Christians and Jews are both anti Acts 2:38.

[MatthewG]

Yo good on you Titus.

 

[Behold]

That search for enlightenment leads only to Jesus Christ.

The search eventually leads to Jesus, because Jesus is THE Truth. John 14:6

 

[Titus]

2 John 1:10-11,
- whosoever violates and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God....
- if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed
- for he that bideth him God speed is a partaker in his evil deeds

 

[Muna]

2 John 1:10-11,
- whosoever violates and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God....
- if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed
- for he that bideth him God speed is a partaker in his evil deeds

I love how Paul doubles down on what John puts out there, saying

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

There would be no mistaking that Paul would be bidding such godspeed in those words

Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

 

[mailmandan]

I've studied multiple religions and tried to convince myself God does not exist.
I've studied multiple denominational doctrines.
I've studied the Bible plan of salvation on my own.
I came to my own conclusions based on my own study of the Scriptures.

You have no right to make stuff up about me in how I chose to be just a Christian alone.
No one tricked me into believing anything.
I am very skeptical by nature.

For example.
I've never had any trust in main stream medicine. Even though all my family and friends do.
I've never been a conformist. I since a kid, was the last in my family or school to believe what authority figures told me to believe.
This got me into constant trouble. Back in my schooling I literally got physically paddled, whipped, spanked for refusing to do what I was told at least once a month.
I got my physically paddled more than nearly any other student in all grades from elementary ton to high school.
I went to public school my whole life by the way. All my teachers had no religious ties to the church my parents attended.
They did not even know my family was religious.
Growing up I quit caring about christian religion by the age of 11. I studied eastern religions and was focused on eastern martial art philosophy because God was of no interest to me.

I never learned anything from junior high to high school in church because I paid no attention to anything or anyone. I literally had zero interest. I could not tell you anything the preacher said or anything that was taught in Bible class. I was totally ignorant of my parents beliefs.
No one ever forced me to believe anything.
Those years were spent focused on self. I cared nothing about God. I was essentially a heathen with some eastern religious pagan beliefs but not spiritual just carnal aspects of self perfection through martial arts training.

When I did become religious towards spiritual matters it was through my own personal study.
I detested the idea of following blindly what my father believed because I at the time did not like or love my Dad. This had nothing to do with the church of Christ.
It was his refusal to let me train in martial arts any day of the week.
I was a very self centered person. I disliked anyone who got in the way of what mattered to me.

I first chose eastern religions. But the more I studied taoism, buddhism, Hinduism, the more I thought they were stupid.
I was obsessed with self, being a very selfish person. So naturally eastern philosophy appealed to me.
These religions are all about self.
This is why carnal self centered people like hollywood celebrities praise eastern religions but hate christianity.
It's also why they love going to psychiatrists. Ever studied psychiatry?
Many of the founders got their ideas from eastern thinking.
Carl Jung 1875-1961
William James 1842-1910
Eric Fromm 1900-1980
R.D. Laing 1927- 1989
Abraham Maslow 1908- 1970

Finally, suffering led me out of selfishness into reality. Self enlightenment is impossible. Literally impossible.
The more you look inwards to find enlightenment.
If your honest. The more you realize you dont know.
This harsh reality hit me like a truck. I am inadequate to find within self enlightenment.
The answer had to lie outside of self.
That search for enlightenment leads only to Jesus Christ.

John 14:6,
- I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through Me

Jeremiah 10:23,
- O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps

Ecclesiastes 12:13,
- Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man

Proverbs 9:10,
- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the holy is understanding

Psalm 111:10,
- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have they that do His commandments

You can accuse me all you want of being a mindless indoctrinated tool.
Those who grew up around me would never describe me as a person who is easily manipulated.

You don't know me.
I dont know you.
That's why I don't make empty accusations of why you became what you became.
In fact I've praised you and still do for being a free thinker and leaving catholism.
Which almost no Catholics do. That shows you think for yourself.
That is why you are a conservative not a mindless liberal lemming.

