Posts Tagged ‘baptism’
Do you need to be thinking about remission of sin when being baptized for it to be valid?
Question: I am a member of the church but have become paranoid recently about an issue relating to baptism. I read something recently by a member of the church who wrote that if you were not “thinking” about remission of sins specifically when you were baptized, then your baptism was basically no good. My story is…
Read MoreIn regards to Acts 2:38, Satan certainly has you fooled!
Question: Just read your article on Acts 2:38. Satan certainly has you fooled! Answer: I assume you are referring to “Is Acts 2:38 Heresy?” Given that you offer only an empty opinion, not answering according to scripture as God commands (I Peter 4:11), the evidence in regards to foolishness doesn’t point in the direction you think.…
Read MoreWhat is godly sorrow and how can a wheelchair-bound person be baptized?
Question: I plan to be baptized as soon as I feel that I have properly obeyed the prerequisite commands to baptism: Hear the gospel, believe the gospel, repent of past sins, confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and after being baptized remaining faithful until death. Which brings me to my questions,…
Read MoreHow can a person living in an adulterous marriage still be in sin after baptism?
Question: I don’t understand how a non-believer, who divorced their spouse for reasons other than fornication and remarries, if they are born again, are living in sin. I thought when you are baptized all of your sins were forgiven according to Acts 2:38. Are only certain sins forgivable? Can you give me some more clarification…
Read MoreCan one receive the Holy Spirit without baptism?
Question: Can one receive the Holy Spirit without baptism? Answer: The clear answer to this is “yes.” Baptism is a command found in the New Testament, yet people had received the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. In addition: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard…
Read MoreQuit picking on the Nazarenes! We’re not saved by baptism
Question: I suggest you read Ephesians 2:8-10 and pray about your erroneous attack on The Church of the Nazarene. We are saved by the precious blood of Christ, not by being dipped in water. There are some, after all, who do not have the opportunity to be baptized immediately (the thief who died next to Jesus),…
Read MoreIsn’t saying you must be baptized limiting the power of God?
Question: I am sorry you feel the way you do about the Church of the Nazarene, but more so about your hard-lined stance about baptism. By saying “No one is saved without being baptized in water” you immediately limit the limitless God. You are saying that God cannot save anyone on their death bed, since they…
Read MoreThe Flood and Baptism
by Frank J. Jamerson via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 13, March 30, 2008. Many of the teachings of the New Testament were prefigured in the Old Testament. The Old Testament story is the type and the New Testament lesson is the antitype, or that which is prefigured. One of these types is the flood.…
Read MoreDo you know of the baptism of fire?
Question: Do you know of the baptism of fire? Answer: See: Please explain the “baptism of fire.” Question: [unedited] So do you want to know how it is done? It has to do with following in the footsteps of Christ and the commitments you make along the way… for me I chose to take Jesus place…
Read MoreIf a person is in an unscriptural marriage, must the person divorce before becoming a Christian?
Question: Do you agree it is scriptural if a non-Christian who was previously married but got divorced for unscriptural reasons and was re-married and wants to become a Christian has to get divorced before they can be baptized? Answer: Can a person become a Christian while remaining in their former sins? “Certainly not! How shall…
Read MoreShould a mentally impaired person be baptized?
Question: Scripturally speaking should an adult who is: mentally impaired, mentally retarded, unable to articulate or demonstrate an understanding of who God is, what baptism is, or what it accomplishes be baptized? Answer: A person is held accountable for their sins when they are old enough to have a knowledge of good and evil. This is why the…
Read MoreIf a person isn’t baptized, does that mean they’ve never been forgiven of any sin?
Question: If a person isn’t baptized, does that mean that they’ve never been forgiven of any sin they’ve ever committed? Answer: “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…
Read MoreShould baptisms be only done in streams and not in pools?
