to saying, “Do what He tells you to do.” Isaiah 55:6 told the Jews of Isaiah’s day to call on God. Verse 7 explains how: (1) forsake wicked ways, (2) forsake wicked thoughts,

(4) return to the Lord. To obey these three stipulations constituted “calling on God.”

Likewise, those in Jerusalem who “called on the Lord’s name” (Acts 9:14,21) had done so, not solely by verbal confession, but by repentance and baptism for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Similarly, Paul himself became a Christian, that is, he “called on the name of the Lord”—not by verbally confessing Christ—but by being baptized (Acts 22:16). For Paul, “calling on the Lord’s name” was equivalent to (not precedent to) being baptized. God washed his sins away by the blood of Jesus at the point of his baptism.

Objections To Baptism Pt.12

OBJECTION #12: “IF BAPTISM IS NECESSARY TO SALVATION, JESUS WOULD HAVE SAID, ‘BUT HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE AND IS NOT BAPTIZED WILL BE CONDEMNED’ IN MARK 16:16. AND BESIDES, THE LAST TWELVE VERSES OF MARK 16 ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE OLDEST AND BEST GREEK MANUSCRIPTS.”

The omission of “and is not baptized” in Mark 16:16 is completely logical and necessary. The first phrase (“he who believes and is baptized”) describes man’s complete response necessitated by the preaching of the Gospel: Faith must precede baptism, since obviously one would not submit to baptism if he did not first believe. It is non-essential to ascribe condemnation in the second clause to the individual who is not baptized, since the individual being condemned is the one who does not initially believe. The person who refuses to believe “is condemned already” (John 3:18) and certainly would not be interested in the next item of compliance—baptism. He who does not believe would obviously not be baptized—and even if he would, his failure to first believe disqualifies him from being immersed. Only penitent believers are candidates for baptism. An exact grammatical parallel would be: “He who goes to the store and buys coffee for his father will receive $5.00. He who does not go to the store will be spanked.” Obviously, if the child refuses to go to the store, he would not be in a position to buy coffee, and it would be redundant—even grammatically and linguistically inappropriate—to include the failure to purchase the coffee in the pronouncement of an impending spanking.

Are the last verses of Mark 16 uninspired? The textual evidence supporting the authenticity of Mark 16:9-20 is exceptional in light of the vast sources available for establishing the original text. While it is true that Vaticanusand Sinaiticus omit the last 12 verses, it is positively misleading to assume that “the validity of these verses is weak.” In fact, the vast number of witnesses are in favor of the authenticity of verses 9-20. The rejection of Vaticanus is less weighty in light of its comparable exclusion of the Pastoral Epistles, the last part of Hebrews, and Revelation. The rejection of Sinaiticus is similarly unconvincing, since it includes some of the Apocryphal books.

Objections To Baptism Pt.11

OBJECTION #11: “SAUL WAS SAVED BEFORE AND WITHOUT BAPTISM WHILE HE WAS ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS WHEN JESUS APPEARED TO HIM.”

The actual sequence of events delineated in Acts shows that Saul was not saved while on the road to Damascus. Jesus identified Himself and then accused Saul of being a persecutor (Acts 9:5). Saul “trembled” and was “astonished” (hardly the description of a saved individual), and pleadingly asked what he should do—a clear indication that he had just been struck with his lost and undone condition.

This question has the exact same force as the Pentecostians’ question (Acts 2:37) and the jailer’s question (Acts 16:30). All three passages are analogous in their characterization of individuals who had acted wrongly (i.e., the Pentecostians had crucified Jesus, Saul was persecuting Christians, and the jailer had kept innocent Christians jailed). Likewise, in each instance, the candidates for conversion are portrayed as unhappy (i.e., the Pentecostians were “cut to the heart,” Saul “trembled” and “was astonished,” and the jailer “came trembling”—i.e., he was frightened). They were scared, miserable individuals, suddenly brought face to face with their horribly unacceptable status before God. Such is hardly an apt description for saved individuals. Where is the joy, peace, and excitement that comes when one’s sins have been washed away?