That sounds like it was quite a journey for you. There are many false religions out there that focus more on self and on rituals rather than on Christ. For me I was born and raised in the Roman Catholic church and by the time I reached 17-18 years old I began to question Roman Catholic doctrine and knew something was missing. I did briefly attend the CoC seeking for what was missing but did not find it there either but took a step closer to finding it.

I did eventually come to receive Jesus Christ through faith on a late Saturday night and about a month prior to my conversion, my mother in law had passed away and I was thinking very seriously about the afterlife. Soon after she had passed away, I remember asking Jesus Christ that whatever it takes to get me to heaven, just put the answer right in front of my face so that I will know with absolute assurance here is the answer and now it's up to me to accept the truth. It turns out that Jesus did put the answer in front of my face.

I ended up coming across a gospel tract that really caught my attention which led me to thoroughly search through the Scriptures. I knew that I was onto something and I could see that the Lord was drawing me. Finally, after reading through the book of Romans and eventually the book of Ephesians, I came to Ephesians 2:8,9 and that's when the light came on! I had then placed my faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and knew without a doubt that I had become born again! Praise the Lord!

I remember over the years how several people had tried to share the gospel with me, but at that time the truth just went right over my head, but right after my conversion, I could look back and say, "that's what he meant, that's what she meant, that's what they were trying to tell me." Praise God! I was unable to receive water baptism until Sunday morning and was very excited to get water baptized. I remember giving about a 5 minute testimony on how I came to receive Jesus Christ through faith and how I was falsely taught salvation by faith + works in two different churches prior to my conversion.

 

[mailmandan]

The search eventually leads to Jesus, because Jesus is THE Truth. John 14:6

That's exactly where the search led me. (John 3:16-18; 10:9; 14:6; Acts 4:12)

 

[mailmandan]

Wrong. The emphasis must be on doctrine. The doctrine that is practised and preached is what proves if the local church truly is the church of Christ.
Not the sign on the meeting house. You
implied you were not in the Baptist sect. You intentionally mislead me. We both know why!

You know the Baptist church is not the church in the new testament.
That is why you are ashamed to tell me you are a Baptist.

The emphasis absolutely must be on doctrine yet you are still hung up on names as demonstrated by your posts.

This is why it is identified as the church of Christ by Paul, Romans 16:16.
Why not just call the church what it is?

Christ is the only name by which we are saved.
His church is the church of Christ.

Since only the saved are IN Christ's body, which is His church.
You are not in the body of Christ.
Therefore you are not IN Christ where all the saved are.
Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church: and He is the SAVIOR OF THE BODY.

Do I have to be in your church to be saved Dan. You already told me NO. You are in a church that is non-essential to being saved IN Christ. Therefore not necessary. Sad to be married to the wrong Bridegroom.

You have the audacity to judge me as not being in the body of Christ yet who are you to judge me? That judgment call is well above your pay grade! Only the Lord can infallibly judge the hearts of men. Also, don't confuse the Church (the body of Christ) with where people worship (the meeting house) on Sunday.

Where you attend church on Sunday does not automatically mean you are or are not in the body of Christ, regardless of the name on the meeting house.

 

[Muna]

I agree, that we should care less that our names are found in a certain churches membership file cabinent and be more concerned that your name is written in heaven

But even in a dead Rev 3:1 church, there can be a few names Jesus is not ashamed to highlight as worthy of him.

Rev 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

 

[Behold]

be more concerned that your name is written in heaven

If you are born again, then your name is in the "Lamb's Book of Life"..... it is definitely and eternally written there by the Blood of Jesus.

 

[mailmandan]

I agree, that we should care less that our names are found in a certain churches membership file cabinent and be more concerned that your name is written in heaven

But even in a dead Rev 3:1 church, there can be a few names Jesus is not ashamed to highlight as worthy of him.

