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America’s new religion: Fake Christianity
Jul 30, 2021 19:47:24   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jul/25/americas-new-religion-fake-christianity/

By Everett Piper - - Sunday, July 25, 2021


Earlier this month, the Western Journal reported that the “American Church Has Fallen: Shocking Poll Shows ‘Fake Christianity’ Has Supplanted the Biblical Worldview.”

Writing for the Journal, Rachel Bratton said this: “American Christianity has fallen. Thanks to cultural corrosion and a lack of biblical literacy, a new ‘fake Christianity’ is now being preached within the American church.”

“This counterfeit religion is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” stated Ms. Bratton, “a worldview that has quickly gained prominence and given many Americans a theology that looks nothing like historical Christianity, despite what they may claim.” She then goes on to cite the recent work of George Barna, whose February survey showed that Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD), or — watered-down, feel-good, fake Christianity — is the most popular worldview in the United States today.

“Christianity in this nation is rotting from the inside out,” states Mr. Barna. “MTD is essentially what I would call fake Christianity. Because it has some Christian elements in it, but it’s not really biblical, it’s not really Christian.”

And what is MTD exactly? Mr. Barna answers: “The moralistic perspective is we’re here to be good people and to try to do good…The therapeutic aspect is everything is supposed to be geared to making me feel good about myself, ultimately to make me happy. Deism is the idea that God created the world but has no direct involvement in it. Basically, according to MTD, there is a distant God who just wants everyone to be nice, and the purpose of life is to be happy. American ‘Christians’ who have adopted this philosophy have… elevate[d] personal definitions of right and wrong above any objective standard of Truth — like the Bible.”

And there you have it. America’s religion is no longer that of the Apostles: “the faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude v. 3). Nor is our nation’s guiding ethos that of our founding fathers who proclaimed, “it cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!” (Patrick Henry).

The faith that motivates Americans today is not the “singular” faith proclaimed by John Wesley (“You must be singular or be damned!”) or the confident faith of Saint Paul (“that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures”), nor is it the creedal conviction of the early Church (“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord). No. The contemporary church’s faith isn’t even anchored in the bold exclusivity of Jesus himself, who said, “I am The Way, The Truth and The Life and no one comes to the Father but through me!” America’s new religion isn’t anything this stable, this historical, this enduring, this deep, or this true. It is rather a syncretistic amalgamation of Bobby McFerrin and Black Lives Matter, sad solipsism of “don’t worry, be happy!” as we celebrate the “queering” of all that ails us.

Definition of solipsism:

noun
The theory that the self is the only thing that can be known and verified.
noun
The view that the self is the only reality.
noun
The belief or proposition that the person entertaining it alone exists, and that other people exist only as ideas in his mind.



Ms. Bratton concludes: “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism distorts the God of the Bible in an attempt to make him bless all the dissipations and vanities of the modern world.” Mr. Barna adds: “MTD is one of those models that says you gotta live in the moment. This is all you’ve got, and you’ve gotta make the most of it.”

“It makes sense,” says Ms. Bratton, “that ‘Christians’ who embrace MTD are hesitant to [salt] the culture. How can anyone pass judgment if everyone’s just trying to be happy? The only sin is getting in the way of someone’s personal ‘truth.’

“That’s why so many are siding with [neo-Marxist atheistic] groups like Black Lives Matter, ANTIFA, and the LBGTQ movement. They’ll listen to the loudest voice on either side. Enter the screaming woke mob; [those who] promote sin under the guise of ‘loving everyone.’”

The Christian apologist Frank Turek recently said, “Some people call themselves progressive Christians when they’re neither progressive nor Christian because they disagree with Jesus on several significant issues.

They disagree with Jesus on sex.

They disagree with Jesus on the Bible.

They disagree with Jesus on Heaven and Hell.

They disagree with Jesus on his atonement.

So, why would they call themselves a Christian?”

To paraphrase — Please stop calling yourself a Christian if you don’t believe in Christianity!

“Followers of Christ have forgotten that Jesus didn’t come to tell people to be nice. His message has always been a stumbling block, and [this is] especially hard for 21st-century Americans to accept,” says Ms. Bratton.

1 Corinthians 1:23
"but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,"

She‘s right!

The message of Jesus is one of faith, confession, repentance, and change, not counseling and comfort, and today’s “Christians” would do well to remember that He is the one who said those ignoring this would be “cast out and trampled underfoot.”


• Everett Piper, columnist, Washington Times, former university president and radio host; author of “Not a Daycare: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth” (Regnery) and, “Grow Up: Life Isn’t Safe, But It’s Good.”

Reply
Jul 30, 2021 23:57:07   #
Simple Sam Loc: USA
 
Zemirah wrote:
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jul/25/americas-new-religion-fake-christianity/

By Everett Piper - - Sunday, July 25, 2021


Earlier this month, the Western Journal reported that the “American Church Has Fallen: Shocking Poll Shows ‘Fake Christianity’ Has Supplanted the Biblical Worldview.”

Writing for the Journal, Rachel Bratton said this: “American Christianity has fallen. Thanks to cultural corrosion and a lack of biblical literacy, a new ‘fake Christianity’ is now being preached within the American church.”

“This counterfeit religion is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” stated Ms. Bratton, “a worldview that has quickly gained prominence and given many Americans a theology that looks nothing like historical Christianity, despite what they may claim.” She then goes on to cite the recent work of George Barna, whose February survey showed that Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD), or — watered-down, feel-good, fake Christianity — is the most popular worldview in the United States today.

“Christianity in this nation is rotting from the inside out,” states Mr. Barna. “MTD is essentially what I would call fake Christianity. Because it has some Christian elements in it, but it’s not really biblical, it’s not really Christian.”

