Story about J.D. Tant
Be sure to read on the second page of “The Southwesterner” an interesting story about J.D. Tant.
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TFRStaff
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Ron Thomas
A reflection to bring a smile
A practical view of baptism
By Michael Carey
Anchorage Daily NewsBy Michael Carey Anchorage Daily News (Published: March 20th, 2012 08:09 PM)
Back in the old days when Alaska had summer, I got up on a bright, warm morning and headed for the Daily News on foot.
I had been reading a memoir by a prominent New York writer and pieces of it were rattling around my brain. The writer was born and raised in small-town Illinois and wrote at length about his ancestors who settled there after the Civil War.
The ancestors were deeply religious. Many followed the teachings of the famed evangelist Alexander Campbell, a pioneer of the giant revival meeting.
The ancestors dedication to the Christian faith eventually ripped the family into two factions. The factions disagreed about baptism; they eventually could not discuss it. One faction believed in full immersion baptism, the other in sprinkling. A full-immersioner taunted a sprinkler “Show me, show me in the Bible where scripture endorses sprinkling.”
After a few minutes of walking, I saw two old men standing on a corner. They seemed to be hesitant, confused. I approached them, told them my name and asked if the needed help. Yes, one of them explained they were momentarily lost. They were visitors to Anchorage and after arriving from Georgia the night before, they had gone for a morning walk. They were in town for a church revival and were house guests of a couple they met only hours ago. They participated in Alaska revivals every summer.
We walked along together for a few minutes before the more talkative of the old-timers had a Eureka moment and announced we were close to where they were billeted. Another block and we were at the door of the house.
The old-timers thanked me for my concern. We chatted briefly.
I was curious what the men, given their experience, made of the full-immersion versus sprinkling controversy and told them about it.“Michael,” the more talkative senior said “it’s Michael, right?” Yes I replied. “Michael remember, this isn’t the first time I have been to Alaska. I have been to McKinley Park, and I put my hands in some of those streams up there, so I know how cold the water is in Alaska. Michael, I have done baptisms, but I’m not doing full immersion baptisms around here. Forget it.”
The three of us laughed, shook hands, and said good-bye.
– Michael Carey
(Bill Clary sent this out; I had to share it)
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Glenda Williams
One hundred pound weight lifted
Yesterday afternoon Harry Adkison, preacher at the Samson, AL church, was eating in Hall’s Oyster Bar, Geneva, when Mike Ezell, a local jeweler and long-time friend, came in and sat down beside him. Mike mentioned that he was glad to see Harry and that he had wanted to talk to him about something a long time. (More …)
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John T. Polk II
Baptism for the Dead
Question: I have a friend that is an ex Church of God pastor. He asked me to get your thoughts on 1st Corinthians 15:29, I believe this is the passage the Mormons cite for being baptized for your ancestors.
Answer: The section of Scripture under discussion is 1 Corinthians 15:20-32: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For ‘He has put all things under His feet.’ But when He says ‘all things are put under Him,’ it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. 29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
Of particular interest is verse 29. Who is “the dead” referred to here?
1. It cannot mean that living people are baptized to save souls of those who have physically died, for Jesus taught that souls after death cannot be changed because of the “great gulf” between the two states (Luke 16:19-31). Paul, in Hebrews 9:27-28, clearly taught there is nothing after one’s death but the judgment to come;
2. Certainly it cannot mean that unsaved persons can save the lost souls by being immersed in water, for Jesus told a would-be disciple “let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:21-22), that is, let those who, under the Law of Moses, don’t respect God’s ordinance of cleanliness after touching a dead body (Numbers 19:11-22) bury a corpse. Following Jesus should be more important than the delay of burying a dead person’s body;
3. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-32, the doctrine is stated that Jesus Christ rose from the grave never to “die” again (verses 20-23), and now reigns over His people until death, itself, is destroyed (verses 24-28). Baptism in water is essential for entering Jesus’ kingdom and being one of His obedient disciples (Matthew 7:21; 28:18-20; John 3:5; Acts 8:12; 18:8). Baptism is a burial into Jesus’ death, but then one is raised from it (resurrection) to a new life in Christ (Romans 6:3-5). If Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead, then baptism could not be the point of cleansing from sin by Jesus’ death to arise as a cleansed creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). IF Jesus had not been raised from the dead, then what appeal should baptism have? In other words, baptism becomes a meaningless symbol if Jesus Christ were not raised (1 Corinthians 15:12-19), and those who now were dead (at the time Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians 15:6) would have been baptized for nothing! Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 15:29 is simply showing a consequence of stripping the resurrection of Jesus Christ out of the Gospel and stating the obvious: why be baptized to enter a dead man, Jesus, if, indeed, He was not raised from the dead Himself?
The Mormon doctrine of baptizing someone to “save” a departed spirit certainly qualifies as “water salvation,” for it puts salvation of a soul purely on the cleaning in the water and not the obedience of the one who is supposedly saved! In that sense, there is no difference in the concept of Roman Catholicism’s “Purgatory” and Mormonism’s “Baptism for the Dead.” There is no mystical, magical cleansing of any soul who has left this life, according to Jesus, and whatever practice(s) people may invent to claim it, must be false.
—–John T. Polk IILike this:
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Don Ruhl
John,
I recently preached a sermon on this, and so I am going to attempt to paste my sermon into this reply form. If that does not work, I will see if I can post the PDF.
Don Ruhl
P.S. Okay, the paste did not work well, because it completely removed my outline format, and trying to put the PDF here, only resulted in a URL of the location of it on my computer. So, I am going to paste the sermon without the outline format, and hopefully, you will be able to figure it out.
