Will you spend eternity with JESUS? ******************************* What did Jesus mean You must be Born Again? How is that accomplished? Do we have to be Born Again today in 2016 to go to heaven? Has the method changed to be Born Again since the time Peter told the world what everyone must do? ********************************************** Jesus started the whole discussion and teaching about being Born Again when He interrupted Nicodemus in John chapter 3 to tell him he must be Born Again of the water and of the Spirit to ENTER or SEE the Kingdom of God. We don t even know what Nicodemus came to talk to Him about! So, if Jesus stopped Nicodemus in the middle of his thought, what He had to say trumped all other subjects and it requires our undivided attention and study to ensure we understand what Jesus is telling him! Nicodemus question to Jesus was: HOW? Can he enter the second time into his mother s womb and be born? Seems like a legitimate question right?! This is where Jesus is going to qualify the difference between natural birth and Spiritual birth. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. There is water and spirit in both births, natural (flesh) and Spiritual, more on that later. Jesus didn t say anything else about being born of the water but, he did go on to give us a little more insight or hint about being Born of the Spirit, more on that later also. This wasn t just for Nicodemus! The whole plan of salvation for the whole world to spend eternity with Jesus in the Kingdom of God hangs on these words you must be Born Again! The very words denote action on our part! Jesus didn t complete His teaching on the subject, He just started it. He left the rest of the job to the Apostles. ***From this point on, we must pay close attention to what the Apostles say that includes water & Spirit *** The great commission of Jesus to the Apostles according to Matthew 28:19 is "Baptizing them in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" the emphasis being on the NAME, singular. If I am to baptize a person in the name of the Son of God, the command is to use His name, not to repeat the words that Jesus said. Everyone knows the name of the Son of God is Jesus. Since the Roman Council of Nicea in 325 AD, many in the world today do not know the name of the Father and the name of the Holy Ghost because of the deception the church of Rome perpetrated on the world. But we must find what that name is since Father, Son and Holy Ghost are not proper names, but titles or offices held by the name holder.
Mark recorded Jesus commission in a different manner in chapter 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned". Notice there is action that takes place when Jesus talks about believing and He puts baptism as part of salvation, not because of salvation as some theologians teach. Notice He did not say he that is saved shall be baptized The reason He said he that believeth not shall be damned is because unbelief will keep one from obedience. More on the subject of believing and water baptism later on from the Apostles. The great commission according to Luke in chapter 24:47 Jesus said "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in HIS NAME among ALL nations beginning at Jerusalem. Again Jesus taught the disciples the emphasis is to be on HIS NAME. Jesus said this in Matt 16:15-19 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (18) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (19) And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Jesus was going to use Peter to lay the foundation of the church and the gates of HELL was not going to be able to prevail against it because JESUS is the foundation, THE CHIEF CORNER STONE, THE UNMOVEABLE ROCK OF AGES, and all of hell CANNOT be victorious in destroying THE ROCK the CHURCH is built upon! JESUS, is the foundation of the church for ALL to build their salvation on and there would be NO change in what Peter was going to instruct the whole world what everyone must do to be part of God s church and Kingdom, it has not changed from the day that Peter utter those words on the Day of Pentecost! It is the PLAN OF GOD for HIS church! Peter broke the Gospel to the whole world, what must be done to be BORN AGAIN, the birth of the church and new birth for whosoever will. In his message you will find he spoke of water & SPIRIT just as Jesus told Nicodemus! THE STARTING OF THE GREAT COMMISSION Matt: 28.19 Mark 16:16 Luke 24:47 Acts 2:38 Jesus taught the Apostles for 40 days straight after he arose from the dead and just 10 days after He ascended into heaven we find Peter and the Apostles telling the world how to be saved in Acts chapter 2.
