Featured The blood of Christ

So how should I make my argument? Presently I plan to address the blood and his false view of Baptism on top of it sending him some gospel tracts, perhaps a tract on the Gospel from 9 Marks which I have 2 packs of.

 

Hey Jon C the UCC pastor that I was debating with for a while went dead silent after I used the law on him. I hope this COC pastor does not do the same. I am not 100% certain he is lost.

 

Well he appears to hold to the essentials except he says that he received forgiveness of sins by Baptism.

Also what of his 5 Pt-Arminian views and the doctrine that salvation can be lost? He holds to this theology but this may be more secondary to me. However there are stronger Calvinist that view arminian as lost.

 

Good plan. Icon is a stronger Calvinist and may view all Arminian as lost. I do not agree with him here.

 

If indeed baptism is the point of present salvation then we dare not leave it out of our preaching of the gospel (that would be preaching another gospel), nor delay baptism for those who are ready, nor compromise on its necessity.

A statement this teacher has made in one of the documents he sent me. Although he claims to deny the doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration, this statement would appear he does not. Well he argues that Baptism is a part of initial salvation and a part of the salvation process, but Baptism alone does not save.

 

No its not James! And no I am not condemning him as I already addressed my letter and did not mail that type of tract.

 

I hope that your dad gets better and wish to say that I appreciate this conversation. I have included two gospel tracts one on the blood, and one on the gospel because I believe that they will refute the following view, which I believe to be in error.


We believe that the Scriptures teach that we are saved by Jesus through faith and that specifically at baptism through faith one receives forgiveness of sins.


It is true that we are saved by faith alone (Eph 2:8-9), however it is not true that Baptism is where our sins are forgiven. Read the gospel tract on the blood for it lists many verses that proves that we receive forgiveness of sins by the blood that was shed on the cross. Also read the tract on the Gospel and refer to the sections I have highlighted. Notice that Gilbert does not include Baptism as a part of faith, as in fact he does not even mention it! Baptism is something that is done in response to ones salvation. In preparation for this letter I have reviewed several systematic theologies and could not find a single instance of saving faith being connected to Baptism. Where do you get your views? Perhaps you have a misunderstanding of Acts 2:38 & Mark 16:16. In Acts 2:38 Peter did not suggest that Baptism be necessary for the forgiveness of sins, rather he was calling people of that generation to get Baptized because that is how they separated themselves from the world. In Mark 16:16 the passage does not say that one has to be baptized to be saved, as condemnation comes from a refusal to believe the gospel, not a refusal to be baptized.


You state in one of your articles the following.


If indeed baptism is the point of present salvation then we dare not leave it out of our preaching of the gospel (that would be preaching another gospel), nor delay baptism for those who are ready, nor compromise on its necessity.

This statement would be condemning my gospel presentation and all the gospel tracts that I use for none state that Baptism is a requirement for salvation. Baptism as I said earlier is what is done in response to one’s salvation but it is not required for salvation. The Moody Handbook of Theology says the following about Baptism. “New Testament baptism had its origin in the command of Christ to make disciples and baptize them (Matt 28:19). In the origination of the ordinance there is a particular order established. The first act was to make disciples, then those disciples were to be baptized. This is the pattern that is carried out in the book of Acts (Enns, 374). Later Enns says that “Baptism means identification and in New Testament baptism involves identification with Christ in his death and resurrection.” So you see in the New Testament the pattern is to come to faith first and then to get Baptized, but it is not Baptism that saves us, nor at Baptism do we receive the forgiveness of sins.


Hope this letter has been of help.



John

 

Depends on the tract. In this case the tract on the blood will help to correct his theology that its "baptism that forgives sins" and the tract on the gospel will correct his view that Baptism should be part of a gospel presentation, as 9 Marks Author Greg Gilbert makes clear in his gospel tract it is not.

This fellow I suspect he is saved, but just has some false views. If I thought he was a false convert or apostate I would have sent a tract on the 10 commandments, and or a tract for false converts/apostates.

http://www.pro-gospel.org/site/blogview2.asp?sec_id=180014816&topic_id=180011348&forum_id=180003854

This blog in in tract form which I regularly mail out to apostates.

 

Would this view be heretical?