Baptism for the Dead
What does it mean to be baptized for the dead?
First Corinthians 15.29
Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • August 21, AD 2011
Scripture Reader and Reading: Michael Crisp – Romans 6.1–10
Prelude:
This is not a repeat of a March 2010, class I taught on First Corinthians 15.
Persuasion:
The Various Interpretations of First Corinthians 15.29
Most interpretations are tainted with the Mormon practice,
that of proxy or vicarious baptism,
that of being baptized for someone else
who has already died, and
by being baptized for them to save them from eternal condemnation.
However, we know that the rest of the New Testament on baptism,
does not support such an interpretation or practice.
Baptism is for believers.
Some believe that Paul refers to a pagan practice taking place in Corinth.
However, why would he do that?
It does not fit his argument.
He does not do this anywhere else in his argument.
Moreover, he refers to an accepted or approved practice.
Some believe that Paul refers to a practice some had initiated in the church,
although a false practice, but
that he is assuming, “for the sake of argument,” that it is true, and
that denying the resurrection also denied
this practice that they had accepted.
I can see some merit in this view, but
it still does not fit the flow of his argument.
He is presenting to them true doctrines
that the denial of the resurrection also deny.
I will show you that Paul’s main argument (vv. 12–19),
is that false doctrine always implies other falsehoods.
I believe that verses 29–34 continue
the method of argument that he used in verses 12–19.
The problems with these interpretations.
They assign some validity to the Mormon practice.
They assume that Paul would suddenly incorporate into his argument
a pagan practice
when that was not something he had done thus far.
Why bring that into the argument?
It does not make sense.
They isolate the expression from the context.
Much of the birth of denominationalism
has resulted from neglecting the context.
I believe that many disagreements among brethren over the years,
has also resulted from this.
I have seen many Christians question God for this reason.
Every time you have a question about a difficult text,
always seek to understand the context first
before you consult other passages of Scripture and commentaries.
The context is important, because
well, it was said in a context for a reason, but
so much of the time when we cannot figure things out,
it is because we do not know why the writer said it, and so
we lock in on the exact phrase or whatever it is, and
our thinking starts to go in all sorts of directions from there,
leading to wild theories.
This is why I like to do expository preaching and
to preach through Bible Books.
Therefore, remember again,
that other passages are important, and
commentaries can be helpful, but
nothing is more important to consider
than the context.
Realtors say it is location, location, location, and
in biblical interpretation it is context, context, context.
Understand the context of that biblical book.
Understand the immediate context of the text.
Understand how it fits with the rest of the biblical story.
Our problem is that we often think of the Bible
as a collection of wise sayings and good stories
without any connection to one another and
without seeing how they fit into God’s Scheme of Redemption,
that is, how they fit into the one story of the Bible.
The chapter and verse divisions have not helped, but
have tended to break up the train of thought,
especially when Bibles divide verses into paragraphs.
I know all this makes it easier to find a verse quickly, but
it also hampers a correct understanding of the Bible.
So then, what is the context of Paul’s reference to “baptism for the dead”?
Refuting the Denial of the Resurrection
First Corinthians 15.1–11 • Witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ
Without saying that he is refuting resurrection-deniers,
he begins by reminding them of his preaching among them, 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain (1Co 15.1, 2).
What he had previously preached among them,
they also accepted, and
they stood in that doctrine, and
that preaching had saved them, but
only if they held onto what he had previously revealed to them,
unless when they initially believed it was all vain.
What then did he preach? 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve (1Co 15.3–5).
First, he delivered what he had received from God:
That Christ died,
That Christ was buried,
That Christ rose again, and
That many people witnessed the resurrected Christ.
Notice what Paul did on that fourth point.
He said Peter and later all the apostles saw the resurrected Jesus.
Paul continued to give more space to the witnesses, 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time (1Co 15.6–8).
Over 514 people witnessed the resurrected Christ, and
some of them saw Him more than once, so
over 527 times people saw the resurrected Christ.
Why did he say so much about the witnesses to the resurrection of Christ?
Paul did not elaborate on the first two items of the Gospel.
Every member of the church accepted the death, burial, and
so they thought, resurrection of Christ.
However, we will find out shortly,
that some of the Corinthians denied the resurrection, and so
before Paul mentions that
he wanted to remind them of
what he had preached and
what they had accepted,
as he continued to say, 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed (1Co 15.9–11).
Although he had witnessed the resurrected Christ,
Paul knew he was not worthy to be an apostle, but
that did not get in the way of two things (v. 19):
What he preached (which from God, v. 3), and
what they believed, at least initially.
Therefore, if all that is true that he mentions in verses 1–11,
especially his preaching that they had accepted,
he then presented a question,
that begins to refute the error being proclaimed by some at Corinth.
All of them would have followed Paul approvingly in verses 1–11.
First Corinthians 15.12–19 • The Implications of Denying the Resurrection 12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1Co 15.12).
Here is where he caught them!
They had not thought through their denial of the resurrection, because
they had denied the very thing they had affirmed earlier.
Then he began to show them the implications of denying the resurrection, 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1Co 15.13–19).
Denying the resurrection, implies:
That Christ was not raised, which led to more implications:
The preaching of the apostles was empty, and
the faith of the Corinthians was empty,
That the apostles were false witnesses,
That faith is futile,
That we are still in our sins,
That dead Christians have vanished,
That we are to be pitied.
First Corinthians 15.20–28 • The Doctrine of the Resurrection
In these verses Paul affirmed the general resurrection, and
set out the order, the timing, and other happenings at the resurrection.
