What Does The Bible Say?
30 Minute Discussions Of Bible Subjects
What Does The Bible Say?
What Does the Bible Say About How to Be Saved #2?
In this second episode, Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue the discussion of what the Bible says about how to be saved. Glenn and Fred review some of the things discussed in the last episode. We continue this episode by looking at what Peter did when the Holy Spirit sent him to a Roman Centurian named Cornelius in Caesarea. We go over what the Bible says about this encounter, what Peter taught and what Cornelius and his family did. Next, we find Paul in Philippi where a businesswoman heard his preaching and responded to it along with her family members. We discuss what was taught and again the response of her and her family. The next situation we look at is when Paul and Silas are imprisoned in Philippi for preaching the gospel and have an opportunity to teach their jailer and his family. We talk about what was said by Paul and Silas and again how the jailer and his family responded. We note the similarity in all of these occasions. Next, we find Paul in Corinth teaching in a synagogue. In this situation the chief ruler of the synagogue, his family and other Jews and Gentiles obey Paul's teaching. We discuss that. We close out this episode by noting that Paul discovered some disciples who had received John's baptism. We look at what Paul told them about baptism in the name of the Lord and how that related to them. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.
This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ, meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com or to Glenn Landrum at scbamaboy2003@yahoo.com.
Arnie:Good. Afternoon. This is what does the Bible say? Brought to you by Woodland church of of Christ. I'm Arnie Granke, and with me today is Glenn Landrum and Fred Gosnell. And we just want to talk a little bit about Bible things. We're with the Woodland church of Christ here in Sumter, South Carolina. We certainly welcome you to come visit with us on the Lord's Day. We have Bible class at 10 o'clock and worship at at 11 on Sunday morning, and then again in the in the evening, and then also we meet on Wednesday evenings for Bible class. So we would welcome you to come and and be with us. And last week, we began to talk about the Bible plan of salvation, and we looked at various places where the gospel had been spread, in in the New Testament. Glenn, you want to tell us a little bit about that.
Glenn:Yeah. Well, last week, Arnie and Fred got this very important, maybe one of the most important subjects in the Bible started. They mentioned scriptures that established the authority of Christ and His instructions, often called the Great Commission to his followers. He told his followers that were the apostles and the disciples of his to take the message to all the world and teach everyone and baptize all who believed. Why do we need to teach this subject? Because it is critical that anyone who hears God's good news, that's the gospel, understands exactly what it says. We must teach all that the Bible says about this subject, not just part of it. When we are building or making something, we we may be following a set of instructions. We all know what happens when we skip a step in those instructions, or possibly we add something in, we don't get the product that we're trying to to come up with. The same is true when looking at salvation. If we do not follow all the instructions given us in God's word, or if we add something to the instructions, we are not going to have the salvation spoken of by God and His Word. I have mentioned several times before why we call this program. What does the Bible say? It's because it is exactly what why we're giving to you what the Bible says. Sadly, most groups that are that calls themselves Christian either leave something out of the plan for salvation or they add something to the instructions, the result is not exactly what God said. So if it's important to you to know what God said in order to be saved, pay attention. Study and confirm what we say. If you find it to be true, we invite you to to take action, obey the gospel and be baptized.
Fred Gosnell:Yeah. Well, and you know, last week we started out. We we looked at Peter preaching the gospel first in Jerusalem in AD 33 and we looked at what, what Peter said there, and what he the people asking, What shall we do after they realized they had crucified their Messiah, and Peter told them, Repent and be baptized. Every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ. So then, then we looked at, Philip was sent to Samaria, or on the way to Gaza to look at. Or Philip was sent to Samaria, and he was preaching there, and he baptized some men and some women, and also the sorcerer there that had deceived those people. Then we looked at Philip was then sent to meet up with the Ethiopian eunuch on the way to Gaza. So now that brings us. To a Centurion, Cornelius, by name in Acts chapter 10 and and verses one and two, says that there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called The Italian band. He was a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house and gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. Glenn mentioned about people who who feared God are and who believe and who who obey. And of course, Cornelius was a he was a Gentile. He was the he was the first Gentile that we find that was taught. Of course, he had a vision, as did Peter later on. And Cornelius sent some people to Joppa to meet up with Peter. Peter was had a vision. Was told to go to Cornelius and and as as they got together and talked, when we get to Acts 10, 34, he Peter begins by saying to Cornelius, He opened his mouth in verse 34 said of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. Of course, Cornelius was a Gentile, first Gentile, But in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him and the word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all that word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism of John, preached. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went all about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of this of the devil, for God was with him, and we are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him, God raised up the third day and showed him openly and not not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he was rose from the dead, and He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the word. They of the circumcision which believe were astonished. The circumcision. They were Jews that were with Peter, As many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit, for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed, they him to certain, certain days. So, so, so, Arnie, you've got something to say about what just happened here.
