Posts Tagged ‘baptism’
Three questions about Church of Christ teachings on baptism
Question: Sir, I have three questions that are about the teachings of the Church of Christ. Why does the COC dismiss the case of the thief on the cross by saying that it happened “under the Old Testament” when in fact the thief was saved after the blood of the New Testament was shed and…
Read MoreWhen is the right time to get baptized?
Question: It’s a long story with a question in it. But to answer the question, I think you should understand my journey from being a Muslim. I am a Muslim and I was in a relationship with a Christian girl for nearly seven years. In that seven years I know I have been cheating her…
Read MoreCan someone be baptized who is still struggling with pornography?
Question: My friend keeps watching pornography; he says he is trying to stop, but he keeps failing. He wants to be baptized, but when I baptize him and he keeps on doing so, will God keep on forgiving him, or will his Christianity just fade away to God? Answer: There is a difference between wanting…
Read MoreHow can we not be saved by works of righteousness but are saved by baptism?
Question: I know that our faith is justified by works and that the faith of the Bible is obedient faith. Therefore, faith encompasses baptism and it isn’t a meritorious work. However, if we are obedient in our faith wouldn’t it be counted to us as righteousness as it was Abraham? If so, why would Titus…
Read MoreWas Cornelius Saved Before Water Baptism?
by Fred B. Walker in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 11, September 1952. One of the strongest arguments that can be made on the theory that one is saved before and without water baptism is based upon the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 in the light of what Jesus taught in Jno. 14:17. This…
Read MoreI was baptized by a female priest. Was it legitimate?
Question: Hi, I was baptized a year ago. Since then I’ve been a bit worried about something. My question might sound a bit silly, but the Bible tells us that women must keep silent in church. I was baptized by a female priest. Have I been ‘officially’ baptized? Am I going to hell? Do I…
Read MoreYour answer on circumcision and how it relates to baptism and covenants made it clear to me why baptism is necessary for salvation
Question: Someone asked about the law of circumcision and your answer was so helpful to me, especially in how it relates to covenants between man and God, then and now, with baptism. Now I understand how it can be symbolic of salvation, as the Baptists claim, and be a step in salvation, as the churches of Christ…
Read MoreI want to get baptized but my partner doesn’t want to separate from me
Question: I am a single Christian parent, but my partner (a non-Christian) never wants to separate from me. I wanted to get baptized, but he keeps coming back only to stay a few days and goes away for a while for work. During his few days with us, I pray for forgiveness. I wanted us…
Read MoreIf I didn’t say “Jesus is Lord,” do I need to be baptized again?
Question: Hello there, Thank you for the articles and answers on your website. I believe they stand on good biblical ground and are a blessing to Christians and the world. I have a question about Romans 10:9. Many years ago, I was immersed in water for the remission of my sins. Before this baptism, I…
Read MoreShould I date a man who doesn’t believe baptism is essential to salvation?
Question: Hello, I am so grateful for your advice. Maybe you can help me with something that I have been trying to figure out. I have a friend I met in college last year and remained friends after I moved with my family about three hours away. We talked about God and life and what…
Read MoreDoes Luke 7:48-50 prove that baptism is unnecessary?
Question: I need help with the following question: Does Luke 7:48-50 prove that we do not need to be baptized to be saved? Can you help me with an answer that shows that these verses are not inconsistent with the teaching that baptism is essential for salvation? It is being argued that since the woman’s…
Read MoreIf Jesus is without sin, why did he get baptized?
Question: Hey Jeff, We get baptized to wash away sins. If Jesus is without sin, why did he get baptized? Answer: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to…
Read MoreDo belief and confession mean that baptism is unnecessary?
Question: Hi, Thanks for your web site. It has been a God-send to folks like me who are relatively new in our walk with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been trying to find a Bible-believing church to attend, but there are so many false teachings and divisions in the body of Christ today that…
Read MoreAfter accepting Christ, do you have to be baptized to get to the next level in heaven?