Rev 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

Yes, Jesus points out the lifeless state of the church in Sardis - "..you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." This church may have had a name of being alive, but they were spiritually lifeless. Here we see a stark contrast between its outward appearance and inward reality. Jesus' message to the church here emphasizes the need for spiritual vitality and warns against the facade of religiosity.

In other words, the church was filled with unsaved people going through the motions of religion who needed to wake up and repent in order to become saved with a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Jesus in white.

There are genuine Christians and there are "nominal" or pseudo-Christians. There are genuine believers and there are make believers and it's not hard to find them mixed together in various churches.

 

[Behold]

There are genuine Christians and there are "nominal" or pseudo-Christians.

The "proof" that someone is a Christian, is that they are BORN... again.

And that is not water baptism.

 

[mailmandan]

The "proof" that someone is a Christian, is that they are BORN... again.

And that is not water baptism.

Salvation is signified but is not procured in water baptism. Believers have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:23)

 

[Behold]

Salvation is signified but is not procured in water baptism.

Water Baptism is a "figure".

1 Peter 3:21 '"""The like >>Figure< whereunto even baptism doth also now save us""" (KJV)

A Figure is... "figurative".. "figuratively"... = "symbolic".

Water Cults teach that water baptisim, is mystical, that is has power, and can "wash away your sins"

Water Cults tend to teach that Acts 2:38: "repent and be water baptized".....is the "Gospel".......and of course its not...as its just Peter repeating John the Baptists message to the Jews.

So, Theological Baloney is that water baptism is requried for Salvation.

 

[mailmandan]

Water Baptism is a "figure".

1 Peter 3:21 '"""The like >>Figure< whereunto even baptism doth also now save us""" (KJV)

A Figure is... "figurative".. "figuratively"... = "symbolic".

Water Cults teach that water baptisim, is mystical, that is has power, and can "wash away your sins"

Water Cults tend to teach that Acts 2:38: "repent and be water baptized".....is the "Gospel".......and of course its not...as its just Peter repeating John the Baptists message to the Jews.

So, Theological Baloney is that water baptism is requried for Salvation.

Baptism is a symbol of salvation in that it pictures Christ's death, burial and resurrection and our identification with Him in these experiences. In reality, believers are literally saved by what baptism symbolizes--Christ's death, burial and resurrection.

In 1 Peter 3:21, Peter tells us that baptism now saves you, yet when Peter uses this phrase, he continues in the same sentence to explain exactly what he means by it. He said that baptism now saves you-not the removal of dirt from the flesh (that is, not as an outward, physical act which washes dirt from the body--that is not what saves you), "but an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (that is, as an inward, spiritual transaction between God and the individual, a transaction that is symbolized by the outward ceremony of water baptism).

False religion turns symbols and shadows of salvation into the substance and the source.

 

[Behold]

False religion turns symbols and shadows of salvation into the substance and the source.

Exactly.
They (Theologically redefine) the symbolic as the Literal.
The worst offender is the MaryCult.

 

[pandaflower]

I see many Christians attacking the Jewish beliefs for rejecting Christ but the reality is, that Christians that do not obey Acts 2:38 are as disobedient as the Jews that rejected Peter in the first century.

There is no difference to God.

We are either part of the 1st century church via Acts 2:38 obedience or we are not via disobedience to Acts 2:38.

If we disobey it, we are not of the 3000 at Pentecost, but we are as the Sanhedrin and it's "followers of God".

There is no grey area with God. Peter provided no grey area to the murderers of Jesus, nor to us in the modern world.

I am amazed at the voluntary blindness I see towards the solution to the sinners of Acts these days.

It would be a cold day in hell when most modern Christians would get baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins as Peter commanded them in Acts 2:38.

Peter has been shunned by the Christian community right before the return of Christ, in these days.

Blindness in part has not just happened to Israel as per Romans 11, but to Christians also.

Acts 2:38 Does not explicitly state that baptism is necessary for salvation.

