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Denominational Baptism
Introduction:
What is meant by Denominational baptism? To denominate
is to give a name to. Biblically speaking a denomination would be a group
that formed from division and that fails to speak only from and be only
authorized by the Bible. Paul condemned this practice. I
Corinthians 1:10-13 "10. Now I beseech
you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak
the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11.
For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are
of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12. Now this
I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and
I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified
for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" Paul told
them that it was wrong to wear names of anyone other than Christ. Think
about for a moment of names of denominations. IF you cannot find that name
in the Bible, is it biblical? Baptism is putting on Christ Galatians 3:27,
washing and remitting sins Acts 22:16/Acts 2:38, being a new person Romans
6:3-5, and being added to the church I Corinthians 12:12-13. We are going
to discuss the doctrine taught, not where or by whom the Gospel is obeyed
(person doing the dunking).
I. There is one body (church) and that is the only place salvation
exist
A. There is one body even as their is one God etc. Ephesians
4:4-6 "4. There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5. One Lord,
one faith, one baptism, 6. One God and Father of all, who is above all,
and through all, and in you all."
1. The body is the church Ephesians
1:22-23 "22. And hath put all things
under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23. Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
B. There is many members Romans
12:5 "So we, being many, are one body
in Christ, and every one members one of another."
C. Christ promised to build HIS CHURCH (singular) Matthew
16:18 "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."
1. He is the Head of the church Colossians
1:18 "And he is the head of the body,
the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in
all things he might have the preeminence."
2. Man is the head of denominations. How does God feel
about that? Acts 5:28 "Then
Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather
than men."
a. We cannot serve both man and God Galatians
1:10 "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."
II. Teaching about the one church is a must (denominations do not teach
this truth)
A. Jesus taught about the church Matthew
4:17 "From that time Jesus began to
preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The Kingdom and church are one in the same Colossians 1:13-18.
1. He did so about all Galilee Matthew
4:23 "And Jesus went about all Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the
people."
2. He did in all the cities Luke
8:1 And it came to pass afterward,
that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the
glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him."
3. Jesus told the disciples to do so to the lost house
of Israel (the limited commission) Matthew 10:7"And
as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand."
4. Jesus extended that message to all Matthew
24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations...".
B. John the Baptist preached the Kingdom to come Matthew
3:1-2 "1. In those days came John the
Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2. And saying, Repent ye:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
C. Philip preached the church Acts
8:12 "But when they believed Philip
preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."
D. Paul preached the church Acts
28:30-31 " 30. And Paul dwelt two whole
years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31.
Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the
Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him."
E. Christ referred to the Kingdom as the Gospel Mark
1:14 " Now after that John was put
in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom
of God."
1. The Gospel is to be taught to all Mark
16:15-16
F. Paul said that we must preach the cross of Christ I
Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching
of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are
saved it is the power of God."
1. Did Christ not die on the cross to purchase the church?
Acts 20:28 "Take
heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he
hath purchased with his own blood."
a. He also shed his blood for the remission of sins
Matthew 26:28. Could we fail to mention
that?
b. He also put away the Old Law nailing it to the cross
Colossians 2:14, could we fail to teach
that? Would we have so called "Christians" offering bulls and goats?
2. Is the church not where salvation is? Ephesians
5:23 "For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour
of the body." - Did Christ say he would save anyone else's church?
G. A point that should bring anyone to their senses. Matthew
13:19 "When any one heareth the
word of the kingdom (not if one heareth the
word of the Kingdom) , and understandeth
it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was
sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side."
This point goes to UNDERSTANDING what you will be added to (which church).
III. The TRUTH must be obeyed
A. We must have faith Hebrews
11:6 "But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
B. Faith comes from God's word Romans
10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God."
C. God's word is truth John 17:17"Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
D. The Gospel is God's truth (of which we have shown includes
the church) Colossians 1:5 "For
the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in
the word of the truth of the gospel."
1. Do denominations teach truth relative to God's plan
for salvation including on the church? Surely we can see not.
E. The most simple truth John 8:32"And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
IV. Answering objections
A. "But the denomination I came out of immerses" - There
is an example of a group of people not receiving the proper teaching and
then being immersed properly after being once immerses Acts
19:1-5 "1. And it came to pass, that,
while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts
came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2. He said unto them, Have
ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We
have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3. And he said
unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's
baptism. 4. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,
saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come
after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5. When they heard this, they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."
1. Still under the same logic, the person says "it was
for the remission of sins". Well so was John's baptism Mark
1:4 "John did baptize in the wilderness,
and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
B. "Does it really matter, I was close?" Acts
26:27-28 "King Agrippa, believest thou
the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28. Then Agrippa said unto Paul,
Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Almost? Was Agrippa
OK? He was close to becoming a Christian.
C. "They told me there was one church. I just did not
understand which one was it till 22 years later". Ask the prophet that
believed a lie if you can believe a lie and be OK I
Kings 13:8-24
V. Some closing thoughts
A. Are denominations in the world or in the church?
When someone comes to the Lord and is baptized they are baptized into the
church. I Corinthians 12:12-13 "12.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that
one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13. For 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."
1. The church is the "ekklesia" which means the "called-out".
How can someone come from the world (where denominations exist), be baptized
and never take one foot out of the world? We are to be delivered from darkness
Colossians 1:13 "
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us
into the kingdom of his dear Son."
2. Christ said we are with or against (those that propose
this denominational baptism claim we can be both with and without at the
same time) Matthew 12:30 "He
that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth
abroad."
3. When would we repent of being against God if we never
truly change? Acts 2:38 place repentance prior to baptism not after. 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."
B. We are married to Christ Romans
7:4 "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married
to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring
forth fruit unto God."
1. Following the logic that denominations blindly add
folk to the Lord's church says that someone could marry Christ without
knowing him. That makes them thieves and robbers John
10:1 "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some
other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
C. If a fellow is born a Smith and is in his 30th year of
life. He finds his neighbor Mr. Jones has passed and left a great fortune.
Mr. Smith decides to go to the Jones's attorney and file for his part of
the estate. He presents ID and says he is a Smith but today, he decided
to be a Jones. Would not Mr. Smith either have to be born into the family
(John 3:5) to reap the blessings of
the estate? IF we plan on being saved we should be born into the RIGHT
family!
D. Make our calling and election sure II
Peter 1:10.
Conclusion:
Christ revealed that there would be those in the Judgment
Day that will be surprised that they have not done it right. Matthew
7:21-23 "21. Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23.
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity." The church was taught in the first century.
Those baptized were added to it Acts 2:47. They assembled with saints Acts
2:42ff. The did not assemble with denominations. We are a people that demand
Bible for authority and rightly so II Peter 1:3, Revelation 22:18-19, and
Jude 3. There is not a single case where a person joined the church from
a denomination. Let's not rewrite the Holy Writ.
Copyright 2001 by Brian
Yeager may be reproducted for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others.
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