I'm still waiting with baited breath for Frank's definition of NT Christianity
Yours in Christ
Matt
Yours in Christ
Matt
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[resurfacing]Originally posted by dean198:
Bro. James - you are actually affirming antinominism - whatever you think to the contrary. Baptism is the faith-response to the gospel ... it is the 'washing of regeneration', not only according to scripture, but according to Luther, Calvin, and the early Baptists, Calvinist and General, including Benjamin Keach and Thomas Grantham. You're gross oversimplification is simply an american perversion of the gospel, of the same ilk with the four spiritual laws.
Were that to be the only definition of NT Christianity, again there would be no need for the epistles - I refer you to my earlier answer and ask my earlier question again: what do you mean by NT ChristianityOriginally posted by Frank:
Matt:
Jesus defined new testament Christianity in Mat. 28:18-20. The teaching and practice of all things commanded by the authority of Christ.
Acts 22:16 says it washes away sins.Baptism is a picture of death, burial and resurrection. It "washes away" nothing--except perhaps a little soil.
We all do both - follow and practice by the authority of Christ but also fail to comply with His will; the latter is called sin and I would respectfully submit that you are no more immune to this than the rest of us, and that therefore the group of believers with whom you meet are as much a denomination as those of the rest of us here.Originally posted by Frank:
Matt:
The new testament is divine. The saints of the kingdom are not divine. This does not change the waht new testament Christianity is just becaseu some chose not to practice and teach as per Mat. 28:18-20. When one does not comply with the will of Christ, he makes up his own defintion, this has been going on for ages. This is precisely the reason we have denominationalism. When one follows and practices all things by the authority of Christ, he is a Christian.
This is typical Enlightenment thinking, in which Baptism is simply a compliance with no real meaning. In this philosophy, baptism is simply an outward testimony which conveys absolutely nothing. How Calvin must be turning in his grave to see those calling themselves after his name put a gnostic wedge between the natural and the spiritual. And the 'Restoration Movement' was likewise faulty (though many modern followers no longer hold this error) by keeping the divorce between faith, and faith-expressed-in-baptism and making baptism an additional requirement to faith; a compliance necessary to salvation. And the Baptists (US kind) and others likewise have abandoned faith-baptism and replaced it with the non-apostolic response of faith called the altar call, invented by baby sprinklers who had no room for a sacrament of conversion in their theology. Maybe one day the evangelical church will awake from its 'enlightenment' slumber.Baptism is a picture of death, burial and resurrection. It "washes away" nothing--except perhaps a little soil.
Baptism in Acts 2:38 was for the remission of sin. Not "because of" (hoti) but unto (eis) or in order to obtain. It doesn't matter what sins, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).Originally posted by Briguy:
Hi All, I am jumping in here but have not read but the first page so if I repeat what was said I am sorry.
Matt said something in his first post that I have said many times. In the early church Baptism was to "sign on the doted line". It was an open commitment to Christ. It was an outward expression which made everyone around know the alligence of the person Baptized. With the Baptism came persecution. To be baptized was to say "I belong to Christ" or I belong to "The Way". This was very serious and opened the believer up to physical and verbal persecutions. In the year 2005 much has changed and so has Baptism. Baptism does not in and of itself open a person up to persecution and is not a sure sign of ones faith in Christ. We proclaim our faith now by confessing it to others and by joining a local assembly, which will typically meet in a building with a name on it (Racine Bible Church, in my case).
Also, I saw right away someone mention Acts 2:38. This verse is so widely used and abused it drives me crazy. Peter was addressing a question from a group of jews and directed his answer to the "house of Isreal". The repentance he spoke of was for "Isreal to repent of putting to death the Son of God and becoming an ememy of God. The Baptism and repentance was to put them in a position to receive Christ and be saved. Just thought I would correct the direction that that verse takes some folks.
In Christ,
Brian
There's no question as to who he was talking to. He was talking to the Jews. But notice verse 39. Who do you think those that are "afar off" are? Obviously they weren't Jews, because they were all covered by "you, your children".Originally posted by Briguy:
[QB] mman, Read the verse below in context. It is intended only for the House of Isreal. It has no bearing on how or what Gentiles do to be saved. It shows a Baptism like John's Baptism, not a believer Baptism as clearly shown later in Acts. Acts 2:38 does not mean that Baptism has something to do with salvation. Read below with an open mind and see what it says and who the auidence of Peter's was.
Did some other person believe for you? No, you have responsibility. If someone throws me a rope when I am about to drown and says, "Here, save yourself", I understand I have to grab the rope. Did I save myself? I did in that I grabbed the rope and trusted him who threw it to me. Without the rope, I would have drowned, so in that sense, I could have never saved myself.Think about "Save Yourself" for a moment. Did you save yourself?? I know I didn't. No, there is more to what Peter is saying. The house of Isreal needed to repent and put themselves in a postion to be saved and in that sense they could save themselves. Hope that cleared that up.