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Issues in Salvation Baptism and Salvation
What are the main questions?
Salvation?
Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
Recently a person commented on one of my posts which was a general call to salvation. I distinctly remember not intending to write the post and in fact, had another article planned. I was doing my own personal study and was moved to really post the gospel. By the grace of God several people responded to it and wondered about salvation, praise God. The commentator summed up the article as being fatally deficient…the fact that baptism wasn't mentioned.

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Multiples?
One Baptism Versus the Many?
Last time we discussed baptism we offered up brother Rory's contention that salvation is impossible without the rite of baptism. One of the texts he used in support of this baptism being salvific was Ephesians 4:4-5 illustrating this point of One baptism being for the forgiveness of sins. My first post started to questi...
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Problems?
Baptism and Big Problems
In our last post we touched on a few things. Namely, that before Christianity there were ceremonial baptisms, or washings, of the Old Testament and the baptism of John. We looked at John's purpose in baptism and we looked at what the people did as they went to get baptized. We also mentioned some baptisms brought by Christ—one with the Holy Spirit and one with fire. Lastly, we managed to begin to see what role water played in the givin...
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Regeneration?
Baptismal Regeneration -tmp(Acts 2:38)
We came up against the apparent wall of Acts 2:38 where Peter is demanding that the crowd be baptized in order to receive forgiveness of sin. Rory's point which spurred the discussion seems to stand. Is this proof of baptismal regeneration (with new meaning to {)…even t...
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Questions?
Deluge of Baptism Questions -tmp(Acts 1-22)
We left off in our study on baptism performing an examination on one of the key proof-texts by supporters of baptismal salvation. In our brief overview of that section we experimented with big fancy words: differential diagnosis. Realizing that all it meant was having all the details and drawing different conclusions based on those details we now move forward in our study spending a short time questioning baptisms in the book of Acts.

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Romans?
Baptism and Romans -tmp(Rom 6:1-11)
Anyone who has been following the study should notice a few things. Firstly, the method is a variation of my (now) usual method of studying. I'm ignoring the role of the specific baptismal narratives within the context of the letter. For instance, that huge list of questions for each specific baptismal event in the book of Acts largely ignored the greater question of the reason those stories were even put into Luke's letter anyway. My appro...
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Noah?
Noah and Baptism -tmp(2 Peter 3:20,21)
If you remember a commenter stated that water baptism is necessary for salvation. It seems that by salvation he meant both justification and regeneration in that he believed water baptism was (a) necessary for the forgiveness of sins and (b) that you are raised to life by means of water baptism. We've worked our way through several baptismal accounts and have been eroding at his foundation (simultaneously addressing some other baptismal conc...
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Paul?
Paul On Baptism -tmp(1 Cor 1:14-18)
After looking at baptism as used in the Peter passage we could rule out the idea that Peter is making a statement about salvation and the nature of water. Of course, we could easily see how pulling something out of context can establish a false doctrine (baptising saves, baptising the dead, or infants). But, before I move onto those types of things I want to look at something Paul said regarding baptism which shouldn't minimize the mandate...
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Infants?
The Error of Infant Baptism
Baptizing infants. Why is it done? Is it Biblical? Does it matter? Jollyblogger did a series on it some time ago and I carefully avoided speaking about the subject so as not to become a bandwagon-jumper. Currently dealing with baptism I am brought to the point to discuss this matter th...
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Purpose?
Remember Your Baptism -tmp(Rom 6:1-11)
{ illustrates a mind-boggling reality with a simple picture. While dealing with the difficulty of our sinful natures Paul makes us look to something that is known to all believers—the baptism by water. His purpose, though, does not remain in the symbol but stretches into the infinite wisdom and love of God that would bestow on sinners the mercy and love they did not deserve. We can, thankfully, look at this portion to provoke a fire in our own thinking no matter how long we've been i...
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