Notice verses 20 and 23 in particular, 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep… 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming (1Co 15.20, 23).
One of the reasons that Jesus rose from the dead
was to give us hope for our resurrection from the dead, but
if the dead do not rise, then
Jesus is not the firstfruits, and
we shall forever vanish when we die.
First Corinthians 15.29–34 • Questions that Need to Be Answered
Here Paul went back to refuting the resurrection–deniers,
primarily by asking them questions, as he did in verse 12, 29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame (1Co 15.29–34).
We baptize for preparation or in anticipation of going to the dead,
that is, our baptism prepares us for death,
knowing that a resurrection shall happen.
Why were you baptized?
You wanted to avoid going to hell, and you wanted to go to heaven.
For this to happen, you have to follow Christ,
which is Paul’s point in another passage on baptism, but
now consider how it fits in this context, 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 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. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection… 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him (Rom 6.3–5, 8).
We died with Christ in baptism, and
have been raised, hoping that our bodies shall be raised.
Yet, if there is no resurrection of, or from the dead,
why be baptized with the dead in mind, that is,
knowing that we shall go to the dead and later be raised?
They were denying the very practice
that had saved them from their sins, and
upon which the Gospel of First Corinthians 15.1–5 is based!
Remember back in verses 20 and 23,
that Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection,
meaning that He was the first one, and others shall follow Him!
He continued his argument in verse 30,
that if there is no resurrection,
then he risked his life constantly for nothing.
The way he suffered, he died daily (v. 31).
If the dead do not rise,
he says to make the most of today,
for there is no future life (v. 32).
Someone sought to lead them into immorality
by denying the resurrection (vv. 33, 34).
First Corinthians 15.35–49 • The Nature of the Resurrection
Knowing that some questioned the resurrection because
they did not understand how it could happen,
he explained the nature of the resurrection in verses 35–49.
First Corinthians 15.50–58 • The Reason for the Resurrection
Finally, he shows that we have to be resurrected
that our bodies might be changed to inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Exhortation:
So then, have you been baptized yet
because you are dead and
need to be rise to walk in newness of life?
If you are dead in the spirit now, and
remain in that condition when you die in the body,
you will be dead throughout eternity,
experiencing the second death, and
that is not a total cessation of existence, but
an eternal separation from God and all that is good and pleasant.
You may believe in God,
accept the truth that Jesus is the Son of God,
try to live a good life, but
if you have not been baptized,
you are still dead, and
have not been raised to walk the new life in Christ.
Why not be baptized now?
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Richard Mansel
Baptized for the Dead
On Sunday morning, I am speaking on Purgatory. That leads to the issue of baptism for the dead (1 Corinthians 15:29).
When I was reading what others have written about it, the general consensus is that it does not mean vicarious baptism because it was not being practiced at the time by the church as a whole, but that we do not fully understand what it means.
One writer said that Paul appears to be making the point that detractors were denying the resurrection but that even pagans believed in the doctrine, since they were practicing vicarious baptism.
What do you think the passage means?
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J. Randal Matheny
Thistleton (highly recommended) on 1 Cor. makes a strong case that it means being baptized in order to see one’s dearly beloved deceased in the Lord. Seems to fit best with all other evidence of Christian baptism. I thought I had written on it somewhere, but I cannot find it just now.
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Richard Hill
Richard, we finished 1 Corinthians a few weeks back and of course had a discussion about this passage. My comment got long so I’ll make it a separate post.
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TFRStaff
‘Appeal to obedient faith’ studies baptism
Dan Mayfield of Owatonna, Minn., offers this four-page evangelistic appeal on Google Docs for printing out and study. Fill in the blanks, with plenty of explanatory text.
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Stephen R. Bradd
Baptism Will Not…
In a number of past lessons, we have presented what the New Testament teaches regarding baptism. Bible baptism is immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins. It must be preceded by faith and repentance. The place of baptism is unimportant. The time of baptism is unimportant, but the sooner the better. Furthermore, only those who meet the conditions should be baptized. Baptism is required for those who want to enter the kingdom of Christ and have their sins washed away via His blood; it is required for salvation (cf. 03/12/05, 03/19/05, 03/26/05, 09/15/05, 12/08/07, 10/31/08, and 08/14/10).
However, despite the value and importance placed on baptism by the New Testament writers, there are some things that baptism simply cannot do.
BAPTISM WILL NOT TURN A BABY INTO A CHRISTIAN.
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Although they could be forcibly immersed in water, infants cannot believe in Jesus. Thus, they cannot meet the two-fold requirement Jesus specifies here. Faith comes when one hears, understands, and trusts God’s word as true (cf. Rom. 10:17). Babies cannot understand or trust God’s word. Some have wondered: “If an infant dies, is she lost?” The answer is “No,” since babies are born pure and without sin (cf. Ezek. 18:20). Truthfully, they have no need for immersion. Baptism will make a baby wet, but it won’t turn her into a Christian.BAPTISM WILL NOT PERMIT YOU TO KEEP THAT WHICH DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU.
“Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). When one repents he has a change of mind that should lead to a change of life (cf. Matt. 3:8). Zacchaeus, desiring to please Christ, realized the need to make restitution to those he had stolen from (e.g., Luke 19:8,9). Those who desire to please God today should restore anything in their possession that does not belong to them. Baptism will not permit you to retain a watch, a car, or even a wife that is not rightfully yours (cf. Matt. 14:4).BAPTISM WILL NOT SANCTIFY AN UNGODLY LIFESTYLE.
