Posts Tagged ‘baptism’
Should I be baptized again because I didn’t fully understand what baptism was about?
Question: I was re-baptized by a minister in the church of Christ because a brother said that if I was not baptized for the remission of sin then my previous baptism was not valid. Now I have many doubts because I feel that I accepted this baptism as a sacrament of sorts, like a ritual that…
Read MoreHow can Paul die with Christ if Christ is living?
Question: I am confused about “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT). Isn’t God the living God?…
Read MoreWill baptism cleanse me?
Question: I have just recently joined the church and am going to be baptized soon. I have been worried lately because I have had premarital sex (and I am not married now), and I want very desperately to find a way to cleanse myself. I feel very guilty about what I did, and I pray…
Read MoreWhat if you feel that a particular church is not suitable for you?
Question: What are the suggestions if one cannot afford monetarily to attend church, or feels that a particular church is not suitable for him? If he does private bible study, is this enough? Does he have to go through the baptism ceremony? If a Christian continues to study other religions and philosophies, is this against…
Read MoreWhen did baptism for the remission of sins start?
Question: In the “Articles” section, under Baptism, “Answering Arguments Against Baptism”. You state that “Baptism for the remission of sins did not begin until the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37-38), so the thief (and Jesus) lived under the law of Moses.” Please read Mark 1:4: “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism…
Read MoreWhat if I did not repent before I was baptized?
Question: Hello, I was baptized as a teenager. It is only now, over twenty years later, that I have repented. I just “got” what repentance truly means after committing many sins! Does this mean I was not saved when I was baptized — was it in vain? Do I need to be baptized now? Here…
Read MoreDo I have to divorce my husband in order to be baptized?
Question: I was married to a man who would not make love, have sex, or be intimate with me. He said he preferred to masturbate and fantasize about my sister, neighbors, and the neighbor’s mother. This greatly distressed me. He was also abusive, holding a gun up to my head threatening to kill me. He was…
Read MoreDoes receiving the Holy Spirit mean baptism in water is unnecessary?
Question: I have another friend that believes you don’t need water baptism because once you believe that’s when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and that’s when you’re baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. She gave me theses Scriptures: Acts 11:14-16, Acts 11:47-48, Matthew 3:11-15, Acts 10:44-48, Titus 3:5, John 3:1-5. If you don’t…
Read MoreIs baptism unnecessary for salvation because every conversion in Acts doesn’t mention baptism?
Question: Hi. I received the below email and am having a tough time responding to these verses in regards to is baptism being necessary for salvation. I was hoping you might be able to help with these verses. Thank you Here are the places in Acts that you need to check out. Also, remember that…
Read MoreWhy do you patternists abandon your theology to claim that baptism is necessary for the salvation of Gentiles?
Question: Patternists abandon their theology when imposing water baptism in order to obtain salvation on all lost Gentiles today. There was not one Gentile in the crowd in Acts two when these words were spoken. A lost Gentile was told what to do (pattern) in Acts 16:30-31, and the “pattern” given as the response to…
Read MoreCan a woman baptize if there is no man available?
Question: I need to ask you about what a person should be baptized for. I was baptized. My reasons were: for the washing of sins, to confirm my faith in Jesus, because it was a commanded, and because it’s necessary for salvation. And the pastor baptized me in the name of Jesus Christ. Was it valid,…
Read MoreDo we die to sin at the point of repentance?
Question: After viewing your web site, my brother and I saw the graphic on the gospel re-enacted. I appreciate the way it is laid out. I am attaching a similar graphic that is being taught in this area and in many other areas also. In this graphic, it is taught that in baptism we repent of…
Read MoreShould a person who was sprinkled be baptized again?
Question: I’ve been reading your answers regarding questions on baptism. Since you believe you have to be immersed in water to be properly baptized, would a person need to be baptized again if they were not immersed in water? I ask this because so many people are baptized with just the sprinkling of water. Answer: See: What…
Read MoreDid Jesus die only for the saved?
