What is a church?
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Many people believe the church is unimportant. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I believe more should be said about Jesus and HIS relationship and attitude toward the church. Surely, HIS feelings and attitude toward the church should be ours, too?
First of all, Jesus said He would build HIS CHURCH. (MATT. 16:18). It is HIS. It belongs to HIM. It is not OUR church. That’s why Romans 16:16 says that the different congregations in the 1st century were called churches of CHRIST. The church wore His name because He was its founder and it belonged to Him. He makes the “rules” for HIS church; not us. HE decides who will be members of HIS church; HE decides how they will “get into”. His church. He has not left it up to us to decide How we will be accepted by HIM. That requires “humility” from us and many men will not humble themselves and submit to His authority and commandments.
Jesus LOVED the church. Eph. 5:25. He DIED for the church. He purchased it with His own BLOOD. (Acts 20:28) He calls the church “HIS BODY.” (Eph. 1:22.) and 5:29 tells us that He “NOURISHES” it and “CHERISHES” it.
He is the HEAD of the church ( NOT the Pope) and the SAVIOUR of the body. (Eph.5:22). He describes HIS church as His “BRIDE.” (2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:29, Revelation 19:7). Parables such as the parable of the wedding feast in Matt. 22 and the parable of the ten virgins in Matt 25, are teaching us about Christ and His church.
We read in Acts 2:47, that Christ adds us to his church when we are “saved” from our sins; when we have obeyed HIS WAY of salvation as He specified in Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Acts 22:16, and 1 Peter 3:21. Any other “plan of salvation” such as “faith only”, the “sinner’s prayer, or “praying through” are doctrines of men. We are not “VOTED”. Into Christ’s church. He has not delegated his authority to us to determine who is in His church and who does not get in; just as he has not delegated any authority to the Pope to forgive sins or to be the head of His church. Matthew 28:18 Christ has ALL authority not only in heaven but also ON EARTH. We had best listen to Him. Eph. 4:4 tells us that there is just ONE true church of Christ but statistics tell us there are over 2000 churches of men—founded by men, named by/after men, with commandments of men, that often contradict each other, all having different plans of how to be saved. 1 Cor. 14:33 tells us that God is NOT the author of CONFUSION. Denominationalism is confusion!
The New Testament presents a very clear, simple picture of what the church is. But just as Psalms 119:160 says, you must look at the “SUM” of God’s word to get a picture of what the true church of Christ looks like in the Bible. There is very much information on and about Christ’s church but it is scattered all over the New Testament. Serious seekers will “search the scriptures and put it “altogether” (sum), to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11) and to find the “truth”. The “pearl of great price” that Jesus talked about is “truth”. And He says once you have found it “buy” it and hold on to it. ( sell it not). It is your “ticket” to heaven.
First of all, Jesus said He would build HIS CHURCH. (MATT. 16:18). It is HIS. It belongs to HIM. It is not OUR church. That’s why Romans 16:16 says that the different congregations in the 1st century were called churches of CHRIST. The church wore His name because He was its founder and it belonged to Him. He makes the “rules” for HIS church; not us. HE decides who will be members of HIS church; HE decides how they will “get into”. His church. He has not left it up to us to decide How we will be accepted by HIM. That requires “humility” from us and many men will not humble themselves and submit to His authority and commandments.
Jesus LOVED the church. Eph. 5:25. He DIED for the church. He purchased it with His own BLOOD. (Acts 20:28) He calls the church “HIS BODY.” (Eph. 1:22.) and 5:29 tells us that He “NOURISHES” it and “CHERISHES” it.
He is the HEAD of the church ( NOT the Pope) and the SAVIOUR of the body. (Eph.5:22). He describes HIS church as His “BRIDE.” (2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:29, Revelation 19:7). Parables such as the parable of the wedding feast in Matt. 22 and the parable of the ten virgins in Matt 25, are teaching us about Christ and His church.
