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Chapter One
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AND WATER BAPTISM
Christian people are divided over the question as to
whether or not water baptism is essential for salvation.
Both groups claim to base their views on what the Bible
teaches. Both groups cannot be right.
If we are to know who is right and who is wrong,
two things are necessary to enable us to make the right
decision: the Word of God, and the Spirit of God.
1. The Word of God, "To the law and to the
testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it
is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20).
2. If we are to rightly understand the Word of God
we must be taught by the Spirit of God. "Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is
from God, that we might know the things that have been
freely given to us by God" (I Cor. 2:12).
We must not go by what we think the Bible says, or
by what someone tells us it says, but we must study the
Book ourselves with the help of the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel in Water
Alexander Campbell wrote, "Immersion is that act
by which our state is changed," and he then stated, "If so,
then, who will not concur with me in saying that Christian
immersion is the Gospel in water. "
Since Campbell's major premise is wrong, his
conclusion based on this premise is wrong. His premise,
"Immersion is that act by which our state is changed," has
no Biblical basis. We are changed by the power of God,
and not by water baptism. We are changed by the Word of
God (I Thess. 2:13); we are changed by the Holy Spirit of
God (2 Cor. 3:18). There is absolutely no hint in the
Scriptures that our state is changed by baptism. Therefore,
Mr. Campbell's conclusion that "immersion is the Gospel
in water" is utterly false. I am quoting these statements by
Alexander Campbell, since he is the fountainhead of the
heresy among Church of Christ people, that baptism is
essential for salvation. This heresy has become their central
doctrine.
In some strange way the Churches of Christ have
developed a water based theology, though some are
breaking away from this kind of thinking, most are still in
bondage.
The Gospel of Christ is clearly stated in I Corinthians
15:1-4, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the
gospel which I preached to you, which also you received
and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if
you hold fast that word which I preached to you-unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that
which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He
rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."
Nothing is said about baptism in this statement of the
Gospel. Surely, if baptism is a part of the Gospel, we
would be informed of that fact in these verses.
The Bible says we are saved by the Gospel (v.2). If
we teach that baptism is essential, we are adding conditions
to the Gospel which God has not authorized. There is not
one verse in the Bible where such authorization is given.
The word "Gospel" means "Good News." It is the
good news that Jesus Christ, God's Son, died on the Cross
in our place and stead. He completely paid our sin debt.
This is the message Christ has commissioned us to go into
all the world and preach to every creature.
Is this the Gospel you have and preach, or do you
add to the Gospel by telling people they must "repent and
be baptized for remission of sins"? If you are preaching
such a gospel, you do not understand the finished work of
Christ. If you are not preaching the Gospel of the Grace of
God, you are preaching "another gospel," and if you are
preaching "another gospel," the curse of God rests on you.
"As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone
preaches any other gospel to you than what you have
received, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:9).
I reject the twin errors, "that baptism is essential for
salvation," and "that we are baptized for the remission of
sins," for two reasons:
1. The Gospel of John, and
2. The Book of Romans.
The Gospel of John was written to tell men how to
be saved (John 20:31), but baptism as a condition for
salvation is not mentioned one single time in this book.
The Book of Romans is the great doctrinal book of
the Bible, but it does not teach baptism is essential for
salvation, or that we are to be baptized for the remission of
sins. The Church of Christ does not get its doctrine of
baptismal regeneration from the Bible, but from the Roman
Catholic church.
Baptism for the Remission of Sins
"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). Baptism for the remission of sins is
the principal doctrine taught by the Churches of Christ. I
reject the theory that we are baptized for the remission of
sins for two additional reasons:
1. Acts 2:38 is based on a biased translation, and
2. this command is given only one time in the New
Testament.
A Biased Translation
Acts 2:38 has been called the most debated verse in
the Bible. The entire controversy hinges on the meaning of
the English word "for" and the Greek word "eis." Hundreds
of books have been written, pro and con, on the
meaning of these words.
Most Church of Christ ministers follow Alexander
Campbell who said, "The preposition 'eis' here means in
order toin order to the remission of sins." On the other
hand, many able evangelical Greek scholars tell us that
"eis" in Acts 2:38 would better be translated as "because
of" as it is translated in Matthew 12:41, "The men of
Nineveh will rise in the judgment with this generation and
condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of
Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here." To try to
say "in order to" does not make sense in that verse. A
criminal is not put in jail "in order to" commit crimes, but
because he has committed crimes. When we say a person
shouts for joy, we do not mean he shouts in order to get
joy, but because he has joy.
