Feb. 4
I have in the past few weeks shown the necessity of baptism. However, there may be some who read this article that may not know what all of this discussion is about. So let me take some time to teach you about Jesus. We will first learn who Jesus is and in the coming weeks, God willing, we will see what He has done for every person.
Who is Jesus? Jesus is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). Jesus has always been, always is and always will be. He was present during the creation of the world and actually played a role in creation. In Genesis 1:1 we find, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." The word God here in the Hebrew language is plural. It denotes the Godhead consisting of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit ( Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9: I John 5:7). We also read in John chapter 1 that Jesus was involved in creation and that nothing was made without Him (John 1:1-5). In creating the world, we also find that humans were created in His image. Genesis 1:26 tells us "Let us make man in our image." Again we see the work of the Godhead in the creation.
Jesus is either directly mentioned or referred to in all 66 books of the Bible. There are numerous prophesies about Jesus throughout the Old Testament. Consider the following examples of prophesy and when they were fulfilled. 1) Seed of Abraham- Genesis 12:3; Matthew 1:1 2) Born in Bethlehem - Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4-7 3) Born of a virgin - Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-31 4) Rejected by His own people - Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11 5) Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver - Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:15 6) Vicarious sacrifice - Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:6-8 7) To be raised from the dead - Psalms 16:10; Mark 16: 6-7. These are just a few examples for your consideration. There are many more worthy of attention and I encourage every one to get a Bible and study. While there may be some in this world who would deny Jesus ever came to this earth, the first step in becoming a child of God is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins. I hope to show all of these things in the coming weeks. If you would like to study more about Jesus or any Biblical topic please feel free to contact me.
Jan. 28
I received a question this week and I think many more of you may be wondering the same thing. I was asked, “I was baptized after I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I know I was saved when Jesus came into my heart. My baptism was a sign that I was already saved. Even if what you say is true about baptism, I am saved because I have been baptized. Am I right about this?”
I am glad this question was asked. Many people in this world believe their salvation in the same manner. Does it really matter why one is baptized as long as they are? Yes, It most definitely makes a difference why you are baptized. To be baptized as an outward show of an inward faith is foreign to the scriptures. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that baptism is for this reason. In fact, the scriptures teach that baptism is an inward cleansing in I Peter 3:21. What is baptism for? Baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Baptism is NOT because you have already been saved. Baptism is in order to be saved. If you already believe you are saved, then how can you be baptized in order to be forgiven of sins? I stated last week how every example in the New Testament, after the cross of Christ, was baptized in order to be saved. This is exactly what Jesus taught in His commission to the apostles when He told them to preach and to baptize. God says to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Any reason other than what God has authorized is not acceptable to Him. Again, I urge you to study the examples of conversions in the book of Acts and notice some very important facts. All of those who were converted were taught and were baptized. Some examples say nothing of faith, repentance or confession. However, every one of them mention baptism. So you tell me, is baptism necessary to be saved? If your not baptized for the remission of sins then your baptism is not according to God’s will
I would be happy to study this subject more in depth with anyone who would like to do so. Please contact me to set up a place and time to study God’s word.