This point is related to the prior one. When one is Scripturally baptized, his past sins are forgiven by God. This is true whether one is a drug addict, a drunkard, an adulterer, a murderer, etc. However, baptism is not a license to continue in those same sins! The fruits of repentance are required! Christians are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and strive to “live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12).BAPTISM WILL NOT EXEMPT ONE FROM PENALTIES OF THE LAW.
Years ago I can recall a man who obeyed the gospel and got his life right with the Lord. Less than one year later he was in prison for a crime he had committed prior to becoming a Christian. Although God had forgiven him, he still had to answer for the civil law he had broken. Baptism doesn’t wash away all consequences of sin. Sin scars and baptism doesn’t override the penalties imposed by the government for crime.BAPTIZING LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WILL NOT MAKE A FALSE TEACHER RIGHT BEFORE GOD.
There were false teachers in the first century and there are false teachers today. Often they are very personable and friendly; they don’t look like wolves on the surface (cf. Matt. 7:15ff)! Jesus taught His disciples to ascertain the difference between genuine and false teachers by examining their fruits. Does this mean we are to consider which teachers produce the most baptisms and automatically determine that their fruit is the most and therefore the best? Certainly not! There is much more involved to examining spiritual fruit than counting heads. A sound and faithful preacher will do his best to both preach the truth and convert lost souls. It is a mistake to think that a busy baptistery compensates for false doctrine in the pulpit (cf. II Tim. 4:1-5).Baptism is a foundational part of New Testament Christianity and exceedingly important. But, there are some things it can never do. Don’t place your hope in the mistaken notions exposed above. To do such will only lead to disappointment and destruction!
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Laura
Excellent, Stephen. This would make a very good sermon.
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Mike Riley
Great scriptural points, Stephen!
The thoughts in your post need to be preached from every pulpit and taught in every Bible class in the land.
In the Lord’s eyes, ignorance is not bliss nor will it be excused on Judgment Day.
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Rick Kelley
Amen!
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joyjensen
Our Sunday
Yesterday George preached a great lesson on Responsibilities of Husbands and Wives. In all likelihood that’s the first of its kind for many of the listeners yesterday. We ended the day with a baptism of a young man who has been studying with our translator for a couple of months. We have great hopes for this young man – he has truly been a searcher. You can read more about it at our travelblog: http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/Centre/Iringa/blog-613978.html
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J. Randal Matheny
Guest on iQuest podcast, about baptism
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/90661
8 p.m. tonight EDT, on baptism, on Madison AL podcast, iQuest.
UPDATE: The podcast is archived and can be heard any time, if you’re still interested in it.
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Adam
This reply isn’t about baptism but on the article of 5/17/11 “The I’s have it”. I just want to let you know that I fully agree with what you said. This is true in my own family. I have three kids. Only one of the three calls me every day. She is the oldest. If I hear from my son it only for a brief moment. This hurts me to no degree. I brood about it a lot. My other daughter calls me once in a while. Their mother is in real bad health. She is presently in the hospital. It is not looking good for her. We have a good relationship. She is my ex-wife. I really like to read your emails. This is my first time stumbling on these articles of yours that inspired me to respond.
Thanks, Adam
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J. Randal Matheny
Hi, Adam, thanks for your comment. Glad you responded. I pray things will improve with your kids. Sorry to hear about your ex-wife’s bad health.
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John Henson
A Surprising Conversion
My father studied with a man who had belonged to the Baptist church and was never able to “turn on the light” for him.When I took over preaching duties from my father in the church, it was my turn to study with him and I failed to lead him to the truth. He was so deeply entrenched in that doctrine since his family for several generations had taught him so that he was thoroughly entrenched.
About 20 years passed and news reached me he had been baptized. Though delighted, I was surprised he finally obeyed his Lord. When I saw him, I expressed my happiness that we were brothers, and asked him what had happened to convince him to obey the gospel.
He said he obeyed the gospel because of the conduct of his wife. Through the years, her faithful Christian example convinced him of the truth and he obeyed the gospel. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,” (1 Peter 3:1 ESV).
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Glenda Williams
One Baptized Yesterday
Carolyn Vickers was baptized into Christ yesterday afternoon at the Geneva church of Christ. Carolyn had studied with her husband in their home and was attending services of the church. At the time she requested baptism, they, along with Douglas Williams, were studying the second lesson in the 3-lesson Open Bible Study. Today they will complete the third lesson. Lynn, Carolyn’s husband, baptized her. After the baptism they shared a quick kiss in the baptistery.
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J. Randal Matheny
Great new, Glenda. God bless Carolyn. Be sure to share it with Rick over on Baptism365.com.
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J. Randal Matheny
The sermon that got me forward
You’ve heard me tell it before, I think, but I was the last of 10 young people, all from Christian homes, who need a bit of a push to make the decision to become disciples. The preacher discoursed on hell, not one of his usual topics, but the subject provided us the needed motivation to break our hands loose from the pew and move our feet forward.
Even that didn’t budge this profoundly timid youth, until I saw my younger sister go down the aisle.
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J. Randal Matheny
Daily Nudge: baptism truth or sermon
What sermon, lesson or truth did you hear on the day you were baptized? Or, that prompted your decision to become a Christian? It may be some time elapsed between the hearing and the deciding.
In some places the only evangelism is done from the pulpit, so I didn’t want my question to reflect that sad reality.
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Richard Mansel
We Rejoice
We rejoice that we had a baptism this morning. If we are not thrilled and edified to see a soul being immersed into Christ, we need to seriously re-evaluate our spiritual condition. We rejoice for this young man and pray that he has a long, fruitful life in Christ. God be praised!
