Misconceptions Of Salvation #1 Baptism. Hello again friends, welcome back to the Doctrinal Survival Guide. In the first couple of blogs we dealt with The Nature of God, namely Misconceptions Of God. In the next couple of blogs, we are going to deal with The Nature of Salvation, namely Misconceptions Of Salvation. However, in this blog we are going to deal with Baptism Regeneration; the belief that baptism is either what saves you, or is part of the process that brings about your salvation. Lets jump in. There is a growing number of movements and denominations within Christiandom that have always taught, or have begun teaching, that baptism is a necessary requirement for salvation. In this chapter, I would like to explore this claim via the scriptures. All references to baptism, prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus, would still be Old Covenant baptism, of which references cannot be applied to the New Testament church, or us today. This is because Christ had fulfilled the law for us, causing Jewish baptisms, and the baptism of John the Baptist to become null and void. (Luke 3:21, Luke 3:7, Luke 3:12, Mark 1:4, John 1:28, John 3:23, John 10:40, John 1:31, John 3:26, Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:5, Luke 7:30, John 3:22, John 4:2, Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:3, John 1:26) Many point to Acts 2 and Acts 8:36-38 as indication that baptism is a requirement for salvation. There are a couple of problems, however, with using these scriptures for this point. We will examine those here. Acts 2:38 This scripture does not point to Gentile (Non-Jewish) baptism at all. Only Jews are commanded and receive baptism Also, Peter replied, “Repent AND be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. AND you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The word here for AND is the Greek word KAI which means and, even, or also. the word for for in Acts 2:38 is eis this same word in Mark 1:38 does not mean in order to attain but rather because: He said to them, Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for. In this verse eis cannot be understood as follows: He said to them, Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; in order to attain that is what I came for. But rather, He said to them, Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; because that is what I came for. The reason Jesus came was to preach. The reason we get baptized is the remission of sins. We agree on that, but is that reason the attaining of the remissions of sins, or is that reason because we have the remission of sins? Remission of sins is the cause of the baptism not its effect. If I hit my friend and he said what was that for I would answer for making me mad. My anger wasnt the effect of me hitting him, it was the cause of it. Understanding these things, Acts 2:38 is understood as follows: Repent even/also be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for because of the forgiveness of your sins even/also you will receive the gift of the holy spirit. Repent even/also be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ as the result of the forgiveness of your sins even/also you will receive the gift of the holy spirit. Repent even/also be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for because you have the forgiveness of your sins even/also you will receive the gift of the holy spirit. Recap of Point 1: In Acts 2, Peter tells the fellow Jews and people of Jerusalem to listen. In Acts 2:16-21 he quotes Joel, which Jews would have been familiar with and most likely have memorized. In Acts 2:22, he speaks of the Gentiles in third person, as if they were not there, but the Jews in first person. In vs 25-36 he speaks of David and again quotes the Old Testament and again speaks of the Jews using first person. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. The Jews were cut to the heart and asked what they should do. He told them to be baptized and then they would receive the gift of the holy spirit. Then, he goes on to say This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles. If the Gentiles were there, this sentiment is senseless. Some translations render it as all who are far off. I will come back to this point a little later, but for now we move on to Acts 8. Acts 8:14-17 In Acts 8, it says, When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. Samaria was also Jewish. This passage is regarding what took place at Samaria, with the Samaritans and not with the Gentile believers. The holy spirit was not given at baptism nor immediately after baptism, so these Samaritans were not saved in the new testament sense as a result of baptism. Ergo, baptism doesnt save. Although, I believe that these people would have went to heaven if they would have died before receiving the holy spirit, because they are said to have accepted the word of God and are identified as believers. So why didnt those in Samaria receive the holy spirit upon faith in Jesus? Simple. The Jews and the Samaritans were opposed to one another. The Jews considered Samaritans half-breeds, because they were not fully Jewish, and they considered them pagan, because they didnt worship where/how the Jews thought they should. There might have been some truth to the accusations of paganism as the Samaritans most likely mixed in pagan and mystic beliefs and practices into their Judaism. Samaritans were not accepted by the Jews as Jews and therefore would have not been accepted by them as true believers either, even if they would accept the true word of God. We have evidence in the old and new testament that Jews largely