Question: After accepting Christ, do you have to be baptized to get to the next level in heaven? Answer: First, there is no mention of different levels in heaven in the Bible. There is some indication that what each person has in heaven may not be exactly the same. See: Are there degrees of rewards and…
Read MoreI’ve been baptized three times, but I’m not certain I’m saved
Question: Hi, I am a male in my thirties. For about fifteen years I have been struggling with thoughts about my baptism. Thoughts go through my head practically every day. I have questions constantly running through my mind that cause me to feel anxious and fearful of God’s judgment, all because I keep questioning if my…
Read MoreI left the church because I don’t think my baptism was right, but now my dad won’t have fellowship with me. What do I do?
Question: Hello, I am in need of some answers. I was raised in the church of Christ. My father quit the church when I was about two years old, but my mother continued to take me. When I was 12 my father returned and repented and is now a member once again. My father has…
Read MoreCan a person be scripturally baptized in a denomination?
Question: I am a member of the church of Christ and lately, an issue has arisen. A few of our members were baptized in denominations but have been allowed to join our congregation on the basis that their baptisms were valid or scriptural based on an investigation. According to these members, as soon as they…
Read MoreWhat was the history of baptism prior to John?
Question: Hello! I don’t know where to look for the history of the baptism of John. I have the understanding that baptism was done since the Babylonian captivity for the conversion to the Jewish faith (a proselyte, but I don’t know where to find any documentation to confirm or deny it. I just don’t know…
Read MoreI’m not sure I want to get baptized. Do I have to be baptized?
Question: I’m 14 years old, and I was born in a Christian family. I got truly saved last year. I know that I’m saved by Jesus’s blood and I want to live for God, but it’s hard for me to want to get baptized. I want to get baptized, but also part of me doesn’t.…
Read MoreWhat happens if I die before I am baptized?
Question: I recently turned my life to God. I’m on your website all the time learning what things to do and not do. I’m also reading the Bible. I don’t know everything in the Bible, so I’m currently educating myself. I’ve come to be a bit confused since I have a hard time understanding many…
Read MoreCan you be saved on your death bed?
Question: I have a question! Can you be saved on your death bed? I know you must be baptized, and I’m trying to teach my aunt. She said that you don’t have to be baptized and that her grandad was saved on his death bed but was not baptized! Is that OK? If you can’t…
Read MoreIs justification through faith? Is a sinner forgiven when he prays?
Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, I was reading your article on the NIV and I found it very informative! I just want to start off by saying thank you I had no idea there were a few discrepancies I needed to be aware of. With regards to this, I had a question. I completely agree with the point…
Read MoreDid Peter have the Jews baptized to make a public statement?
Question: Reading online the transcript of a sermon by a man named John MacArthur in which he preached on Peter’s sermon at Pentecost and the reaction to it, I was a little surprised to see how flimsy the argument put forth was regarding the role of baptism in salvation. With no reference to any other Scripture and…
Read MoreSalvation by Grace (Cope)
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, October, 1952. In Titus 2:11-13 we read: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and…
Read MoreI left God and have not been a faithful wife. How do I get baptized?
Question: I have known about God all my life. I used to go to church with my parents. It has been a long time since I have been to church. I forgot about Him for a while; I lost faith and stopped praying. I got married two years ago. A couple of weeks ago I…
Read MoreFor if you must be physically immersed in water to be saved, then the blood and Jesus Christ has no power
Question: As a Nazarene Pastor, I wonder about what you have written. As a Christian, I can not judge your salvation. Unless you truly believe that it is the water and not the blood of Christ that saves you. I have read your web site. I am impressed with your research. I was surprised at…
Read MoreI got baptized for selfish reasons. Do I need to get baptized again?