Saul was not forgiven on the road to Damascus—he still needed to be told what he “must do” (Acts 9:6). He still lacked “hearing the word of the Lord.” The only way for Saul to hear the Gospel was through the agency of a preacher (Romans 10:14; 1 Corinthians 1:21).  Similarly, an angel told Cornelius (Acts 10:4) that his prayers and money had gone up for a memorial before God—yet he was unsaved. He needed to contact an inspired preacher, Peter, “who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11:14). Likewise, before Saul could learn of God’s plan that he be the great “apostle of the Gentiles,” he first needed to hear the Gospel expounded and told how to respond to what God offered in Christ.

Rather than tell him what he needed to do to be saved, Jesus told him to go into the city, where a preacher (Ananias) would expound to him the necessity of salvation. Notice: Saul waited in Damascus for three days without food and drink, and was still blind. Here’s an individual who was still miserable, unhappy, and unsaved, awaiting instructions on how to change his unfortunate status. Acts 9:18 condenses Saul’s response to the preached Word, while Acts 22 elaborates a little further on the significance of Saul’s response. Ananias said, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

Notice Ananias’ inspired connection between baptism and sins being cleansed. If Saul was saved prior to baptism, it was wrong for Ananias to say that Saul still had sins that needed to be washed away. Ananias did not congratulate Saul because his sins already were washed away, and tell him that he needed to be baptized only as a “badge” or “outward symbol” or “picture” of what had already occurred. He plainly said Saul’s sins yet needed to be washed away. That can be accomplished only by Jesus’ blood in the act of baptism by faith. The water does not cleanse the sin-stained soul—Jesus does. And Ananias clearly stated when (not how or by Whom) that occurs. If Saul’s penitent faith would not lead him to submit to water immersion, he could not have had his sins washed away by Jesus. Instead, he would have remained in opposition to Jesus. Remember, Scripture never portrays baptism as symbolic of previous sin removal. The only symbolism ever attached to the act of baptism is its (1) likeness to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5); (2) its comparison to the removal of sin like circumcision removes skin (Colossians 2:12); and (3) its likeness to Noah’s emergence from a sinful world (1 Peter 3:20-21). God literally (not symbolically) removes sin and justifies the individual by grace, through faith, at the point of baptism.

Objections To Baptism Pt.10

OBJECTION #10: “WHEN THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER ASKED WHAT TO DO TO BE SAVED, HE WAS SIMPLY TOLD TO BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.”

As further proof that God does not miraculously bestow faith on a person through the Holy Spirit, observe that Paul told the jailer that he (the jailer) had to believe; he did not answer the jailer’s question with: “You don’t have to do anything. God will give you faith.” On the contrary, Paul and Silas told him that he had to manifest faith in Jesus. But was this pagan jailer in a position at that moment to do so? No, he would have to be taught Who, how, and what to believe. No wonder, then, Luke records immediately: “they spoke the word of the Lord to him” (Acts 16:32). If Romans 10:17 can be trusted, the words which Paul and Silas proclaimed generated faith in the jailer. And those same words surely included the necessity of repentance and baptism, because the jailer immediately manifested the fruit of repentance (by washing their stripes), and likewise was immediately baptized (not waiting until morning or the weekend). Observe carefully Luke’s meticulous documentation, that it was only after the jailer believed, repented, and was baptized, that the jailer was in a position to rejoice. Only then did Luke describe the jailer as “having believed in God” (vs. 34), i.e., now standing in a state of perfected belief.

Objections To Baptism Pt.9

OBJECTION #9: “THE PREPOSITION ‘FOR’ IN THE PHRASE ‘FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS’ IN ACTS 2:38 MEANS ‘BECAUSE OF.’ HENCE, THEY WERE BAPTIZED BECAUSE OF SINS FOR WHICH THEY WERE FORGIVEN WHEN THEY BELIEVED.”