Just as Jesus commanded in Luke 24:47, we find Peter on the Day of Pentecost, in Jerusalem, preaching to the Jews first, repentance and remission of sins in Jesus name exactly as he was commanded! THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH, THE VERY FIRST INSTRUCTIONS on HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN of the water and Spirit! Question for thought: If we were taught by God Himself what He wanted us to preach to a lost and dying world His plan for them to be saved and spend eternity with Him, do you think we would have complete understanding of His instructions to enable us to get it right? Did the Apostles have that complete understanding and get it right? (Read Luke 1:3) If so, why has it been changed from their original instructions on what we must do to be saved in the book of Acts, the birth of God s Church, to what is being preached in Christendom today how to obtain salvation? Did God somewhere in the Scriptures change His plan of salvation to a different process from what He told Peter to preach? If so, where in the Scriptures can it be found? When one reads Acts chapter 2 we will find Peter telling them to be baptized in the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost (Remember what Jesus said about born of water to Nicodemus?) In chapter 8 we will find Philip had baptized many in the city of Samaria in the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost (born of water). Again in chapter 10 we find that Peter baptized Cornelius and his whole house in the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost (born of water). We find Paul in chapter 19 re-baptizing the twelve disciples he found in Ephesus in the in the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost (born of water) because they were not baptized correctly. We also find Paul in chapter 22 telling of his conversion quoting Ananias saying And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the NAME of the Lord. (Born of the Water) THAT NAME IS JESUS!
Jesus commanded in Matt. 28:19 Baptizing them in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Jesus commanded in Luke 24:47 telling us what that name is He wanted us to use: That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. **JESUS LEFT NO QUESTION WHAT THAT NAME IS ** Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12 OK, so where was the name of Jesus mentioned in the instructions given to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, the first time the Gospel message was ever preached to the world by the Apostle that had the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven telling us what we must do to be saved? Acts 2:38 *** Repent no mention of His name there *** *** You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost no mention of His name there *** ** Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ** Baptism, where we take on the family name of God JESUS, Rom 6:3, Gal 3:27. Eph 3:15 The way to be Born of the Water as Jesus told Nicodemus he had to be to enter or even see the Kingdom of God! Col 2:12-14 Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Rom 6:3, Col 2:12 Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Gal 3:27 Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Col 2:11-13 Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12. Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Mk 1:4, Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38 Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Mk 16:16, 1 Pet 3:20-21 Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Note: Also read Peter s comment in 2 Peter 3:16 on obedience to the scriptures) 1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21. 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: Acts 22:16 Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Note: Theologians today use the following scripture for salvation: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21. Well, this is how Paul called on the name of the Lord, in water baptism!) *************************************************** The Apostles are the only ones we are positively sure were sent of God to preach His gospel! We know their word is true and correct! Everybody else that preaches His gospel, we must to do a little fruit inspection to be sure they are preaching what Jesus and the Apostles preached! ****************************************************
Paul was very emphatic about water baptism being done in the name of Jesus. When he met the disciples in Ephesus in Acts 19, he made a big issue about being baptized in the name of Jesus as the only correct method and took them out and re-baptized them. BORN OF THE WATER Paul said in Colossians 3:17 "And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do ALL in the NAME of the Lord Jesus" Does that include water baptism? Paul didn t get his instructions from man, he got them from JESUS! The following is why Paul was so adamant on the issue. This is his warning and correction to the Galatian church NOT to change ANYTHING he preached for salvation and his explanation where he got his instructions and revelation: Gal 1:6-24 6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Paul is using very strong words here) 9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Again, Paul is cursing anyone who dares to preach anything different!) 10. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. This is where Paul got his instructions on what he was to preach 11. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14. And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 20. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Paul learned about what he was to preach from Jesus Christ Himself! All of Jesus Apostles were taught directly by Him! Paul and Peter never met until 3 years after Paul was converted, but they were preaching the same gospel! Why? Because they both had the same instructor on what to preach! Jesus!