And what is MTD exactly? Mr. Barna answers: “The moralistic perspective is we’re here to be good people and to try to do good…The therapeutic aspect is everything is supposed to be geared to making me feel good about myself, ultimately to make me happy. Deism is the idea that God created the world but has no direct involvement in it. Basically, according to MTD, there is a distant God who just wants everyone to be nice, and the purpose of life is to be happy. American ‘Christians’ who have adopted this philosophy have… elevate[d] personal definitions of right and wrong above any objective standard of Truth — like the Bible.”

And there you have it. America’s religion is no longer that of the Apostles: “the faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude v. 3). Nor is our nation’s guiding ethos that of our founding fathers who proclaimed, “it cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!” (Patrick Henry).

The faith that motivates Americans today is not the “singular” faith proclaimed by John Wesley (“You must be singular or be damned!”) or the confident faith of Saint Paul (“that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures”), nor is it the creedal conviction of the early Church (“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord). No. The contemporary church’s faith isn’t even anchored in the bold exclusivity of Jesus himself, who said, “I am The Way, The Truth and The Life and no one comes to the Father but through me!” America’s new religion isn’t anything this stable, this historical, this enduring, this deep, or this true. It is rather a syncretistic amalgamation of Bobby McFerrin and Black Lives Matter, sad solipsism of “don’t worry, be happy!” as we celebrate the “queering” of all that ails us.

Definition of solipsism:

noun
The theory that the self is the only thing that can be known and verified.
noun
The view that the self is the only reality.
noun
The belief or proposition that the person entertaining it alone exists, and that other people exist only as ideas in his mind.



Ms. Bratton concludes: “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism distorts the God of the Bible in an attempt to make him bless all the dissipations and vanities of the modern world.” Mr. Barna adds: “MTD is one of those models that says you gotta live in the moment. This is all you’ve got, and you’ve gotta make the most of it.”

“It makes sense,” says Ms. Bratton, “that ‘Christians’ who embrace MTD are hesitant to [salt] the culture. How can anyone pass judgment if everyone’s just trying to be happy? The only sin is getting in the way of someone’s personal ‘truth.’

“That’s why so many are siding with [neo-Marxist atheistic] groups like Black Lives Matter, ANTIFA, and the LBGTQ movement. They’ll listen to the loudest voice on either side. Enter the screaming woke mob; [those who] promote sin under the guise of ‘loving everyone.’”

The Christian apologist Frank Turek recently said, “Some people call themselves progressive Christians when they’re neither progressive nor Christian because they disagree with Jesus on several significant issues.

They disagree with Jesus on sex.

They disagree with Jesus on the Bible.

They disagree with Jesus on Heaven and Hell.

They disagree with Jesus on his atonement.

So, why would they call themselves a Christian?”

To paraphrase — Please stop calling yourself a Christian if you don’t believe in Christianity!

“Followers of Christ have forgotten that Jesus didn’t come to tell people to be nice. His message has always been a stumbling block, and [this is] especially hard for 21st-century Americans to accept,” says Ms. Bratton.

1 Corinthians 1:23
"but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,"

She‘s right!

The message of Jesus is one of faith, confession, repentance, and change, not counseling and comfort, and today’s “Christians” would do well to remember that He is the one who said those ignoring this would be “cast out and trampled underfoot.”


• Everett Piper, columnist, Washington Times, former university president and radio host; author of “Not a Daycare: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth” (Regnery) and, “Grow Up: Life Isn’t Safe, But It’s Good.”
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jul/25/a... (show quote)


About 1700 years ago another man did the same thing and his views are now followed by most calling themselves Christians.

Reply
Jul 31, 2021 16:58:55   #
moochie Loc: Fontana, California
 
Good afternoon,

Fake Christians do not exist.
One is either born again according to the Gospel Of Jesus Christ, or one remains dead in their sins.

This is the only Gospel Jesus and the Apostles Preached.
Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost.

John 3:1-7
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Matthew 16:19
Jesus speaking to Peter
And I will give unto thee the Keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt Bind on earth shall be Bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt Loose on earth shall be Loosed in heaven.

Acts 2:38
Apostle Peter with the other 11 Apostles standing with him, preached his first sermon using those Keys given to him by Jesus.
Then Peter said unto them, 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.

Acts 2:38 is the culmination of the scriptures Matthew 28:19, John 3:5.

Jesus said follow me.
Matthew 16:24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and "follow me".

But how?
Spiritually

The Gospel Of Jesus, is the physical Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus

We follow as John 3:5 and Acts 2:38 tells us we Must do.
Repentance = Dying to our self will.
Baptism = Burial / submerged / watery grave
Receive Gift Of Holy Spirit = Resurrection A New Creature In Jesus Christ = Christlike i.e. Spiritual Follower Of Jesus = A Christian.

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Be safe, and be well,
moochie

Reply
 
 
Jul 31, 2021 23:09:58   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
I understand the truth of what you say, moochie,

and technically, you are right, but there are "imitation" Christians or "pretend-to-be" Christians, who can not for one minute fool God, but can unfortunately, fool themselves and others, at least for a time, until the spiritually discerning realize they bear no fruit.

"Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." (Matthew 7:15-17)



moochie wrote:
Good afternoon,

Fake Christians do not exist.
One is either born again according to the Gospel Of Jesus Christ, or one remains dead in their sins.

This is the only Gospel Jesus and the Apostles Preached.
Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost.

John 3:1-7
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Matthew 16:19
Jesus speaking to Peter
And I will give unto thee the Keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt Bind on earth shall be Bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt Loose on earth shall be Loosed in heaven.

Acts 2:38
Apostle Peter with the other 11 Apostles standing with him, preached his first sermon using those Keys given to him by Jesus.
Then Peter said unto them, 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.

