and you believe faith along with baptism is necessary to be saved.
No! My heretic friends like kevin, JustWorks, etc still hold the twisted view that water somehow saves. The Scriptural view is much different. It tells us that Christ saves and Him alone.
Originally posted by Sheepdog
From Yxboom
Yx is just "passing" wind
Not as salvation, He can't! He Has chosen His blood to do that (Hebrews 9:22).
Originally posted by cirisme
Why can't Christ use it as a tool?
Notice that Tertullian and Augustine both addressed the issue of the necessity of water baptism for two different groups they referred to as heretics. Tertullian wrote to refute the Cainite heresy, and Augustine to refute the Donatist heresy.
Also, as you can see by this sampling of writings, the Church believed from the very beginning that water baptism confers sanctifying grace.
You, on the other hand, can only point to a few scriptural verses, taken somewhat out of context, to bolster your position. You cannot consider all scripture relating to baptism and come to the conclusion you have reached. Nor do you have any opinion from anyone who could be considered a reputable theologian before the 16th century.
Your lack of interest in the early fathers doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, reading the early fathers, many of whom were discipled by the apostles, would be dangerous to your more modern man-made theology. If you were to read Clement for instance, who was directly discipled by Peter and is mentioned in scripture, you would have to deal with the same views on water baptism, for instance. How would you explain a disciple of St. Peter holding up the doctrine of water baptism for the forgiveness of sin? Did Clement, and all the other early Christians, fall away from the faith they just received that quickly, even after Jesus promised that nothing would prevail against His church?Your early church fathers have no bearing on what I believe. It amazes me how catholics quote these men and hold their doctrine above what the bible says. Heretics with their doctrine bred more heretics.
You need to read a little deeper here, and have someone who knows Greek explain the meaning of the actual Greek words used here. Paul does not say simply that he wasn't sent to baptize, but rather infers he was not sent just to baptize. In other words, I believe Paul is emphasizing the importance of his calling to preach the gospel to the gentiles. Besides, Paul certainly did baptize, whole families at times, and I'm certain Paul wouldn't have done that if Jesus didn't want him to.If the so called GREAT COMMISSION is you apostles go water baptize, why is it that Paul was sent NOT to water baptize?
Originally posted by Francisco
Your lack of interest in the early fathers doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, reading the early fathers, many of whom were discipled by the apostles, would be dangerous to your more modern man-made theology.
I am not surprised by your lack of scriptural references no more than your calling scripture "man made". I quoted the bible, it was you that quoted men.
If you were to read Clement for instance, who was directly discipled by Peter and is mentioned in scripture, you would have to deal with the same views on water baptism, for instance. How would you explain a disciple of St. Peter holding up the doctrine of water baptism for the forgiveness of sin? Did Clement, and all the other early Christians, fall away from the faith they just received that quickly, even after Jesus promised that nothing would prevail against His church?
Peter's conversion was progressive and continued after Pentecost. Acts 2:38 is not the gospel. Clement would have faired far better if he had been instructed by Paul.
BTW, the reason us Catholics hold to the doctrines of these early fathers is because these teachings were passed to them from the apostles. Many of these doctrines predate the bible, which the Catholic Church did not finish deciding canon of until almost 400AD. Just as the early Christians did, Catholics today look to these doctrines as being as authoritative as they were the day God revealed them to the apostles, and the apostles passed them on to faithful men who could then teach others. This is what we call sacred tradition. Without sacred tradition, Catholics would be in chaos, continually debating what this verse means, or that doctrine says, much the way the thousands of Protestant denominations, and those who claim no denomination, do today.
I know you dearly love to defend your beloved church and the doctrine of its fathers but this thread is about water baptism and I fell "you" need to provide scripture with "your" interpretation or you have no argument. Your so called sacred tradition means nothing to me.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col. 2:8 (KJV)
You need to read a little deeper here, and have someone who knows Greek explain the meaning of the actual Greek words used here. Paul does not say simply that he wasn't sent to baptize, but rather infers he was not sent just to baptize. In other words, I believe Paul is emphasizing the importance of his calling to preach the gospel to the gentiles. Besides, Paul certainly did baptize, whole families at times, and I'm certain Paul wouldn't have done that if Jesus didn't want him to.