Arnie:Well, this was, this was certainly a unique experience, because there hadn't been any any Gentiles previously that had had obeyed the gospel. The gospel had been, had been taught pretty regularly on a daily basis, as a matter of fact, in in Jerusalem and and talked to Jews. So is as Peter is sent to to Cornelius. Now there's, there might have even been a little bit of uncertainty there as to how it was going to turn out. Sometimes we, sometimes we have to swallow hard and and be brave when we go teach the gospel, because we don't always know if somebody's going to be angry about that, or if they're if they're going to obey the gospel, or just what. It turned out that Cornelius was not angry. He was very glad and and the whole house, the whole the household full of his family, obeyed the gospel. So they were, they were the first Gentiles to do so. And of course, Cornelius was a a Roman centurion, and I suspect he probably shared the the gospel, although we're not said, not said, so that he probably shared the gospel with some of the soldiers that were under him.
Glenn:Well, a couple of things about this situation, and it says it's very interesting, being that Cornelius and his household were the first Gentiles, as Arnie mentioned to, to respond to them to the Gospel. And as Fred was reading, you may have noticed that the Jews who were with Peter, and Peter being a Jew also, they were very surprised about this whole thing, that the Gentiles were now receiving the gospel. And one of the arguments that we receive a lot of times is, well, the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and his household, and this in it, in the order of it, he it fell on the Holy Spirit fell on them before they were baptized. And many will say, well, see they were saved without baptism. But that's not the case. This was a special situation to show the Jews that the Gentiles were now accepted and immediately following it, it tells, Can any person forbid water at this time, so they needed to be baptized for salvation. But there's another situation we want to take a look at, and that's saying in Philippi. Lydia, who is a business woman who sold purple dye, a very expensive ingredient that's used to to dye clothing. She heard Paul's preaching along with her household, and all of them were baptized. And I'm going to read Acts 16, 14, and 15. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened that she attended upon the things which were spoken of Paul and when she was baptized and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us. So we're continuing on with this line of reasoning that every every situation of salvation that we find in the book of Acts is showing that those people who responded to the Gospel were baptized.
Fred Gosnell:Yeah and, just to remind our listeners when, when we read the last part of Acts chapter 10, and Glenn noted that they were the Holy Spirit fell on them. Of course, one of the things that we're told in in Mark 16, the end of that in verse 20, is that the Lord went with him and worked with him, showing signs and wonders, confirming the word. So. so the reason the Holy Spirit fell was that was the miracle that confirmed what Peter was saying. And of course, the next thing Peter said, he said, See, here is water. And notice, what does he baptize in? He commanded them. The command is to be baptized, immersed in water for their remission of your sins. And then with, with Lydia. Notice, sometimes people will read this, and they will, they will say, well, well, look, Lydia, she was, of course, she was baptized, but, but they'll look at that say, The Lord opened her heart, and then she obeyed it well, but notice, notice what the text is. It says that she was in the seaside at Thyatira. She worshiped God. Notice, Heard us whose heart the Lord opened. So the Lord didn't open her heart till after she had heard the word. So remember what the gospel is said to be, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation. So so her heart was opened after she heard the gospel. And then, of course, then she attended to what Paul was teaching, and she listened to it, and then she obeyed it. She was baptized and her household. And then, of course, she's wanting them to stay with
Arnie:Yeah, you know, a lot of people think that baptism can her. either be sprinkling, pouring, immersion, just whatever suits you, and and have your sins washed away. Well, of course, they include in in that instance, there was no sprinkling that was that was done. There was no pouring that was done. What is said to have been done is they were baptized. And the word baptism is a word that that involves immersion. And as a matter of fact, in in the original language, baptizo, which we get the English word from, baptizo, meant to immerse. So interestingly enough, I am I'm sure that Lydia was well familiar with immersion and with with baptizo, because being a dealer in in dye, that she would have probably instructed some of her some of her customers, as to how to how to use the dye and and what to do with the article that they were, that they were coloring, and and so forth like that. So let's not add, a lot of religions do this. They'll add things that the Bible doesn't say, and change the meaning of words that the Bible doesn't, doesn't authorize. Let's stick with the Word of God, because if we do that, if we do what, what many people do, we're liable to be lost.
