Baptism started out in water, but it has changed
Question:
This message is in regards to water baptisms. In the early stages, John the baptist and Jesus' disciples were performing water baptisms. Some preachers are teaching the brethren, "except you be baptized in water you cannot be saved."
The elders of Jerusalem settled the issue of salvation when they wrote an epistle to the Gentiles. In the epistle, the elders did not command the Gentiles to be baptized in the water for salvation. And the epistle of the elders of Jerusalem for salvation to Gentiles is still valid to this day. Certain Jews were saying to the brethren, except you be circumcised and keep the law of Moses you cannot be saved.
If God could not save those who are not able to be water baptized for whatever reason, then God's plan of salvation would crumble. But God doesn't need to add water to save because the blood of Jesus washes away sins. And it is written: "for whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Even before Jesus went to the cross to pay the price for our sins, Jesus was able to forgive sins. Jesus said: "son your sins are forgiven," "Today you shall be with me in paradise," "No one has condemned you, neither will I, go and sin no more."
Paul makes it clear when he said: "I was not sent to baptize, but to preach the Gospel." If God need it to add water to salvation, God would have told Paul to baptize the believer in the water, or they could not be saved." Paul said: "if any man preaches another gospel, let him be accursed." If the gospel of Paul and the gospel of the church of Christ is not the same, Paul said: "let him be accursed." It is easy to give in to the commandments of men, and this is why God said: "These people draw near and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me, and in vain do they worship me."
The conclusion to salvation is God can save a sinner without the water baptismal.
Answer:
I'm glad you realize that both John and Jesus taught baptism in water. Where I disagree with you is that Gospel was not a developing religion. It was taught in the form of which it was to be practiced. Your argument claims that baptism ended shortly after it started; yet, the Bible says differently. "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:4-6). The outline Baptisms of the New Testament shows that this one baptism, a part of the seven "ones" of the unity of the church, is baptism in water.
Acts 15 deals with Jewish Christians claiming that Gentile Christians, in addition to what they had already done, had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. "And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." ... But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses" " (Acts 15:1,5). The people under consideration were already brethren. We are not talking about baptizing Christians, these people were already Christians. The question being addressed was whether there were additional requirements for Gentiles in order to be saved. The response was: "Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood" (Acts 15:19-20). These are not a list of steps to become saved, but reminders of how Christians must behave. Therefore, Acts 15 was to let people know that in Jerusalem, being circumcised and keeping the Law of Moses was not being taught as necessary for salvation. There is nothing here that remotely indicates a stand against baptism in water.
Yes, God can save as He chooses. So why are you ignoring God's command and telling people that what God said isn't necessary? "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). By the way, this is what God, though Ananias, told Paul to do. Calling on God's name is to appeal to His authority; yet, you deny what Peter taught: "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" " (Acts 2:38). Peter also said, "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (I Peter 3:21). It is quite clear that baptism is the point of salvation from a person's sins.
You make it sound as if Paul was against baptism, the one who wrote: "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin" (Romans 6:3-7). Yes, it is the blood of Christ that cleanses us from sins, but God chose baptism in water as the means by which we symbolically come in contact with Jesus' death. Paul also stated: "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:26-27). This last statement is in the same letter where Paul said not to alter the Gospel. In regards to Paul's statement in I Corinthians about not being sent to baptize, see: Why did Paul say he was not sent to baptize?
You did not prove that God sees water baptism as unnecessary; rather, the wisdom of God is illustrated when men refuse to obey even the simplest of God's commands. "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence" (I Corinthians 1:27-29).