Jan. 14
I have attempted to show over the past few weeks how one must be baptized in order to be saved. God has taught us in His word how baptism is the point at which sins are forgiven. We have studied verses such as 1 Peter 3:21, Mark16:16 and Acts 2:38. While there are several other passages which teach the necessity of baptism, I want to study from Romans chapter 6. Paul tells the christians at Rome that they are dead to sin (v.2). He explains to them how they became dead to sin by baptism. Listen to Paul,"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (vs. 3-4). What is so special about the death of Christ? It was His death that makes forgiveness of sins possible. Jesus died so that we may also die to sins. How do we achieve this? Paul says it is by baptism. Paul continues in this chapter explaining how we live with Christ by our being "planted together in the likeness of his death." In other words, we are still in sin until we are baptized into the death that forgives us of our sins. Paul also shows us in v.6 how through baptism we crucify the old man of sin. Again we see the necessity of being dead to sin. In v.7 we find that in order to be free from sin we must be dead to sin. How? Through baptism! So let me ask you, is baptism necessary? If you want to be free from sin and forgiven of sin then baptism is most certainly necessary. According to God, if you have not been baptized for the forgiveness of sins then you are still in sin and not in Christ
Dec. 29
As we continue to study the Bible and see the necessity of baptism, let us take a closer look at another passage which proves baptism is the point at which sins are forgiven. In Acts 2:38, the Bible says "repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost". Why did Peter, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, make this statement? Peter was responding to a question asked by those who heard his sermon. They asked, "men and brethern, what shall we do?" These men, who had faith, knew there was something lacking in order to be forgiven of sins. What was lacking? Repentance and baptism are what were needed for them to be saved. Those who believe in "faith only" must ask themselves why Peter would tell these men to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins? According to "faith only", Peter should have said to them there was nothing left to do. Peter should have told them they were saved. However, Peter didn't because he knew and preached the necessity of baptism. There are those who try to "explain away" this passage by claiming the phrase "for the remission of sins" means "because of" and not "in order to receive" forgiveness of sins. I do not believe one must be a scholar of the Greek language to understand the plain teaching of the Bible. However, the Greek word translated "for" in this verse is "eis". Needless to say, this word is used to look forward or toward something. It is not used to look backward as is claimed by this argument. In other words, repentance and baptism are pointing toward forgiveness and NOT looking back. One more note of interest, if you look at the other passage in the Bible which has the same Greek phrase as Acts 2:38, you will find the exact meaning of this verse. In Matthew 26:28, Jesus says His blood "is shed for many for the remission of sins". No one would argue Jesus shed His blood because sins had already been forgiven. He shed His blood in order to forgive sins and so is baptism for the purpose of receiving forgiveness of sins.
Dec. 24
Last week, we compared the doctrine of “faith only” to the Bible. We found that “faith only” contradicts the plain teachings of God’s word and therefore cannot be the truth. Those who teach and believe “faith only” try to disprove the necessity of baptism. In doing so, they are trying to disprove the Bible. Let us begin today by considering an argument made against baptism.
Here is what someone may say, “We are not saved by works (Ephesians 2:8-11) and baptism is a work and therefore cannot be necessary for salvation.” Have you ever heard this? Have you ever been taught this? Have you ever said or taught this? What does the Bible say?
First of all, where does the Bible say baptism is a work? The fact is, it doesn’t. This proof of just how far man will go to teach false doctrine. The only way baptism is a work is the same way faith is a work (John 6:29). Notice that it is the same type of work as baptism (Colossians 2:12). They are the work of God. So, if you argue that baptism is a work and cannot save then you also are saying that faith cannot save.
To help us better understand how baptism is a work of God, just like faith, consider I Peter 3:21. Peter says baptism saves by “not the putting away of the faith of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.” Who takes away our sins? God does! We don’t take away sin. We do what God has said we must do for Him to remove the sin in our life. This is exactly what Peter is saying. Baptism does not waste away outward filth, but it washes away inward filth (sin). Acts 22:16 says to arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins. Here again, it is an inward washing. Peter explains that through baptism we can be cleansed in our conscience (no guilt or sin).
Baptism washes away sin, but it is God who removes the filth of sin not the water. Baptism is simply the means which God has chosen to remove sin and clean our conscience.
Sept. 10
This week I would just like to take the opportunity to invite everyone to the gospel meeting at the church of Christ in Collinwood. The meeting begins Sunday September 14th at 9:00 a.m. Lunch will be served after the morning services. Sunday night, the services will begin at 7:30 in order to allow everyone to attend their own congregation and still be able to visit and support our meeting. Monday through Wednesday night will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Brother Gilbert Kretzer will be holding the meeting. Brother Kretzer has been a faithful gospel preacher for many years. He is currently serving as an elder at the Florence Blvd. church of Christ in Florence, Alabama. Although he no longer preaches full-time, he is still a highly respected preacher of God’s word and is well known throughout southern Tennessee and northern Alabama. I would like to remind everyone that due to our gospel meeting we will not have a Bible discussion meeting this Monday night. We will resume the following Monday night September 22nd at 7:00 pm. Tuesday morning Bible discussion will not be affected. It begins at 10:00 am each Tuesday. Next week I plan to use our time to answer some recent questions I have received. Keep those questions and comments coming.
Sept. 3
The world today, especially in our country, is moving farther and farther away from God. We have taken God out of the government, schools, and just about everything public. We have allowed those who do not love God or His word to stand up for sin and we have let sin become acceptable.
