____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ September 8, 1991 ____________________________________________________ Six Pertinent Questions from a Bulletin Reader by Tom Edwards In one of my recent bulletins I gave a challenge pertaining to a particular issue. One young man, who is a Bible student, accepted the challenge and included some questions for me to answer. These are good questions our reader has asked. Let us, therefore, consider them in the light of God's word. The following are various excerpts taken from my letter of reply to this spiritually interested individual. First Question: ``If baptism washes away sins, then why does the Bible say that `it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul' (Lev. 17:11) and `without shedding of blood there is no remission''' (Heb. 9:22)? Answer: It says this because only the blood of Christ can cleanse of sins. Baptism is not our Savior, nor is it our atonement, but this does not nullify the need to be baptized any more than it nullifies the need to believe or repent. Would you argue that one should not believe or repent because it is only the blood that can wash away sins? I would think not. As I mentioned earlier, the Bible shows that one is saved by many things; and baptism is one of them (1 Peter 3:21).... Second Question: ``Why wasn't Paul so zealous about baptizing his converts according to 1 Corinthians 1:14 when he said `I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius?''' Answer: The answer is in the very next verse (v. 15): ``so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.'' Paul was such a prominent individual that it appears that many people were looking up to him a little more than they should have. In the case of many of these, Paul's baptizing of them would have resulted in a misconception of what that baptism was supposed to be all about. They would have felt great honor in being baptism by someone so eminent as the apostle Paul that they would have viewed it as if they were baptized into PAUL'S NAME instead of into the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. Something else we can infer from the above context is that in order for one to be able to wear the name of Christ, Jesus first had to die for that person (which He did for every sinner) and that individual must be baptized into the name of the Lord (1 Cor. 1:12,13). Baptism, therefore, is seen as being very much necessary. Third Question: ``Why did Christ send Paul to `preach the Gospel' and `did not send [Paul] to baptize' if baptism was essential for salvation....?'' Answer: First of all, if God did not literally send Paul to baptize then was Paul sinning when he baptized Crispus and Gaius among the Corinthians? Actually, this statement is an ``emphasis passage.'' We can compare it to other verses, such as John 6:27: ``Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life....'' Is Christ teaching that man should not have a job or is He emphasizing the need to work for God as being that which should be the greatest work of all? Also, it was Jesus who responded to someone who referred to Him as being ``good,'' by saying, ``Why do you call Me good? No one is good but one, that is, God....'' (Matt. 19:17). I'm sure you believe as much as I do that Jesus Christ was and is the perfect Son of God who never committed even the slightest infraction of the law. He was good, through and through. In this passage, He is, therefore, emphasizing the goodness of His Father and not really claiming that He Himself was not good. Fourth Question: ``If baptism is essential for salvation, why does Ephesians 2:8,9, say, `For by grace you have been saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast'?'' Answer: Apparently, you believe that salvation by grace rules out the need to be baptized. Is this because you believe that baptism is a work? As mentioned earlier, Jesus taught that believing itself is a work (John 6:29). What do you do with this thought? Should one teach that a person should not believe because it is a work? And what about repentance? Do you not believe that one must repent before that individual can be saved? Let me ask you this: what do you think would be less of a work to do? -- to be baptized in water or to have to repent of a long list of sins that might require great and difficult sacrifice from the one so repenting? Being dipped in the water is a PASSIVE ACT, not really requiring much at all of the individual. Someone else immerses you. Repentance, however, is NOT PASSIVE. In this, the individual must act by turning from whatever sin he must turn from, which might mean leaving a lucrative career that one has worked at for years or breaking up an adulterous marriage relationship that one might be in. Without question, these demands could be very difficult for the one seeking God's mercy, but that does not eliminate the need for the doing of such. Grace demands something of us. According to Titus 2:11,12, God's grace requires that we turn from ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Should we expect to be saved by God's grace if we reject what that grace teaches us to do? Remember, some early false teachers had been guilty of turning the ``grace of God into a license for immorality'' (Jude 1:3). One way in which this can happen is by teaching that it doesn't matter how one lives after becoming a Christian. The Bible, however, shows it does matter, and if we want to be saved by God's grace then we must remain within the confines of God's word. Furthermore, God's grace not only shows us how to live as a Christian, but also what to do in order to become one. It reveals this through the New