Answering A Baptist II
COMMON SENSE QUESTIONS A "CHURCH OF CHRIST" PREACHER CANNOT CLEARLY ANSWER
David Martin is pastor of the Solid Rock Baptist Church, 5893 Old Brownsville Rd. E, Bartlett, TN 38135 USA; phone: 901-634-1622. He is a 1984 graduate of Pensacola Bible Institute of Florida, and was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1986. He has been in his current pastorate for eight years. His article on the Church of Christ cult is the result of in-depth personal conversation with a Church of Christ elder that led to a 3-day public debate with a Church of Christ evangelist in 1997. The debate was attended by 250 people nightly from within a 300-mile radius of Memphis, Tennessee.This is one of the most controversial articles on the church of Christ you will find anywhere. No church of Christ preacher can satisfactorily answer any of the questions posed by Pastor Martin.
If you wish to respond to this article, please click here to email Pastor David Martin
The religious sect known as the "Church of Christ" has many peculiar and aberrant doctrines that are contrary to the word of God. It is a most deceptive and dangerous cult. Their teaching of baptismal regeneration is an age-old heresy that has damned millions to hell, and is still doing so today. The idea that they are the one, true and restored church of Jesus Christ puts them in the same league with the Mormon and Roman Catholic churches.
If you are a member of this "church" or have been influenced by its teachings, we challenge you to ask your preacher the questions that follow, then get your King James Bible out, open it up, and ask the Holy Spirit to show you the TRUTH (John 16:13). If you have never been saved in the Bible sense, for heaven's sake, do not mistake being "washed in the baptistry of the church" for being washed in the blood of Christ.
If you ask one of these "preachers" any of the questions in this tract, you won't get a straight answer due to their "screwball" theology. You'll have them in "hot water," "swimming in circles," trying to explain their heretical positions. They'll be "hopping all over the pond" because they can't stay too long in one spot without sinking in the mire of their false doctrines.
Don't YOU wind up being baptized in the "Lake of Fire" by accepting a "waterworks" based plan of salvation and rejecting salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. (Matt. 3:11; Rev. 20:15; Eph. 2:8,9; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 11:6).
Here are Questions for Campbellites
1. According to the history of the "Church of Christ," God used certain men to "restore" the New Testament Church in the early 1800's. Where was the true New Testament church before then? Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18). What happened to the church and where was the truth it was responsible for preaching before God restored it?
We do not believe the church was completely gone as do Mormons. We believe in remnant theology just like most Baptists. You condemn us for teaching what you teach.
https://sites.google.com/site/faithonlyreviewed/home/falling-away
You borrowed the argument from Catholics who tried to brand all who taught the falling away was Catholic as church cessationists. We believe the Church fell into Catholic theology but a remnant still existed.
2. If a "Church of Christ" elder refuses to baptize me, will I be lost until I can find one who will? Do I need Jesus AND a Campebllite "preacher" in order to be saved? If I do, then Jesus Christ is not the only Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Holy Spirit is not the only Administrator (1 Cor. 12:13) of salvation - the "Church of Christ" preacher is necessary to salvation for he is performing a saving act on me when he baptizes me! Is this not blasphemy against Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost?
You are building a straw man based upon a hypothetical scenario that doesn't happen. Church Elders wouldn't refuse baptism to someone who actually believes the faith.
3. If the water pipes broke and the baptistry was bone dry, would my salvation have to wait until the plumber showed up? If I were to die before then, would I go to hell? If obedience to water baptism is the means of forgiveness of sins, then I would.
Where there is life there is water, you would be lost without baptism if you could and didn't. Even Matthew Henry the noted Baptist agrees. He is proof Baptists once taught the same as the COC. The Baptist's fell away into the Catholic doctrine of baptism by desire.
It was the precursor doctrine of faith alone.
4. If my past sins are forgiven when I am baptized in water, and it is possible for me to "lose my salvation" and go to hell after being baptized, then wouldn't my best chance of going to heaven be to drown in the baptistry?!! - before I had a chance to sin so as to be lost again? If I wanted to be absolutely sure of heaven, isn't that my best opportunity?
Silly question based on someone ignorant of scripture. The blood of Jesus cleanses after baptism as in baptism. If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to cleanse us. Baptists teach the same thing post sinner's prayer. We teach the same theology just from different points, from sinners prayer or from baptism. We both teach God continues to cleanse through Christ's blood.
5. If as a Christian I can sin so as to "lose my salvation," just what sin or sins will place me in such danger? Is it possible to know at what point one has committed such a sin, and become lost again? Please be specific and give clear Bible references.
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is one. The sin of losing faith is another. Anything not of faith is sin. Since you don't have faith in baptism, your baptism is sin. Losing faith in the plan of salvation will cause you to be lost. Other sins are listed by Paul such as Idolatry and witchcraft. See Galations 5:20-21.