Acts 2:38 is the culmination of the scriptures Matthew 28:19, John 3:5.

Jesus said follow me.
Matthew 16:24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and "follow me".

But how?
Spiritually

The Gospel Of Jesus, is the physical Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus

We follow as John 3:5 and Acts 2:38 tells us we Must do.
Repentance = Dying to our self will.
Baptism = Burial / submerged / watery grave
Receive Gift Of Holy Spirit = Resurrection A New Creature In Jesus Christ = Christlike i.e. Spiritual Follower Of Jesus = A Christian.

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Be safe, and be well,
moochie
Good afternoon, br br Fake Christians do not exis... (show quote)

Reply
Aug 1, 2021 08:11:24   #
moochie Loc: Fontana, California
 
Good morning,
Thank you for your reply.
I agree to what you have said here.
"but there are "imitation" Christians or "pretend-to-be" Christians"
So then this group includes all of those who have either chosen to follow, or have been deceive by, the numerous doctrines, and traditions of men, by which they pervert the true gospel as well?
The answer unfortunately is yes.
I see that you are well acquainted with the Bible, so I will not need to copy and paste Apostle Paul's
Galatians 1:6-9.
The problem which exist today, remains as it was when Jesus walked those dusty roads. There were others who did not follow along with Jesus and his disciples, but they did use the Name of Jesus, to do miraculous things.
Currently there are over 200 Christian Denominations in America.
[I believe this to be a credible reason for the unbeliever, to remain skeptical]
All professing to preach The Gospel which Jesus and the Apostles preached.
Although only a few actually preach the Matthew 28:19--John 3:5--Matthew 16:19--Acts 2:38 oneness Gospel message.

The reason is found here:
The Catholic Encyclopedia, II, page 263: "The baptismal formula was changed from the Name Of Jesus Christ to the Words/Titles father, son, and holy spirit by the Catholic Church in the second century."

Any ideas as to why these found it necessary to make a change ?

moochie

Reply
Aug 4, 2021 04:22:56   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
Mankind's problem today is what it has always been: Sin.

Personal faith in Jesus Christ is the only remedy.

The Bible is God's gift to us; it is our plumbline, our rule of measure.

quora.com indicates that there are 34,000 Christian denominations in the world; Denominations are an expression of the massively trans-cultural, ethnic, geographical and ideological influence of Christianity. When viewed historically and globally, we are safe in saying there are hundreds, likely thousands, of Protestant denominations. Also, don’t forget the megachurches, which in 2000 A.D. numbered 1,650 with nearly 40 percent of them non-denominational, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

The Christian denominational landscape is a reflection of the freedom that we have in Christ to study and understand the word of God for ourselves, and yet still remain spiritually united, 'one in Christ.'

I am not responsible for the number of existing Christian denominations, nor, I assume, are you.

The Catholic Encyclopedia is a resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information (there is now an easy-to-search online version).

I have had a copy of it as well as the Catholic Catechism in my home library since the mid 80s, but I would take anything either says with a grain of salt, as they are not Scripture, not the word of God, but merely that of men.

It was originally printed between 1907 and 1912 in fifteen hard copy volumes. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index volume in 1914 and later supplementary volumes. It claims to have been designed "to give its readers full and authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine,"according to Rome, i.e., the Vatican.

The text received a nihil obstat from an official censor, Remy Lafort, on November 1, 1908, and an imprimatur from John Murphy Farley, Archbishop of New York.

Under copyright law of the United States, all works published in the United States before 1923 are in the public domain.

The encyclopedia was designed to serve the Catholic Church, concentrating on information related to the Church and explaining matters from the Catholic point of view. It records the accomplishments of Catholics and others in nearly all intellectual and professional pursuits, including artists, educators, poets and scientists. While more limited in focus than other general encyclopedias, it was far broader in scope than previous efforts at comprehensive Catholic encyclopedias, which covered only internal Church affairs.

The Roman Catholic Institution did not yet exist in the 2nd century.

The fledgling church of Jesus Christ, however, did.

Christ told His disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Mat:28:19).

That Jesus said name and not names is normal grammatical construction—a shortened way of saying, "In the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit." Surely "name" in this verse could hardly refer to another name"Lord Jesus Christ"not even mentioned there! Isaiah:9:6
is similar: "His name [not names] shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." If the UPC argument is valid at Matthew:28:19
, then it must be valid in Isaiah:9:6
also. If so, then "mighty God" is a "title or position held by God," and the "name" meant in Isaiah:9:6
is also "Lord Jesus Christ"!

In fact, God has many names such as Elohim (the Strong One—Genesis:1:1
and 2,000-plus other times), Jehovah Elohim (the Lord God, hundreds of times), Jehovah-rapha (the Lord that heals—Exodus:15:26), Jehovah-tsidkenu (the Lord our righteousness—Jeremiah:23:6), the Most High God (Genesis:14:18 plus 47 more times), Lord of Hosts (more than 200 times; 14 times it says "the Lord of hosts is his name"); and others. As for the Son of God, Isaiah:9:6 lists only some of His names. The angel told Joseph, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus (Mat:1:21). His name is also Immanuel (Isa:7:14), etc.

Why did Jesus say to baptize specifically in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Because nothing could be more fitting for that which symbolizes the believer's identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. The Father gave and sent the Son to be our Savior; the Son died for our sins; and it was through the Holy Spirit, by which we are born again, that Christ "offered Himself without spot to God" (Heb:9:14).

There is not one verse in the Bible that states that anyone was baptized in the name of "Lord Jesus Christ."
"Acts:2:38 says "in the name of Jesus Christ"; Acts:4:12 refers back to verse 10, which says "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth"; Acts:8:16 says "by the name of the Lord Jesus." Acts:19:5 says they were baptized "in the name of the Lord Jesus."