Glenn:You know, you're talking about this word baptism, and it's in the in the King James and many other translations. It is a transliteration. It is not a virtual translation. The actual word there is immersion. And you may remember, or you may know of there's a version of the Bible that does not use the word baptism or baptized simply because it, it is, it is not the the correct translation, the correct translation is immersion. So anytime you see that word baptism, you should be reading immersion. And so that would be the way we should see it, that when, when Peter said, Repent and be baptized, what he actually says, were repent and be immersed, and every other kind of situation we read here of the word baptism,
Arnie:You know, if I might just add, add another thought to that, let's be, let's be frank about this, that many of the theologians that people that teach or preach in the in the churches where many of our neighbors attend, have been to some sort of a theological seminary, and they've been taught various things, and they, in in turn, are teaching those same things back to other people there. So if, if your pastor tells you that actually what you need to do is is either be sprinkled like we do with infants, or you need to have the water poured like you, like you might do with with some people, or you could have it immersed. Immersion is not very doesn't seem to be very convenient, though, because you'd have to have a pool of water to do it in. So it's, it's most convenient if we, if we sprinkle. Pay them no attention. There's not a word of truth in that. And what Glenn has just told you is absolutely the case.
Fred Gosnell:Well, just, just the the Tree of Life version of the Bible says in Mark 16, 16, He who believes and is immersed shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned. So we do have versions that do translate it properly, rather than trans transliterated.
Glenn:Right.We just, we just have to be careful, and we have to be studious to to know what God's Word is saying, and particularly II, like what Arnie mentioned, that many times we are listening to what someone else tells us, rather than reading the Bible for ourselves and coming to an understanding ourselves. We as as as members of the Lord's church, we we try always to to read and study ourselves and and learn for ourselves what the Scriptures are teaching. And this is one of those situations I believe it really behooves us to study and and to know, because it right makes a big, big difference. It really does. So we just spoke with about Lydia, who was that business woman who sold purple and and she responded, and she responded with her household and they they were all baptized Well, Paul and Silas taught the Philippian jailer or the a prison keeper, what he must do to be saved and baptized him and all that were in his house. And that's in Acts 16, 25, to 34 and it reads, And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. And the prisoners heard them. Now, now remember ,Paul and Silas, they're actually locked up in prison at this time, they are in chains. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, and so the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were open and everyone's bands were loosed, and the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do not, do thyself no harm, for we are all here. Then he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Now I'm going to stop right here for a moment. This Philippian jailer had to have heard something prior to this in order to ask this question. But what must I do to be saved. He didn't just do that just off spur. He had to have heard something prior to this to know enough even to ask, What must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and all thy house. And they spake unto him the word of Lord and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes and was baptized, he and all his straight way. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them and rejoiced believing God with all his house.
Fred Gosnell:So sometimes people will will read that, and they say, well, see there it says that Paul told him believe on the Lord Jesus, thou shalt be saved, and thou thy house. So, so, so they've been taught well, all you have to do is believe to be saved. Well, but then the rest of it is the next verse says, And they spake the word of Lord unto Him with all that were in the house. So you see, you got to believe on him. Then they taught him what to believe. Then, based on that, then he washed their stripes. Let's see, washing their stripes. He had just had them beaten. That looks to me like some kind of repentance and and then he washed their stripes. And then he was baptized, and all his house. And then, of course, he brought to his house, he fed him. So, so in that verse again, but what we say is it see again was that baptism was one of the requirements that we see every time that that someone is taught, taught the gospel. At some point they are baptized.