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Mike Riley
Yes, we should always be thankful and thrilled that men and women, both young and old have the desire to render obedience to the will of the Lord! May God be glorified and we be edified as a result.
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J. Randal Matheny
Amen! Be sure and share it with Rick on baptism365.com
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J. Randal Matheny
Graphic on baptism in Christ
We thank Cougan Collins for the permission to reproduce this graphic from his webpage, “How Do You Get Saved?“
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Don Ruhl
Nice. Good job.
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Mike Riley
God’s Work Continues?
Here’s a site I found today while scanning some Twitter posts. This gives us an idea of what the Lord’s church is up against in foreign countries (as well as our own country).
Here is an interdenominational mission agency in Thailand that is promoting the idea that baptism is not a part of the conversion process, but is simply an afterthought, i.e. “if you want to” (note the last paragraph).
http://www.omfisaan.org/?p=431#more-431
This is why I added a question mark to the title of this article. Is God’s work really “continuing” with the promotion of this false teaching?
The devil is still hard at work deceiving folks (Revelation 12:9)..
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J. Randal Matheny
Catholicism on the move
Two items came to my attention yesterday about developments in the Catholic Church.
First, the pope released a document, “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.” From the noise, it would appear to be a major pronouncement, but it remains to be seen if their approach will change. Don’t hold your breath. In a striking phrase, Benedict is being touted as the “pope of the word of God.” With the bashing of fundamentalists, it appears to be another move to preempt them and keep from losing ground to those sad and despised souls who take the Bible literally.
The other item is talk between the Catholics and a few Protestant groups on the mutual recognition of each side’s baptisms. The Catholics want to make it easier for others to convert. So says one article about the main benefit of the talks:
For Catholic parish life, the accord would be advantageous in cases where someone baptized in the Reformed traditions wishes to enter full communion with the Catholic Church or wishes to marry a Catholic.
The Catholic Church recently invited Anglican bishops over to their side, and facilitated that move. The impression is the Catholics are hungry for converts, and they’ll take them where and how they can get them.
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Glenda Williams
Five baptized at County Jail
“Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can come back up,” is a statement my sister-in-law said about people on the wrong path in life. I have thought of that many times since being involved in jail ministry work.
On Thursday evenings a team of men goes into the local county jail and studies with the inmates for an hour. Last Thursday morning my husband, Douglas, went to the jail and baptized five men who wanted to become Christians. We have baptized so many until the jail staff bought a large metal, oblong tub for us to use for baptisms.
After a person is baptized we make their picture and put it on the front page of our next bulletin. We consider it front-page news, just like an important article in the newspaper. The men in the jail like to have copies of the bulletin to share with family members and to keep for themselves. Recently one of the younger men mentioned he didn’t want his picture in the orange prison uniform put on the bulletin. I couldn’t help but think that he was ashamed of the reminder that he broke the law and had to pay for it. Yet, we know, his soul was as white as snow. Sin scars.
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Mike Riley
Glenda, we rejoice for those who committed their lives to the Lord, and we ask that He continue to bless the prison work that your husband and others are doing. May the Lord be glorified in their effort.
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Richard Mansel
So Offensive [Updated]
In my first year of preaching, I baptized a young Black man and one of the White men in the congregation actually said to me, “Do you think he understood what he was doing? You know their brains don’t work like ours.” That man is now deceased. I sure hope he repented of his hideous racism before it was too late.
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Mike Riley
I’m afraid skin color doesn’t have anything to do with the intelligence of an individual. One of our elders has a different skin color to mine, but his intellect is far superior to many men that I have known.
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Laura
Baptism in Purcellville!
The saints in Purcellville rejoice at the birth of a new brother in Christ, last evening after Bible study. Jordan is the son of one of our deacons. He’s a fine young man from a fine family. :) :)
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J. Randal Matheny
Wonderful news! Always glad to hear of additions to the Kingdom. May God use him mightily.
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John Henson
Great, Laura!
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Mike Riley
Great news, Laura!
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Richard Mansel
Clapping Question
In accordance with my poll question on clapping, people keep saying that since baptism is not an act of worship, then clapping is acceptable.Does this answer satisfy you? Or, do you think there is still a reason why clapping cannot occur after baptism? My opinion is that I would rather not have clapping after a baptism. I think an Amen and joyful praise in song is much more spiritual and solemn than raucous clapping.
It is my opinion that cheering and hooting is beneath the dignity of the moment. Someone says that since Baptism is a passive act, the Lord is doing the cleansing, not the person that is being clapped for. God deserves all the glory, not man.
What is your view of clapping after a baptism?
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John Henson
In my opinion, if the baptism occurs during a worship service, then applause is inappropriate. Why would it be necessary to reward or show approval for someone completing their obedience in baptism? If it is, then would it also be appropriate to cheer during that person’s first Lord’s Supper? Why? As you said, there are more appropriate ways of rejoicing at these kinds of event.
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Mike Riley
When I think of applause, I immediately think of an action that is associated with a sports or entertainment event – not anything associated with the solemn assembly of the saints.
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Dave Rogers
It’s interesting to note that about 90 % of the instances of clapping in the bible are in contexts of disapproval, rather than approval. Biblically, I guess you could make a case (of sorts) against hand-clapping in worship (or in the context of a baptism) on this basis, but most folks would probably discount it. I agree, I think that clapping in either setting casts those doing the clapping in the role of mere spectators, “voting with their hands,” rather than engaged participants.
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Ron
Some have clapped and on other occasions, others have not. I have no strong opinion, though I am generally opposed to hand clapping for the same reason Mike is. However, if after a baptism some clap, I say nothing; it seems to stir the emotion of the ones doing this and they are not people that seek to cause a fuss.