"In His name" means as He had instructed it to be done; i.e., in the name of "the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

That this was the accepted "formula" can be deduced from Paul's actions. He asked them whether they had received the Holy Ghost, and they said, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." Paul's shocked response was, "Unto what then were ye baptized?" (Acts:19:2-3). Why ask about their baptism? Because no one could be baptized "in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost" and not hear of the Holy Ghost! Paul would not have asked that question if baptism was "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Paul's understanding of baptism, however, was quite different. He writes to the Corinthians, "I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius...and [the] household of Stephanas... I know not whether I baptized any other" (1 Cor:1:14-16
). Yet Paul calls himself the "father" of the Corinthians and explains why: "for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel" (4:15). They had been born again into God's family as His children, and Paul had been the means of their salvation—without baptizing them.

No, baptism is not, as some teach, essential to salvation. Paul reminds the Corinthians that they were saved through believing the gospel he preached: "How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures..." (1 Cor:15:3
). Paul repeatedly declares that we are saved only by believing the gospel. For example: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth [it]" (Rom:1:16
). It is the gospel that saves, not baptism. Salvation comes through believing the gospel, not by being baptized. In fact, Paul declared, "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (1 Cor:1:17
). Clearly baptism is no part of the gospel and thus has nothing to do with salvation.

Then what about the verses that say we must be baptized to be saved? What verses? There is not one in the Bible! Yes, Mark:16:16
says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," but that doesn't say that baptism is essential to salvation, only that saved people get baptized. The rest of the verse says, "but he that believeth not shall be damned." Nowhere does the Bible say, "He that is not baptized shall be damned," or "If you only believe but don't get baptized you are lost." There are scores of verses that say, "He that believeth is saved," but only one that says, "He that believeth and is baptized is saved." And scores of verses declare that if we don't believe the gospel we are lost—but not one says that if we are not baptized we are lost.

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, yet as John:4:2
tells us, He never baptized anyone. Why didn't Christ, like Paul, baptize at least a few people? If He didn't even baptize one then He obviously took care not to do so for a specific reason: If the Savior of the world who did all that was necessary for our salvation baptized no one, then baptism clearly has nothing to do with salvation! The thief on the cross was never baptized. If someone about to die cries out, "What must I do to be saved?" must we respond, "There is no hope for you because we can't baptize you"?

Then wouldn't it be best to baptize everyone as infants? No, that is a fraud. To the question, "What doth hinder me to be baptized?" Philip replied, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest" (Acts:8:36-37). Baptism is for believers, and no infant has made that choice. "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized" (Acts:2:41); "When they believed...they were baptized" (8:12); "many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (18:8). Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Christ, an act of obedience to Christ's command, and thus required of every Christian — but is does not save the soul; it follows salvation.

But didn't Jesus say that we must be "Born again of water and of the Spirit"? Yes. He said this to Nicodemus, a rabbi, to whom it would not mean baptism because that was unknown in the Old Testament. Israel had ordinances of "washing with water for cleansing" the priests or a leper or someone who had been defiled (see Exodus 30,40; Leviticus 13,15, etc.). So Christ was saying that "cleansing from sin" and a special work of the Holy Spirit were essential to being born again. Ephesians:5:26 explains that the New Testament fulfillment of Old Testament water cleansing is "the washing of water by the word." Peter says we are "born again...by the word of God" (1 Pt 1:23). Paul calls it "the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus:3:5); i.e., "born of water and the Spirit."

It was to Israel that John the Baptist preached "the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mk 1:4, etc.), which they understood in the context of Old Testament water cleansing. Baptism was also connected with the "remission of sins" when offered to Jews in the Book of Acts (whether preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost (2:38), or to Saul (22:16). That this was associated with Israel's practice of water cleansing, and not an indication that the physical act of baptism saves anyone, is clear and in the context of all of the scriptures.

The idea that baptism is essential to salvation comes from Roman Catholicism in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "The Sacrament of Baptism…Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life…through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn [born again] as sons of God…" (Sec. 1213, p.342, emphasis added).Vatican II declares, "By baptism men and women are cleansed from original sin and from all personal sins, they are born again as children of God...." (Vatican Council II, Costello Publishing, Vol 2, p 561); "Baptism is also to be given to infants...[that] they may be reborn of water and the Holy Spirit to divine life in Christ Jesus" (Vol 2, p 391), "Baptism, which is necessary for salvation...frees us from original sin and communicates to us a share in divine life" (Vol 2, pp 111-12). This is not true!

The Bible is very clear that the Old Testament sacrifices and other physical acts, such as circumcision, tithing or keeping the Sabbath, could not pay the debt demanded by God's justice for sin. They were symbolic of the coming sacrifice of Christ and the heart response of faith required for salvation. Judaism's great error was its sacramentalism and formalism: finding salvation in the mere act of prayer, ritual and other deeds rather than in repentance and faith. Matthew 15 and 23 give examples of Christ's scathing rebuke of Jewish religious leaders for this error that led millions astray.

Christ criticized the rabbis for giving God His "tithe" even from the herbs in their gardens, while neglecting "judgment, mercy and faith." He quoted God's rebuke of Israel through Isaiah: "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me." To make a physical act/ritual efficacious for salvation makes it impossible to trust Christ for salvation. It must be either/or. It can't be both.

Roman Catholicism— offers salvation through sacraments, which are physical rituals ministered by the priests. The Bible, however, has only two ordinances, both commanded by Jesus: baptism and communion, or the Lord's supper.