I think if that were the case,it being mandatory, Scripture that says faith alone saves would not be in God's word.

 

[Behold]

I think if that were the case,it being mandatory, Scripture that says faith alone saves would not be in God's word.

Before you had Acts 2:38, you had an entire Old Testament.
We can read there that Abraham and Noah both, were "righteous" before God because of their = Faith.
Paul teaches that Abraham is the "Father of OUR Faith"....... "Our" = all the born again, whom God has redeemed through the blood of Jesus, because we gave God our Faith in Christ, and our "faith is counted by God as (Christ's) Righteous"... eternally "imputed" to the believer.

 

[Titus]

The emphasis absolutely must be on doctrine yet you are still hung up on names as demonstrated by your posts.

The emphasis must be on doctrine.
New testament doctrine describes the church as the churches of Christ, Romans 16:16.
Also the church of God, body of Christ, bride of Christ, church, household of God, The Temple of God, Flock of God, Kingdom of God, the Way, New Jerusalem, The people of God.


What did Paul say when he addresses all the local churches that were already established in his day?
Romans 16:16 - greet one another with a holy kiss the churches of Christ salute you

That is scriptural.
Paul did not make a name to call the church. The Holy Spirit spoke through Paul and called the universal church the churches of Christ.

Making up names is unscriptual. What is wrong with calling the church what the Holy Spirit calls it?
1 Peter 4:11,
- if anyman speak let him speak the oracles of God

 

[mailmandan]

The emphasis must be on doctrine.
New testament doctrine describes the church as the churches of Christ, Romans 16:16.
Also the church of God, body of Christ, bride of Christ, church, household of God, The Temple of God, Flock of God, Kingdom of God, the Way, New Jerusalem, The people of God.

What did Paul say when he addresses all the local churches that were already established in his day?
Romans 16:16 - greet one another with a holy kiss the churches of Christ salute you

That is scriptural.
Paul did not make a name to call the church. The Holy Spirit spoke through Paul and called the universal church the churches of Christ.

Making up names is unscriptual. What is wrong with calling the church what the Holy Spirit calls it?
1 Peter 4:11,
- if anyman speak let him speak the oracles of God

Making up names? Regardless of what name is on the front of a church building, what truly matters is whether or not people who meet in that church building are a part of the universal church, the body of Christ. (Colossians 1:18,24)

The pastor of my church doesnt hesitate to stress the difference between a church building with a name on it where people meet on Sunday and the church, the body of Christ, which is made up of all genuine born again Christians.

Roman Catholics argue that the Roman Catholic church is the universal church based on their name from the apostles, creed. Now the word "catholic" does mean universal, yet the doctrine of the Roman Catholic church is flawed, so their name doesn't matter.

The teachings of the worldwide church of God (Armstrongism) along with the modern day church of Christ (Campbellism) are also flawed.

You can place the name, "church of God or church of Christ" etc.. on the front of a church building all you want but that does not guarantee the doctrine being taught in those particular churches today is sound doctrine.

 

[MatthewG]

Sometimes silence can be an answer.

The emphasis must be on doctrine.
New testament doctrine describes the church as the churches of Christ, Romans 16:16.
Also the church of God, body of Christ, bride of Christ, church, household of God, The Temple of God, Flock of God, Kingdom of God, the Way, New Jerusalem, The people of God.


What did Paul say when he addresses all the local churches that were already established in his day?
Romans 16:16 - greet one another with a holy kiss the churches of Christ salute you

That is scriptural.
Paul did not make a name to call the church. The Holy Spirit spoke through Paul and called the universal church the churches of Christ.

Making up names is unscriptual. What is wrong with calling the church what the Holy Spirit calls it?
1 Peter 4:11,
- if anyman speak let him speak the oracles of God

Anyway, Why don't we greet anyone with a holy kiss anymore if we gonna live by ever aspect of the bible.

We do not live by every aspect of the bible. We live by the spirit.