"That they which do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God"
6. If as a Christian I can fall and "lose my salvation," is it possible to regain it? If so, how? If God "takes away" my salvation, doesn't that make Him an "Indian giver"? How could I ever know for sure that I was saved or lost?
Romans 11 says you can be cut off or grafted in again. The campbellites are an example of being grafted in again. They went from the Baptist faith to Christian faith. That is why Baptists hate them so much. The Church of Christ is a good example of those grafted in.
7. After becoming a Christian, are there any sins that will put me beyond the "point of no return" so that I cannot regain salvation? What sin or sins will put me in such jeopardy, so that, after becoming a Christian, I would be doomed to hell without any recourse? Please be specific and give me clear Bible references.
Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a work of the Spirit, speaking against baptism as if from evil sources would be such a scenario. Again see Galations 5:20
8. If I committed some sin -whether in thought, word, or deed, one minute before a fatal car crash - would I go to hell if I did not have time to repent of it? And, please, don't just say that it's up to God without giving me a specific Bible reference.
That does not give enough information, it doesn't answer all the areas of judgment. Jesus would indeed have to decide based upon full information. Since it is you being judged as a Baptist preacher, denying the plan of salvation you would be lost.
You will be lost whether you repent of moral wrongs because you have not acknowledged Christ's teachings.
9. Why does the "Church of Christ" insist that their name is scriptural when it cannot be found anywhere in the Bible? The church is referred to as the "church of God" eight (8) times in the Bible, but never is it called the "church of Christ." The verse they use is Romans 16:16, but it doesn't say "church of Christ." Where does the Bible call the church the "church of Christ"?
Singular vs plural, body of Christ as singular means the same as Church of Christ. One is English and one is a transliteration. The word church means called body or called by name. So that all share the same name.
Baptist, Catholic, Methodist are human names, Church of Christ is scriptural. Whether singular or plural, the singular has the same Greek root, therefore the same word.
10. If the "Church of Christ" claims to worship God only as "authorized" by scripture because they sing only (and do not use instrumental music), then where do they get the "authority" to use hymnals, pitchpipes, pews, and indoor baptistries in their worship services? If the answer is that they are "aids to worship," where does the Bible allow for that? Where is your required authorization? If a pitchpipe can be an "aid to worship" for the song service in the "Church of Christ," then why can't a piano be an "aid to worship" for Baptists who may need more help in singing?
We do not use pitch pipes but some do. Using a book to preserve songs falls under teaching and admonishing one another, we use a book to teach in song, just as we use a book to teach God's word. Just as you do. Using a book for teaching is scriptural.
You as a baptist are just being Pharisaical in your arguments. The word worship distinguishes something from normal activity. Like a pew is for sitting, it is a normal activity. The Pharisees mixed up normal activities with worship, like washing hands or pots.
11. The "Church of Christ" teaches that a sinner is forgiven of sin when he is baptized in water by a Campbellite elder. Where does the Bible teach that water baptism is required in order to have one's sins forgiven? Every time the phrase "for the remission of sins" occurs it is speaking of the fact that sins have been forgiven previously! The Bible plainly teaches that the forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon repentance of sin and faith in Christ - never upon water baptism! (Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; Acts 5:31; Acts 10:43; Acts 20:21; Romans 1:16; Romans 4:5; et.al.) Where does the Bible teach that forgiveness of sin is linked with water baptism? When Christ made the statement in Matthew 26:28, "for the remission of sins," it had to be because they had been forgiven all through the Old Testament! Christ shed His blood because God forgave repentant and believing sinners for thousands of years before the Son of God came to "take away" sins and to redeem us and pay the sin-debt with His own precious blood. How can one say that "for the remission of sins" means 'in order to obtain' in light of the fact that God never uses the phrase in that sense? In the Old Testament God forgave sin on the basis of a blood sacrifice (Heb. 9:22) - the Old Testament saints had their sins remitted (i.e., forgiven) but they were not redeemed until Christ came and shed His blood at Calvary. Their sins were covered (Romans 4:7; Psalm 32:1), but the sinner was not cleared of his guilt (Exodus 34:7) until the Cross (Heb.10:4). Before Calvary, the sins of believers were pardoned, but they were not paid for (i.e., redeemed) until the crucifixion (see Romans 3:25 and Heb. 9:12-15). When Jesus said, "It is finished," (John 19:30), all sin - past, present and future - was paid for, and the plan of salvation was completed, so that 'whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins' (Acts 10:43). In Acts 2:38, the people were baptized because their sins were forgiven (at Calvary when Jesus said, "Father, forgive them,") and they received the blessing of forgiveness when they repented of their sin of rejecting Christ and accepted Him as their Saviour and Lord. Friend, heaven or hell depends on what you believe about this.
You are indeed misinformed, baptism is not because your sins are already forgiven. Col.2:9-12 clearly says "Christian circumcision" or "the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh is at or after baptism"
"having been baptized" (They were buried and raised before the circumcision, and raised in baptism itself, you can only be a new creation through baptism)
Thus baptism cannot be after forgiveness.