We read in Acts 2:47, that Christ adds us to his church when we are “saved” from our sins; when we have obeyed HIS WAY of salvation as He specified in Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Acts 22:16, and 1 Peter 3:21. Any other “plan of salvation” such as “faith only”, the “sinner’s prayer, or “praying through” are doctrines of men. We are not “VOTED”. Into Christ’s church. He has not delegated his authority to us to determine who is in His church and who does not get in; just as he has not delegated any authority to the Pope to forgive sins or to be the head of His church. Matthew 28:18 Christ has ALL authority not only in heaven but also ON EARTH. We had best listen to Him. Eph. 4:4 tells us that there is just ONE true church of Christ but statistics tell us there are over 2000 churches of men—founded by men, named by/after men, with commandments of men, that often contradict each other, all having different plans of how to be saved. 1 Cor. 14:33 tells us that God is NOT the author of CONFUSION. Denominationalism is confusion!
The New Testament presents a very clear, simple picture of what the church is. But just as Psalms 119:160 says, you must look at the “SUM” of God’s word to get a picture of what the true church of Christ looks like in the Bible. There is very much information on and about Christ’s church but it is scattered all over the New Testament. Serious seekers will “search the scriptures and put it “altogether” (sum), to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11) and to find the “truth”. The “pearl of great price” that Jesus talked about is “truth”. And He says once you have found it “buy” it and hold on to it. ( sell it not). It is your “ticket” to heaven.
Well put together. The pearl of great price, however, is the kingdom of heaven.
John 3:18 - He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who (is not water baptized? - NO) does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (been water baptized? - NO) because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
If Jesus salvation is based on belief + baptism, then what happened to baptism in Mark 16:16(b); John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29;40.47; 11:25,26?
Is... made up of individual saints in the spiritual body of Christ (1CR 12:13),
who should meet together for mutual encouragement in a visible place (HB 10:24-25).
Even a moron should be able to see that the words clearly say belief + baptism = salvation. Not my words but the Lord's words without qualification.
Mk 16:15-16
15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
I'm not a primitive Baptist in their Calvinistic teachings.. but agree with this on the church:
https://www.mayhewprimitivebaptist....e-case-against-the-universal-invisible-church
No one is arguing that baptism isn't necessary to salvation. The argument is what baptism is being spoken of and who is performing the activity.
How do you understand 1 Corinthians 12:13?
The second clause clarifies the first. Mark 16:16 - He who believes and is baptized will be saved (general cases without making a qualification for the unusual case of someone who believes but is not baptized) but he who does not believe will be condemned.
The omission of baptized with "does not believe" shows that Jesus does not make baptism absolutely necessary for salvation. Condemnation rests on unbelief and not on a lack of baptism. *NOWHERE does the Bible say, "baptized or condemned."
Does a moron see belief + baptism = salvation in (John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26?) What is the ONE requirement for salvation in each of these nine verses spoken by Jesus Himself? BELIEVES. Not my words but the Lord's words without qualification.
There is one baptism and it's the one that began with John's baptism, water baptism in the Jordan River, and carried on from there; was the baptism of the Jews as recorded in Acts 2:38, was the one Paul was told he must do in Acts 22:16, the baptism that the Ethiopian eunuch inquired about and subjected himself to in Acts 8, etc, etc. It can't get any clearer.
Exactly. There is only ONE baptism that places us into the body of Christ and that is SPIRIT baptism, not water baptism.
Ephesians 4:5 - one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
1 Corinthians 12:13 - For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Also see John 4:10, 14; 7:37 for the word drink(s).
No, I do not. Here's the kjv.
13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Note that it says "by". Now go look at the original Greek word which is 'en', in. Some translations have it wrong like the KJV, but some have it right. Note that we're baptized into the body of Christ, which is the body of believers, commonly referred to as the church.
The process for man is a physical one. We believe, we confess, we repent, and we're immersed in water. After we've done our part, God does his which is the spiritual part.
If we have a part to do to secure our salvation, how do you believe salvation is of grace? How do you say it is God that gives the increase? What you are claiming is that a person must meet certain requirements in order for God to save them. This is not grace; it is merit.
The only way for these actions on our part to be included in salvation and salvation to remain by grace is that they are the result of salvation, and not its cause.
I would encourage you to read Acts 2:37 and understand how the actions of God in and through an individual led to their responses in Acts 2:38. If you would like some help working through the spiritual transaction in verse 37, let me know.
And those same translators say (usually in the footnotes) that MK 16:15-16 is poorly attested,
but even it does not say "he that believeth and is not baptized shall be damned".