Dr. Bruce Cummons has given an excellent illustra-
tion in reference to the word "for" in Acts 2:38:
Consider another passage of Scripture, where
the same word "for' is used in a similar way. Read
carefully Luke 5:12-15. Christ healed a leper of his
dread disease. Since this was before Calvary, the
healed man was still under the law, and Christ was
faithful in fulfilling the law. Jesus said to the man,
therefore, 'Go, and show thyself to the priest and offer
for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for
a testimony unto them" (v.l4). Notice the language
carefully: "Offer for thy cleansing. " Did Christ heal, or
did the offering heal? Why, you may say that's ridiculous!
Christ healed! The offering was only a testimony
to the truth that had taken place in the life of the man
healed'. You are right'.
Furthermore, the same language is employed
and the same purpose is set forth in Acts 2:38. 'Repent,
' as I have shown to mean, biblically, 'repent
unto salvation' and then 'be baptized for the remis-
sion, "or as a testimony that your sins have been
remitted.
If the offering did not cleanse or was only a
testimony of, "for thy cleansing, ' then by the same
Bible truth, baptism does not save but is a testimony of
the truth that your sins have been remitted; or to be
baptized "for the remission of sins, ' or actually as a
testimony that your sins have been remitted.
Christ alone is the Saviour, not the baptistry,
not the water in it! Thus, the purpose of baptism is to
show forth the salvation that has already taken place in
the heart and life of the believer. If the blood of Christ
was shed for the remission of sins, then baptism cannot
bring about, or be the means of remitting sins. You
cannot have two ways of salvation. If you want to set
this verse (Acts 2:38) against the hundreds of passages
in the Bible that declare salvation to be by faith and
make Acts 2:38 say what Peter never intended it to say,
then that is up to you.
The Command to "Be Baptized for Remission of Sins"
is Not Repeated After the Day of Pentecost.
One of the principal rules of Biblical interpretation
is to study the passage in the light of its context. Let us do
this. The events that took place on the day of Pentecost
were most unusual. A little less than two months before
this time, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had been nailed to
a cruel cross. He had died for the sins of the whole world.
He was buried and had been raised from the dead on the
third day. The Jewish nation had clamored for His blood,
and they were not satisfied until He was dead, but God
raised Him from the dead (Acts 3:15).
Now, fifty days later, something very unusual was
taking place. Read the details for yourself in the second
chapter of Acts. A great crowd of people had gathered
after the Christians had been filled with the Holy Spirit.
The crowd asked, "What is the meaning of this?" (Acts
2:12).
The Apostle Peter stood up and preached to the
great crowd in the power of the Holy Spirit. He told them,
"'Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that
God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord
and Christ." Now when they heard this, they were cut to
the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles,
'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' (Acts 2:36,37).
"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and 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
was calling the Jews to repentance for their terrible sin of
crucifying the Lord Jesus. He told them to be baptized to
demonstrate the sincerity of their faith. Lip service was not
enough. The emphasis of Peter's statement was on repentance
for their awful sin. The emphasis was not then, and
is not now on being "baptized" for the remission of sins.
Such emphasis is not found anywhere in the Word of God.
This was a onetime command. You ask, "How do
you know this to be true?" The facts speak for themselves.
This command is not repeated one single time in the Book
of Acts. It is not repeated anywhere in Romans and clear
through the Book of Revelation.
Read Acts 3:11-20. What did Peter tell the people
to do after the lame man was healed? "Repent therefore
and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that
times of refreshing may come from the presence of the
Lord" (Acts 3:19). He did not tell them to "be baptized for
the remission of sins. " Surely, if baptism for the remission
of sins is essential for salvation, Peter would not have
missed this opportunity to command them to do this. What
did the people do? "However, many of those who heard the
word believed; and the number of the men came to be
about five thousand" (Acts 4:4).
In Acts 8:26-40 we have the account of the conversion
of the Ethiopian eunuch. Please take time to read the
account for yourself.
Philip "preached unto him Jesus" (v.35). "Now as
they went down the road, they came to some water. And
the eunuch said, 'See, here is water. What binders me from
being baptized?'" (v.36). Did Philip tell him "to repent and
to be baptized for the remission of sins"? No. Philip said,
"'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he
answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God'" (Acts 8:37), "and he baptized him" (v.38). I
emphasize, the eunuch believed and was saved. Dozens of
references tell us we are saved simply by believing (Acts
10:43; 13:39; 16:31; John 3:16-18; 5:24; 6:47). This
account follows the Scripture pattern of believing and
THEN being baptized. The eunuch was saved by believing
before he was baptized.