There are multiple ways to prove this.
One example Baptists use of eis meaning because of is a misapplication of Jesus cleansing a leper. Notice this Baptist argument
The third thing to notice about Acts 2:38 is that the term "for" does not always mean "in order to," like the Church of Christ teaches. A good example of this is found in Luke 15:14 where the Lord Jesus tells the cleansed leper to go and offer a sacrifice "for thy cleansing." The man wasn't offering a sacrifice IN ORDER TO be cleansed, because he had already been cleansed in verse 13. He was offering a sacrifice BECAUSE OF the cleansing that he already had. Therefore, the word "for" sometimes means "because of". For example, if you go to jail for stealing, is it IN ORDER for you to steal, or is it BECAUSE OF the stealing that you've already done? Also notice how "remission of sins" FOLLOWS belief in Acts 10:43, and PRECEDES water baptism.
He is confused again, the sacrifice was for a cleansing to be ceremonially clean to enter the temple. Jews when cleansed of leprosy were required to make an offering to be ceremonially clean.
This is what Jesus referred too, so eis was "for" not "because of".
Also, we do not teach baptism must be by an elder. You are just making that up.
12. If salvation is not by works of righteousness which we have done, and baptism is a work of "righteousness," then how can water baptism be a part of salvation? (Titus 3:5; Matt. 3:16) In the Bible, we are SAVED BY GRACE, and grace does not involve human effort or merit - grace is grace and work is work! (Just read Ephesians 2:8,9 and Romans 11:6.)
Baptism isn't a work of righteousness as if from our own morals, it is a work of God based in faith. Your objection to baptism is based upon an immature view of the nature of baptism.
In Ephesians you find salvation by grace thru faith Eph.2:8-9 and God sanctifying and cleansing us through water. Ephesians 5:22-27. Thus cleansing by water does not violate grace or faith. They fit together since they are joined in the same letter.
Also notice Christ sanctifies and cleanses by the washing of water, therefore it isn't us cleansing ourselves.
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Baptism isn't us making ourselves clean, but Christ.
13. The "Church of Christ" teaches that "obeying the Gospel" includes being baptized in water in order to be saved. If this is true, then how is it that the converts of Acts 10 were saved by faith before and without water baptism? The Bible says in Acts 5:32 that only those who obey God may receive the Holy Ghost - so what did those in Acts 10 do to obey and receive the Holy Ghost and be saved? In the light of Acts 10:34-48, Acts 11:14-18, and Acts 15:7-11, how can anyone honestly believe that water baptism is necessary to salvation? Simon Peter said their hearts were "purified by faith" (Acts 15:9) and that we are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ like they were (Acts 15:11); that is, before and without water baptism! We know that unsaved people do not receive or have the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; Romans 8:9). We know that the Holy Spirit is given only to those who have believed on Christ (John 7:39). We know that the Holy Spirit seals the believing sinner the moment he puts his faith and trust in Christ as Savior, before he is ever baptized in water (Ephesians 1:12,13). How does the warped theolgy of Campbellism explain away these clear passages of Scripture without "muddying the waters" of truth and drowning its members in eternal damnation?
You don't understand that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a sign and blessing before salvation. It was meant for Jews and proselytes (Gentiles) before salvation is granted. It was given to the Apostles and the House of Cornelius before salvation was preached in Christ's name.
uk 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
They could not begin preaching in Christ's name until the Holy Spirit fell upon them. Thus the Spirit in this sense was given based upon baptism of John, not Christian baptism. The Spirit was poured out before any preaching or saving was done, thus the Spirit enabled vs saving in Acts 2:1-18 and Acts 10.
Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
The baptism of the Holy Spirit was for those baptized in John, it specifically says "You", those whom John had baptized.
Peter after speaking about the prophecy of Joel says
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Salvation would not come till after the outpouring. Salvation in Christ's name would not happen until after the out pouring.
The same is true of Cornelius, according to Acts 10:3 his household already feared God, he was considered part of God's intertestamental people, thus the prophecy of Joel pertained to him. It is probable he was baptized in John.
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
This outpouring was for all flesh, thus applying to faithful Gentiles. Cornelius received a vision based upon this prophecy. This was a witness God had accepted all nationalities. It was a sign to the six Jews in Acts 10 who had accompanied Peter.
Act 10:3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
The Holy Spirit fell on the House before the message of salvation was finished. Thus, they were not saved yet.. Some verses translate as Peter "began to speak,"
Act 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Act 11:14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
Act 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
According to the testimony of Peter the Spirit fell before he gave the words of salvation. It was right as he began.
It would be impossible to discuss all the false doctrines of the "Church of Christ" in this small article. If you have a particular question not dealt with here, or need clarification on the issues discussed, contact us via email or at the phone number or address listed. We will provide you with sane, sensible and scriptural answers to your Bible questions.