Offering salvation through baptism or communion or any other physical act is a heretical error, for to imagine that either has merit as a physical act repeats the error of Judaism. Both are symbolic of the believer's identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, but neither is efficacious for forgiveness of sins or for salvation."


thebereancall.org



moochie wrote:
Good morning,
Thank you for your reply.
I agree to what you have said here.
"but there are "imitation" Christians or "pretend-to-be" Christians"
So then this group includes all of those who have either chosen to follow, or have been deceive by, the numerous doctrines, and traditions of men, by which they pervert the true gospel as well?
The answer unfortunately is yes.
I see that you are well acquainted with the Bible, so I will not need to copy and paste Apostle Paul's
Galatians 1:6-9.
The problem which exist today, remains as it was when Jesus walked those dusty roads. There were others who did not follow along with Jesus and his disciples, but they did use the Name of Jesus, to do miraculous things.
Currently there are over 200 Christian Denominations in America.
[I believe this to be a credible reason for the unbeliever, to remain skeptical]
All professing to preach The Gospel which Jesus and the Apostles preached.
Although only a few actually preach the Matthew 28:19--John 3:5--Matthew 16:19--Acts 2:38 oneness Gospel message.

The reason is found here:
The Catholic Encyclopedia, II, page 263: "The baptismal formula was changed from the Name Of Jesus Christ to the Words/Titles father, son, and holy spirit by the Catholic Church in the second century."

Any ideas as to why these found it necessary to make a change ?

moochie
Good morning, br Thank you for your reply. br I ag... (show quote)

Reply
Aug 6, 2021 06:06:57   #
moochie Loc: Fontana, California
 
Good morning,
Thank you for your reply
Colossians 3:17--And whatsoever ye do in Word or Deed, do All in the Name of the Lord Jesus
The reason baptism is done in Jesus' Name is that in Luke 24:47 Jesus said: "And that repentance and Remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
When the apostles went out with the gospel, the Name of Jesus Christ offended many,
not the titles " father, son, holy ghost".
When Paul stated, "were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" He was saying that they were baptized in the Name of Jesus, so they shouldn't have been idolizing Paul like they were baptized in his name. The Name of Jesus is so powerful that Acts 4:12 states: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be Saved." Christians pray in the Name of Jesus, heal the sick in the Name of Jesus, preach in the Name of Jesus,
but as soon as it comes time to baptize in Jesus' Name, that Name no longer exists?

Remission: means “the cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty”
Romans 5:12--Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and Death by sin; and so Death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
There is a distinction between the “forgiveness” of sins, and the “remission” of sins, the Bible clearly teaches that there is a difference.
The word Remission was not mentioned in the entire Old Testament, while in the New Testament it occurs Many times. The Forgiveness of sins was a Common Thing under the Old covenant.
The blood of bulls and goats was offered for the 'Forgiveness' of sins, but it could not “Remit” or “take away” their sins. [sacrifices only pushed their sin ahead, annually]
Hebrews 10:4-- For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should "take away" sins.
Hebrews 9:22--And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. [unless your sins have been remitted, you are still dead in your sin]
Acts 2:38-39-- Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ [why?--> 'for the Remission of sins', and ye shall receive the gift of the holy ghost.
For the promise is unto You, and to your children, and To All That Are Afar Off, Even As Many As The Lord Our God Shall Call<--for example Cornelius was a gentile, ]

"Thou art the Christ the son of the living god" <--upon this rock, {Not Cephas/Peter} I will build my church.
Matthew 16:19-- And I will give unto thee [Peter] the Keys Of The Kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt Bind on earth shall be Bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt Loose on earth shall be Loosed in heaven.
Bind-- In usage, to Bind and to Loose simply means to forbid by an indisputable authority and to permit by an indisputable authority.
Meaning whatever Apostle Peter said, those words would carry the same command authority, as if said by Jesus.

You wrote
It is the gospel that saves, not baptism.
There are scores of verses that say, "He that believeth is saved," but only one that says, "He that believeth and is baptized is saved." And scores of verses declare that if we don't believe the gospel we are lost—but not one says that if we are not baptized we are lost.
Mark 16:16--"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," but that doesn't say that baptism is essential to salvation, only that saved people get baptized.
Mark 16:16-- is only one?
Matthew 26:28-- For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the Remission of sins.
1 Peter 3:20-21--Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is,
Eight Souls Were Saved By Water.

The like figure whereunto even Baptism Doth Also Now Save Us...

1 Corinthians10--Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the
And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Acts 22:16-- And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and "Wash Away Thy Sins", calling on the Name of the Lord. [The Name Of The Lord Is Jesus] [why tarriest thou? the sense of urgency was present]
Jesus said to Peter and the disciples, “Whosoever sins ye remit, they are "Remitted".” The only way that the apostles fulfilled these words was by “Baptizing in the Name of Jesus Christ [why?] for the Remission of sins.”

This was a Fundamental Doctrine Of The First Church.
In every instance that water baptism is mentioned in the book of Acts, it precedes the baptism of the holy ghost, with one exception. This case would no doubt have been as others, had not the six men that went with Peter forbade him to baptize the Gentiles in water. That they endeavored to hinder him is proven from the fact that when the holy ghost came upon them,

Peter answered, “Can any man forbid water?” If water baptism in the Name of the Lord (Acts 10:36-47) was not an essential part of salvation, why did Peter “Command" them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord”, after they had received the baptism of the holy ghost?
Galatians 3:27-- For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Acts 10:48-- And he Commanded [he didn't suggest, or kindly ask] them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord
The blood of goats and bulls was for forgiveness, but the blood of Jesus does that and “much more.”
Heb. 9:13-14. It was for this that the apostle wrote these words, “In whom we have Redemption / [Remission] through His blood,...” Colossians 1:14

Circumcision
Colossians 2:11-14--In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Blotting out<--i.e. remitting] the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

You wrote; Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Christ, an act of obedience to Christ's command, and thus required of every Christian — but is does not save the soul; it follows salvation.

