Articles
Ask Your Preacher?
It’s an easy claim for a church or a person to say, “The Bible is our/my only standard”. Indeed it ought to be for 2 John 9-10 teaches, "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;"
There are many doctrines advocated by preachers from pulpits, radio, television, internet, and even bulletins like this but are we to simply take their word that the doctrines they teach are of Christ? In Acts 17:11 we read of people in Berea who “were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” We, too, would be “fair- minded” to search the Scriptures and see what they teach rather than take someone’s word on the matter. That’s why we are urging you to ASK YOUR PREACHER!
IS ONE CHURCH AS GOOD AS ANOTHER?
Ask your preacher where the Bible says one church is as good as another. Many preachers and churches teach this doctrine but where does the Bible teach such? What the Scriptures do teach is there is “one body” (Ephesians 4:4) and "the body” is the “the church” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Also Colossians 1:18 says Christ is "the head of the body, the church”. Christ is “the Saviour of the body, the church" (Ephesians 5:23) and in Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “I will build my church”. Only the church that Jesus built, the church that is His body, the one that He is the head of, and the one which He is the Saviour of will suffice! Other churches that are man-made, wear names foreign to the Bible, ruled and governed by Popes, synods, conferences, and creeds written by men will be “rooted up” (Matthew 15:13). Now I ask you, “Is one church as good as another?” If we are talking about man-made churches, you are absolutely right - One church IS just as good as another! But Jesus nowhere indicates He will save people in anything but His church!
SAVED BY FAITH ONLY?
Ask your preacher where the Bible says a person is saved by faith only. The Bible most certainly teaches we are saved by faith. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”. But it does not say faith only justifies/saves. James 2:24 teaches, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” What the Bible does teach is salvation is by GRACE (Ephesians 2:5), CHRIST’S BLOOD (Matthew 26:28), THE WORD (James 1:21), OBEDIENCE (Hebrews 5:9), WORKS (James 2:24), FAITH (Hebrews 11:6), and BAPTISM (1 Peter 3:21). It takes ALL these to bring about our salvation. That being the case, why do some preachers preach only one thing to the exclusion of all the other things that are necessary? Why not ask them?
SPRINKLING FOR BAPTISM?
Ask your preacher where the Bible says that a person was ever sprinkled for baptism. The Bible teaches baptism is a burial in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12. For an example of water baptism being administered, we can turn to Acts 8:38. On the occasion Philip, the preacher, was baptizing the treasurer of Ethopia. The verse says, “…both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” Verse 39 also bears out they came “up out of the water”. This example harmonizes with the passages in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 concerning baptism being a burial and our being “buried with Him by baptism” is like that of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Where does the practice of sprinkling for baptism originate: from man or from God’s Word? Ask your preacher and get him to produce the scripture.
BAPTISM NOT NECESSARY?
Ask your preacher where the Bible says baptism is not necessary to salvation. Then ask yourself the question of how can men make such a statement when Jesus Himself said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16). Do they profess to know more than Jesus? Do they profess to know more than Peter because he commanded the people in Acts 2:38 to “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins.” If baptism is not necessary then how do we get into Christ? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” If we aren’t “baptized into Christ” how else can we “put on Christ”? A lot of preachers talk about “praying your sins away” but the Bible talks about being “baptized, and wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:16). For baptism to save, to be for the remission of sins, to put a person into Christ, and to wash away sins, how can preachers claim to believe the Bible and yet preach baptism has nothing to do with saving a person? Ask your preacher?
Let’s never fear to question those who profess to be teaching God’s Word. Our souls are too precious and eternity too long to risk taking some preacher’s word over what the Bible teaches. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
