Salvation Q&A 救恩問答

 
Questions on Receiving the Holy Spirit
 

11.0 What is the fullness of the Holy Spirit?

"Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible teaches us to not only receive the Holy Spirit but to also seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Those who are full of the Holy Spirit bear the spiritual fruits such as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. They walk according to the Spirit, not in accordance in their sinful nature as described in Galations 5, bearing the fruit with all aspects of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). They are able to reflect the nature of Jesus Christ, exhibiting god-like qualities of love, faith, hope, humility, purity, power, and wisdom.

According to our Lord's promise, the Holy Spirit will fill those who believe in him and humbly ask him through constant and earnest prayer. It is a continuous process, ever filling, continuously flowing, and achieving a spiritual transformation through a daily renewal as indicated in Titus 3:3-7:

 3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life

The fullness of the Spirit is like the continuous flowing out of living water. The Lord Jesus said, "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14). If we are full of the Holy Spirit, we will never thirst again because God dwells in our hearts and fills our souls with peace, comfort, and joy.

11.1 Your church claims that baptism can cleanse sins (Acts 22:16), sanctify and justify (1 Cor 6:11), regenerate (Tit 3:5), raise to life (Col 2:12) and save (1 Pet 3:20-21). Then why do we need to receive the Holy Spirit at all? Baptism would be sufficient.

  • The saving effects of both water baptism and the Holy Spirit are closely related; neither one should replace the other. While baptism is essential for salvation, receiving the Holy Spirit is also a necessary step of salvation. One must be born of the water and of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5; see Tit 3:5).
  • Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ (Holy Spirit) does not belong to Christ (Rom 8:9). The Holy Spirit also testifies that we are the children and heirs of God (Rom 8:15-17; Gal 4:6-7). He is a seal of our future inheritance (Eph 1:13-14).
  • A person who is dead spiritually must be revived by the Holy Spirit (Ezek 37:14; Rom 8:11). The Holy Spirit will also raise the believers from the dead and transform them into spiritual beings on the last day (cf Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 15:22-23). God has given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our future resurrection (2 Cor 5:1-5).

11.2 The phrase, “be born of the Spirit” in John 3:5 does not refer to receiving the Holy Spirit.

  • “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’” (John 3:5). It is clear that being born of the Spirit is essential for salvation. From other parts of the Scripture, we also see that receiving the Holy Spirit is a requisite for salvation. For example, Titus 3:5 states that we are saved by the washing of rebirth and the renewal of the Holy Spirit; in verse 6 it explains that this Holy Spirit has been poured out on us generously.
    Similarly in Eph 1:13 it discusses that the believers have been marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit (i.e. received the promised Holy Spirit), who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. So to be born of the Spirit does indeed refer to receiving the Holy Spirit, which is necessary for salvation.
  • To be born of the spirit involves receiving a new spiritual life. A person who has died spiritually must be revived. That is why “to be born of the spirit” is also referred to as being born again. This spiritual resurrection occurs when God’s Spirit (Holy Spirit) lives in and renews a believer in his daily life (Rom 8:11; see also Ezek 37:14).

11.3 The New Testament never instructs believers to pray for the Holy Spirit. God has complete authority to give His Holy Spirit to anyone He pleases. The Holy Spirit is given, not acquired.

  • In Luke 11:13, the Lord Jesus clearly states, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
  • In John 4:10, the Lord said to the Samaritan woman, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink’; you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (living water refers to the Holy Spirit; see John 7:37-39).
  • The Lord Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10). Does this statement contradict or deny the authority of God as the giver of all blessings? (Of course not.)
  • In addition to being the promise of God, receiving the Holy Spirit also requires prayer and asking on the part of human beings. This point is clearly illustrated in Luke 11:13 and John 4:10 (quoted above). The pouring out of the Holy Spirit is also contingent upon the obedience of the Lord’s instructions (see Matt 28:20; Acts 5:32). Praying for the Holy Spirit does not deny the authority of God; instead, it is a natural expression of our faith (Matt 15:22-28; Rom 10:14), earnesty (Luke 11:5-8), and persistence (Luke 18:1-8).

