J
jlhargus
Guest
JL: I not mistaken even today MOST Protestants baptize infants. [Acts2:37 Now WHEN THEY HEARD this, THEY WERE PRICKED IN THEIR HEART, AND SAID unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, WHAT SHALL WE DO? 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. 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.]You made reference to"those who gladly received His word were baptized", this is scriptural, however the RCC will baptize baby’s, who cannot receive his word, this is RC teaching.
The PROMISE is the Holy Spirit, indwelling the soul, which is eternal life The word for children is teknon. Teknon would be children from infant up, We see the same word teknon (children) used in Act21:21 in reference to circumcision, we know infants were circumcised at 8 days old. The promise is to adults and to THEIR children. These were Jews of the diaspora, they all understood that children were brought into God’s covenant on the basis of the parents faith. Children have no sin of which to repent, they LACK the Holy Spirit, their faith is the faith of their parent.
The PROMISE is to those PRESENT and far away. There were three thousand PRESENT, who where baptized and the odds that whole families (households) where PRESENT and baptized can’t be refuted. Also notice those baptized RECEIVE the GIFT of the HOLY GHOST. Are we born with the GIFT of the HOLY GHOST or of flesh only? Wasn’t that GIFT, of the Holy Ghost, lost for ALL humanity by Adam’s original sin?
Gn17:14 And THE UNCIRCUMCISED MAN CHILD whose flesh of his foreskin is NOT CIRCUMCISED, that soul SHALL BE CUT OFF FROM HIS PEOPLE; he hath broken my covenant.] Circumcision is a foreshadowing of baptism. Baptism fulfills, circumcision and brings an infant or adult into covenant family relationship with the people of God, otherwise they are cut off from their people. [In the OT women were ALWAYS under the guardian protection or covenant household of a male.]
When a Gentile adult converted to Judaism he had to believe, repent, be circumcised. Yet infants were brought into the people of God, old covenant on the merits of it’s parents or guardians faith, just as in the new covenant. Circumcision was an outward sign only it did not give grace or the indwelling Holy Spirit as THE SACRAMENT of BAPTISM does.
In baptism I am complete in Christ, I am circumcised, forgiven all trespasses, [Col2:10 And YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 IN WHOM also YE ARE CIRCUMCISED with the CIRCUMCISION MADE WITHOUT HANDS, in PUTTING OFF THE BODY OF THE SINS OF THE FLESH by the CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST 12 BURIED WITH HIM **IN BAPTISM, wherein also ye are RISEN WITH HIM THROUGH the FAITH of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having FORGIVEN YOU ALL TRESPASSES.]
Eph 4:4 There is ONE BODY, and ONE SPIRIT, even as ye are called in ONE HOPE of your calling; 5 ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, 6 ONE GOD and Father of all, who is ABOVE ALL, and THROUGH ALL, and IN YOU ALL. It is though baptism God indwell his people. [Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and BE BAPTIZED, and WASH AWAY THY SINS, calling on the name of the Lord.]
Phil 3:3 For WE ARE THE CIRCUMCISION, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
[1Jn 1:12 But AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, to them GAVE HE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, even to them THAT BELIEVE on his name: 13 WHICH WERE BORN, NOT OF BLOOD, NOR of the will of THE FLESH, NOR of the WILL OF MAN, BUT OF GOD.] Those who receive Him, He gives the power to become sons of God through baptism.
[Gal 3:26 For **YE ARE all the CHILDREN OF GOD by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For AS MANY of you AS HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED into Christ HAVE PUT ON CHRIST.] If we put on Christ then we are IN CHRIST and a NEW CREATURE.
2Cor5:17 Therefore IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
JL: I could answer the rest but i’m finished for the night. I see sour grapes here anyway. if you want to start another line with any of the above topics let me know. I’m done for the night.There are many things that are taught by the RCC which are not scriptural. Purgatory, the Tabernacle on earth (in the RCC),man forgiving sins, salvation by baptism, praying to the “saints” or Mary, or whoever, instead of praying through Christ, as Jesus said Himself in His word, praying for the dead, and so many more things that cannot be found in the Bible. I believe the one you call the “first” pope, Peter, would roll over in his grave if he could see the situation in the RCC now, with all the Cardinals, the Pope in his bulletproof vehicle, the pomp and ceremony, all the riches, and of course the scandals, which a lot of churches are subject too, that poor fisherman would be aghast and not recognize any of it as being authentic. Scripture is the only way to go. May I suggest to you that you read Rev 22:6-21 and see what God has to say about adding or taking away from the prophecy of this book. In Christian love. Ralph