thought that the Messiah and salvation was only for the Jews. Salvation is of the Jews they would say and the Jews were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also (Acts 10:45). Why? Because salvation is of the Jews, they didnt know it was for the Samaritans and they definitely didnt know it was for the Gentiles. Thats why things had to be said like and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. Salvation is for everyone, including the Samaritans and the Gentiles! So God delayed the holy spirit from coming to Samaria so that it would be authenticated to the Jews that what was happening among the Samaritans was the same thing that was happening among the Jews and not some new half-breed pagan-laden religion that the Samaritans started to follow. God needed to show them that it wasnt fake, that it was of God, that it was of the same God, that it was the same gospel. Thats why it says, When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. They had to go make sure it was authentic, and how would everyone else know that it was authenticated? How would it be obvious and undeniable that it was authenticated? By them receiving the holy spirit through the hands of the apostles. This was a one time event that God did to bring unity between the Jews and the Samaritans. This is not a normal experience for believers today. It is not a normative experience for us today nor is it a formula of salvation. It was a specific happening for specific people for a very specific reason. Lets see what other commentators say: Many interpreters would say that even if the Samaritans were already true believers and the Holy Spirit was given in two stages, this was not meant to be normative for all Christians. Instead it was an exceptional pattern so that (for example) the Jewish apostles would come down to Samaria and signify by their laying on of hands that there is oneness between the Samaritan and Jewish church in spite of age old hostilities between Jews and Samaritans. - John Piper (desiringgod.org/sermons/what-does-it-mean-to-receive-the-holy-spirit) The role of the apostles as witnesses and the early criticism of Gentile inclusion into the church shed light on the sending of Peter and John. As apostles, they were commissioned to legitimate or disprove the validity and continuity of the work in Samaria. In effect, they were sent to find out whether or not the work being done among the Samaritans was consistent with that in Jerusalem. We see this same question arise when Paul and his companions travel to Jerusalem to report about their work among the Gentiles. This is also why it was so important that Peter preach to the Gentiles (Acts 10) Even he had to report back to the other apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 11) in order to prove continuity between what the Spirit was doing in Judea and what He was doing elsewhere - Matt Chandler (thevillagechurch.net/the-village-blog/dealing-with-difficult-texts-acts-814-25/) In light of this understanding of the context, I think that Peter and John went to Samaria as apostolic leaders in order to examine the ministry there and give approval The sign that accompanied the consistency of the message was the giving of the Holy Spirit I believe that the Holy Spirit was not given to the Samarians at the time of their justification/regeneration as He is with believers today in order to allow the apostles to show up as witnesses and to prove that what was happening in Samaria was explicitly connected with that which was occurring in Jerusalem Had the apostles not authenticated the work in Samaria, people would have thought that the works in Samaria were disconnected with those in Judea, that the work among the Samaritans was different from the work among the Jews. Such thoughts would have only fostered the centuries old wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles (see Ephesians 2:11-22). Instead, we find that they are explicitly connected and are both of the same Spirit working throughout the book of Acts. - Matt Chandler (same website) In reading through Acts, it is always good to remember that things were being hashed out within a perplexed periphery of believers around a core of apostles who themselves were at times unsure of how to proceed The book is therefore much more descriptive than prescriptive in its approach. To take what the Bible describes and to prescribe it or to attempt to apply that particular narrative outside of that particular context is dangerous interpretation. The problem with attempting to apply the particulars of the experience of the Samaritans in Acts 8 to believers today is that we have explicit testimony from the Scriptures that this kind of event will not occur. Paul writes in Romans 8:9 that anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. According to this passage, the test of whether or not someone is a Christian is whether or not he or she has the indwelling Spirit. To claim that it is now possible to be a true believer and yet devoid of the Spirit is to contradict what Paul writes in Romans. Acts is a book about transition and should be read as such. Romans reveals a very explicit statement about the universality of the Spirits indwelling presence in every believer and this revelation must be affirmed today. - Matt Chandler (same website) The syncretism and the mixed race of the post-Assyrian-exile Samaritans (2 Kings 17:24-41), together with the reciprocal reprisals against both Mt. Gerizim and Jerusalem worship centers in intertestamental times (Josephus Jewish Antiquities 13.255-58; 18.29), so heightened prejudice and animosity between Jew