Again, Jesus didn t tell anyone how to be Born Again. Nicodemus was the closest when Jesus told him in John 3:3-7 that he had to be born again of the water and of the Spirit to enter or even see the kingdom of heaven, he gave him some hints, but he didn t tell him how! Jesus left that job for the Apostles. That happened in the book of Acts, the ONLY book in the bible where we can find how to be Born Again by THE Apostle that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven, which are the truths in which we are to build our salvation and the ROCK, JESUS, it is to be built on. Peter, for the 1 st time in the history of mankind, told us how on the Day of Pentecost. Just like, if we are to find how the world was created we must go to the book of Genesis. So it is with salvation, we can only find it in the book of Acts. It is the only book telling us about the world being evangelized by the Apostles and the message of salvation they preached. Christendom today tries to find salvation in the epistles, teaching a way to salvation that does not even resemble the message taught by the Apostles in Acts. Romans chapter 10 and what they call the Romans Road being one of its favorites, totally bypassing the book of Acts that explains what one must do to be saved in such simplistic terminology it can t be miss understood, where the Apostles are meticulously following what Jesus taught them to preach! The epistles are written by the Apostles to people and churches that are already saved, which happened in the book of Acts, they weren t telling them how to be saved again, but they do explain what happens in the salvation process. The whole plan of salvation in the New Testament is ALL about Jesus, through Jesus, by Jesus and for Jesus. It s ALL about Him and everything is to be done in His NAME Col 3:17. Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, One faith and One baptism. There are not 15 different ways to be saved, just one. We ve got RIGHT NOW TO GET IT RIGHT! When the Bridegroom comes for His bride and shuts the door, when the virgins that didn t have enough oil, return from getting more oil, they will find themselves cast out. Mt 25:1-12 THEY DIDN T GET IT RIGHT! IT S ALL IN JESUS NAME. ************************************************** Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col 2:8 ************************************************** There is much opposition in Christendom today against being baptized in the NAME of Jesus? Most of the time Matthew 28:19 is the only scripture referred to as the baptism to be administered, repeating Jesus words instead of doing them, but Luke 24:47 is never mention when Jesus said, that repentance and remission of sins was to be preached in HIS NAME to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. This too is Jesus command, but no mind is paid to this one for baptism! They call Him Lord, they pray in his name, they do almost everything in Jesus name, but when it comes to being baptized in His NAME, nothing doing, it is severally opposed! THE SCRIPTURES COMMAND IT! It s NOT an option! BAPTISM IS ONLY TO BE DONE IN THE NAME OF JESUS ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE! John 5:39 says Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. That s Jesus talking. 2 Timothy 2:15 says Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. We better get the whole plan of salvation, being Born Again, correct because we will not have another chance at it when Jesus comes or if He takes us in death!
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. So where in the process of the New Birth experience do we believe on His Name? Believing on His NAME in repentance, Believing on His NAME in water baptism (Born of Water), Believing on His NAME in receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance as it tells us in Acts 2:4 (Born of the Spirit). Many in Christendom today say the water in John 3:5 is talking about the mother s birth water. Jesus already had qualified that he was talking about the second birth in his dialog with Nicodemus. In every birth, natural or spiritual, there is water and spirit involved to support life. In the natural, there is the mother s water surrounding the baby and the spirit God gives the child for life. In the spiritual, it is water baptism, Born of the Water, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance, born of the Spirit, the second birth. Acts 2:4 *************************************************** If you re born once, you will die twice, but if you re born twice, you will only die once! The second birth removes the second death! *************************************************** Jesus told the Apostles to tell the world in Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to obey all I have commanded you Faith in Action!