Commanded, Required, Must

Paul tells us that it is by way of baptism that one gets “into Christ” (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27). Unless one is prepared to say that one is saved “outside of Christ”, then one must admit that it is a condition that must be met in order to be saved.
Baptism is said to be “for the Remission of sins” and to “wash your sins away” (Acts 2:38; 22:16).

Unless one is prepared to say that one is saved without their sins being remitted, then they must admit that baptism is a condition of salvation. {??}

FOR SOME REASON THIS HAS BEEN CALLED THE GREAT COMMISSION
Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:

Revelation 7:14--And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

John 3:5 -- Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 2:38--Then Peter said unto them, 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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, SAVE yourselves from this untoward generation.

This is only a small portion of what baptism truly means, as it relates to salvation

moochie

Reply
 
 
Aug 6, 2021 06:09:49   #
moochie Loc: Fontana, California
 
Good morning,
Thank you for your reply
Colossians 3:17--And whatsoever ye do in Word or Deed, do All in the Name of the Lord Jesus
The reason baptism is done in Jesus' Name is that in Luke 24:47 Jesus said: "And that repentance and Remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
When the apostles went out with the gospel, the Name of Jesus Christ offended many,
not the titles " father, son, holy ghost".
When Paul stated, "were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" He was saying that they were baptized in the Name of Jesus, so they shouldn't have been idolizing Paul like they were baptized in his name. The Name of Jesus is so powerful that Acts 4:12 states: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be Saved." Christians pray in the Name of Jesus, heal the sick in the Name of Jesus, preach in the Name of Jesus,
but as soon as it comes time to baptize in Jesus' Name, that Name no longer exists?

Remission: means “the cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty”
Romans 5:12--Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and Death by sin; and so Death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
There is a distinction between the “forgiveness” of sins, and the “remission” of sins, the Bible clearly teaches that there is a difference.
The word Remission was not mentioned in the entire Old Testament, while in the New Testament it occurs Many times. The Forgiveness of sins was a Common Thing under the Old covenant.
The blood of bulls and goats was offered for the 'Forgiveness' of sins, but it could not “Remit” or “take away” their sins. [sacrifices only pushed their sin ahead, annually]
Hebrews 10:4-- For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should "take away" sins.
Hebrews 9:22--And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. [unless your sins have been remitted, you are still dead in your sin]
Acts 2:38-39-- Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ [why?--> 'for the Remission of sins', and ye shall receive the gift of the holy ghost.
For the promise is unto You, and to your children, and To All That Are Afar Off, Even As Many As The Lord Our God Shall Call<--for example Cornelius was a gentile, ]

"Thou art the Christ the son of the living god" <--upon this rock, {Not Cephas/Peter} I will build my church.
Matthew 16:19-- And I will give unto thee [Peter] the Keys Of The Kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt Bind on earth shall be Bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt Loose on earth shall be Loosed in heaven.
Bind-- In usage, to Bind and to Loose simply means to forbid by an indisputable authority and to permit by an indisputable authority.
Meaning whatever Apostle Peter said, those words would carry the same command authority, as if said by Jesus.

You wrote
It is the gospel that saves, not baptism.
There are scores of verses that say, "He that believeth is saved," but only one that says, "He that believeth and is baptized is saved." And scores of verses declare that if we don't believe the gospel we are lost—but not one says that if we are not baptized we are lost.
Mark 16:16--"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," but that doesn't say that baptism is essential to salvation, only that saved people get baptized.
Mark 16:16-- is only one?
Matthew 26:28-- For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the Remission of sins.
1 Peter 3:20-21--Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is,
Eight Souls Were Saved By Water.

The like figure whereunto even Baptism Doth Also Now Save Us...

1 Corinthians10--Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the
And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Acts 22:16-- And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and "Wash Away Thy Sins", calling on the Name of the Lord. [The Name Of The Lord Is Jesus] [why tarriest thou? the sense of urgency was present]
Jesus said to Peter and the disciples, “Whosoever sins ye remit, they are "Remitted".” The only way that the apostles fulfilled these words was by “Baptizing in the Name of Jesus Christ [why?] for the Remission of sins.”

This was a Fundamental Doctrine Of The First Church.
In every instance that water baptism is mentioned in the book of Acts, it precedes the baptism of the holy ghost, with one exception. This case would no doubt have been as others, had not the six men that went with Peter forbade him to baptize the Gentiles in water. That they endeavored to hinder him is proven from the fact that when the holy ghost came upon them,

Peter answered, “Can any man forbid water?” If water baptism in the Name of the Lord (Acts 10:36-47) was not an essential part of salvation, why did Peter “Command" them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord”, after they had received the baptism of the holy ghost?
Galatians 3:27-- For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Acts 10:48-- And he Commanded [he didn't suggest, or kindly ask] them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord
The blood of goats and bulls was for forgiveness, but the blood of Jesus does that and “much more.”
Heb. 9:13-14. It was for this that the apostle wrote these words, “In whom we have Redemption / [Remission] through His blood,...” Colossians 1:14

Circumcision
Colossians 2:11-14--In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Blotting out<--i.e. remitting] the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

You wrote; Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Christ, an act of obedience to Christ's command, and thus required of every Christian — but is does not save the soul; it follows salvation.

Commanded, Required, Must

Paul tells us that it is by way of baptism that one gets “into Christ” (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27). Unless one is prepared to say that one is saved “outside of Christ”, then one must admit that it is a condition that must be met in order to be saved.
Baptism is said to be “for the Remission of sins” and to “wash your sins away” (Acts 2:38; 22:16).