Question: Can you tell me what exactly our Lord meant when he said in John 10:15 about laying down his life for the sheep? Was that exclusively for the sheep and not the goats, as the Reformed Christians believe? Some Calvinistic doctrine rings true to me. I have some of their literature and preaching tapes…
Read MoreWhat Saves a Person?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Since, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9), it would be sensible to understand that in order to get people saved, God would tell them…
Read MoreWhat Must I Do to be Saved? (Hamilton)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Listening to preachers, pastors, and priests today, one wonders if they could answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” in a manner similar to the apostles. What Must I Do to be Saved? In the very first sermon recorded, Peter convicted the Jews of participating in the death of…
Read MoreYour website does an excellent job of explaining the Scriptures in an understandable manner
Question: I was sitting here reading from the website “while I probably should be working,” and thought I would send you an email telling you how special your website is at teaching and helping one understand the Scriptures. One of my problem areas is I know what is correct but have trouble understanding and developing…
Read MoreI was baptized as an infant. Do I need to be baptized again?
Question: I was baptized as an infant; however, I have recently found Christ and repented from my sinful ways. I know the importance of baptism and want to ensure that I am in accordance with the Scriptures. There are many different views on this subject; however, I cannot seem to find anyone to answer me…
Read MoreI applaud you on making the Bible’s teaching on salvation clear
Question: Just wanted to drop a note and applaud you on your web site for making it clear to people that the Bible is very plain about salvation. Baptism is not a very tough subject, but false teachers make it that way. I just wish people would understand the difference in the works of merit…
Read MoreWas John the Baptist associated with the Baptist church?
Question: I love your site. It is very helpful and is the truth. Why was John called “John the Baptist?” I know there is no other religion mentioned in the Bible. Is this where the Baptist organization get its name? Is John the Baptist the same as John the apostle? Answer: Actually, the truth is…
Read MoreMust you be baptized even after saying the prayer of salvation?
Question: I was wandering if you had to be baptized, even after saying the prayer of salvation to be completely saved. Answer: Just one small problem — there is no mention of salvation coming through prayer in the Bible. To claim to be saved by saying a prayer, then, is to make up your own…
Read MoreThe Spiritual Significance of Baptism
by Mark Larson via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 6, Feb. 8, 2009. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the…
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Concerning One’s Knowledge Before Baptism . . .
How Much Is Enough?
by Jim King How much should a person know before being baptized into Christ? It’s a good question, and one we need to consider as we teach people the gospel. On the one hand, some accounts of conversions in Acts seem to imply a very introductory understanding of the facts about Jesus. Cornelius (Acts 10)…
Read MoreThe Washing of Regeneration
by Jim Ward via The Lost River Bulletin, Vol. 58, No. 4, September 2008. The denominational world has spent centuries trying to oust baptism from God’s plan of salvation. One of the most common efforts centers on works. Notice this argument in syllogistic form: First Premise: Works do not save: (Titus 3:4-6). Second Premise: Baptism…
Read MoreBorn Again Into The Kingdom
by H.E. Phillips via Searching the Scriptures, February 1992, Volume 33, Number 2 The church is the people who are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). The…
Read MoreI want to be baptized. Does it matter if I do it in a church that I know doesn’t teach the truth?
Question: Hey, I saw in one of your articles that being baptized in a place where people teach wrongly isn’t valid, such as being baptized when you’re a baby. I was baptized when I was a baby, but I know it’s not valid because I didn’t repent of anything. But now I want to be…
Read MoreDoesn’t the Bible teach that you can be saved without baptism?
Question: I read your article, “Why I Am Not a Nazarene,” as I have been researching the Wesleyan Nazarenes and was considering attending there as a member but I am having doubts. However, I read your article and where it says “No one is saved without being baptized with water” is not biblical. One is saved by faith in…
Read MoreI don’t think I had that great of a need for baptism when I was 13. Should I get baptized again?