Question: I was questioned about baptizing in a pool as opposed to baptizing in streams or other water sources. I did not know what Scripture to use to affirm pool baptism. Can you help? Answer: The word “baptize” means to immerse. The medium into which believers are baptized is water. “Can anyone forbid water, that these…
Read MoreWater
by Wayne Greeson via Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 14, pp. 426-427, July 20, 1989 Water is truly an amazing substance, yet it is so common, so abundant that we take it for granted. Its chemical composition is the bonding of two gases, hydrogen and oxygen and it is identified in a chemist’s notation as H2O. We are…
Read MoreAre the translations “God-breathed?”
Question: Does II Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” apply to reputable translated versions of the Bible, not just the original copies? I want to use this verse to state my point to someone that Acts 2:38 is translated properly and Mark 16:16…
Read MoreIs Acts 2:38 Heresy?
by Tommy Thornhill “Jesse L. Sewell was born in Overton County, TN in 1818. He grew up in a Baptist community and became a Baptist preacher of some note in his native county. In the course of time, he learned the truth about Acts 2:38 (i.e. that baptism was in order to obtain remission of…
Read MoreWhen does the gift of the Holy Spirit come, after repentance or baptism?
Question: Does the gift of the Holy Spirit come to dwell within us after we repent of our sins, or does it take up home within us after the act of baptism? Answer: “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the…
Read MoreAre Baptists Christians and where does the Bible speak against creeds?
Question: I have discussed with a lady the fact that one has not put on Christ until she has been baptized into Him. She is a Baptist but has been discussing the Bible with an open mind. She said her preacher told the congregation this weekend that they are “bought with His blood.” She wants…
Read MoreWhy do so many teach that baptism is unnecessary?
Question: Hello. I have spent some time on the Internet this evening looking at baptism. In the search engine, I typed in the question: “Is baptism necessary for salvation?” Naturally, several hits came up. I’ve only looked at a few and for the most part, all seem to say no it is not necessary. I…
Read MoreIs it wrong to clap after someone is baptized?
Question: Is it wrong to clap after someone is baptized? Answer: Clapping is a way of showing approval or appreciation. We generally use clapping to show approval to something that entertained us, but it can be used for other things we approve. As such it isn’t particularly wrong, but I do have a concern when…
Read MoreHow can faith be combined with works?
Question: I have been reading articles on this web site, especially the one about how salvation comes both from believing and works. My question is this: Did Paul lie to the prison guard when he said: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”? I am having difficulty with the combination of…
Read MoreI’m beginning to doubt my baptism, whether I really understood that I was to die to sin. Should I be rebaptized?
Question: I have heard of many people who have questioned their salvation because they didn’t know a particular scripture at the time. I have learned through the years that there will always be something you don’t know at the time of your baptism. A person does not need to know every single scripture in order…
Read MoreBy One Spirit (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ByOneSpirit.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 12:1-13 I. How does one become a Christian? A. You’ll find a wide variety of answers in the world. You could even be left with the impression that there isn’t really a single way at all. B. John 14:6 – There is only one way to God the Father…
Read MoreThere’s More to It Than That
by Dee Bowman via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 13, Mar. 30, 2008. It’s interesting to me how an illustration can sometimes become so powerful that it supplants the thing it is illustrating. For instance, the illustration for salvation is many times cited by the use of a man’s five fingers. Here, believe, repent, confess,…
Read MoreBut you did nothing to refute Catholic claims
Question: I read your response to “Why did Catholicism start and when did it happen?” But you did nothing to refute Catholic claims. You just repeated them. The question also makes no sense. “Why did Catholicism start?” – because it is the teaching of the apostles. “When did it happen?” It happened as soon as…
Read MoreBaptism for the Dead
by Joe R. Price Mormons contend that the New Testament church practiced baptism for (on behalf of, in the place of) the dead. Their attempted justification of this hinges, in part, on an understanding of I Corinthians 15:29. However, their defense of baptism for dead people goes beyond that. They affirm that after death one…
Read MoreBaptism and the Blood
by T. Doy Moyer The blood of Jesus saves us from our sins: the blood was “shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). What does baptism have to do with the blood? Peter preached, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of…
Read MoreWhat Saves Us from Sin?