The English word “for” has, as one of its meanings, “because of.” However, the Greek preposition eis that underlies the English word “for” never has a causal function. It always has its primary, basic, accusative thrust: unto, into, to, toward. We must not go to the text, decide what we think it means, and assign a grammatical meaning that coincides with our preconceived understanding. We must begin with the inspired grammar and seek to understand every text in light of the normal, natural, common meaning of the grammatical and lexical construction. The same grammatical construction of Acts 2:38 is found in Matthew 26:28—“into the remission of sins” (eisaphesin hamartion). Jesus’ blood, the blood of the covenant, was undeniably shed for many “in order to acquire remission of sins.” This is the natural and normal meaning of the Greek preposition—toward, in the direction of. Had the Holy Spirit intended to say that baptism is “because of” or “on account of” past forgiveness, He would have used the Greek preposition that conveys that very idea: dia with the accusative.

Similarly, in Acts 2:38, if repentance is not “because of” remission of sins, neither is baptism. Regardless of person and number considerations, Peter told his hearers to do both things. The act of baptism (connected to the act of repentance by the coordinate conjunction) cannot be extricated from the context of remission of sins by any stretch.

Objections To Baptism Pt.8

OBJECTION #8: “NOT ONLY IS BAPTISM NONESSENTIAL TO SALVATION, EVEN FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD TO A PERSON. MAN IS SO DEPRAVED THAT HE IS INCAPABLE OF BELIEVING.”

Surely, God’s infinite justice would not permit Him to force man to desire God’s blessings. God’s intervention into man’s woeful condition was not in the form of causing man to desire help or miraculously generating faith within man. God intervened by giving His inspired Word, which tells how He gave His Son to make a way for man to escape eternal calamity. Faith is then generated in the individual by God’s words which the person must read and understand (Romans 10:17; Acts 8:30). The individual then demonstrates his faith in obedience.

Did the walls of Jericho fall down “by faith” (Hebrews 11:30)? Absolutely. But the salient question is: “When?” Did the walls fall the moment the Israelites merely “believed” that they would fall? No! Rather, when the people obeyed the divine directives. The walls fell “by faith” after the people met God’s conditions. If the conditions had not been met, the walls would not have fallen down “by faith.” The Israelites could not claim that the walls fell by their own effort, or that they earned the collapse of the walls. The city was given to them by God as an undeserved act of His grace (Joshua 6:2). To receive the free gift of the city, the people had to obey the divinely stipulated prerequisites.

Notice the capsuling nature of Hebrews 11:6. Faith or belief is not given by God. It is something that man does in order to please God. The whole chapter is predicated on the fundamental idea that man is personally responsible for mustering obedient trust. God does not “regenerate man by His call, thus enabling man to respond.” God “calls” individuals through, by means of His written Word (2 Thessalonians 2:14). In turn, the written Word can generate faith in the individual (Romans 10:17). How unscriptural to suggest that man is so “totally depraved” that he cannot even believe, thus placing God in the position of demanding something from man (John 8:24) of which man is inherently incapable. But the God of the Bible would not be guilty of such injustice.

Some people approach passages like Romans 10:17 in this fashion: (1) God chooses to save an individual; (2) God gives him the free gift of faith; and (3) God uses the Gospel to stir up the faith which He has given the person. Yet neither Romans 10:17, nor any other passage, even hints at such an idea. The text states explicitly that faith comes from hearing Christ’s Word. Notice verse 14, where the true sequence is given: (1) the preacher preaches; (2) the individual hears the preached word; and (3) believes. This sequence is a far cry from suggesting that God miraculously imparts faith to a person, and then the Holy Spirit “stirs up” the faith. Such a notion has God giving man a defective faith which then needs to be stirred up. The text makes clear that God has provided for faith to be generated (i.e., originated) by the preached Word. God does not arbitrarily intervene and impose faith upon the hearts of a select group of individuals.