and Samaritan that the best that could be said for their relations in the first century was Jews do not associate with Samaritans (Jn 4:9)........... News reaches the apostles in Jerusalem that Samaria has accepted the word of God (compare Lk 8:13; Acts 11:1; 17:11). The apostles send two of their number, Peter and John, to Samaria. When they arrive, they discover that the gift of the Holy Spirit has not been given. They immediately pray to the Lord (compare Lk 11:13) that the Spirit may fall on the Samaritan believers. As they lay hands on them, the Samaritan believers receive the Holy Spirit. ....The clear teaching of the apostles and their customary practice is that the giving of the Spirit is a birthright of every Christian, received at conversion (Acts 2:38; 1 Cor 12:3, 13). Acts gives no consistent pattern for a second-stage giving of the Spirit by apostolic laying on of hands, as Roman and Anglo Catholic teaching on confirmation would assert, or with extraordinary manifestations such as prophesying and speaking in tongues, as Pentecostal and charismatic teaching on baptism with the Spirit would contend (Acts 8:14-17; 10:44-48; 16:31-34; 19:1-6). Therefore the Samaria experience must be viewed as extraordinary, not normative. - Bible Gateway- ( https://biblegateway/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Acts/Samaria-Responds-Gospel) But why does God sovereignly delay the coming of the Spirit in this case? In order to preserve the unity of the church and the integrity of the churchs crosscultural mission to all nations in the face of the inbred animosity between Jew and Samaritan. If God had not withheld his Spirit until the Jerusalem apostles came, converts on both sides of the cultural barrier might have found Christ without finding each other. Neither Samaritan nor Jewish Christians would have been assured that the Samaritans were truly regenerate and the spiritual equals of regenerate Jews (compare Acts 15:8-11). What Luke teaches us, then, is that the unity of the church and the unhindered advance of its mission into all cultures is so important to God that he will delay giving to a converted people what is their birthright, the salvation blessing of the Spirit, in order to ensure that these realities will be fully preserved. So the church today should deal with the matter of the Spirits coming from the same standpoint.- Bible Gateway (same site as above) Acts 8:34-40 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. This event proves only his desire to get baptized, and not the requirement of baptism for salvation. Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized? He doesnt act like it is a requirement, he acts like it is a privilege. Acts 10:44-48 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days This is the first time Gentiles received the Holy Spirit in all of history, since they did not receive it at Pentecost. (Again, just like the Samaritans, the Gentiles are being authenticated by God to the Jews) The Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit before being baptized, which means the Gentiles are saved in the New Testament sense of being indwelt with the Holy Spirit before receiving water baptism. Peter asks the same question that the eunuch asks. (Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized) as he asked, Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did? For the Non-Jewish Gentile believers, salvation/indwelling of the spirit came without baptism and before baptism. In addition to that, Peter asks if there is anything preventing them from being baptized. It was inquired about as an optional action. After no one objected, it says that Peter gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Mark 16:15-16 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. This command doesnt seem to be a consistent command, for if it was it would say, whoever believes and is baptized will be saved but whoever does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned implying belief is what is necessary for salvation and not baptism. The word and in this verse is translated from the word kai which can mean and, even, also, namely, both, but, for, if, or, so. But implies being baptized in spite of believing. For implies that you only believe to be baptized. Or says you can believe without being baptized and be saved, or you can be baptized without believing and be saved. If and And are not possibilities, in light of other scriptures that teach saved by faith alone (Romans 3:28, Rom. 4:5, Romans 5:1 Rom. 9:30, Rom. 10:4, Rom. 11:6, Galatians 3:24, Gal. 2:16, Gal. 2:21, Phil. 3:9, Ephesians 2:8-9) And so indicates that you get baptized because you believe, which is accurate. But I think that the most accurate translation of kai in this verse is even. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes even is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. This verse is talking about Jews AND Gentiles He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes (Gentiles) even is baptized (Jews) will be saved, but whoever does not believe (whether Jew or Gentile) will be condemned. Here is the same verse translated straight from the Greek to English. He that having believed (Gentiles) even (kai) having been baptized (Jews) will be saved this (one) however having disbelieved will be condemned. Hes talking about the Gentiles who didnt know about baptism... Jews, however, got baptized to become Jews. So to prove the seriousness of their conversion, i.e. that they were actually committed to their faith in Jesus, they were baptized (Acts 2 etc) and will be baptized. (Mark 16) The proof