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NASB | 1 John 5:6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 5:6 This is He who came through water and blood [His baptism and death], Jesus Christ--not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. It is the [Holy] Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. [He is the essence and origin of truth itself.] |
Subject: What does baptism consist? |
Bible Note: Greetings Tim! Good morning my fellow Tim! In your post you said, "Since sin has to be removed and baptism is the mechanism for that I cannot see how one can be saved without it." This is the point where we would disagree. Allow me to lay out my basic approach to this issue and then I will respond to your point with a couple of Scriptures. 1) My basic approach to the question of baptismal regeneration is this. a) Clear statements of Scripture take precedent over less clear statements. We know that there are many references which state that salvation is through faith alone. We also know that there are many references which state that works play no part in our salvation. Therefore, there cannot be any work that we do that adds to or iniates our salvation. b) The arguments made for baptismal regeneration are basically the same arguments made by the Judaizers for circumsision being necessary for salvation. Whole books of the Bible were written to refute that position. I think the arguments apply as well to this issue. 2) Now to Scripture! When are our sins forgiven and is baptism the crucial element in forgiveness of sins? I believe that all of our sins are forgiven at the cross - objectively. Subjectively, we receive that forgiveness at the moment of faith. Consider the following verses and notice that baptism is not mentioned in them. a) Acts 10:43 - " All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”" b) Eph. 1:7 - "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace." c) Rom. 3:24 - "and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—" d) Luke 24:47 - "and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." e) Acts 3:19 - "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord," f) Acts 13:38 - "‘‘Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." There are others as well. But the crucial point is that not one of these verses mention baptism. So, evidently baptism is not essential to salvation. I really believe that this is an important issue. If what you are saying is correct, then salvation is faith plus a work. Yet, Scripture emphatically states that salvation is not by works (Eph. 2:8-10). At the same time, while there are verses which mention baptism in connection with forgiveness, there isn't a single verse which says, "you must be baptized to be saved!" The conclusion I have come to is that baptism is not essential to salvation, but is something which every Christian is commanded to do after they are saved! I hope this post made sense! I just got home from work and I am very sleepy! :-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |