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NASB | 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. |
Subject: why is baptism important |
Bible Note: Dear Nolan I have enjoyed many of your comments on other topics I have followed on this forum. 1. In regard to your answer on Mark 16:16 -- You cannot argue baptism out of the first phrase just because it is not repeated in the second. What Jesus says is very simple -- to be saved you must believe and be baptized. These are both requirements of Jesus. To be condemned unbelief alone is sufficient. This is an old and common argument against baptism but if Jesus didn't require us to be baptized before we could be saved why did he say we must? 2. I was sent to preach not to baptize . . . -- I never said baptism is the gospel, but it IS a requirement to take advantage of the redeeming blood of Christ. In the context of the passage you will see that Paul was talking about sectarianism in the Corinthian congregation -- "I am of Peter, I am of Paul, I am of Apolos, I am of Christ". You will notice that he does not say that he did not baptize anyone but that his primary mission was to preach. In Acts, when Paul preaches and people respond and ask "what must I do?" what does Paul tell them? He tells them to get baptized. Baptism is an essential link in the chain of salvation. If this one link is broken then the chain is broken. But, as in any chain, each link could be said to be carrying the load. Each link then in effect saves. Yes, Jesus blood saves us. Yes, grace saves us. Yes, faith saves us. But, as Peter says in 1 Peter 3:21 "baptism also saves us" |