The story of the conversion of Cornelius is well
known to all Bible students. Read the account for yourself
in the tenth and eleventh chapters of Acts. Is the account of
Cornelius' conversion in harmony with Church of Christ
doctrine?
What did Peter, the same man who told the people
on the day of Pentecost to "Repent and be baptized for the
remission of sins," tell Cornelius that he must do to receive
remission of sins? Peter was just starting his sermon when
he said, "To Him [Christ] all the prophets witness that,
through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive
remission of sins" (Acts 10:43). And what happened?
"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy
Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word" (v.44).
Notice Cornelius was saved by believing and not by "being
baptized for the remission of sins. " Please notice that the
Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and his household BEFORE
they were baptized. This is the Divine order. Believing
always comes before baptism.
When Paul and Bamabas were on their first missionary
journey, they came to Antioch in Pisidia. Did they
preach baptism for the remission of sins? No, they
preached, "and by Him [Christ] everyone who believes is
justified from all things from which you could not be
justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39).
Did the Apostle Paul tell the Philippian jailor,
"Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and you
shall be saved"? No, he told him, "Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).
The Book of Romans is the great doctrinal book of
the New Testament. Does it teach baptism for the remission
of sins? Not one single time! One of the great themes
of Romans is justification by faith. I repeat, not one time
from Romans through the Book of the Revelation are we
told to "repent and be baptized for the remission of sins."
To my way of thinking, these facts which have been
presented to you should be prayerfully pondered. Is God
trying to tell you something? Acts 2:38 is one of your great
doctrinal verses, but the command to "repent and be
baptized" is not repeated one single time after the day of
Pentecost. But you say, "Since Acts 2:38 teaches that
baptism is for remission of sins, that is all that is needed.
One verse is enough. " Yes, one verse is enough, if it is in
harmony with the rest of the Bible, but Acts 2:38 is not in
harmony with what the Bible teaches about salvation.
Churches of Christ have several other proof-texts to
show baptism is essential for salvation, but not one of these
verses teach that you must be baptized for the remission of
sins.
Right Way; Wrong Way
There is a right way and a wrong way to study the
Word of God. The right way is to come to the Bible with
an honest heart and an open mind, depending on the Holy
Spirit to reveal the truth of God to you. The wrong way is
to come to the Bible with preconceived notions as to what
you think the Bible teaches, or should teach to suit your
fancy, and then to search the Scriptures to find verses that
will bolster your opinion.
This second method is used by the Churches of
Christ to establish their doctrine that baptism is essential
for salvation. Most of us use proof-texts to reinforce our
views, but we should be sure our proof-texts are in harmony
with the basic message of the Bible. None of the proof-
texts used by the Churches of Christ to prove that Baptism
is essential for salvation are in harmony with the basic truth
throughout the Word of God. All of the proof-texts used by
the Churches of Christ to prove their doctrine of baptism
are based on isolated passages of Scripture.
The great basic truths concerning salvation are that
we are saved by grace and justified by faith.
Ah, my friend, what a difference it makes to realize
and to know that God Almighty, Himself, declares us to be
righteous on the basis of what the Lord Jesus did for us in
His death and resurrection, rather than to have the Church
of Christ method of salvation which depends on faith, plus
baptism.
Some Other Proof-Texts Used by the Churches of
Christ
to Prove Baptism is Essential for Salvation
After Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16 is the verse most used
by the Church of Christ to teach that baptism is essential
for salvation. "And He said to them, 'Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned'" (Mark 16:15, 16).
Two statements are made in verse 16; both statements
are true. The first statement is a statement of fact
and not a command. "He who believes, and is baptized will
be saved." This statement is true. The second statement
verifies the truth that believing is sufficient for salvation,
"He who does not believe will be condemned." This truth
is verified in John 3:18, "He who believes in Him is not
condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God."
Born of Water
"Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God'" (John 3:5).
I recently attended a Church of Christ service in
which a young woman was baptized. The minister said,
"You have seen this girl born again right before your
eyes. "
Since many Church of Christ people think in terms
of water, it is natural for them to see baptism in this verse,
but such a conclusion is unwarranted. Water does not
always refer to literal water. This is clearly shown by the
Lord Jesus when He said, to the woman at the well;
"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but
whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never
thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in
him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life"
(John 4:13,14). Water is a type both of the Spirit of God
and the Word of God (John 7:37-39; Eph. 5:26).
The new birth is never said to be by water, but
twice it is said to be by the Word of God. "Having been
born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible,
through the word of God which lives and abides forever"
(I Pet. 1:23). "Of His own will He brought us forth by the
word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His
creatures" (Jas. 1:18). We are born again by the Spirit of
God and the Word of God, we are not born again by water
in any shape, form or fashion. This verse has nothing
whatsoever to do with baptism.