Question: Is it a biblical fact that those in the Bible recorded as being baptized are all in the context of being fully matured adults? If yes, is there any significance to this in regards to baptism? I was baptized at the early age of 13. I understood why, so thus I believe all was…
Read MoreBaptized for the Dead
“Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” (I Corinthians 15:29 ASV). From Queries and Answers by David Lipscomb, pages 49-50. To determine the meaning of a sentence, we must look at its connection, purpose, and scope. This…
Read MoreHow much repentance is needed before baptism?
Question: I have a few things that bother me from time to time and I can’t seem to be at peace with it. The topic of repentance comes to mind. I have read through some of your articles, as well as other articles, regarding repentance and its necessity for baptism (which I understand). My problem is…
Read MoreCan a woman baptize someone?
Question: Can you tell me your belief or understanding of the Bible on whether a woman can or cannot baptize someone? Answer: “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence” (I Timothy 2:12). The problem is that baptism is done with the…
Read MoreThe Bible Puts Baptism Between the Sinner and His Salvation!
by Dillard Thurman in Gospel Minutes, December 26, 1958, Reprinted in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 16, April 18, 2008. I am not responsible for the place baptism occupies in God’s plan of salvation. Nor was I consulted in the matter. Had the Lord taken the matter up with me, I suppose I would have…
Read MoreDoes it matter how you are baptized?
Question: I get confused about baptism. I believe a person should be baptized by immersion. Some feel the mode does not matter – just as long as you get baptized. I have attended a Baptist church that says baptism does not save you – that the thief on the cross next to Jesus was saved…
Read MoreI don’t think I understood what I was confessing well enough before my baptism. So am I saved?
Question: I am wondering if I am saved. I was baptized in a Church of Christ and since learning more about it I have questions. First I don’t think I understood the confession part. I thought it was confessing to God that you are a sinner and in need of salvation. Then I recently heard…
Read MoreWhat are your references on John Wesley’s View of Baptism?
Question: Re: John Wesley’s View of Baptism Could you please send me the references or citations for the quotes from Wesley? Thank you for this page, it is very beneficial. Answer: The quote can be found in: John Wesley, A Preservative Against Unsettled Notions in Religion, p. 146-150, as quoted in Millennial Harbinger, Volume 1 by William Kimbrough…
Read MoreDo you believe you can only be saved by immersion in water? What about someone who can’t be immersed?
Question: How does one get saved who cannot physically be submerged? I didn’t look up your references, but is seems to me (by skimming through your article of why you left the Church of the Nazarene) that the main reason you left is you believe you are saved by baptism by submersion only? Am I…
Read MoreSince I became a Christian, I’ve become an alcoholic. Should I be baptized again?
Question: I was baptized in my late teens. I genuinely believed at that time everything I was supposed to based on Scripture. Since then, I have done all sorts of things that are wrong and sinful and it is now ten years later. I have a serious physical addiction to drinking alcohol and dipping, which…
Read MoreJohn Wesley’s View of Baptism
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton John Wesley is most noted as the Methodists and several denominations, including the Church of the Nazarene, derive their beliefs from his writings. While no mere man’s writings establish the truth, it is interesting that his view of baptism was quite different from the denominations we find today. “By baptism, we…
Read MoreYou make no attempt to understand the Salvation Army
Question: I just read with much displeasure the article, “Can Christians Help Support the Salvation Army?” I am admittedly somewhat biased as a third-generation Salvationist, but I found your posting quite misleading. It makes no attempt to understand the Salvation Army doctrines and looks simply to highlight doctrinal differences with other denominations. A few points…
Read MoreYou shouldn’t condemn those who believe baptism is unnecessary for salvation
Question: I am a Christian, a part of the Church of the Nazarene. I myself have been baptized, but it becomes a concern to me when many others find it absolutely necessary to be baptized with water to be saved. I am very open to the consideration of the doctrines of men that find their…
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