Unless one is prepared to say that one is saved without their sins being remitted, then they must admit that baptism is a condition of salvation. {??}

FOR SOME REASON THIS HAS BEEN CALLED THE GREAT COMMISSION
Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:

Revelation 7:14--And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

John 3:5 -- Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 2:38--Then Peter said unto them, 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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, SAVE yourselves from this untoward generation.

This is only a small portion of what baptism truly means, as it relates to salvation

Reply
Aug 6, 2021 20:16:55   #
Zemirah Loc: Sojourner En Route...
 
Christians are saved by believing and accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are denominations within Christianity that have long argued over the spiritual meaning of baptism, and there will always be so; that, however, is not the focus of this thread.

The purpose of this thread is to highlight the now prevalent "Christless" American Christian Church within our society at large, composed of increasingly self-absorbent, self-serving, self-enriching members, who, although they self-identify as Christians, reveal Biblical illiteracy, and have become indistinguishable in their values and lifestyle, from a majority of their unredeemed fellow citizens, who minus the gospel of Jesus Christ, also routinely perform good deeds for their friends, neighbors and acquaintances.

I believe the Bible teaches each believer is saved by faith alone, in Jesus Christ's propitiatory sacrifice as payment-in-full of their earned death sentence for sin.

First, it is clear from such passages as Acts 15 and Romans 4 that no external act is necessary for salvation. Salvation is by God's divine grace received through faith alone (Romans 3:22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30; 4:5; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:9, etc.).

"One of the most convincing refutation of the view that baptism is necessary for salvation are those who were saved apart from baptism. The penitent woman (Luke 7:37-50), the paralytic man (Matthew 9:2), the publican (Luke 18:13-14), and the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43) all experienced forgiveness of sins apart from baptism. There is no record of the apostles' being baptized, yet Jesus pronounced them clean of their sins (John 15:3); their hearts purified by faith in Christ's righteousness.

In Acts 10:44-48, Cornelius and those with him were converted through Peter's message. That they were saved before being baptized is evident from their reception of the Holy Spirit (v. 44) and the gifts of the Spirit (v. 46) before their water baptism. It is the fact that they had received the Holy Spirit (and hence were saved) that led Peter to baptize them (cf. v. 47) at all.

From my original post: "America’s religion is no longer that of the Apostles: 'the faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints' (Jude v. 3). Nor is our nation’s guiding ethos that of our founding fathers who proclaimed, “it cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!” (Patrick Henry).

"The recent work of George Barna, whose February survey showed that Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD), or — watered-down, feel-good, fake Christianity — is the most popular worldview in the United States today.

"Mr. Barna explained: “The moralistic perspective is we’re here to be good people and to try to do good. The therapeutic aspect in everything is supposed to be geared to making me feel good about myself, ultimately to make me happy. Deism (theologically) is the belief that God created the world, but has no direct involvement in it.

"According to Moralistic Therapeutic Deism MTD, there is a remote, distant God whose only wish is that everyone be nice, and whose only purpose for their life is that they be happy. American ‘Christians’ who have adopted this philosophy have substituted personal (subjective) definitions of right and wrong above the one objective standard of Truth — the Bible alone, which is God's plumb line, His only rule of measure.”

God's moral law is the plumb line against which we are to determine right from wrong (John 17:17). Just as a carpenter's plumb line is not subject to the opinions or the frustration of the worker, so God's moral standards are not subject to the opinions of man.

John the Baptist told the Jews that, "I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (being born-again)" (Luke 3:16).

This is an important truth to understand, because it explains Acts 2:38, which reads: “Then Peter said unto them, 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.”

Spiritual baptism is necessary for salvation. The instant a person comes to the belief commanded in the New Testament, their spirit is regenerated through baptism by the Holy Spirit, i.e., they are born again. That person has instantly come to repentance.

The precious blood of Jesus was sprinkled by the Lord (Hebrews 12:24), Who is our resurrected High Priest (Hebrews 4:15-16), upon the mercy seat in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12). Jesus did this in the presence of God the Father on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). It is only the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins, and not water...

Colossians 1:19-20, “For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

There is not one verse in the Holy Bible which even remotely hints that water baptism is associated with Christ's shed blood. To teach otherwise is to corrupt the Word of God.

In John chapter 3, where Jesus is witnessing to Nicodemus, the Lord plainly teaches that being “born of water” refers to the physical birth, and not to water baptism as some falsely claim. John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Jesus is contrasting the fleshly birth to the spiritual birth. This passage of Scripture has absolutely nothing to do with water baptism.

The New Testament Scriptures clearly teach that water baptism is not necessary for salvation. Because the Scriptures deny the necessity of water baptism for salvation, teaching that it is required is "another gospel" than that which was originally, "once for all," handed down to the saints.

Water baptism is symbolic of the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:4-5). In water baptism, we are identifying ourselves with our Savior, signifying that we have already believed upon Him. Nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever baptized; until AFTER they were saved.

In 1st John 5:13, the Apostle John tells us exactly why he wrote the Epistle of 1st John... “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” John states that the sole purpose of his Epistle is to teach us how to KNOW we are saved. Please note that John NEVER once mentions the word “baptism.”

Those who add to the gospel by requiring speaking in tongues as evidence of salvation are equally wrong, as John does not once mention speaking-in-tongues.

Romans 4:5 speaks clearly: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” How much clearer could the Bible be than this? A person's faith in Jesus Christ is COUNTED as righteousness. Salvation is of God, and not men. We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and never by our own self-righteousness.

Again, it is written: "but to him that worketh not..."

The original writing of the Scriptures alone are perfect. Not one word of the Old Testament or New Testament was originally written in English.