One such sin, one that we do not often speak out against, is homosexuality. We have become a nation of “politically correct” people instead of Christians. We do not want to offend others and we have a fear of being labeled prejudice, conservative, or a religious freak. However, it is our duty to speak the truth in love. The fact is, homosexuality is a sin according to the Bible and those who practice this sin are eternally damned.
The Bible is clear concerning the sin of homosexuality. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of the wickedness. Whatever they may have been guilty of, the sin mentioned in Genesis 19 is homosexuality. Clearly, God considers this sin to be worthy of death. Leviticus 18:22 – “thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 20:13 says this sin is punishable by death.
The New Testament also teaches that homosexuality is a sin. Romans 1:24-32 shows us those who commit homosexuality are worthy of death (eternal death in hell).
It is time we get back to the Bible and stand up for God and start calling sin what it is – sin.
Don’t forget our Bible study this coming Monday at 7:00 p.m. and then again Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Collinwood church of Christ building. This Bible discussion is open to anyone interested in God’s word.
August 20
I took a couple of weeks off from writing my column while I was on vacation with my family. I appreciate your patience and desire to have my articles appear again. Please take note of the time change for our services at Collinwood church of Christ. Sunday morning Bible class begins at 9:00 a.m. and worship services begin at 10:00 a.m. These times are one hour earlier than in the past. Sunday and Wednesday night services remain unchanged. I also would like some suggestions concerning topics you would like to see in these articles.
Today, let’s answer some recent questions I’ve received.
Question: In regard to your proposed Bible study, is this an effort to convert people to your religion?
Answer: First of all, it is not my religion, although I do understand what is meant by the statement. The purpose is to study and discuss God’s word. My concern, and I hope everyone’s concern, is to know the truth and do exactly what God commands. I believe we all should be concerned whether or not we are following God’s word in our lives, our worship, and our beliefs.
Question: I am confused, how can you say baptism saves you when the scriptures plainly teach otherwise? Study Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:5, Acts 15:11, Romans 8:24.
Answer: Baptism by itself doesn’t save us. Neither does faith, or hope, or anything else by itself. The fact is that it takes faith and repentance and confession and baptism. We could not possibly be saved without faith (Hebrews 11:6). We also could not be saved without repentance (Luke 13:3). Confession is also a necessary step to obtain salvation (Matthew 10:32-33). Most people have no trouble believing these facts. Why is it confusing to accept baptism as a part of salvation (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, I Peter 3:21)? I agree the scriptures plainly teach the necessity of faith, repentance and confession. The scriptures also plainly teach baptism as an important part of one’s salvation.
July 30
Let me take one more week to encourage and promote the Bible discussion that I proposed in last week’s article. I received a couple of questions or concerns about the discussion group.
One question asked, “Why would the group meet at the church of Christ?” The answer is simple; I have access to that building and would be able to ensure it was open on time and for each meeting. Remember, this is not a worship service, but a Bible study group. I have no problem with meeting at other locations as long as we have the assurance of the building being open and accessible.
Another question asked was, “What do I hope to accomplish with a Bible discussion group?” Personally, I hope to gain more knowledge and understanding of God’s word and what he requires of me. I believe we all should hope to do the same. The Bible is all we need to approve ourselves to God (Romans 1:16, II Timothy 3:16-17). I also pray that unity may take place. If you are truly seeking to be a Christian, then you must be unified with God and His word. Unity among God’s children and all me in commanded (Ephesians 4:1-4; Romans 12:26; I Cor. 1:10; Philippians 3:16). The Bible commands us to speak the same things (I Cor. 1:10) and the way we have unity is by studying God’s word and doing exactly as it commands.
Let me ask a question, “Are you studying God’s word?” Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can lead to salvation, neither my opinions nor any man, only the gospel of Christ. If you truly want to know how to approve yourself to God, then it comes through study of the scriptures (II Timothy 2:15). I would like to challenge the readers to take an interest in God’s word and your soul and let’s make the discussion group a reality. If you are interested, please, let me know so planning can begin.
If you would like to set up a private study, or learn more about the word of God, contact me.
July 23
I would like to once again thank those who send me their questions and comments. Many of you start by saying you don’t want to offend me. Let me say for the record that I am not offended by anyone’s questions and/or comments. As a matter of fact, the letters help me to better understand the various positions of readers.
I also appreciate everyone who reads my weekly article. I appreciate your desire to study God’s word and learn what the Bible says concerning the many topics we discuss. I pray that each one who reads my article will gain a better understanding of God’s word.
