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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Is this about water baptism at all? | Acts 2:38 | Morant61 | 77507 | ||
Greetings Dan! You use the example of communion. Yet, 1 Cor. 11 commands us to use these two elements. So, this is not an example of an implied pattern, but an explicit one. But, if one is going to argue that simply because early Christians did something a certain way that we must also, then: 1) We would have to see all of our possessions. 2) We would have to meet only in homes, since they did not have church buildings. 3) We could not drive cars, because they did not. 4) We would have to meet in Jewish synagogues first. 5) Ect.... Christians are not obligated to do something which is not commanded! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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2 | Is this about water baptism at all? | Acts 2:38 | Reformer Joe | 77526 | ||
Tim: I would argue that baptism falls into a completely different category than the examples you mentioned. Nowhere does the Bible command all believers to do at any time any of the things on your list. Baptism is most definitely commanded, and the apostles seemed to understand it as an ordinance tied to the conversion of someone previously outside of God's household. Baptism is equated throughout the biblical history of the church as united to one's profession of faith, and it is the means by which someone visibly joins God's church. While I do not believe in baptismal regeneration any more than you do, I would definitely point to a prompt baptism as the thing for a new, unbaptized convert to receive. I think we as the church are swinging too far to the other extreme of making the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ out to be "nice extras" that one can ultimately take or leave rather than signs and seals of the grace of God. --Joe! |
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3 | Is this about water baptism at all? | Acts 2:38 | Morant61 | 77577 | ||
Greetings Joe! I agree that baptism should be stressed more, but to make a time frame a necessary component, when Scripture does not, would be to go beyond the commands of Scripture. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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4 | Is this about water baptism at all? | Acts 2:38 | Reformer Joe | 77594 | ||
Tim: Where in Scripture do we see that a correct response to obeying God is ever a delayed one? Your fellow heir, ---Joe! |
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5 | Is this about water baptism at all? | Acts 2:38 | Morant61 | 77606 | ||
Greetings Joe! I don't see any verse where one is commanded: "Be baptized in one hour" or "Be batized within 27 1/2 minutes" :-) There simply isn't any time reference given as a command. Now, it is true that in the examples mentioned in Scripture, there did not tend to be much delay. So, I would encourage people to do it as soon as possible, but I would not condemn someone for waiting for a while either. Most of the smaller churches with which I have been associated tend to do baptisms a couple of times a year, as needed. I have no problem with someone who wants to do it immediately either! As I've said, I've even helped to break the ice in the winter to do a baptism. My only issue was that many on this thread were making a time frame a direct command of God, when there is no time frame commanded. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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6 | Is this about water baptism at all? | Acts 2:38 | Reformer Joe | 77627 | ||
Tim: "There simply isn't any time reference given as a command." Agreed (except in the case of Saul). But my question was whether it is prudent to put off a specific command of God. God says, "Be baptized." Is it really consistent with Scripture for a convert to respond, "I will, when I get around to it," or "When I fully understand what baptism represents," or "I really intend to, but not now"? Time frame references are not given with the commands to repent or to abstain from sexual immorality, either, but few would argue that Jesus and Peter could have meant that we are just supposed to repent at some point in the future. "My only issue was that many on this thread were making a time frame a direct command of God, when there is no time frame commanded." While there is no time frame specifically mentioned, it seems that when God says, "Do this," He normally doesn't mean "Whenever it suits you." The other thing is that we join the visible church via baptism. It is a visible mark of our new birth and ingrafting into Christ. And while it isn't the thing itself, I am convinced that there is a union between the sign and the thing signified that under normal circumstances should not be broken. --Joe! |
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