Warnings of false prophets changing the Gospel We read many warnings from Jesus and the Apostles where false prophets will pervert or change the gospel and deceive many! Mt. 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Verse 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Verse 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And again He said in Mark 13:6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Paul said in Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Peter asks a question of what will happen to people who do NOT obey the gospel and Paul answers it: For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17 Paul answers Peter s question in 2 Thes 1:7-10, it was the Apostles testimony that is believed in the day that Jesus comes that is going to save us:
(7) And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (8) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (9) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (10) When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. ***NOTICE***Paul s terminology of what will happen to those who do NOT obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! And notice the correlation between NOT KNOWING GOD and NOT OBEYING THE GOSPEL! Also, as I have mentioned before, Paul s warning to the Galatian church to beware of those who would pervert (change) the Gospel. Paul was already running into the problem of people changing the gospel the Apostles originally preached. It didn t take long after the Apostles disappeared from the scene that false prophets and false doctrine began to infiltrate the church introducing heresies, finally changing church teachings of the new birth process commanded by Jesus and the Apostles. The popular gospel today does not even resemble the gospel preached by the Apostles when they evangelized the world at the birth of God s Church. Today it s Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior (mental activity) and you are saved, that s all you have to do. Invite Him into your heart to be your personal savior and you are saved, that is all that is required, you are now a believer and ready for heaven and streets of gold with Jesus. Being baptized is not necessary for salvation, Born of the Water. Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost (Spirit), Born of the Spirit is now different than when the Church first received it with speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and as long as the Apostles were on the earth, it continued as it was on the Day of Pentecost. Now according to Christendom today, NOT the Word of God, one is automatically filled with the Spirit the moment one asked Jesus to be their personal savior, no speaking with other tongues involved, the evidence that one has been filled with the Holy Ghost. Another favorite scripture that is used often for that teaching is when Paul told the Philippian jailor in Acts 16:31 to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. They neglect to tell the rest of the story in Acts 16:32 & 33 where Paul preached to them the word of the Lord and that same night baptized them. They were Born of the Water! **************************************************** Remember what Jesus said about false prophets, they are wolves in sheep s clothing, Mt 7:15. They do NOT say, I am from Satan and I am here to damn your soul! No, they say, Jesus died for you because He loves you so much and you need to give your life to him! But, they will NOT tell people how to be saved according to what Jesus commanded. They will leave out some very important information or change the instructions on how to be saved! Satan loves to deceive people into believing something false. It is a feather in his cap when he can get people to believe in Jesus, be a church goer and take them to hell because he deceived them into believing a false gospel just as Paul warned the Galatians about! Jesus said: If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Mt 15:14, Lk 6:39 ****************************************************
Jesus had to be baptized! He said to fulfill all righteousness! What did He mean? He didn t have any sin, then why did He say He had to be baptized? He had to set the example of what we must do to be Born of the Water! That was fulfilling all righteousness! If Jesus said He had to be baptized to fulfill ALL righteousness, why is it that Christendom today says that baptism has no part in our salvation? Nowhere in scripture can that be found or even hinted to! The scripture plainly commands one MUST be baptized to be saved! Jesus said it in Mark 16:16 and Peter said it in 1 Peter 3:21! The reason John baptized unto repentance was FOR the REMISSION of sins. The reason for baptism when Peter preached it in Acts chapter 2, was for the REMISSION of sins. The only method God has for us to remove/remit our sins is WATER BAPTISM IN JESUS NAME. Can we be saved without having our sins remitted? From the first day God created man, He demanded obedience. All scripture is in complete harmony with baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins and the essentiality of it. Scripture is NOT supportive with any other method of water baptism. Hebrews and all the epistles talk a lot about what faith in Jesus accomplishes, it will cause ACTION TO OBEY, repentance, turning away from sin, baptism in Jesus name will be obeyed, and Jesus will fill with the Holy Ghost and fire, born of the water and of the Spirit, the requirements to enter or even see the Kingdom of God. Baptism is so important to salvation that God had the Apostles mention 2 Old Testament events referring to a like figure to the New Testament water baptism. Noah in the flood and Moses crossing the Red Sea. Peter said about Noah and the flood in 1 Peter 3:20-21 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (21) 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.