According to 1 Corinthians 1:21, mankind did not know God, so God transmitted His message through inspired preachers so that those who respond in faith would be saved. Paul wrote in Romans 1:16that this gospel message is God’s power to save those who believe it. Notice that the Gospel is what Paul preached (vs. 15). Thus the preached message from God generates faith and enables people to be saved.

We see the same in Acts 2:37. What pierced the hearts of the listeners? Obviously, the sermon. Acts 2:37 is a demonstration of Romans 10:17—“faith comes by hearing…the word of God.” God did not change the hearts of the people miraculously; Peter’s words did. If denominational doctrine is correct, when the Jews asked the apostles what they should do, Peter should have said: “There’s nothing you can do. You are so totally depraved, you can’t do anything. God will regenerate you; He will cause you to believe (since faith is His ‘free gift’).” Yet, quite to the contrary, Peter told them that they needed to do some things. And they were things that God could not do for them.

First, they were required to “repent.” Biblical repentance is a change of mind (Matthew 21:29). A “turning” follows repentance (Acts 3:19) and consists of some specified action subsequent to the change of mind. John the Baptizer called this turning activity, which follows repentance and serves as evidence that repentance has occurred, “fruits” (Matthew 3:8). After being convicted (Acts 2:37—i.e., believing the truth of Peter’s contentions), they were told to “repent,” to change their minds about their previous course of life. What else were they to do?

Peter did not tell them to “repent and believe.” Their belief was already abundantly evident in their pricked hearts and their fervent petition for instructions. What was lacking? Peter said (i.e., God said) they still lacked baptism. Remember, the only difference between dead faith and saving faith is outward action—compliance with all actions that God specifies as necessary before He will freely bestow unmerited favor in the form of forgiveness.

Thus baptism marked the point at which God would count them righteous if they first believed and repented. Baptism served as the line of demarcation between the saved and the lost. Jesus’ blood could wash their sins away only at the point of baptism.

How To Respond To The Gospel

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The plan above leaves out the commands of

Obedient Faith & Baptism

Church Of Christ Facts

Is the church building that has the name Church of Christ hanging above the door the only group of Christians going to heaven?

1) Church of Christ saints are not the only ones who respect the Bible as God’s Book. It is true that many do not believe the Bible is inspired. These reject the Creation story and the miracles. Some religionists are surprised when pressure is exerted to learn that their own preachers deny the inspiration of the Bible.

2 Pet. 1:20,21 – “but know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

I Thess. 2:13 – “and for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the Word of God’s message you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

They make no apology for believing that the inspired writers gave us what God intended them to write. They know that the apostles believed that the words they were writing came from God. This is one of the basic beliefs of the church of Christ. However… there are other groups who do believe the Bible, so we are not “the only ones.” Evolution and humanism are being opposed by conservative preachers in some denominations. Some are trying to oust the modernists from their theological schools and are leading fights in the creation/evolution battles, so this point alone is not what makes us different.

2) They are not the only ones who recognize distinctions between the Old Testament and the New Testament. What is that distinction?

A. Jeremiah 31:31-34

31* “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

32* not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.

33* “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

34* “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

– God promised a new covenant. The New Testament reveals that it has come, John 1:17 – “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

B. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. Hebrews 8:7-13; 9:15-17 Heb. 8:7ff direct quote from Jer. 31:31ff 7

8* For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;

9* NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD.

10* “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

11* “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.

12* “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

13* When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Romans 15:4 – “for whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

We must still study the O.T. and learn from its examples but we look to Christ in the New Testament for Salvation.

Hebrews 1:1,2

1* God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2* in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Acts 4:12 – “and there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

The church of Christ congregations are not “the only ones” who understand this, however. Look at the percentage of other religious groups who meet on the first day of the week rather than the Sabbath day for worship and who reject animal sacrifices, polygamy, incense, Passover, etc. There are some others who apparently have believed Col. 2:14 which says, “Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of degrees against us and which was hostile to us; And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

3) They are not the only ones who worship without the use of instruments of music. True, this does make them different. But there is a basic reason for it. Every passage in the New Testament referring to church music identifies it as acapella, which is a Latin term meaning, “as in church.” In all the Bible there are only nine verses that speak about church music.

