{"id":46838,"date":"2015-12-28T20:44:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-29T02:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=46838"},"modified":"2022-04-23T20:46:44","modified_gmt":"2022-04-24T01:46:44","slug":"is-the-bible-for-or-against-the-use-of-holy-water-or-salt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-the-bible-for-or-against-the-use-of-holy-water-or-salt\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Bible for or against the use of holy water or salt?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t<h2>Question:<\/h2>\n<p>Hi,<\/p>\n<p>Holy water and salt have become a common religious tool, believed to be very powerful and frequently used in my country. Is the Bible for or against this practice?<\/p>\n\t<h2>Answer:<\/h2>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;<em>For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ<\/em>&#8221; (II Corinthians 10:3-5).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Christianity is a spiritual religion. There is no such thing as holy water or salt in Christianity. The battle we engage in is one of ideas.<\/p>\n<p>Romans Catholics used Numbers 5:17 as justification for their holy water. The problem is that this was a ritual given to Israel. It had a very limited and specific purpose: to determine if a woman was guilty of adultery when no other evidence existed and yet her husband is insistent that she was guilty. The water in this verse did not make anyone pure. As Haggai pointed out, &#8220;<em>Thus says the LORD of hosts: &#8216;Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, &#8220;If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?&#8221;&#8216;&#8221; Then the priests answered and said, &#8220;No.&#8221; And Haggai said, &#8220;If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?&#8221; So the priests answered and said, &#8220;It shall be unclean&#8221; <\/em>&#8221; (Haggai 2:11-13). Holiness cannot be spread.<\/p>\n<p>Salt is used to illustrate several religious principles, but it has no religious significance as a physical substance.<\/p>\n\t<h2>Response:<\/h2>\n<p>Thanks! It was extremely helpful.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Question: Hi, Holy water and salt have become a common religious tool, believed to be very powerful and frequently used in my country. Is the Bible for or against this practice? Answer: &#8220;For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[447,1599],"class_list":["post-46838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-orthodox-church","tag-roman-catholic-church"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":26880,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-by-grace-or-by-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":46838,"position":0},"title":"Is it by grace or by law?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 24, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My concern is to avoid a polluted and compromised gospel that turns people away from Christ or worse, inoculates them against the true gospel with cheap grace.\u00a0\u00a0Your letter most likely triggered a reaction in me because I am right now driven to seek God for answers about some disturbing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10870,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-tell-my-cousin-that-mormonism-is-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":46838,"position":1},"title":"How do I tell my cousin that Mormonism is wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 17, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My cousin just starting going to a Mormon church. She once used to go to a Christian Church but has started going to church with her ex-mother-in-law. How should I begin to tell that the church she is going is not one of Christ and is pretty much a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30770,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-a-pacifist\/","url_meta":{"origin":46838,"position":2},"title":"What is a pacifist?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 26, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What's a pacifist? Because I know the Bible says to turn your swords into something that is not used to kill. Answer: A pacifist is someone opposed to violence for any purpose. He believes that every matter can be handled without violence. Thus a pacifist is opposed to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35795,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-exceptions-made-for-those-who-are-unable-to-be-baptized\/","url_meta":{"origin":46838,"position":3},"title":"Are exceptions made for those who are unable to be baptized?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 11, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If we are told that to be saved we must be baptized by being dunked in water, how or what allowances do you make for the sick, bedridden, old, or too young, who cannot go into the water and dunk their head? Answer: The argument is flawed because it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40078,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-the-church-and-the-kingdom-be-the-same-when-the-bible-says-flesh-will-not-enter-the-kingdom\/","url_meta":{"origin":46838,"position":4},"title":"How can the church and the kingdom be the same when the Bible says flesh will not enter the kingdom?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 4, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How you make the statement that the church and the kingdom are the same, while the Bible teaches that flesh will not enter the kingdom. Answer: \"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption\" (I Corinthians 15:50).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Answer&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":94481,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/stop-trying-to-neuter-the-god-of-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":46838,"position":5},"title":"Stop Trying to Neuter the God of the Bible","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Brad Harrub, Ph.D. Somewhere along the way, much of modern American Christianity decided that the best way to attract people to God was to soften Him and make everyone \"feel good.\" Sermons became filled with comforting thoughts, gentle encouragements, and repeated reminders that \"God loves you.\" Churches highlight the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Article&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46838\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}