In 1 Corinthians 10:2 Paul told about Moses crossing of the Red Sea being their form of baptism, Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea. The first place God took Israel was to the water. God used water for separation in the Old Testament and so he does in the New Testament. The Egyptians, a type of sin, came into the water chasing Israel through the sea, but God closed the water on the sin. Sin could go no further than the water. Noah got in the boat, God shut the door, the sin tried to get into the boat but drowned in the water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us Sin could go no further than the water. When one is baptized in the name of Jesus, sin can go no further than the water! Born of the water The remission of sins Sins washed away Immersion-Started with John the Baptist or (They went down into and came up out of the water) Sprinkling-Started 400-500 AD (Man Made-No Reference-NEVER DONE) Strong s Definitions Baptizo (NT:907), "to baptize," primarily a frequentative form of bapto, "to dip It is used in the NT in Luke 11:38 of washing oneself (as in 2 Kings 5:14, "dipped himself,"); In the early chapters of the four Gospels and in Acts 1:5; 11:16; 19:4, it is used of the rite performed by John the Baptist who called upon the people to repent that they might receive remission of sins. Those who obeyed came "confessing their sins," thus acknowledging their unfitness to be in the Messiah's coming kingdom. Distinct from this is the "baptism" enjoined by Christ, Matt 28:19, a "baptism" to be undergone by believers, thus witnessing to their identification with Him in death, burial and resurrection, e. g., Acts 19:5; Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 1:13-17; 12:13; Gal 3:27; Col 2:12. The phrase in Matt 28:19, "baptizing them into the Name" (RV; cf. Acts 8:16, RV), would indicate that the "baptized" person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose name he was "baptized." What has God done in the past and what does He say he will do in the future to anyone changing His word or commands? Look what He did to Nadab and Abihu in Lev. 10:1-2 for offering what He called Strange Fire in worship! He doesn t do that immediately now, but the end result will be the same!
The method of water baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost was being practiced before the Council of Nicea, but it was drafted and instituted by the church of Rome in 325 AD as the only official acceptable baptism of the Catholic Church and many were persecuted and killed for not obeying it and that, being a key factor, cast the world into the dark ages. Somewhere around 1954, Life Magazine published an article of the Catholic Church claiming everyone Roman Catholic that is baptized in that formula, they said it is theirs, they created it and claim everyone baptized by that method. A priest that was interviewed in that article said he didn t understand why Protestants say the Catholic Church cannot be saved, when they themselves use the Catholic baptism. The whole point of including this information in this document is to establish that this baptism is man-made, it was never preached or practiced by the Apostles, NO one in the early church was baptized in this formula and if it didn t come from the Apostles, it is false doctrine perpetrated by false prophets. Philippians 2:9-11 When Jesus commanded in Mt 28:19 baptizing them in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, He was telling them to use His name, because He is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, Col 2:9. He didn t say repeat these words, He said to use MY NAME! It is commonly known in the world today that the name of the Son of God is Jesus, so what is the name of the Father, where father is not a proper name, we must find out what His name is. Isaiah 9:6 said Jesus is the everlasting father, Jesus said He came in His father s name. He said before Abraham was I AM, the same I AM that told Moses to tell the children of Israel in Egypt who sent him. He also said He and His father are one, the same guy! In John 14:8, Philip asked Jesus to show them the father, His response was have I been so long time with you and you haven t known me Philip? He that has seen me has seen the father! How can you say then show us the father? Jesus was telling him, hey Phil, ya got Him!!! I am HE! Jesus said the Holy Ghost was going to be sent in His name, John 14:26. So, why is baptizing in the name of Jesus so hard to understand? The only way to obey Matthew 28:19 is to baptize in the NAME OF JESUS! It s like this. In World War II there was a hill the German Army had occupied, a very strategic position, and the American Army was stopped going forward at that point. So, their commanding officer, a General, gave the order to his men, Men, Take that hill! and all the men do is stand behind him and repeat his words Take that hill, take that hill, take that hill and that is all they do! Repeating the words didn t take the hill, action by the generals men storming the hill gets it taken, obedience to the command. So it is with Mt 28:19, the job can t get done by repeating the words Jesus said, baptizing in the NAME of Jesus was the command and the only way to obey and complete the command is to use His NAME - JESUS.