Testament, where we see the need to believe, repent, be baptized, and remain faithful throughout life. When an individual responds to this teaching, he is being saved by the grace of God (The grace of God involves many things). One needs to also keep in mind, though, that even after doing these things which God's grace requires, salvation can not be thought of as being earned in a meritorious sense. Therefore, there can be no boasting on the individual's part, but rather it is God who is to be glorified. Fifth Question: ``Where is the thief on the cross today....?'' Answer: ...in ``Paradise.'' That's where Jesus said they both would be on the day of His crucifixion. As to whether this thief was ever baptized or not, we cannot say. Many people had been coming from miles around in those days in order to be baptized by John the baptist. The baptism Jesus instituted, however, did not go into effect until after the Lord died and was resurrected. For since by baptism one is baptized into the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3,4), how could this be so if Christ had not yet even died? The thief on the cross who was saved was still living under the Mosaical Age in which the Lord's baptism did not apply. It wasn't until after Christ died and rose again that He commissioned His apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Matt. 28:19,20) and to baptize those who wanted to have their sins forgiven and become Christians (Mark 16:16). What people had to do prior to the New Covenant (which began AFTER the death of Christ) is really irrelevant to what is demanded of us during this Gospel Dispensation. During the Old Covenant, we can read about the stoning of adulterers and even the stoning to death of children who became stubbornly rebellious and would not repent. Animal sacrifices; incense offering; keeping the Sabbath Day; going to Jerusalem to observe the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Booths were other ordinances demanded of God's people during the Mosaical Age. Though we can still learn much good from a study of the Old Testament, let us realize that it is the Law of the New Testament which we are to subject ourselves to. As I mentioned previously, those who believed that the Law of Moses was still in effect during the Gospel Age and strove to live according to its precepts, along with the gospel of Christ, had actually cut themselves off from Christ and fallen from grace (Gal. 5:1-4). Christ died in order to do away with the Old Covenant and establish the New. Later we read of some who did not know about the baptism that Jesus instituted. They only knew about John's baptism. They, therefore, were baptized by the apostle Paul (note it was Paul, in view of one of your questions, who did this) -- Acts 19:1-7. This also indicates to us that baptism must be for the right purpose. Though the water could be the same, and the mode, immersion, not everyone is being baptized for the same reason today. Can there be two conflicting purposes for water baptism? Absolutely, not. As the Bible testifies, there is only ``one'' baptism (Eph. 4:5). Incidentally, this was said after the apostles' baptism in the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit baptism at the house of Cornelius. Therefore, that one remaining baptism is water baptism (1 Pet. 3:21). Sixth Question: speaking of the house of Cornelius -- this pertains to your last question: you pointed out that the ``Holy Spirit fell upon those who were listening to the message'' and then made the remark that they were baptized ``after they were saved and received the Holy Spirit!'' Answer: It is needful to realize that this was a very unique case at the house of Cornelius. The reason being that the Jews prior to this time never fully understood what was meant in the idea of the gospel being for ALL. To many Jews, this only meant that the gospel was for ALL JEWS -- and not for the Gentiles as well. During the early establishment of the church, strong walls of division existed between the Jew and the Gentile. They had little to do with each other. Prior to Peter's going to Cornelius' house, he received a vision from God in which the Lord was striving to convey to Peter that though for such a long time the Gentile world had been considered as unclean and to be disregarded when it had come to the way of the Lord, now they were no longer to be viewed in that light. Peter realized that the way of salvation had been opened for all and that God is not One who shows partiality. Taking six of his Jewish friends with him, Peter and these went to Cornelius' home. The falling of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles was to be a SIGN to the Jews that God had also granted repentance to the Gentiles (Acts 11:18). As to the reception of the Holy Spirit, Peter explains that ''...as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them....'' (Acts 11:15). Peter had just begun to preach unto them when this occurred. It is true that the Gentiles needed to hear words whereby they could be saved (Acts 11:14), but had they heard enough as Peter ``began to speak''? Let me repeat, that the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles was not a sign of their salvation, but rather it was a sign that God had even to the Gentiles granted repentance, and they, too, could be saved if they would respond to the gospel. No where does it mention that they were SAVED prior to their baptism. Do you have any questions you would like to see asked and answered in the weekly bulletin? If so, simply mail them to the address shown below. Thank you. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________