Look at the original language and the meaning of the Greek word "eis." Just as the English word “for” has different meanings, there are two or three possible meanings of the passage, one which initially seems to support baptism as required for salvation, and others that do not. While different meanings of the Greek word eis are seen in different passages of Scripture, noted Greek scholars A.T. Robertson, J.R. Mantey, and others have maintained that the Greek preposition eis in Acts 2:38 is properly translated into English “because of” or “in view of,” and not “in order to,” or “for the purpose of.”

Whenever someone says “Take two aspirin for your headache,” it is obvious that they do not mean “take two aspirin in order to get a headache,” but instead the meaning is “take two aspirin because you already have a headache.” There are three possible meanings of the word “for” that could potentially fit the context of Acts 2:38: 1) “in order to be, become, get, have, keep, etc.,” 2) “because of, as the result of,” or 3) “with regard to.” As any one of the three meanings could fit the context of this passage, additional study is required in order to determine which one is correct.

One example of how this preposition is used in other Scriptures is seen in Matthew 12:41 where the word "eis" communicates the “result” of an action. In this case it is said that the people of Nineveh “repented at the preaching of Jonah” (the word translated “at” is the same Greek word eis). Clearly, the meaning of this passage is that they repented “because of’” or “as the result of” Jonah’s preaching. In the same way, Acts 2:38 is communicating the fact that they were to be baptized “as the result of” or “because” they already had believed and in doing so had already received forgiveness of their sins (John 1:12; John 3:14-18; John 5:24; John 11:25-26; Acts 10:43; Acts 13:39; Acts 16:31; Acts 26:18; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 1:12-14).

This interpretation of the passage is also consistent with the message recorded in Peter’s next two sermons to unbelievers where he associates the forgiveness of sins with the act of repentance and faith in Christ without even mentioning baptism (Acts 3:17-26; Acts 4:8-12).

In addition to Acts 2:38, there are three other verses where the Greek word eis is used in conjunction with the word “baptize” or “baptism.” The first of these is Matthew 3:11, “baptize you with water for repentance.” Clearly the Greek word eis cannot mean “in order to get” in this passage. They were not baptized “in order to get repentance,” but were “baptized because they had repented.”

The second passage is Romans 6:3, the phrase “baptized into (eis) His death.” This again fits with the meaning “because of” or in "regard to." The third and final passage is 1 Corinthians 10:2 and the phrase “baptized into (eis) Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Again, eis cannot mean “in order to get” in this passage because the Israelites were not baptized in order that Moses would become their leader, but because he was already their leader and had led them out of Egypt.

If one is consistent with the way the preposition eis is used in conjunction with baptism, they must conclude that Acts 2:38 is referring to their being baptized “because” they had received forgiveness of their sins. Other verses where the Greek preposition eis does not mean “in order to obtain” are Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 19:3; 1 Corinthians 1:15; and 12:13.

The grammatical evidence surrounding this verse and the preposition eis are clear that while both views on this verse are within the context and the range of possible meanings of the passage, the evidence is that the best possible definition of the word “for” in this context is either “because of” or “in regard to” and not “in order to get.” Therefore, Acts 2:38, when interpreted correctly, does not teach that baptism is required for salvation.

Besides the precise meaning of the preposition translated “for” in this passage, there is another grammatical aspect of this verse to carefully consider — the change between the second person and third person between the verbs and pronouns in the passage. For example, in Peter’s commands to repent and be baptized the Greek verb translated “repent” is in the second person plural while the verb “be baptized,” is in the third person singular. When we couple this with the fact that the pronoun “your” in the phrase “forgiveness of your sins” is also second person plural, there is an important distinction being made that helps to understand this passage. The result of this change from second person plural to third person singular and back connects the phrase “forgiveness of your sins” directly with the command to “repent.” When the change in person and plurality is taken into account, you have “You (plural) repent for the forgiveness of your (plural) sins, and let each one (singular) of you be baptized (singular)," or more distinctly: “You all repent for the forgiveness of all of your sins, and let each one of you be baptized.”

Another error that is made by those who believe Acts 2:38 teaches baptism is required for salvation is what is sometimes called the Negative Inference Fallacy. Simply put, this is the idea that just because a statement is true, we cannot assume all negations (or opposites) of that statement are true, i.e., just because Acts 2:38 says “repent and be baptized….for the forgiveness of sins…and the gift of the Holy Spirit,” does not mean that if one repents and is not baptized, he will not receive forgiveness of sins or the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16:16, a verse often quoted to prove baptism is necessary for salvation, is actually a proof of the opposite. Notice that the basis for condemnation in that verse is not the failure to be baptized, but only the failure to believe.

There is an important difference between a condition of salvation and a requirement for salvation. The Bible is clear that belief is both a condition and a requirement, but that is not true of baptism. The Bible does not say that if a man is not baptized - then he will not be saved. One can add any number of conditions to faith (which alone is required for salvation), and the person will still be saved.

For example "if a person believes, is baptized, goes to church, and gives to the poor he will be saved." The error in thinking occurs if one assumes all these other added conditions, “baptism, going to church, giving to the poor,” are required in order to be saved. They may be evidence of salvation, but they are not a requirement for salvation.

Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Being “born-again” means having He (Jesus) Who is the beginning born in me, and hopefully you too (Revelation 1:8). To be “regenerated” means to be born anew from above by the Holy Spirit of God (John 1:13), quickened (or made alive) by God's Spirit (Ephesians 2:1).

The Bible plainly teaches in Titus 3:5 that we are not saved “by works of righteousness which WE HAVE DONE”!!!

Being water baptized is something that WE DO, not that God does!

I have no further need to, or intent of, exchanging Scriptures on the subject of baptism, for through personal Bible study, and the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, I consider it settled.

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Aug 6, 2021 23:41:40   #
moochie Loc: Fontana, California
 
Good evening
Thank you for your attention concerning the subject of baptism, and your time as well.

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