More of Strong s Greek Definitions on the meaning of baptism BAPTISM, BAPTIST, BAPTIZE 1. baptisma (NT:908), "baptism," consisting of the processes of immersion, submersion and emergence (from bapto, "to dip"), is used (a) of John's "baptism," (b) of Christian "baptism," Luke 12:50; (c) of the sufferings His followers would experience, not of a vicarious character, but in fellowship with the sufferings of their Master. In Acts 22:16 it is used in the middle voice, in the command given to Saul of Tarsus, "arise and be baptized," the significance of the middle voice form being "get thyself baptized." The experience of those who were in the ark at the time of the Flood was a figure or type of the facts of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection, Christian "baptism" "a corresponding type," a "like figure," 1 Peter 3:21. Likewise the nation of Israel was figuratively baptized when made to pass through the Red Sea under the cloud, 1 Cor 10:2. The verb is used metaphorically also in two distinct senses: firstly, of "baptism" by the Holy Spirit, which took place on the Day of Pentecost; secondly, of the calamity which would come upon the nation of the Jews, a "baptism" of the fire of divine judgment for rejection of the will and word of God, Matt 3:11; Luke 3:16. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.) ***In other words*** There is no reference to sprinkling when the Bible is talking about Baptism Sprinkling is man-made, changing a God commanded process of salvation!
As mentioned earlier, a favorite verse of scripture used by Christendom today is Romans chapter 10:9 which is truth, but it is not the plan of salvation in its entirety. It is the beginning of the salvation process where faith in the Lord Jesus is essential and is the starting point: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Paul is saying we shall be saved, future tense, when we believe and when a person is to that point, action will be taken to obey the scriptures and what the Apostles said to do. That is because faith and believing, as the above graphic depicts, is the motivation, the vehicle, the motorcycle, the truck, the car, the transportation that takes one to obedience to the scriptures that says what we must do, which causes one to be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only, James 1:22-24. The evidence of FAITH is OBEDIENCE! James called it WORKS! Read Carefully what James has to say about Faith & Works James gets a little snide when he said in chapter 2:17-19 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James is saying the devil can t be saved because he believes, but we think we can without obedience to God s Word? Faith puts movement in a person s sneakers to obey the gospel, to be born again of the water and of the Spirit. Acts 2 is a person s initial introduction to Jesus and His church, it is being born of the water and of the Spirit, where we are buried with Jesus into his death in water baptism Col 2:9-14, we receive our circumcision, an everlasting covenant, sins are remitted, handwriting against us blotted out, our sins washed away. This is where we are identified with Jesus. Remember Jesus saying to those who will come up before him in that day and tell him all the wonderful works they did in His name and he will tell them to depart from Him, He never knew them? Well, He cannot say that if one is buried with Him in baptism in His name, where we take on the family name of God, JESUS! James also said in 1:22-25, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Paul had this is to say about working out your own salvation in Phil 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Sounds to me like the Apostles believed in works!!! This is not the works Paul was speaking about in Eph 2:9 where we do works to earn our salvation, because there is no good works we can do to earn our salvation, it is the gift of God, but we must do the works of obedience to God s commands, like James said, being a doer of the word, not a hearer only. A hearer only is a person that believes Jesus did it all on Calvary and there is nothing that a person can do but believe for their salvation and do not obey Acts 2:38, Acts 8, Acts 10, Acts 19, Acts 22, the steps to be Born Again of the water and of the Spirit!
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. The first time in the history of mankind, God poured out His spirit into man as he had promised. Note what took place here as Jesus told Nicodemus! In the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus when He was telling him he had to be Born Again of the water and of the Spirit to enter or even see the Kingdom of God, He didn t tell Nicodemus how to accomplish that, but He did give him a little insight about being born of the Spirit. He said: The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8 Born of the Spirit Jesus told Nicodemus when one is born of the Spirit, just as the wind cannot be seen, the sound of it can be heard, so is everyone that is born of the Spirit, there will be a sound. What was the sound on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost came? It was heard all over the city of Jerusalem! They spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance! 16 nations were there for the Feast of Pentecost and they all asked what was happening because they ALL heard these Galilaeans speaking in their languages. A MIRACULOUS GOD THING WAS HAPPENING, THE SOUND OF THE SPIRIT!
