From Heaven or Of Men

From Heaven or

Of Man

A SCRIPTURAL SEARCH FOR GOD’S WILL REGARDING BAPTISM IN CHRIST’S CHURCH

Brian M Hood

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Copyright 2012 Brian M Hood

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment and study only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Emphasis in Scripture quotes have been added by the author.

EISBN: 978-0-9882232-0-2

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

My prayer

My rules

My task

My invitation

Is baptism necessary

The writers

Milk, meat or life

The actors

Today Paradise, Tomorrow Heaven

Building His Church

Heirs according to the promise

James vs Paul

Paul came not to baptize

Baptizing for the dead

When Scriptures collide

Whose job is this anyway

By grace are ye saved

Don't throw the baby out

An act of obedience

Mustard seeds

Me against you

Revealing the words

Contact the author

Acknowledgements

I praise God who has given us his infallible word to guide us toward salvation and I thank Him for giving us the ability to learn from His followers. I thank Him for His son, Jesus.

I began this work as a personal study to confirm for myself God’s plan of salvation. Through conversations and study, the search eventually became this book. I have chosen to only use scriptural evidence that can be found in the King James Version of the Bible.

Even though I chose to use no references other than the King James Version of the Bible and Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990 (to assist in locating verses), it does not mean that I did not receive insight and guidance in my education on this topic. I owe a great debt to many for their nurturing and love.

First, to my parents, Charles and Elaine Hood who continue to amaze me in the amount of love they have for me. To my wife Tammie, who allows me time to search for the Lord and love to want to do my best with what I find. To my siblings; I love you and these words could not have been written without the hope we share. Thank you also to my children, I pray that what is in my heart is not a stranger to what you see in my actions.

To the Lech family, my Aquila and Priscilla, thank you for teaching me the way of the Lord more perfectly.

To my several church families: Nuernberg, Germany who presided at my spiritual birth; Western Hills in Lawton, Oklahoma where I was helped to grow in love; Covington Church of Christ in Covington, Tennessee where I was nurtured; South Road Church of Christ in Farmington, Connecticut where my wounds were healed; the families in Naples and Bradenton, Florida where I was lonely and you took me in; the Douglasville Church of Christ in Douglasville, Georgia where I have received so much positive reinforcement about the gifts that God has granted me.

Special thanks to: Tom Beyer (Instigator-in-Chief), Jim Gibson, Mike Mays, Bill Kehoe, Kirsten Dahlstrom, Jim Edmonds (I still owe you), The Thursday night Bible Study Crew at South Road Church in Farmington (Larry, Susan, Nan, Irv, Rose, Bradley, Betty and Alice).

To the evangelists, elders, brothers and sisters in Christ whose teaching and example I greatly cherish, I thank you all.

I dedicate this work to my Lord.

My Prayer

I begin this work with a prayer that stems from a warning from Jesus to those who would speak, write or lead in His name.

My Heavenly Father,

I am not worthy to be called a child of Yours. You have given me so much and I praise Your name for the many blessings that continually come to me. I pray that this work not impede Your kingdom and that I would not fall prey to the lusts of those to whom Your Son, my Savior spoke in the book of Matthew. May my desire be Your will, may You strengthen my weakness of mind and may You and You alone be glorified in this effort. In the name of Jesus, the only way to salvation, I pray.

Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

My rules

I will insert scriptural text directly into the space where the discussion is taking place so that readers do not have to flip between this work and their Bibles. However, I would expect all those who take their salvation seriously to ensure my accuracy through the study of their Bible.

I will try not to break up the sentence structure of scripture even when broken up by verse separation. I will also keep paragraph integrity when using several verses to make a point.

For a very specific reason, I am only using as a source the King James Version of the Scriptures, however if the reader chooses to use another version, the conclusions will be the same.

Additionally, when I insert as reference passages of Scripture, I will use a different font, write the full name of the book from which I am quoting and add chapter and verse numbers to the starting verse. For instance, were I quoting Matthew chapter 6, verse 33 through Matthew 7 verse 2, it would appear as shown below.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Many times throughout this work, I will add emphasis by underlining Scriptural quotes and if adding more emphasis within an underlined section will use bold face to bring forward a point. The reader is advised, all such underlining and highlighting is the author’s and not in the original text.

If you wish to contact the author, please send emails without attachments to: scripturesearch@hotmail.com

My task

I find it interesting that I am beginning a book about a basic element of the Bible and am attempting to enlighten people on what ought to be a fundamental tenant for all Christians and those who study Scripture.

Baptism is prominently discussed in the Bible, and I believe, God’s purpose for it is clearly stated. My goal is not to persuade you the reader to believe me. It is to send you to God’s Word and to open the light of Scripture in your heart.