We address clapping in the context of a setting where, especially, young people gather to worship. The youth series has congregations that are quite progressive, and with those congregation we either do not participate or take advantage of the “ride home” and teach on the appropriateness of worship and reverence, not noise making for one’s personal satisfaction.
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Stephen R. Bradd
If baptism isn’t an act of worship, then I don’t know what worship is! When one humbly gives himself to Christ in obedience to the gospel message, that is worship–regardless of the day, time, or location! I know that doesn’t fit into our 5 “acts of worship” TRADITION, but I think the traditional understanding is wrong here. Will anyone argue that putting in a portion of one’s INCOME for the prior week is worship but giving one’s LIFE to God isn’t?
Clapping would be acceptable for any act of worship (baptism, etc.) IF NT authority could be shown for it (Col. 3:17). Until we can establish the authority for such, however, we had better stick with what we know IS approved–saying “Amen” (I Cor. 14:16).
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Richard Mansel
Blood and Water in Salvation
I think that an understanding on blood and water in salvation is key to understanding baptism and God’s plan of redemption. I have posted a series of yes/no questions to help guide the student through a the subject of water and blood in salvation.
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Mike Riley
Richard, great job of illustrating the need for both blood and water in salvation!
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Richard Mansel
Thank you, Mike. I feel this study [of blood and water] does not receive the attention it deserves.
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Richard Mansel
Baptism in Water
Heard at a Gospel Meeting tonight: “Water is not baptism. Baptism is something that takes place in water” (Bob Gray).
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Tonia Gaynor
That’s true! What about repentance? It’s turning away from sinful deeds and thoughts or anything that places you at a guilty distance from Christ. Right? Is it appropriate to repent in the midst of your spiritual struggle or once you have successfully overcome the issue. For example, I struggle with attending church service regularly. I know it is a sin to miss worship. Do I repent after every absence or do I wait until I am faithful in my service to repent for my past lukewarm state?
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Richard Mansel
Tonia, thanks for reading our blog and for taking the time to comment. Repentance is a reversal of course. We hate our sin so much that we cannot live with them any more and we beg for forgiveness. We can repent every day, so we are pure before God (1 John 1:7).
Attending worship is important because when we miss, we have chosen to do something else. In doing so, we have put secular things above Christ. Additionally, we need to be together as a spiritual family and to praise God in worship and learn in Bible study. We should WANT to attend every service of the Church, because of what it means and how it blesses us.
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Glenda Williams
Two baptisms this past week
Two more people were baptized this past week at Geneva, making a total of 25 thus far this year. Several of our members are teaching faithfully every week, most in the jail, but let me tell you about our youngest man who teaches. He goes from door to door asking people if he can study with them. He doesn’t want to work a job, but rather just teach people the Bible. Thankfully for now he has a grandmother who supports him and he lives with her. He has almost finished his degree in Bible at Faulkner University, and wants to preach full time. He uses the 3-lesson Open Bible study course and is having great success with it. I wonder if he even knows how many he has taught and baptized this year. This young man is 21 or 22, and single. He baptizes people wherever he goes. He baptizes late at night in the river below Geneva. He baptizes in the gulf when in Florida, and often times he calls and wants to use the church baptistry because he has someone ready to be baptized. He is constantly studying with people by texting. He thinks we should only talk about the Bible, and associate only with people who will talk about it with us. It seems every minute he is awake is either spent in teaching people the gospel or studying his Bible.
What am I doing? Washing and drying the baptismal garments and keeping them ready for the next one, or more, who needs them!
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Stephen R. Bradd
That’s wonderful new, Glenda. May this young man of whom you speak never lose his zeal.
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Richard Hill
Wow! God help us all to be more devoted to his service.
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Mike Riley
Great news, Glenda! We pray that this young man keeps on keeping on!
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Ron
Good news, Glenda….and good work!
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Glenda Williams
It took me three years to become a Christian
Mother told me if I would get my license when I turned 16 she would buy us a car and I could drive us to church. My daddy wasn’t religious, nor interested, at that time in his life. Mother taught me the truth and after our goals were met, I did drive the 1956 turquoise and white Chevrolet and we went to worship leaving Daddy at home. He called us hypocrites, trying to discourage our new way of life.
Brother Curtis Duke asked me early on about becoming a Christian and I told him I couldn’t live the Christian life living in what I did at home. At the age of 19, I obeyed the gospel after hearing Jerry Humphries preach at the Elba church of Christ where he had just begun working full time with the church. His sermon was so powerful that cold, winter night. Nothing could have kept me from responding, not even my boyfriend who was with me.
After becoming a Christian, I started praying to marry a preacher and for my daddy to change his life. God answered both of my prayers in the affirmative and in his time. Daddy was restored and confessed having lived in sin for 30 years. I will be married to a preacher 45 years in December of this year, the Lord willing. I’m still rejoicing and thankful.
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Mike Riley
Glenda, what a great story of how the power of the gospel can change lives! A great reason to rejoice and be thankful!
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Richard Mansel
Waited
Like some of you, I waited and procrastinated about becoming a Christian. Every invitation brought great trepidation. Finally, we were living in Fort Smith Arkansas one summer, while my Dad trained for a new job. The day before we moved back to Alabama, I decided to be baptized. I had a cast on my arm. We did it on a Wednesday afternoon and I had a garbage bag on my arm, so my cast would not get wet. I was sixteen and began preaching the next year. Happy that I made the decision and relieved that nothing happened to me while I dawdled.
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Laura
Daily nudge: did you delay?