Matt. 26:30 – After the institution of the Lords Supper, the disciples sang a hymn.

Mark 14:26 – Parallel to Mt. 26:30

Acts 16:25 – Paul and Silas in prison were singing

Romans 15:9 – Mentions singing

I Cor. 14:15 – The early church was to sing with the Spirit

Eph. 5:19 – “singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.”

Col. 3:16 – “teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Heb. 2:12 – Mentions singing in the midst of the congregation.

James 5:13 – “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.”

The reason the church of Christ do not use instruments of music in their worship is, they were not used by the apostles, they were not used by the New Testament church, they were not used by the church for several hundred years after the church was established.

To make such an addition is to presume what God desires, and man has no right to presume what God desires, he must obey what he has revealed. The fact that instruments were available, but were left out of the New Testament worship holds a significance often overlooked. Old Testament sacrifices and worship involved outward ceremony that became routine. It ceased to be from the heart. A child of God was such by birth, not conviction. He had to be taught who God was. Their worship opportunities became chores and duties that they did not put themselves into (Malachi 1:7-14). Worship became a burden to them. As a Christian, one learns of God and loves him before becoming his child (see again Jeremiah 31:31ff), his worship is to be from the heart, his life is a sacrifice, and instead of some mechanical substitute, the Christian, by singing, gives of himself in worship. However… the church of Christ brotherhood are not the only ones who reject the instrument. Throughout history there have been groups that have realized the importance of worship according to the New Testament design, rather than according to the traditions of men.

4) They are not the only ones who include in worship the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis. WHY DO THEY DO THIS?

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper and placed it in the church for regular observance; Paul said in I Cor. 11 that he delivered to them what he had received of the Lord so that “as often” as they observed it, they could show his death until he comes again. As a memorial the Lord’s Supper has beauty and purpose. It provides an opening to teach small children as they grow up. Some say that the Lord’s supper was not taken on a weekly basis by the church in the N.T. but Scriptures reveal that it was, Acts 20:7 – “and on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread…” The terminology we use identifies frequency. If I say my birthday is March 1st, you do not ask, “Which March 1st?” March 1st pinpoints it as a yearly event since each year has a March 1st. If your boss were to tell you that you were to be paid on the 1st & 15th, you would not say “which month?” Each week has a first day, and it was known that the disciples came together on that day to break bread. However… there are other religious groups that observe something which they regard as the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis, so at least, on this point, they are not the only ones.

5) They are not the only ones who teach and practice the matter of baptism as they do. They stress that baptism should be immersion because that’s the definition of the original Greek word, and passages like:

Matthew 3:16 – “and after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove.”

Acts 8:36-40 – this passage shows that baptism is to be by immersion.

Romans 6:3-5 (READ) – this passage shows that baptism is to be by immersion.

Col. 2:12 – “Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God…”

However… we all know of some other religious groups that also teach that baptism is by immersion rather than sprinkling or pouring. They teach that baptism should be “for the forgiveness of sins (or the remission of sins) because of passages like:

Acts 2:38 – “for the forgiveness of sins” (little Greek word used here “ace” (for), always prospective in application, this shows the purpose of Baptism). Means “in order to receive.”

Mark 16:15,16 – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

Acts 22:16 “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins.”

Gal. 3:26,27 – “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

I Pet. 3:21 – “and corresponding to that, baptism now saves you… “

Baptism is essential to salvation, as the Bible clearly demonstrates… but there are some other religious groups who teach and practice baptism as essential for salvation, so the church of Christ are not “the only ones” who at least include it as a command from God that stands between the accountable sinner and salvation.