I don't need a Greek scholar to explain scripture. I have read many debates and their disagreement hardly confirms a proven method. We should compare scripture with scripture and combine that with prayer. Simply because Paul did baptize some does not mean that at a later date he was sent not to baptize, did not Paul say that he thanked God he had only baptized these few? It would be better for you to actually read the bible and believe what it says without the addition of words of wisdom. "Christ sent me not to baptise" is not that difficult to understand.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 1 Cor. 1:22 (KJV)
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 1 Cor. 1:23 (KJV)
First, let me point out that earlier in this extremely long thread, I have quoted the bible in support of my position several times, as have others like Kevin and JustWorks, to name a couple.Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
I am not surprised by your lack of scriptural references no more than your calling scripture "man made". I quoted the bible, it was you that quoted men.
What an utterly stupid idea, to think Clement would have received better instruction from Paul who received his instruction from 'the disciples which were at Damascus', rather than receiving instruction from Peter who was taught directly by Jesus.Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
Peter's conversion was progressive and continued after Pentecost. Acts 2:38 is not the gospel. Clement would have faired far better if he had been instructed by Paul.
Actually, the early fathers were the original defenders of Christian faith. That is the main reason I turn to them. I don't pretend to defend them, but rather hold out their teachings to defend me.Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
I know you dearly love to defend your beloved church and the doctrine of its fathers but this thread is about water baptism and I fell "you" need to provide scripture with "your" interpretation or you have no argument. Your so called sacred tradition means nothing to me.
This is a perfect description of what you yourself are trying to do, and you don't even know it. Do you claim to know Christ's teachings better than his apostles, or their disciples? YES! Out of your vanity you have deceived yourself, and again out of vanity, you now seek to deceive others. You should humbly consider the teachings of the early Christians since they were much closer to the root of our Christian faith than men that happened along 1500 years later, creating their own TRADITION, rather than the tradition of the apostles that Paul repeatedly exhorts us to follow:Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col. 2:8 (KJV)
In your vanity and arrogance, you have consistently rejected the lessons of Christianity's greatest teachers; why would asking a Greek scholar what a word or phrase means be any different? I agree with you that Greek scholars don't all agree on everything, but I'm sure you would be amazed at what they DO agree own, Catholics and Protestants alike. This particular verse is one on which you will find very little disagreement between Catholic, Protestant and non-Christian scholars.Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
I don't need a Greek scholar to explain scripture. I have read many debates and their disagreement hardly confirms a proven method.
And what, come up with a few thousand more new denominations, each claiming their interpretation is the correct one because 'the bible says so'? It is painfully obvious that your approach does not work, otherwise everyone would come up with the same private interpretations and we would all be in agreement.Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
We should compare scripture with scripture and combine that with prayer.
LOL. Paul was baptizing at first, then he was sent a second time, 'not to baptize'? LOL. Your eisegesis is laughable.Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
Simply because Paul did baptize some does not mean that at a later date he was sent not to baptize,
NO! At least not in the sense you are purporting. Paul was addressing contentions within the church at Corinth where divisions were apprearing among the congregation, with some following one apostle or another. Paul said he was glad he had only baptized a few of these Corinthians so that they could not claim they had been baptized in Paul's own name:Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
did not Paul say that he thanked God he had only baptized these few?
It would be better for you to improve your reading comprehension so you can understand and believe what it really says, rather than reading the words of scripture pulled out of context through the filters that have been ingrained through your instruction in the traditions of men of the 16th century.Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
It would be better for you to actually read the bible and believe what it says without the addition of words of wisdom.
I agree, it shouldn't be that hard to understand, but you will continue to have difficulty with this verse if you do not consider the context. Again, look at the verse in context as I quoted it above. Paul is glad he didn't baptize any more of the Corinthians than he did so they cannot claim he baptized them in his own name. It's really very simple, isn't it?Originally posted by Hopeof Glory
"Christ sent me not to baptise" is not that difficult to understand.