Arnie:This passage kind of tells you that this this jailer, did not have any children in his house below what we would think of as possibly teenagers, adolescents anyway. How do we know that? Because the whole family was baptized, that is, as Glenn has pointed out, were immersed, and you can't immerse infants and small children. So just think, think through passages. Look at each word, and and, and sometimes words that you've maybe just kind of whizzed through, heard it and let it go out the other ear. Maybe mislead you. Don't allow yourself to be mislead by somebody. Make them teach you the gospel and make them obey the gospel themselves.
Glenn:You know we, many people, will say to us, Well, you you put so much emphasis on baptism. Well, we are simply reading the scriptures and telling you what the Scriptures say about that. In the city of Corinth, Paul testified that Jesus was Christ and Chrispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue and his family, along with other Jews and Greeks, believed, and they were baptized Acts 18, four through eight. Is the passage that tells about that. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the Spirit, and He testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he took his raiment and said to them, Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean. Henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. And he departed thence and entered into the a certain man's house named Justus, one that worshiped God whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized. Once again, we we see the result of someone believing. The result is them being baptized in order to be saved. Towards the end of this lesson, we'll mention a few scriptures that kind of tie all this together and let us see exactly why baptism is necessary.
Fred Gosnell:Well, you know Paul in in Acts 19, one through seven, this chapter says that that Apollos was at Corinth. And Paul had had passed through the upper country there, and he came to Ephesus. And there in Ephesus, Paul met certain disciples, and He said to them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said unto him, Nay, but we did not so much as here, whether the Holy Spirit was given. So Paul then knew something. There was something amiss here. So he said unto them, What were you baptized? So they said Unto John's baptism. And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on Him that should come after him, that is on Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spake with tongues and prophesied. And they were in all about 12 men. Of course, what this shows us is that they were they, they had heard John preach, and they had obeyed John's baptism, which is what everybody needed to do. But, but after John died, and after Jesus was crucified, and when he was raised from the dead, Jesus told the apostles go to preach the gospel. Every creature, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be condemned. So so Paul, right away found out that these people were not baptized in the name of the Lord. So then, when he told them that they were baptized, and of course, the miracle that occurred to confirm what he said was that the Holy Spirit fell on them. So what this tells us is that people can be baptized improperly, and then they need to be rebaptized in the name of the Lord. Of course, Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter four, I think it is, there's one Lord, one faith and one baptism. So, so so it's not the Holy Spirit baptism that saved these people. It was the baptism in the name of the Lord, and it wasn't John, John's baptism that was not in effect anymore. So when you read this, consider yourself and what you have done. Remember what Jesus said, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be condemned. So we need to make sure that we're going to obey what Jesus says, and we need to make sure that we do it right.
Glenn:You know, before you we go to Arnie, I want to mention something about this. This is one of those situations that I believe we would apply what is called necessary inference to. When Paul asked whose baptism were they baptized in? They said, John's. And he immediately told them that John's baptism is not the correct baptism that you needed. You need to be baptized in the name of Christ. That, by necessary inference, is saying that John's baptism did not save them, therefore they needed to be baptized in Jesus Christ name in order to be saved. Arnie.
Arnie:You know, I'm, I'm just thinking here about the things that that Fred has pointed out, there are some necessary inferences. As you, as you look at at the Bible, you see that someone was baptized. You know several things about it. Number one, you know that he was not immersed because baptism is, or that he's not sprinkled Because baptism is, is immersion. You know that he was not an infant or or small child, that he was at least, least old enough to to understand the gospel and and obey it, and, and so there are things that are, as you pointed out, necessary inferences. You know that these things are true and, and you realize, in fact, that that you know something about John when, when you speak about John's baptism, well, what does that mean? John was not sprinkling or pouring either. John was was immersing, the same as as Jesus had had taught. Well, I'm I'm looking over here, Glenn, and I see that that our time is about up and and we appreciate you listening to our program, Lord willing, we'll be back with you again next Lord's Day. And let's continue that thought a little bit and, and perhaps even enlarge on that as we study together. Thank you for listening with us, and we look forward to being with you next Lord's Day. Have a good week.