Our Sins Are Washed Away by the Blood of Christ
in the Waters of Baptism.
"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).
What folly to think that water can wash away our
sins. Ananias was speaking in a symbolical sense. The
Bible says it is the blood of Christ that cleanses from sin.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin" (I John 1:7).
It cannot be both ways. Since our sins are washed
by the blood of Christ that is enough. To teach that our
sins are washed away by the blood of Christ in the waters
of baptism is purely a Church of Christ invention, and it is
heresy of the worst sort.
Baptized into Christ
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27).
It is natural for Church of Christ people to think
this verse means water baptism, since they have been
taught that water baptism is the only kind of baptism taught
in the New Testament.
But, before we discuss baptism, either Spirit
baptism or water baptism, let us think about the meaning
of being "in Christ." I Corinthians 15:22 will help us,
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be
made alive." What does it mean to be "in Adam;" what
does it mean to be "in Christ"? How do we get "in Adam;"
how do we get "in Christ"? To be "in Adam" means we
are a member of the Adamic or human race. To be "in
Christ" means we are a member of a new race of which
Christ is the head. We became members of the Adamic or
human race by means of a physical birth. The Bible teaches
we "get" into Christ in a two-fold way. First, by a spiritual
birth (I Cor. 15:22; 2 Cor. 5:17), but also, by being
baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ. Since the Churches
of Christ teach that water baptism is the only kind of
baptism, I Corinthians 12:13 presents a problem to them.
This verse says, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or
free-and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."
Some people will go to great lengths to make the Bible fit
their doctrine.
We are not baptized into Christ when we are
baptized in water. The Holy Spirit baptizes us into Christ
the very moment we are saved.
Suppose a person is led to Christ by a believer
while flying five miles high in a jet airliner. The very
moment he believes on Christ he is saved, and is baptized
by the Holy Spirit into Christ. The very moment he
exercises saving faith in Christ, God Almighty declares this
person to be righteous on the basis of the death and
resurrection of Christ. The very moment this person
exercises saving faith in Christ he is blessed with every
spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
Suppose the plane crashes, and both men are killed. Will
the new convert go to Hell because he wasn't baptized in
water?
Suppose an explorer is saved while exploring the
Arctic Circle, and there is no possible way he can be
baptized in water. Will he have to wait to be saved until he
can reach a warmer climate where he can be baptized?
What folly! Yes, and how contradictory to the clear
teaching of the Word of God. To believe and teach other-
wise is to fail to understand the Gospel of Christ.
Several years ago I was asked to sit in on a conversation
between a Church of Christ minister and two young
Christians who were being pressured into being baptized.
I am not noted for being a good listener, but I did
not say a word for about ten minutes while this good man
used Acts 2:38 to show this young couple they had to be
baptized for the remission of sins or else they were going
to Hell, even though both of them had been born again and
were happily attending a good, Bible-believing church.
After about ten minutes, I lovingly put my hand on
his shoulder and said, "My good man, may I ask you a
question?" When he answered in the affirmative, I said to
him, "Do you recognize the Book of Romans as being one
of the great doctrinal books in the Bible?" He affirmed that
he did. I asked then, "Why does not the Book of Romans
teach that baptism is essential for salvation?" He replied,
"I thought that it did." He was, of course, referring to
Romans 6:3,4, "Or do you not know that as many of us as
were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death?" We have clearly seen from our discussion of
Galatians 3:27 that we are baptized into Christ by the Holy
Spirit, and not by water baptism.
Many Christians go astray because they do not
know what the Book of Romans teaches. You will never be
led astray by any false teaching if you have a working
knowledge of the Book of Romans. Romans 3:21 to 5:21
gives us the great doctrine of justification by faith. Chapters
6-8 are the greatest chapters in the Bible on how to
live the Christian life.
Romans 6:3,4 are in this second section on living
the Christian life and do not tell us how to be saved. You
should check this out for yourself.
Baptism Doth Also Now Save Us
"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also
now save us..." (I Pet. 3:21).
Several years ago I was passing out Gospel tracts on
the midway of the South Plains Fair. A Church of Christ
youth approached me and said, "Will you believe that
baptism is essential to salvation, if I can show it to you in
the Bible?" I affirmed that I would. We read I Peter 3:21
together.
This verse does not say that baptism saves us, but
"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now
save us." Baptism is a figure of the death, burial and
resurrection of Christ. This is the Gospel and we are saved
by believing the Gospel (I Cor. 15:1,2).
