Category: Baptism

Whether it be the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the imperfect knowledge of Christ exhibited by Saul, The Eunuch and Cornelius prior to their exposure to the gospel of Christ, or the Lukewarmness of the Laodiceans, just being “religious” does not guarantee salvation.

Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Sermon Title: The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

Heath Rogers, visiting from Edna, TX, preached a wonderful lesson on the conversion of the Philippian Jailer in Acts 16. This first prinicple lesson establishes clearly what each person must do to obtain redemption under the law of Christ.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Sermon Title: Bible Baptism

Rather than allowing denominationalists to explain away the nature and necessity of baptism, we let the Bible define it and explain its place in God’s scheme of Redemption.

Sermon PowerPoint: Click Here .

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Aug. 17, 2004 – A quarter of a million pottery shards from small jugs, an underground pool, a foot-washing stone and wall carvings unearthed in a large cave west of Jerusalem could be the first archaeological evidence for the existence of St. John the Baptist, according to a forthcoming book.

“The Cave of John the Baptist,” by British archaeologist Shimon Gibson, “presents the first evidence that can be directly linked to the Gospels and to a major figure in the birth of Christianity,” reads the book’s synopsis.

News Brief by Rossella Lorenzi
Discovery News

Note: Picture is of the entrance to what some believe is the cave of Jon the Baptist

Analysis:

As always, such discoveries by archaeologists cause great sensation, and excite our imaginations. You may remember the ossuary recently discovered, which contains a reference to Jesus on its side. Though excitement was initially great, and some still claim it is direct archeological proof of Jesus’ existence, most now believe that the inscription was added later, and is not genuine.

Continue reading “John the Baptist’s Cave Claimed Found” →

A California man who killed another man in a gunfight is looking to repent of his evil deed and be baptized. There’s only one problem – the local jail housing him is denying his request…

“I would like to do it before I go to prison,” Ramzee Johnson told the Bakersfield Californian, saying he’s getting daily death threats from gang members associated with his victim. “I might not make it to prison.”

Johnson has been studying the Bible recently with David Garner, a minister at the Oildale Church of Christ who thinks the Lerdo Jail’s refusal to allow the baptism is denying Johnson the ability to be saved.

Continue reading “Ramzee Johnson Seeks Baptism” →

I recently wrote a letter to a preacher discussing what consitutes Bible baptism. By this I mean the one baptism of Ephesians 4:5. It is the baptism that an alien sinner must submit to in order to receive the remission of his sins.

Our discussion centered specifically on whether individuals in denominations who were baptized “for the remission of sins” (Christian church; Mormons; Some Pentecostals) must be immersed again to be acceptable to God. He says they do not, and I disagree with his assessment. Following is a portion of my letter to him.

The Parameters of acceptable Baptism:

1. Salvation is predicated upon an individual’s acceptance of, and response to the word of God (cf. Rom 1:16).
2. An individual must believe the preaching of Jesus (cf. Acts 8), confess Him as the Son of God, Repent of his sins, and be immersed in water in the name of Jesus for the remission of his sins.
3. It does not matter where he receives that information which precedes his response, or from whom. (I have never believed that, and I don’t think that most preachers do either).
4. I recognize that a man could be taught by a Christian church preacher, a Baptist preacher, a Mormon preacher, or an atheist, and as a result of that preaching, be scripturally baptized if that preacher taught him the truth. He could learn it on his own, from a Correspondence Course, or in many other ways.

However, I also realize that the Baptist, the Disciple, the Mormon all teach what constitutes a perverted gospel (cf. Galatians 1) in which there is no salvation. The Mormon and the Oneness Pentecostal (both teach baptism for the remission of sins) don’t even have proper concepts of God!

My major point is this. Baptism must be in the name of our Lord (by His authority). It is not enough for it to be “for the remission of sins.” After all, John’s baptism was the same, yet was not in Jesus’ name. Teaching on baptism does not come in a vacuum, and I am firmly convinced that in almost every case, those who are baptized in denominations, “for the remission of sins”, are not baptized in the “name of Jesus.”

They are reacting to a perverted gospel taught to them, (even if it contains some truth). Their response to that gospel is intended to gain them entrance into that denomination (even though they believe it to be part of the universal church, it is not necessarily the case).

They are not added to the Lord’s church, not because Jesus has failed in His promise to them, but because they have not acceptably responded to His pure terms. I do not want to exclude any that Christ has accepted. At the same time, I am doing no favors accepting into fellowship those who I fear stand condemned before God.