I am a believer in Bible study. Searching the scriptures should be done daily (Acts 17:11), and not just on Sundays and Wednesdays or when the church meets. I hope each one of you share my passion for studying God’s word. With this in mind, I need your help. I believe it would be a blessing to begin a Bible discussion group. You can help me by letting me know if you would be interested in meeting on a regular basis to discuss Biblical topics. Allow me to explain what I have in mind. We would meet at the Collinwood church of Christ on Monday nights at 7:00 or 7:30. This meeting would not be a worship service, but an open forum for any Biblical topic. Each person in attendance should feel free to speak up and ask questions or make comments. If this sounds like something you would attend and support, please let me know. If there is sufficient interest, then we will schedule a date for our first meeting.
Visit the Collinwood church of Christ online at www.collinwoodchurchofchrist.com.
July 16
The terms preacher and pastor are often misused. People call preachers by the term pastor. Is this Biblically correct? What does the Bible say concerning what a preacher is and what a pastor is? Let us study God’s word.
We all know what a preacher is and what he does. The question we need to answer is, does the word pastor describe a preacher? The word pastor appears nine times in the KJV Bible with only one of those being in the New Testament (Ephesians 4:11). The word pastor in the New Testament is taken from the Greek word “poimen”, which means, “shepherd”. Notice in the passage Ephesians 4:11 how pastor and evangelist are not the same. Evangelist means a preacher of the gospel.
So, since pastor means shepherd, whom in the church does shepherd describe? A shepherd is one who oversees the flock; therefore, a pastor is an overseer. Is it the preacher who oversees the flock? No! Not according to God’s word. Just as pastor means overseer, there are two more words in the New Testament used to describe an overseer. I Timothy 3:1-7, and Titus 1:5-16, describe the office of a bishop. The word “bishop” comes from the Greek word “episkopos” which means overseer. Now we see how a pastor and bishop are the same.
Still, there is one more word to describe the same office and the word is elder. Look again to Titus 1:5-7. Notice, Titus was to appoint elders, notice also how bishop and elder are used interchangeably. Peter tells the elders to “feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof” in I Peter 5:1,2. Also, in Acts 20 we learn how Paul called the “elders of the church” in verse 17 and told them in verse 28 to “take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
We see how the terms pastor, bishop, and elder all describe the same office. Pastors oversee the flock, not preachers.
July 9th
I still enjoy reading your questions and comments. Keep them coming and I will continue to answer and respond to them. I have not answered questions in this column because I felt the space was needed to cover a progression of topics. Today, however, we will devote the entire column to answering some recent questions.
Since there is only one true church, why are there so many different churches in the community and around the world? Unfortunately, man has not always followed the word of God. Sometimes, people do what they want or like and not what God wants. By doing so, they are saying they know better than God. The writers of the Gospel knew this would happen and they warned against division and teaching false doctrine. Study the following verses and they should help you understand the danger of not following God’s word: II Peter 2:1-2, Ephesians 4:14-15, II Timothy 4:3, Titus 2:1, and II John verses 9 and 10.
Do you believe only the church of Christ is going to heaven? The answer to this question is tricky. The answer depends on what is meant by the church of Christ. Yes, only the church of Christ will be saved. The church of Christ as described in the Bible; the church Jesus died for and the church, which is using a Biblical name (church of Christ being one of the names) and is teaching without error. If you are of the age of accountability, then, yes, you must be a member of Christ’s church because he adds to His church such as should be saved (Acts 2:47).
Since you say one must be baptized to be saved, are you saying one need not have faith or repent? Of course not! I would never say or believe one does not need faith or repentance. You must have faith to be saved (Hebrews 11:6). You must also repent and confess to be saved (Luke 13:3, Matthew 10:32-33). The church of Christ follows the whole Bible by teaching that baptism is also a necessary step to being saved along with faith and repentance.
Again, I appreciate your questions and comments. If you have a question, please feel free to send them. If you would like to set up a Bible study, please do not hesitate to contact me. I enjoy studying God’s word and would love the opportunity to study with anyone.
Visit the Collinwood church of Christ online at www.collinwoodchurchofchrist.org
July 2nd
This week, I would like to review some truths about God’s word we have learned over the past months. At the conclusion of our review, we will ask ourselves some important questions.