6) To save time, let me illustrate this matter further, but more rapidly.

Church of Christ stress a congregational type of church Government. Christ, not Peter is the head of the church

Col.1:18 “He is also the Head of the Body the church”

Eph. 1:22,23 “He gave him to be head over all things, to the church, which is his body…”

Phil. 1:1,2 – there Paul addresses the “deacons and elders.”)

However… there are many others who do not accept Peter as having been the head of the church. So we are not the only ones who follow the kind of government given to us by God in the Scriptures.

7) They stress that the Bible makes use of the name “Christian,” and terms such as “church of God,” “church of Christ.” These are the Scriptural names:

Acts 11:26 – “the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.”

Acts 20:28 – the “church of God” is mentioned

Romans 16:16 – “church of Christ”

However, they admit that they are not the only ones who use these Biblical terms to identify the church.

8) They stress that the Bible teaches godliness, holiness, and abstinence from the world.

Titus 2:11-12 – “for the grace of God has appeared, instructing us to deny … .

Heb. 12:14 – “pursue peace, and the sanctification without which no one will see God.”

I Tim. 4:12 – “prove yourself to be an example… “

I Thess. 5:22 – “abstain from every form of evil…”

But they are not the only ones who teach this, and to be honest, they admit that there may be some who show more dedication to the goal than many of their own!

9) They stress the importance of benevolent work and evangelistic work to relieve human suffering and share the gospel with the lost.

Gal. 6:10 – “so then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of Faith.”

I Tim. 5:16 – exhorts us to help dependent widows

Acts 8:4 – people preached even when they were prosecuted.

Mark 16:15,16 – We are to go into all the world.

But… they admit that there are other religious groups who are active in benevolent work, and there are many who may be supporting missionaries to preach their doctrine with a greater per capita level of giving than they have. They do not endorse the plan of salvation being taught by all other groups, but thay do note that they believe in evangelism to teach what they do believe.

1) Are not the only ones who respect the Bible as God’s Book.

2) Are not the only ones who recognize distinctions between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

3) Are not the only ones who worship without the use of instruments of music.

4) Are not the only ones who include in worship the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis.

5) Are not the only ones who teach and practice baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.

6) Are not the only ones who believe that the New Testament teaches a congregational type of church Government.

7) Are not the only ones who stress that the Bible makes use of the name “Christian.”

8) Are not the only ones who stress that the Bible teaches godliness, holiness, and abstinence from the world.

9) Are not the only ones who stress the importance of benevolent work and evangelistic work to relieve human suffering and share the gospel with the lost.

These nine examples are enough to illustrate the point: The church of Christ are not “the only ones” involved in these key points of practice identified in the Scriptures.

Is there any sense in which the church of Christ is different? Any sense in which it is truly “the only one?” Even though in each case we have studied there are some other religious group's who teach and practice the same basic things we have studied,

THERE IS ONE BIG DIFFERENCE; IT IS ONLY IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST THAT ONE MAY BELIEVE AND PRACTICE ALL OF THESE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME! Let me illustrate. You may find that church “A” believes in baptism by immersion, but does not baptize for the remission of sins; church “B” may baptize for the remission of sins, but does not worship without adding instruments; church “C” may wear a Scriptural name, but does not take the Lord’s Supper each week, and so on.

Other churches may have a mixture of one or two of these cardinal matters of faith and practice, but omit the rest. You may find a dozen groups practicing tid-bits of truth, but who do you find besides the church of Christ making the plea that we get back to the Bible on all points of doctrine at the same time?

The plea of the restoration movement is that we be Christians, and Christians only, that we speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent, that we return completely to the New Testament for our authority in matters of faith and practice. That we speak the Truth, and nothing but the Truth (John 17:17). We do not apologize for saying, “We must follow God and not Man.” Our plea to all is that we all unite under the unity of the Scriptures. When this is done, human traditions will fade into insignificance.

Source:

What Do Scriptures Say?