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NASB | Matthew 7:13 ¶ "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 7:13 ¶ "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. |
Subject: Please explain |
Bible Note: Sharp, thank you for your note and comment. As for your question about who John MacArthur is -- well, he's a conservative Bible scholar, pastor and teacher and, in my view, quite an extraordinary and reliable exegist of Scripture. Among his many well-known works is the MacArthur Study Bible (Word Publishing) It was from this publication that I used an excerpt in my post which drew your question about MacArthur's identity. ..... You advance certain points in regard to baptism and -- please don't construe this as an effort to avert the issue -- but I believe that it would not be prudent on this one post to attempt a comprehensive essay on baptism. I say this mainly in view of the fact that there have been any number of posts on this subject before and can be accessed by using the Search function. I will however attempt a brief response to your question, "Was Paul saved in his sins or from his sins, i.e., washed away?" Now I'll use my disclaimer "attempt," because quite honestly I'm not sure we are on the same page on this. It's not clear in my mind what you mean by "in" his sins or "from" his sins. Or by "washed away." So, instead of trying to parse your words, I will make a summary statement of what I believe the Scriptures clearly teach about salvation....... Our salvation is effected solely by one thing, which is our faith in Jesus Christ. This and only this is the way to be saved. Over and over again in the New Testament -- some 200 times over -- belief, or faith, in Christ is stated as the single condition for salvation. Salvation is wholly of God by grace and is offered on the basis of and made possible by the redemptive work of God's Son on the cross. It is given solely -- solely -- on the merit of the shed blood of Jesus Christ -- His substitutionary death for our sins -- and not in any wise on the basis of human merit or works, or on water or anything else. Water did not therefore wash Paul's sins away and neither does it wash ours away. Jesus Christ saves us. Water does not. And now a few "witnesses" -- John 3:14-17; John 5:24; John 6:44-47; Acts 4:12; Rom.5:1-2; Rom.11:6; 1 Cor. 1:21; Eph.2:1-9; John 1:12; Eph.1:7; 1 Pet.1:18,19. --Hank |