First, we have learned there is one true church. Jesus built and died for only one church (Matthew 16:18, Acts 20:28). We have also learned we must be a part of that one body, the church.
With all the different religious groups in the world today, we have discussed the importance of the name of the church you attend. We have also discussed the importance of what the church you attend teaches. The true church that Jesus built must only teach what the gospel of Jesus Christ authorizes.
Let’s review the three topics we have studied related to this subject.
Music in worship to God was the first area we considered. We know there are two ways to make music-by singing and by using instruments. Singing is the only form of music authorized by the Lord in His gospel (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19). Singing is spiritual in nature while instruments are physical. Christians worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
We also discussed the Lord’s supper. We have learned that the church Jesus built observed this memorial weekly. Acts 20:7 says the disciples met on the first day of the week to break bread. Acts 2:42 teaches they were steadfast in breaking bread. Without a doubt, the church Jesus gave His life for observed the Lord’s supper every week.
June 25
This week, we will conclude our study on the subject of baptism by looking at the most notorious thief in history, the thief on the cross. People often point to this story as an example of a New Testament conversion without baptism. The statement, “I can be saved without being baptized because the thief on the cross was saved without being baptized,” is commonly used to refute the necessity of baptism. However, we must consider several errors in this statement.
The first error is to assume the thief had never been baptized. The Bible does not tell us the thief was not baptized. In fact, it is very possible that he had been baptized. Look in your Bible to passages like Matthew 3:5-5, Mark 1:4-5 and John 4:1-3; notice how many people were being baptized during this time.
Couldn’t the thief have been one of these people? The truth of the matter is, we are not told whether or not the thief had been baptized.
Secondly, it is erroneous to assume we can be saved like the thief on the cross. Even if we assume he was not baptized, although the Bible is silent on the matter, we can never be saved in the same manner. In order to be comparable to the thief, you would have to be hanging on a cross next to our dying Savior and have Jesus speak your salvation. Why is this method of salvation impossible? The Bible tells us that Jesus will never step foot on this Earth again; furthermore Jesus will not endure death on the cross again.
The third error in the statement we need to recognize is that the thief was saved prior to the New Testament Law. When did the New Testament come into effect? Hebrews 7:12 teaches there was a change in the law and Hebrews 9:16-17 points out that the New Testament became effective after Jesus died. Hebrews 13:20 explains that this new covenant is an “everlasting covenant.” The thief was not saved under the same law in which we live and is not a worthy example to pattern salvation after. The Old Testament did not require baptism to be saved, but the New Testament, which replaced the Old Testament, does command us to be baptized.
Remember, salvation is in Christ Jesus (II Timothy 2:10). And we get into Christ through baptism (Romans 6:3). Please do not deny the word of God by denying baptism.
June 18
We have been studying the subject of baptism for the past few weeks. One verse is all that is necessary to show baptism is essential to salvation, however, we have looked at several verses that all show one must be baptized to be saved. If there are those who still are having trouble believing God’s word about baptism, let us look at God’s dividing line between salvation and being lost.
God has often used water as a dividing line. Water has been a separation between lost and saved, unclean and clean, bondage and freedom. Water is used today as a dividing line between being saved and lost in sin. Look at some examples of how God used water as a boundary. The Red Sea was a dividing line between bondage in Egypt and freedom (Exodus 14:13-30). The waters of the Jordan stood as a dividing line between Naaman’s leprosy and a divine cure (II Kings 5:1-14). The pool of Siloam was a dividing line between the blind man and his sight (John 9:1-7). Noah’s flood was a dividing line between dying with the wicked and being saved (Genesis 6:5-13).
How can we know baptism is our dividing line? God tells us it is! I Peter 3:20-21 compares Noah and his dividing line to baptism; our dividing line. Notice what it says, just like eight souls were saved by water; we are saved by baptism. Many in the world deny the water that will save them. Just like all those who denied the water in Noah’s time were lost, so are those who deny baptism today. You must cross that dividing line God has set forth.
We have studied and learned that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. The only examples are of penitent believers being baptized to wash away their sins. If you are of an age in which God holds you accountable for your actions and have not been baptized, then according to God’s word, you are lost and in sin. To inherit eternal life one must be forgiven of sin and baptism is for that forgiveness.
Next week, we will conclude our study of baptism by looking at the most common objection to the necessity of baptism; the thief on the cross.