When Philip went down to Samaria and preached the Gospel in Acts chapter 8 they were all filled with joy, but none of them had received the Holy Ghost yet, but they were Born of the Water, baptized in the name of Jesus. So the call was made to the Apostles in Jerusalem and Peter and John went down to help them and when they had laid their hands on them, they received the Holy Ghost. The scripture doesn t say they spoke with other tongues, but it must have happen because when Simon saw with the laying on of hands they received the Holy Ghost, he wanted to buy that power from the Apostles. Born of the Spirit When an angel visited Cornelius in Acts 10 to send for Peter and he would tell him what he must do and when Peter arrived and preached Jesus to them the Holy Ghost fell on them as it did on the day of Pentecost and they all spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Then Peter baptized them in the name of Jesus. Born of the Spirit In Acts 19 when Paul met the 12 disciples in Ephesus and asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed and they hadn t heard of the Holy Ghost. So Paul asked them how they were baptized and they said under John s baptism. Paul told them John pointed to Jesus so he took them and re-baptized them in the name of Jesus and he laid hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues. Born of the Spirit When Paul spoke of his conversion on the road to Damascus, he said that Ananias said to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. It doesn t say he spoke with other tongues when he received the Holy Ghost, but he must have because he said in 1 Co 14:18 he spoke with tongues more than they all. Born of the Spirit Jesus has chosen to use the most unruly member of our bodies, the tongue, and use it to glorify Him in miraculously speaking a language one has never learned when people yield themselves to Him. James 3:8 says that no man can tame the tongue, but Jesus can and uses it to His magnificent glory! I have heard some in Christendom say that speaking with other tongues today is not Biblical because tongues has ceased, it no longer is in effect. They have established that belief with, I call it the Love chapter, 1 Co 13. In verse 8 is says Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. (9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. (10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. Well, they want to say that tongues was done away with in this scripture because in verse 10 it says when that which is perfect (they say means the Bible) is come that which is done in part shall be done away. Reading further in this chapter one will find that which is perfect Paul is talking about isn t the Bible, it is Jesus, he hasn t come yet! There will be no more need of tongues when Jesus comes and takes His church, those who have been Born Again of the water and of the Spirit. Those that believe that doctrine don t mention this is the same verse that says knowledge shall vanish, has knowledge vanished yet? No, there is more knowledge today than ever before in the history of mankind.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Such a well known verse of scripture, but it is the same conversation Jesus is having with Nicodemus telling him he must be Born Again! Jesus wasn t talking about a mental activity of believing, He was talking about an action believing, it puts movement in your sneakers, Believing is doing the word of God. Jesus also said this in Luke 6:46-49 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. He also said in John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. I have heard those in Christendom teach a person is washed by the water of the Word quoting Eph. 5:26-27 to down-play the requirements of being baptized by immersion: (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. The only way one can be washed by the Word of God is to read the Word for instructions and DO the Word of God. Just reading the Word doesn t do anything to wash a person unless one is a DOER of the Word! When that happens, the commandments of the Lord will be obeyed, thus a person is washed by the water of the WORD! One will REPENT of their sins as instructed, BAPTISM in the name of JESUS will be obeyed, and they will receive the gift of the HOLY GHOST with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as the SRIRIT gives them utterance, and they will walk and conduct their lives by reading and obeying the instructions the Apostles left how a Christian is to walk to be ready for the Bridegroom s return to get His bride, the CHURCH! That is the TRUE method of
In Matthew 7:22 Jesus said Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name have cast out devils? And in your name done many wonderful works? Verse 23 is devastating! Then He said And then I will profess to them I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Imagine these people that are on fire for God, working for God and all the wonderful works they did in His name, they just knew they were ready for heaven! Then, to have Jesus say that to them and to find themselves lost for eternity! What was the identification they lacked that Jesus didn t know them? Could it be they were not baptized in His NAME JESUS (Born of the water)? Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named Eph 3:15