I didn’t really delay of my own free will. When I decided that’s what I needed to do, I went to my parents immediately. They thought I was being emotional because I had just returned from Bible camp, and there were quite a few baptisms that week. I was also a young but rather precocious child. So they put me off, wanting to test me. A week later, I was pestering them again after Sunday evening service. We sat down and studied and then went back to the church building that night.
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J. Randal Matheny
Daily Nudge — delays to obedience
How long did it take you to become a Christian? The question doesn’t so much ask your age or time in life, young or old, when you became a Christian, but if you delayed to obey the Lord.
This comes to mind since our NT reading today is from Acts 26, which includes King Agrippa’s famous line to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” (Acts 26:28 NET).
I know a young man who obeyed the very first gospel sermon he heard. He heard it once, and that was all he needed. Today he’s a gospel preacher.
I was different. Growing up in a Christian home, I heard what must have been thousands of sermons and classes, on Sundays and Wednesdays, in gospel meetings and Vacation Bible Schools, before I overcame my timidity and was baptized.
How about you? How long did it take you?
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Richard Mansel
Teaching Salvation
I have posted a sermon on my blog entitled, Teaching People How to be Saved. Are we doing it the right way? http://ow.ly/1CRwC
The content of this sermon is important to me because it addresses a blind spot that many in the Lord’s church possess. They fail to teach the narrative of salvation, expecting that everyone will understand their favorite parts, as they do. They do not understand that people in the larger religious world believe what they do for a reason. As a result, they fail to understand what we see as very clear passages, because Satan has been very successful in changing the definition of words. Your feedback will be appreciated. I am trying to open people’s eyes to a better perspective.
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Mike Riley
Richard, you are so right when you stated: “Find some common ground and then teach them the gospel. Learn what their religious background is. Evangelism is taking people from where they are to where they need to be.”
The apostle Paul was an expert in making application of this principle (cf. Acts 17:16-34).
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Richard Mansel
Thank you, Mike.
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Ron
Great piece! Don’t know what else to say.
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Richard Mansel
Thank you, so much. God Bless.
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Richard Mansel
Most Important Color
The most important color in the Bible is red because it signifies the color of Christ’s blood, which washed away our sins (Romans 5:9; 1 John 1:7). Blood is not a pleasant topic, but if we would study what the Bible says about the relationship between water and blood and its role in cleansing, we would have a greater understanding of baptism and salvation, as a whole.Humbly, I submit these articles on “Water and the Blood in the Plan of Salvation” for your study.
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John Henson
Fantastic and brilliant. Just what we’ve all come to expect from our chiefs.
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Richard Mansel
Thank you, John. I appreciate it.
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Richard Mansel
Teaching the Gospel
My new article, Preparing to Teach Salvation, is based on something that has been percolating in my mind for years. I don’t think that people are going deep enough in their studies of salvation. Many in the brotherhood seem to focus too much on baptism.Of course, baptism for the remission of sins is essential. However, starting with baptism, is missing most of the story. I had an article years ago entitled, Is Baptism Always the Right Argument? In that article I wrote:
If the student perceives baptism as a violation of grace and constitutes salvation by works then we need to back up and address their misunderstanding. The debates that have occurred through the years on baptism have been useful but thousands have left unimpressed. If we can help them see the truth on grace and works then we can possibly reach more souls for Christ.
In my article today, I am returning to this theme. We need more study and discussion on justification, reconciliation and sanctification in the brotherhood. They frame baptism, rather than replace it.
Your thoughts on these articles will be much appreciated. I hoped they would provoke a discussion.
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Glenda Williams
5 Baptized this week.
Randal always encourages us to post news along with the daily nudge, so here is my news. We have had three young boys baptized this week who ride our church van to the services, and two women from the local county jail. The women were so happy they were crying. That makes 21 baptisms thus far this year. God is so good. The church here is blessed to have people who are willing to teach others one on one, and in small groups.
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Stephen R. Bradd
That’s great news to share, Glenda. Thanks!
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Paula Harrington
Wonderful news, Glenda! Thanks for sharing.
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Mike Riley
WOW! That is great news, Glenda! You are very blessed to have talented members who are willing to teach others. May the Lord grant us more members such as these!
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Richard Hill
The most fundamental change for me occurred just moments after I had answered this question in the affirmative. “Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God?”
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jimnewy
My Favorite Conversion in Acts
My favorite conversion in Acts is the conversion of Cornelius. Why? With Cornelius being the first devout Gentile to be baptized into Christ, his conversion allowed me to become a child of God also. His conversion also had to be one with convincing evidence to be accepted by the Jews. I believe there were two things that convinced Peter; the blanket in chapter 10 and the descending of the Holy Spirit.
This conversion is one the most mis-understood conversions by the “faith only” denominational world.
Like this:
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J. Randal Matheny
Acts 2:38 Revisited
The hope is to fill out these talking points, used in the pulpit Sunday morning while a baby screamed, and post it on my weblog. This week looks dismal for it, however. So here it goes in cryptic form.1. General Application: “repent”. Third person plural. Applies to all. Luke’s special interest (Lk 13:1-5; 24:47). Needed emphasis today.
2. Personal commitment: “each one of you be baptized”. Third person singular, imperative. Has to be an individual decision. Baptism means becoming a disciple, being a part of the group (2:41, 47). The end of sin, the beginning of service.
3. Messianic mandate: “in the name of Jesus Christ.” By his authority. As if he were here — Luke wrote about what Jesus began to do and teach; here, he continues teaching and saving.