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 28, July 11, 2008 We are not saved by one thing to the exclusion of all others, for there are many factors that work out our salvation. Rather than focus on just one passage that speaks of our being saved, we must learn the truth of…
Read MoreWhy should we argue about not getting baptized? We should want to shout it out to the whole world that we’re in Christ!
Question: Hi! Several weeks ago, I was looking at the web site. I surfed it for several hours and eventually got into the topic of baptism. When I grew up, I was in a Christian home. My parents gave me the option of being baptized when I was 4 or 5 and then later when…
Read MoreWhat should a person say prior to baptizing someone?
Question: Can you discuss the exchange that takes place between a preacher (or the person baptizing) and the one being baptized? What exactly should be said in this exchange? I have convinced a neighbor that his baptism is not scriptural and he would like to be baptized according to God’s word. Answer: I’m not certain…
Read MoreWhy is the command to baptize applied to us, but not those concerning miraculous gifts?
Question: I am confused about the role of preaching and evangelism. I am curious to know whether passages such as Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-16 apply to all Christians (past, present, and future) or if they only applied to the apostles and early Christians? I ask this because in the context of both passages Jesus…
Read MoreWould I be saved if I died before I was baptized?
Question: What if I already accepted Christ in my heart as my personal savior today, and my baptism is tomorrow, due to conflict schedule, and suddenly the night before my baptism I would die. Do you think I will be saved? Answer: I cannot answer for each individual. That is the realm of God’s judgment.…
Read MoreCan a person be baptized correctly while being in a denomination that teaches wrongly?
Question: I have a question about baptism, I thought that one could not be taught wrong and baptized right. I recently got re-baptized, because I was young (12) years old when I obeyed the gospel. I just could not remember if I understood what the gospel was about at that time. I remember hearing when…
Read MoreCan a person be baptized correctly while being in a denomination that doesn’t believe in baptism?
Question: I have a question about baptism, I thought that one could not be taught wrong and baptized right. I recently got re-baptized, because I was young (12) years old when I obeyed the gospel. I just could not remember if I understood what the gospel was about at that time. I remember hearing when a person turns…
Read MoreMust a Baptist be rebaptized even though he says he was baptized for the right reason?
Question: I was raised in the church of Christ. I am married to someone who was raised in the Baptist church. She has no problem with going to church with me. But she doesn’t think that she should be baptized again. She says that she was baptized for the same reason, the same way, and…
Read MoreHow could you possibly say baptism does not save?
Question: I enjoy going to your site and looking at your pictures, but today I was reading some of the off-the-wall comments made by Jeffrey Hamilton. He is out in left-field when it comes to salvation. In one comment he said e-mail me I could use a good laugh. Well, he better laugh now because if…
Read MoreI am impressed by your teaching on baptism
Question: I am impressed by your teaching on baptism. It has opened up my mind. Praise God for such wonderful teaching. It is great to know you countered every move of Satan who had taken control of that person who asked you the question. As I was from a Catholic background. I also had many questions about…
Read MoreWhat if a person dies after accepting God but before he can be baptized?
Question: I have a question about baptism. People always ask what if a person is about to die and accepts God into his heart, does he go to heaven or hell? My response is two things: I tell them the guy had chances before, so God would be just in condemning him to hell. Even…
Read MoreDoesn’t Colossians 2:12 clearly show that baptism is a work of God?
Question: Doesn’t the following verse very plainly show that baptism is not a work of man, but rendering obedience to God’s will? “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12). God is not the author…
Read MoreWhich Baptism Is Referred to as the One Baptism of Ephesians 4:5?
Adapted from an article by Clem Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 20, May 16, 2008. Question: Which baptism is referred to as the one baptism of Ephesians 4:5? Answer: Some people want to refer to this baptism as a spiritual baptism. I have never been able to understand what one means by the…
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