Is Baptism Before, and for Salvation,
or Does It Follow Salvation?
The Bible teaches that water baptism should always
follow salvation. Church of Christ doctrine teaches it
comes before salvation and is a condition of salvation.
Check it out for yourself. The truth that baptism follows
salvation is clearly brought out in Romans 4:4,5 and
4:9-13. "Now to him who works, the wages are not
counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not
work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his
faith is accounted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:4,5). In these
verses the Apostle Paul clearly shows that faith was
counted to Abraham for righteousness, and then he asks
this question: "Does this blessedness then come upon the
circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we
say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.
How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or
uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal
of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still
uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who
believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness
might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision
to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who
also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham
had while still uncircumcised. For the promise that he
would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to
his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of
faith" (Rom. 4:9-13).
Nothing is said about baptism in these verses. The
issue in Paul's day was not baptism, but circumcision. The
Jews taught a man could not be saved without being
circumcised. The issue today is not circumcision, but
baptism. In this passage the Apostle Paul clearly shows that
Abraham was saved before he was circumcised and that he
received circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of faith
that he had. In exactly the same way we are saved before
we are baptized and we are to receive baptism as a seal or
outward sign of the faith that we have.
A Brief Survey of What the Bible Teaches
About Water Baptism
Four viewpoints:
1. Baptismal regeneration is practiced by the Roman
Catholic church, and several Protestant denominations.
This doctrine teaches that a baby is saved or brought into
grace when it is sprinkled as an infant.
2. The Churches of Christ practice a different form
of baptismal regeneration. They believe that when an adult
who has made a decision to follow Christ is immersed in
water, that person is born again. They also contend that a
person must be baptized for the remission of sins.
3. I fear the average person who is baptized has
very little understanding of the meaning of baptism. Some
consider baptism to be the door to church membership. It
is just the thing to do, so they are baptized.
4. "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" (Rom. 6:3,4). When a Christian is
baptized it should mean that he is taking his place with
Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.
Most certainly verse three is Holy Spirit baptism.
How wrong Church of Christ people are when they think
and teach that we are baptized into Christ when we are
immersed in water! When a person is baptized in water it
should be made plain that they are dying to self, and they
are raised with Christ to "walk in newness of life" (v. 4).
The Biblical doctrine of water baptism can be
summarized with this concise statement: Baptism is the
immersion of a saved person, a believer, in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
1. Baptism is by immersion. (Mark 1:5; Acts
8:38,39)
2. It is the immersion of a believer, a saved, born
again person; a person who wishes to identify himself with
Christ, and who wants to let the world know that he
belongs to Christ.
3. Baptism is never a means of salvation, or
condition for being saved; it always follows salvation.
In pagan lands people are not persecuted when they
make a profession of faith in Christ, but thev are oersecuted
and sometimes put to death when they are publicly
baptized.
Now I am going to throw you a curve. Baptism is
essential for obedience, but it is not essential for salvation.
There is no question about it, baptism is essential to
obedience, but obedience is not essential to salvation. If
obedience is essential to salvation every professing Christian
would be on the road to Hell because none of us are
perfectly obedient. What folly to think that because we
have been "baptized for the remission of sins," and because
we are obedient in five or six other things, we are Christians.
We are saved by Christ's obedience. "For as by one
man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by
one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Rom.
5:19).
The Church of Christ doctrine that we must be
baptized for remission of sins, and that baptism is essential
for salvation, is not based on the Word of God. This false
doctrine has been taught for so long, it is unthinkable for
them not to believe it.
Many years ago I was riding on a bus with a
Catholic young man. I asked him if he was a Christian. He
told me he was a Catholic, and proceeded to tell me all
about the doctrines and practices of the Catholic church.
When he finished, I said to him, "Do you realize that
everything you have been telling me is contrary to the
teaching of the Bible?" He exploded, and said, "So what?
We have been practicing these things for thousands of
years. "
Just because we have believed certain things for a
long time does not necessarily mean they are true. What
we believe must be tested by the Word of God.
There is a difference in Bible doctrine, and in man-
made doctrine.
The Churches of Christ teach that baptism is
essential for salvation. They also teach that a child of God
can so sin as to fall away and lose his salvation, but when
this person "gets saved" the second or third time, it is not
necessary for him to be baptized each time he "gets saved."
If baptism is essential for salvation the first time
they are saved, why is it not essential the second time?
Yes, I know their neat way of dealing with this
problem, but as strange as it may sound, their explanation
will not "hold water. "
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