4. Purpose: “for the forgiveness of your sins”. Sin separates from God, forgiveness permits fellowship with him. Jesus wants us to know why we do what we do. Same construction as found in Matt. 26:28. “Baptism now saves us.”
5. Result: “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. A difference between purpose and result. Gift is the Spirit (think, a present of a shirt). He is the power for transformation of life and service of proclamation.
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Laura
I think it important to note that there are different opinions as to what “the gift of the Holy Spirit” means in Acts 2:38. I’ve heard many different views on this. First, it could mean the Holy Spirit is the gift given, or it could mean that the Holy Spirit gives us an unnamed gift (think “the gift of your father”, in which case the gift is not your father but rather what your father gives). I should note that this latter possibility is *usually* what we mean in English when a person is after the “of”. However, many of the Pentecostal persuasion take the former and use that to “prove” there are miraculous gifts today. After that, the debate really flies as to what the gift does for us, or not. Please, let’s not debate. But in fairness, alternative views of what this phrase mean that are equally credible should be presented.
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J. Randal Matheny
These are just talking points, so not really space for any detailed treatment of options.
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Mike Riley
There are two verses about obedience in Romans 6:17-18-NKJV that are significant:
“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
We must obey “from the heart” that form [pattern] of doctrine that Paul preached and taught (1 Cor. 2:1-2; cf. Gal. 6:14; Philippians 3:7-10). What was the pattern? The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-4). We die to sin, we are buried in the watery grave of baptism, and then we rise to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-4).
What a beautiful picture of salvation!
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Stephen R. Bradd
Starting over
If I were to start my life in Christ over again, I would probably wait until I was a little older before getting baptized. It was just before my 9th birthday. I knew what was I was doing. I could answer all the questions (so I am told). Nevertheless, today I can barely remember any details about the event! That might just be my poor memory (in some regards). This is a subject I’ll struggle with more soon, I’m sure, with my own sons (the oldest is about to turn 8). I hope he’ll wait until he’s at least 10, but we shall see. I think this can be a tough issue for those who “grow up in the church” and have parents who really teach them from the Scriptures as they should.
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Glenda Williams
The most stirring sermon I ever heard
Jerry Humphries preached the most stirring sermon I ever heard about the end of time. I had a date that night long ago. It was cold weather in Elba, AL and late winter. I was 19. With Jerry’s mannerisms and powerful voice, he rang the gospel out. I can still hear him proclaiming loudly that “time will be no more.” My heart pounded in my chest. He illustrated the fires of hell by telling of a man who worked in the steel mill in Birmingham, AL. They melted steel in large vats. Jerry told how hot the steel had to get to melt it. A man got too close and fell into the vat. He said the screams when his body hit that melting steel would make your blood run cold, but that hell would be much hotter. When the invitation song was being sung, I told my date I had to get out. He stepped back and let me go down to the front to obey the gospel.
I knew what I was doing when I obeyed the gospel. I remember the water wasn’t heated and it was icy cold. The church didn’t have swimming caps as they later started using, and I had long hair. I was so happy when I came up out of the water and wanted to hug Jerry, but he held me away and told me how wonderful it was to be a Christian. I thought he was afraid I would get him wet! (More …)
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Mike Riley
Glenda, what’s amazing about your conversion story, is that you still remember the content of the sermon after all these years. If that hell fire sermon motivated you to obey the gospel, maybe we need more of those same kind of hell fire sermons today so that other folks will be motivated to obey the gospel.
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J. Randal Matheny
Be sure your baptism is valid
I just posted an article I’ve been working on for several days, “How to Be Sure Your Baptism is Valid.” It’s written to help people who wonder if God accepts their baptism. The target audience is not Christians but those outside of Christ who have been taught improperly.
The original URL is a bit long. You can use this one to share it with others:
http://tinyurl.com/validbaptism
Thanks to Ron, Richard, Stephen and Tim Hall for their valuable suggestions, which made it much better.
It’s still open to improvement, to be clearer, so if you find a better way to express a phrase, find an error or think some addition would be helpful, let me know.
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drkenney
A suggestion to parents whose children are a young age when they decide to obey the gospel–have the child write themselves a letter explaining what they have done and why. Encourage them to express their feelings in the letter. (A parent may have to keep their eyes off the paper to get this done.) Tell the child it is a personal conversation with himself (or herself) between now and some day in the future when doubts may arise. When the child has done this, have them seal it in an envelope and keep it safe for them if they ever want to have access to it. Of course, make sure they know where the letter is kept…just keep it safeguarded from loss.
I was baptized at the age of 9 years old. I knew what I was supposed to do for some time, but events transpired that moved me to realize it was time to convert knowledge to action! Some may not be able to reflect on such a clear line of demarcation in the years to come. This will help. It may help them rekindle their love for Christ if they ever drift away.
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John Henson
Responses to the gospel’s power
The Grand Blanc Church of Christ gave God the glory this morning as one came to be restored and another was baptized into Christ. Ron Proffer, of Grand Blanc, was baptized into Christ and Hank Crosnoe was restored after the preaching of the truth today.
Thanks be to the Father for the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ, for it alone has the power to change the hearts and minds of men. We were blessed, indeed.
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Mike Riley
John, we are indeed thankful for those who have tender hearts, in obeying the Lord! May the Lord be praised and glorified!
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Laura
Wonderful news. Thanks so much for sharing!
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Rick Kelley, 
Adam are discussing. 
John Henson, and 
Tonia Gaynor are discussing. 
drkenney is discussing. 
Wonderful news, Glenda! Along with the angels, we rejoice that Mike Ezell chose to obey his Lord in baptism. May the Lord richly bless him and his family for his decision.