of their conversion was baptism. Baptism was not the cause of their conversion. They were publicly showing their death to the law (Romans 7:4) and repenting for rejecting their own Messiah. (Acts 2) Even if you reject my idea that this verse is talking about Gentiles and then Jews in their respective contexts, the fact remains the same that faith alone saves, and if we believe we will get baptized and will be saved, but if we dont believe we will not be baptized and will be condemned. __________________________________________________________ Water baptism was only necessary up until Christ. Galatians 3:15-29 (NLT)- Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesnt say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. Galatians 4:1-7 (NLT) Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings —external regulations applying until the time of the new order.- Hebrews 9:10 _________________________________________________________ Spiritual Baptism Necessary Since Christ. Matthew 3:11 (NLT)- “I baptize with those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire Mark 1:8 (NLT)- I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” Luke 3:16 (NLT)- John answered their questions by saying, I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John 1:26- (NLT) John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize John 1:33 (NLT) I didnt know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 12:13- (NLT) Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Acts 1:5- (NLT) John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit Acts 11-16 (NLT)- Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ The Water Baptism of Acts 8: Acts 8:12- 13 (NLT): But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed. In the scripture they were in Samaria. The men and women who got baptized in water here (indicated by the word baptistheis) were Jews. Simon was a Samaritan also and was therefore Jewish. Also whether or not they were Jewish, they were following a command and this does not mean that baptism is a requirement for salvation but a command. Other baptisms in Acts: It is unlikely that any of these following verses mean water baptism, since water is not specified in any translation of the bible like it is in Acts 10:47 (NIV)- Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. and Acts 6:36 (NIV)- And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. Acts 8:14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. Samaria was Jewish, and water baptism was their way of proving the seriousness of their conversion, i.e. that they were actually committed to their faith in Jesus, as well as publicly showing their death to the law (Romans 7:4) and repenting for rejecting their own Messiah (Acts 2), as we said above. This is merely telling you what happened, not teaching that water baptism is necessary for salvation. Acts 16:15(NLT) On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. This verse is talking about being spiritually baptized into Christ for salvation, because water is not mentioned, and the word here for baptism is ebaptisthē, which does not indicate water baptism, but rather being baptized into something, i.e. repentance, Christ etc, but even if this is water baptism it is still following a command and this does not teach that water baptism is necessary for salvation. She is identified as a true believer, i.e. saved. Acts 16:31-34 (NLT) They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. This is referring to being baptized spiritually into Christ for salvation, because water is not mentioned, and the word here for baptism is ebaptisthē (into) something. i.e. repentance, Christ etc, but even if this is water baptism it is still following a command, not teaching that water baptism is necessary for salvation. _________________________________________________________ SECTION 2 PAULS MINISTRY Pauls message came from God and he was sent to the Gentiles, not the Jews; that was Peters calling. Galatians 1: 11-12 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 2:6-8 (NLT) And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles. Galatians 2:9-10 (NLT) In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do. Galatians 2:1-3 (NLT)Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile. Galatians 1:15-16 (NLT) But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. __________________________________________________________ Paul didnt preach baptism I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) For Christ didnt send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.1 Corinthians 1:14-17 (NLT) ________________________________________________________ Paul preached belief alone/ the cross of Christ Galatians 3:1-7,10-11 (NLT) Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” Galatians 3:21-22 (NLT) Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. Galatians 5 11-12 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves. ___________________________________________________________ Paul rebuked people/ Peter for turning back to the old ways Galatians 1:6--10,13 (NLT) I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. Galatians 2:4-5 (NLT) Even that question came up only because of some so-called Christians there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you. Galatians 2:11-16 (NLT) But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldnt eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” Peter and Paul had both discarded the Jewish laws and were living in the grace of God, just as the Gentiles were, but Paul rebuked Peter for lying to his Jewish friends by refusing to eat with the Gentiles while they were around, to make it seem like he was still following all of the Jewish traditions, even though he was indeed not following all of the Jewish traditions like he used to. In addition, apparently after his Jewish friends left, he tried to convince the Gentiles to follow the Jewish traditions, so he could follow Christ, but still appeal to his religious friends. Paul was different than Peter in three aspects: He made it clear to the Jewish followers of the Way that he was free from the Jewish law and was not required to obey it. for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws Instead of making the Gentiles obey the Jewish law, he tried to persuade the ones who were trying to obey the Jewish law to live in freedom, like he was. I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things He made it clear that although he is free from the law, he makes himself a slave, to win as many as possible (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). That to the Jews he becomes a Jew, to those under the law he becomes like one who is under the law, and to those who do not have the law he becomes like one who doesnt have the law. To the weak he becomes weak, and he does this to save some and for the sake of the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). In other words, he would observe the Jewish traditions when he was with the Jews, and he would not observe them when he was with those without these traditions (aka... the Gentiles). He would not lie to the Jews or the Gentiles about his association with the other group, nor his involvement in their traditions or choices of conscience. He made it clear that since he is free from the law, he can partake of Jewish traditions or not and this does not affect his relationship with God or his salvation, because it is based on grace and the work of Christ. GALATIANS 4:1- 12 (NLT) Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws Now, remember in Acts 2 and Acts 8, Peter commanded Jews to be baptized. In Acts 10, however, he commanded that the Gentile believers be baptized, although baptism was a Jewish tradition. Peter was commanding it to the Gentiles and now Paul rebukes him for making Jewish traditions required for Gentile believers. Paul himself was so concerned that many may start to think that baptism was the gospel, that he stopped baptizing: I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) For Christ didnt send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. 1 Corinthians 1:14-17 __________________________________________________________ The Gentiles were saved by belief alone Galatians 3:8-9 (NLT) What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. Galatians 3:13-14 (NLT) But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. ______________________________________________________________ Gentiles adopted by faith All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3-8 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:12-14 Ephesians 2:11-18 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. ___________________________________________________________ ANSWERING EXAMPLES. New Covenant baptisms for the Jews Acts 2:41- Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. ---------- This was at Pentecost, at which only Jews were present. The Jews, by being baptized, were proving the seriousness of their conversion, i.e. that they were actually committed to their faith in Jesus, as well as publicly showing their death to the law (Romans 7:4) and repenting for rejecting their own Messiah (Acts 2) as we said above. This is merely telling you what happened not teaching that water baptism is necessary for salvation. Acts 9:18- Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized --------- This does not specify water baptism, so it was very likely that it was the baptism of the holy spirit into Christ (salvation). But even if it was water baptism, Paul was a Jew. So he was baptized for the same reason the Jews at Pentecost were-- to prove the seriousness of his conversion, i.e. that he was actually committed to his new found faith in Jesus, as well as publicly show his death to the law (Romans 7:4) and repent for rejecting his own Messiah (Acts 2). Acts 22:14-16 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’ ----------- This was Paul recounting what happened to him in Acts 9:18, where water baptism was not specified as it is in other scriptures (Acts 10:47 and Acts 6:36 ), so it was very likely the baptism of the holy spirit into Christ (salvation). But even if it was water baptism, Paul was a Jew, so he was baptized for the same reason the Jews at Pentecost were-- to prove the seriousness of his conversion, i.e. that he was actually committed to his new found faith in Jesus, as well as publicly show his death to the law (Romans 7:4) and repent for rejecting his own Messiah (Acts 2). Acts 18:8- Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized. ---------- Again, not specified as water, and even if it was water, Crispus and his family were Jews, and the believers at Corinth could have possibly been Jews. However, even if they were not, this does not prove baptism is necessary for salvation, simply that it was a followed command. New Covenant Gentile Baptism Acts 19:1-6- While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.” Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. ----------------- This does not prove baptism is necessary for salvation, simply that it was a followed command.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 01:32:07 +0000
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