Baptism
Acts 16:33: And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family.
1 Corinthians 1:16: I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.
Acts 16:15: And when she was baptized, with her household, she besought us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.
Sometimes whole families were baptized, no doubt even including children. Such is the record of the Scriptures and the early Catholic traditions.
Mark 16:16: "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
Matthew 28:18-20: And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
Those who had reached the age of reason, like adults, had to profess faith in Christ and his Church as a prerequisite for baptism. As for infants, the faith of their parents and the believing community would suffice until that day that they would claim the faith fully as their inheritance. Baptism for children is very important so that the soul might be cleansed of original sin and supplanted with supernatural grace.
John 3:5: Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
Baptism is the sacrament of salvation, making possible our entry into the kingdom of God.
posted by Father Joe Jenkins | 8:34 PM
1 Comments:
Acts 16:33: And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family.
You join the choir of the Campbellites, Pentecostals, Holiness, Mormon, Russellites, and Episcopalians.
I know you try to use this verse to prove baptism for infants. Baptism in city water doesn't save a person. It is BELIEVING ON the Lord Jesus Christ that saves, not water.
Let's read it in context.
"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." (Acts 16:30-34)
God's Holy Spirit convicts men of sin (John 16:8), and the ONLY sin that damns a man is the sin of UNBELIEF (John 16:9), NOT lack of water (Mark 16:16).
Now, the answer to being saved is found in verse 31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...."
Now, Paul and Silas said they must BELIEVE ON the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.
Now, as far as "and thy house." Notice Acts 16 where the Philippian jailor believed BEFORE he was baptized (vs. 34), and no one in his house was baptized without first believing ("believing in God WITH ALL HIS HOUSE" vs 34.)
The text said BELIEVING in God with ALL HIS HOUSE" (vs. 34). And the word was spoken to all of these (vs. 32) before any of them believed. Before they all sat down to eat "they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." Those people got some preaching.
Nobody gets saved until they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. An infant or a young child who is not at the age of understanding, cannot believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, nor will the "faith of their parents" help.
Did you find a passage where the thief on the cross was baptised in water? According to your doctrine, he would be in Hell.
1 Corinthians 1:16: I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.
City water doesn't save anyone. If water baptism saves, then Paul as well as Jesus was misinformed.
"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." (1 Cor. 1:17)
Acts 16:15: And when she was baptized, with her household, she besought us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.
Belief on the Lord Jesus Christ must come first for a person to be saved. You can baptize anyone you want, and it still doesn't take away sin, nor does it save anyone.
Mark 16:16: "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
Note that it's not the lack of city water that damns the person, it's UNBELIEF ("but he that believeth not shall be damned," it doesn't say "but he that believeth not and is not baptized shall be damned.")
Matthew 28:18-20: And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
Again, city water doesn't cleanse any type of sin. It is the BLOOD OF CHRIST that cleanses us from sin.
"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" -Eph. 1:7
"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." - Eph. 2:13
"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" -Col. 1:14
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." - Heb. 9:12
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus," -Heb. 10:19
Note there is nothing in there about city water.
John 3:5: Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
Just because one sees the word "water," he automatically assumes it means "baptism." That is not what the verse says. If God meant "baptism," He would have had it inserted here. God was careful not to place the word "baptism" anywhere in that chapter. Even Nicodemus did not mistake this "water" for baptism.
Nicodemus, being a Jew, knew full well what Jesus meant when He said "water." Nicodemus, a Jew, recognized a water birth as the first birth.
"Except a man be born of water...(John 3:5)
"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life." (Gen. 1:20)
"drink waters out of thine own cistern...Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad...Let they fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth." (Prov. 5:15-16, 18)
"Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah..." (Isa. 48:1).
The first thing that brings forth life is water. As said above, Nicodemus knew full well what Jesus was talking about because he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" (John 3:4).
Nicodemus recognized the "first birth." All natural births are preceded by water. When the "water breaks," the child is ready to be born. And verse 6 gives us this confirmation that the first birth is exactly what Jesus was talking about where He said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (This also knocks out the Calvinists theory who think they are chosen and saved in eternity...before Genesis 1:1).
Obviously a person is "born of water." At some point in his/her life they must realize and admit they are a sinner (Rom. 3:23) and that they are incapable of earning salvation through good works and religious acts (Eph. 2:8,9). This leaves them with one sobering thought, that they are bound for eternal punishment in Hell when they die (Romans 6:23, Rev. 21:8). Now, it's up to the person if he will be humble enough in his heart to accept what Jesus Christ did for them at the cross, through His death, burial and resurrection as full payment for all of their sins, and trust Him alone to save them from Hell and take them to Heaven when they die (Rom. 10:9,13, Eph. 1:7).
Jenkins: "Baptism is the sacrament of salvation, making possible our entry into the kingdom of God."
No, Jesus said, "..Ye must be born again." (John 3:7) "That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."(John 3:6)
Man is born once of water, in the flesh.
He needs to be born again, of the Spirit, from above.
Reposted for SANDY HOOPER
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