My premise is: According to the written Word of God, baptism is required for salvation in the Post Resurrection Church that God established through his son Jesus Christ.

In order to accomplish this, I will walk you through all the books of the New Testament and will adhere to God’s words as they have been handed down to us. It is very easy in a work such as this to get sidetracked on any number of topics and themes that present themselves in the scriptures we will be reviewing. I have tried very hard to avoid these in order to remain purely focused on this topic.

I am not trying to deemphasize any other of God’s messages to man today. Nor is my desire to create conflict or put down anyone’s personal beliefs. But my personal search in faith has always been to answer the questions: Why do I believe what I believe and how do I know it is true?

This work is my effort to answer that question for myself and once answered, to convey it to others.

My Invitation

Before you read this, let me begin by sharing my love for you and heartfelt desire for your eternal salvation. Our God is a loving God and His son Jesus was given to us to bridge a gap that none of us can cross on our own.

If you have not yet found salvation, my greatest hope is that the scripture in this book and my words spark a desire to learn how you can be saved.

As you read, you will note my natural tendency to be argumentative, direct and somewhat sarcastic. I apologize if I offend. It is not my intent.

It has been challenging to create a smooth flow of conversation in this work because of my desire to keep all scriptural references as complete thoughts within the body of the work where God’s word is being discussed. It is likely that you will find this to feel more like a textbook than other works you may normally read.

I have also learned over the course of researching this work that not everyone has the same style of researching God’s word that I do. My style energizes me to go deeper and deeper into God’s message as I hope your style of study does for you. Ultimately, style is not the measure that God places on the path to salvation. Obedience is the key.

I pray that whether you find that truth in this work or through other means that you find God’s plan for you and that you submit yourself to His will so that your soul will be bound with His for eternity.

Your brother in Christ,

Brian

Is baptism necessary?

In Mark 11:30, Jesus asked a profound question when confronted by the chief priests, scribes and the elders. Mark 11:27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, 28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

I find this section of Scripture remarkable. When approaching Jesus, what was the focus of the priests, scribes and elders? I believe they were focusing on themselves because of their jealousy of Jesus and on Jesus for not fitting in with their idea of what religion should be.

Where was Jesus’ focus? Jesus looked into the hearts of these men and asked them to search the Scriptures for the only true answer.

When Jesus asked them the question about John’s baptism; where did their focus go? They looked at themselves and the people and were unwilling to give an answer.

Where do you focus when you read this history? On the Jewish leaders for being self-serving? Or on Jesus for outwitting these men?

Let me ask you another question: How could they have found the answer to Jesus’ question? I can think of two ways; they could have read their Scriptures or they could have asked Jesus.

1. They could have searched the scrolls that they had memorized and had available to them, Isaiah 40:1-11 and Malachi 3:1-6 both reference the coming of this prophet.

Isaiah 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Jesus asked his question of the chief priests, scribes and elders in the temple in Jerusalem within a week of the Passover. It is likely that the group of leaders Jesus was facing was made up of some of the most powerful men in Israel and also some of the best taught and learned in the Scriptures. They were also very likely well versed in the Messianic prophecies that are quoted above from Malachi and Isaiah.

I would guess that some of these men might have already connected John the Baptist to these scriptures. We have no direct evidence that these men present knew of John’s words to the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew where he told them he was preparing the way for another.

Matthew 3:4And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 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: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

2. The other way they could have learned the answer to Jesus question was to ask Jesus.

The whole of the Old Testament viewed with these two passages from Isaiah and Malachi point to John the Baptizer and Him who would follow after John. I believe Jesus knew that these men were focused in the wrong areas and He wanted to send them to His Word. Jesus also knew that they would not ask Him for the solution to this puzzle though they had the key to the knowledge of the universe and eternity in front of them.

This was a problem that plagued the Jews from the very beginning. When standing in the presence of God on a continuing basis, they failed to lean on Him for His support, loving kindness and forgiveness. As in the days of Moses, when faced by the Egyptians, the people of Israel turned their backs on God and tried to face what they saw as their opposition unaided. Exodus 14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

These leaders of Israel, who Jesus questioned, while attempting to diligently follow God, had followed in the footsteps of their forefathers and failed to recognize God working in front of them. Because, in their minds, they not only thought they knew the word and the will of God, they believed that they knew the mind of God. In their hearts, they knew the form the Messiah would take and how Israel’s salvation would be secured. Based on their confidence in their earthly knowledge, when confronting an opportunity to find their salvation, they put themselves in the position of denying God.

A final question: The baptism instituted and commanded by Jesus after His resurrection that we have recorded in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16, was it from heaven or of men?

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And 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.

Game! Set! Match!

