Chapter 11, Baptism, Calvinism in the Light of God's Word

"For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men..." Titus 2:11

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. 3:24

"But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they." Acts 15:11

"For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory." Eph. 2:8-9

"For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory." Eph. 2:8-9

"Not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit..." Titus 3:5

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ... Ye must be born anew." John 3:5, 7

"And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved..." Mark 16:15-16

"And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

"And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved..." Mark 16:15-16

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name." Acts 22:16

"Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" Rom. 6:3

"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ." Gal. 3:27

"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ." Gal. 3:27

Q.6 Does GOD'S WORD teach that God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism?

And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

"And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey him." Acts 5:32

Q.7 Does GOD'S WORD teach that it is necessary for one to be baptized in order to enter the kingdom of God?

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5

"Which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ..." I Pet. 3:21

Q.9 Does GOD'S WORD teach that when we are baptized we are added to the church by the Lord?

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls...
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Acts 2:41, 47 AV

Q.10 Does GOD'S WORD teach that in baptism our old man or nature is put to death and buried?

"Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death ... For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him ... Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus." Rom. 6:3-11

Q.11 Does GOD'S WORD teach that in baptism we are raised to walk in newness of life and to be alive unto God?

"We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life ... Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus." Rom. 6:4, 11

Q.12 Does GOD'S WORD teach that baptism is a form of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and that when sinners obey this form of teaching, they are delivered and made free from their past sins?

"We who were baptized...
Our old man was crucified...
We were buried...
Like as Christ was raised … so we also might walk in newness of life ... Whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form (or pattern) of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. Rom. 6:3-8, 17-18

Q.13 Does GOD'S WORD teach that the gospel is the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for sinners, and that in baptism man obeys this gospel in order to benefit from Christ's sacrifice?

"The gospel which I preached unto you ... by which also ye are saved ... That Christ died ... and that he was buried ... and that he hath been raised..." I Cor. 15:1-4

"And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved..." Mark 16:15-16

"What shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?" I Pet. 4:17

"Inflaming fire, rendering vengeance ... to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might..." II Thess." 1:7-9

Q.14 Does GOD'S WORD teach that what happens at baptism causes men to rejoice?

"And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing." Acts 8:38-39

"And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God." Acts 16:33-34

Q.15 Does GOD'S WORD teach that even sinless Jesus in taking the sinner's place, had to be baptized to fulfil all righteousness?

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water." Matt. 3:13-16

Q.16 Does GOD'S WORD teach that Jesus, who was given all authority, commanded baptism?

"And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matt. 28:18-19

Q.17 Does GOD'S WORD teach that the apostles of Jesus commanded men to be baptized?

"And he (Peter) commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." Acts 10:48

Q.18 Does GOD'S WORD teach that we reject the counsel of God when we refuse to have ourselves baptized?

"But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected for themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him." Luke 7:30

Q.19 Does GOD'S WORD teach that baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God?

"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." I Pet. 3:21 AV

Q.20 Does GOD'S WORD teach that baptism is the washing by which the Spirit regenerates and renews the repentant believer?

"Not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit..." Titus 3:5

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5

Requirements of GOD'S WORD

Baptism	Immersion	Sprinkling
Water - Acts 8:36	Yes	Yes
Much water - John 3:23	Yes	No
A going into the water - Acts 8:36	Yes	No
A going down into the water - Acts 8:38	Yes	No
Both the baptizer and the one to be baptized going down into the water - Acts 8:38-39	Yes	No
A burial - Rom. 6:4	Yes	No
A planting - Rom. 6:4 AV	Yes	No
A resurrection - Col. 2:12	Yes	No
A birth - John 3:5-7	Yes	No
Body washed - Heb. 10:22	Yes	No
A coming up out of the water - Matt. 3:16, Acts 8:39	Yes	No

Q. Does GOD'S WORD teach that believing and repenting are always to preceed baptism?

"And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned." Mark 16:15-16

"And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

"But when they (the Samaritans) believed Philip preaching good tidings ... they were baptized..." Acts 8:12

"And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? (And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.) And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him." Acts 8:36-38

"And he (the jailor) called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with 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, immediately. And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God." Acts 16:29-34

Q. Where in GOD'S WORD do we find one example of a person who was baptized before he believed and repented?

Q. Does GOD'S WORD teach that households heard the WORD, believed, were baptized, and rejoiced because they were saved?

"And brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with 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, immediately. And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God." Acts 16:30-34

"And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." Acts 18:8

Q. Since babies today cannot hear, believe, and rejoice, what proof do we have from GOD'S WORD that the babies in Philippi and Corinth could hear, believe, and rejoice?

"And having found the disciples, we tarried there (at Tyre) seven days ... And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days, we departed and went on our journey; and they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were out of the city..." Acts 21:4-5

"They therefore that were scattered abroad, went about preaching the word. And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did ... But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." Acts 8:4-6, 12

Q. Why did Luke the inspired writer mention "children" at such an unimportant event as when the Christians at Tyre brought Paul on his way, but did not mention "children" when the people in the city of Samaria heard the gospel, believed and were baptized?

Q. If small children were baptized in Samaria, why did he not refer to them with the "men and women" in Acts 8:12?

"And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women..." Acts 5:14

Q. Since Matt. 28:18 teaches that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, where in GOD'S WORD do we find His command to us to sprinkle babies?

Q. From GOD'S WORD, can you give the names of some apostles and others who sprinkled babies?

Q. From GOD'S WORD, can you give the names of some babies who were sprinkled?

Q. According to GOD'S WORD, how many baptisms do we have in this present gospel age?

"Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son." II John 9

"Jesus... said
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:44, 48

Published in The Old Paths Archive (http://www.oldpaths.com)

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)