Question: I was baptized according to the Bible when I was 14. I’m now 20 years old. I have been faithful in the church. However, recently I have been questioning the motive behind my baptism. Now that I look back I knew Jesus had died on the cross for my sins and that when I…
Read MoreCan I baptize myself?
Question: Hi, Thanks for a good website I have learned a lot from reading questions and answers! Is it possible to support your website financially? I want to ask if you would pray for me so I can get out of my sin. As a person, I used to be confident, but I’m not that…
Read MoreDo you have to be baptized by the person who led you to Christ?
Question: Good day sir! Sorry to bother you again, I just wanted to ask: Must you be baptized by the person who led you to Christ or it can be administered by anyone provided he believes in Christ Jesus and done through immersion? Answer: Paul led many to Christ, but he mentions that he only…
Read MoreDoes the Didache prove that pouring was an acceptable substitute for baptism in the early church?
Question: Does the Didache reflect that the early church allowed the pouring of water over the head three times as a legitimate alternative when immersion wasn’t possible? I’m certain that many people will try to use this as an argument that sprinkling is an acceptable form of baptism, but it seems pretty clear that it was…
Read MoreCan someone live a holy life without undergoing baptism?
Question: I kindly wanted to ask: Can someone live a holy life without undergoing baptism? Answer: Can someone claim to be holy while disobeying God’s command? “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,…
Read MoreI was baptized, but I seem more lost than I was before
Question: Hello I read a post that a young boy was sad about sinning and kept returning to the sin that he hates doing. I was baptized as an adult several years ago, but after that, it seems that I’m lost even more than before being baptized. I would like to get up one day…
Read MoreIs repentance required before baptism?
Question: I do have a question: Acts 2:38 says repentance comes before baptism. So does that mean a baptism is invalid if there was no repenting prior to it? In my case, when I was baptized, I just believed what the preacher was saying about Jesus was true, and knew Jesus said we had to…
Read MoreHow could the men at Ephesus be disciples before they were baptized?
Question: First of all, I would like to thank you for the La Vista Church of Christ website. I love how you attach a link to the Bible verses you quote. I have studied many of the topics you have and I have learned a lot. Thank you again! Second of all, I have recently…
Read MoreDoes a person in an adulterous marriage have to get divorced first before he can be baptized?
Question: The following scenario has been presented to me by another person for my thoughts and guidance on it: I have a tough situation. A man I’ve known most of my life was baptized the other day. This man was in adultery. The church went ahead and baptized him. I don’t know all the details…
Read MoreIs the efficacy of baptism in our faith in God? Does that mean faith is more important than baptism?
Question: What is meant by Colossians 2:12, “in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead”? Is it teaching the efficacy of our baptism lies in our faith in God? If so then one of the faith only might say that “Faith…
Read MoreDoes the Holy Spirit come to us at our baptism?
Question: Jeffrey, Thank you for your wonderful work in teaching the Bible and for your web site. I have become much stronger in the faith as a result of your help. I have come upon a statement that I am not sure is correct: “At baptism God sends His Spirit to dwell in us. He…
Read MoreI believe I am saved, but I haven’t been baptized yet. What happens if I die before I am baptized?
Question: I recently turned my life to God. I’m on your website all the time learning about what things to do and not do. I’m also reading the Bible. I don’t know everything in the Bible, so I’m currently educating myself. I’ve come to be a bit confused since I have a hard time understanding…
Read MoreYou’re Right! You Don’t HAVE to Be Baptized.
by Jason Smith I have had many discussions about the subject of baptism with people, and it never fails that sometimes, during the discussion, they just deny what the scriptures say about the topic. They at times just say, “I deny what you are saying about baptism,” ignoring the fact that all I am doing is…
Read MoreIs it important that the person doing a baptism be a Christian?
Question: Dear brother Jeff, I am so glad I came across your website some two years back, and have never stopped coming ever since. I’m a 19-year-old young man, brought up in a God-loving family who were guided by the grace of our God to be added into His church. Since this is my first…
Read More