Jesus’ command is straightforward and simple to the eleven. Go. Tell of the loving God who gave His Son for salvation and those that believe, baptize. Is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without jelly? Can a person be saved without being baptized according to Jesus’ words in Mark 16:16? From where does the doubt come that enters the hearts of so many when God is so plain?

Standing between an army and a sea, the Israelites doubted God’s love, strength, purpose and mercy. Do we sometimes get into the same situation? Let’s see how Jesus’ followers taught after His resurrection.

The Point: Jesus commanded baptism for salvation.

The writers

Did the apostles understand what Jesus told them? Did they go into the world to preach and teach and baptize for salvation?

The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven books and letters written by eight or nine men inspired by God.

Matthew wrote the Gospel of Matthew.

Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark.

Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

John wrote the Gospel of John, the letters of 1, 2 and 3 John and the book of the Revelation.

Paul wrote the letters to the Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon.

James wrote the epistle of James.

Peter wrote the epistles of 1 and 2 Peter.

Jude wrote the epistle of Jude.

The writer of Hebrews is often disputed, some ascribe it to Paul but for the purposes of this work, we will list him as unknown.

Did these inspired men and followers of the Lord Jesus believe in the necessity of baptism for salvation?

I wrote earlier the words of Jesus which we have recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. So we can assume that they do.

Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of the Acts of the Apostles to the same man, Theophilis. Acts is a continuation of the story that Luke is relating.

Luke 1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

Luke, in his gospel account does not record a direction concerning post resurrection baptism. However, the final recorded words of Jesus in the book of Luke to the eleven disciples were: Luke 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.

44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 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: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 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.

We can find many passages in the Acts that demonstrate Luke relating events that comply with Jesus' command. Luke records a sermon from Peter in the Acts of the Apostles where Peter relates Jesus words to a crowd in Jerusalem saying: 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.

Please notice that the remission of sins spoken of in Luke 24:47 is repeated by Peter in Acts 2:38. The absence of the word baptism in the Luke reference does not eliminate the process necessary to obtain remission of sins.

Were I to tell you to go take a bath, would this not necessarily imply stopping the drain of the tub, filling the tub with water and cleansing yourself? I know this is an unfair question for those of you with small boys. Children require the full set of instructions.

So it is with Scripture. Failure to take the entire message of God’s Word leads many to fall short of complete obedience.

Peter paraphrases the final words of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Luke in his response to the question about salvation in his first recorded sermon after the resurrection of Christ in Acts 2 above.

Luke also records the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts. Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

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

So Luke indeed wrote about baptism in the Acts and I would submit he did not ignore it in the Gospel he wrote.

Paul shows his belief in the necessity of baptism in several locations in the letters he wrote and Luke also relates the baptism of Paul in the Acts. Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Paul himself writes extensively about baptism in the books he wrote, two examples are:

Romans 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.

1 Corinthians 12:13 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.

James and Jude do not make reference to baptism in their letters.

John does not write about baptism in his letters or in the Revelation. In the Gospel of John, post resurrection baptism is not mentioned, however, he does record these words of Jesus in John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

We have already reviewed Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 but we also find his inspired input in his first epistle. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 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: 22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

The writer of Hebrews makes a brief and important reference to baptism as a principle of the doctrine of Christ. Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

I believe it is clear from these references that the apostles and followers of Jesus, the God appointed men who penned the Scriptures, understood the necessity of baptism in the post resurrection world and continued the command of Jesus in their ministries.

Jesus believed in baptism after His resurrection. Matthew, Mark and John relate words of Jesus regarding baptism although as I have already stated, John's reference is not after the resurrection. Luke records more information about baptism in the early church than any other writer. Paul writes extensively about baptism in five of his thirteen inspired texts. Peter makes a key point to his readers about baptism in His first recorded letter. The writer of Hebrews makes a very strong point about baptism. And as I stated earlier, James and Jude do not mention baptism.

At this time, a reader could be inspired to jump up and shout a hearty, So what!! Seven of nine New Testament writers, wrote about post-resurrection baptism for salvation. John doesn’t really count based on the author’s rules because the words on baptism he recorded were before Jesus died and resurrected. Ten of 27 New Testament books use the word baptism when reciting post resurrection events and that isn’t even 50%. What is the big deal?

My response is that I believe that every book of the New Testament makes reference to baptism or the baptized, and that every writer knew the purpose and importance (requirement) of baptism. I also believe that there is not a person mentioned in the New Testament Church (following the resurrection of Christ) who was not baptized for salvation.

The Point: The writers of a majority of the New Testament preached or wrote about the necessity of baptism for salvation.

Milk, meat or life

To whom does God speak through the Scriptures? In other words, to whom is the Bible written? God wants all men everywhere to believe in Him and worship Him. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

John 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

God desires all to believe in Him and for all to ultimately live with Him eternally because apart from God there is no life.

Jesus said in John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down