11.4 After the ascension of the Lord, the disciples “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” in the upper room (Acts 1:12-14). Verse 14 only says that they prayed together and does not say that they were praying for the Holy Spirit. In fact, the disciples would have received the Holy Spirit anyway even if they had not prayed, since the Lord’s promise never fails.

  • The Lord Jesus had told the disciples the importance of receiving the Holy Spirit and specifically instructed them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). The disciples themselves must have been eager to receive the Holy Spirit; that is why they prayed constantly. The only logical conclusion was that they were praying for the Holy Spirit. If they weren’t praying for the Holy Spirit, what were they praying for?
  • Waiting involves prayer and asking (see Ps 40:1). To say that the disciples would have received the Holy Spirit without prayer because it was the Lord’s promise would also imply that we do not need to pray for anything that the Lord has promised.
  • For example, in Luke 18:1-8, Jesus promised that God would see that His chosen gets justice, and quickly (v. 8). If this promise were to fulfill anyhow without prayer, why did Jesus give the parable to show that the disciple should always pray and not give up (v. 1)?

11.5 In Acts 8, the Samaritans did not join together to pray for the Holy Spirit. Similarly, in Chapter 10, Cornelius and his relatives and friends received the Holy Spirit without even asking or praying.

  • The believers in Samaria received the Holy Spirit when the apostles prayed and laid hands on them (Acts 8:15, 17). The passage does not record that the believers prayed for the Holy Spirit; but neither does it say that the believers just sat there to watch Peter and John pray for them. It is only logical that they must have been praying constantly for the Holy Spirit just as the disciples had once been in the upper room. Peter and John were there only to assist them in prayer.
  • The miracle at Cornelius’ house was God’s direct sign that He “has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:18). Several miracles occurred to show the apostles and other circumcised Jewish brothers that God also gave his grace to Gentiles: 1. Cornelius was told in a vision to send for Peter 2. Peter was revealed in a vision that he should not regard the gentiles as unclean 3. The listeners received the Holy Spirit without the laying of hands.
  • This event is a special case, and this special case in no way implies that believers should not pray for the Holy Spirit or receive the laying of hands.

11.6 The baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost would never reoccur. The Holy Spirit was given once for all and has been staying in all the believers ever since.

  • The baptism of the Holy Spirit reoccurred over and over again during the period of the early rain. We can find individual cases throughout the Book of Acts to show that receiving the Holy Spirit is an individual experience:
  • The Holy Spirit came upon the believers in Samaria when Peter and John laid hands on them (Acts 8:14-17).
  • Cornelius and his relatives and friends received the Holy Spirit while listening to Peter’s preaching (Acts 10:44-48).
  • The disciples in Ephesus received the Holy Spirit after being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:1-7).
  • The apostle Peter confirmed that the household of Cornelius had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit just as the disciples had on Pentecost (Acts 10:47; 11:15-17).
  • The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit would abide in the church as long as the church teaches and obeys the truth (see Matt 28:20; Acts 5:32). Yet church history shows that heresies prevailed in Christendom a few generations after the apostles; so we do not read about the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit in church history. But in the last days, during the period of the latter rain, the Holy Spirit will again be poured out (Zech 10:1; Jer 5:24; Joel 2:23; Hos 6:3). This promise has been fulfilled in the true church today.

11.7 In John 20:21-23, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” At this point, the disciples received the Holy Spirit and the Lord’s promise of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16 and 16:7 was fulfilled.

  • The Lord Jesus said, “for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you” (John 16:7). At this point the Lord Jesus had not yet ascended to heaven, thus he could not have yet given the Holy Spirit to them.
  • The apostle John writes, “for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). The Lord Jesus had not yet been glorified when he appeared to the disciples (being glorified refers to ascension and exaltation; Acts 2:33; 5:31; Phil 2:9-10); so he could not have given them the Holy Spirit at this point.
  • If the disciples had already received the Holy Spirit here, why then did the Lord Jesus tell them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem? (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5). The Holy Spirit was actually given to the disciples on the day of Pentecost—a few days after Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 2:1-4,33).
  • The words, “receive the Holy Spirit” is a promise and an assurance, not a fulfillment. The same sentence structure is found in “Peace be with you” (vs. 19, 21), which is also an assurance and promise.       

11.8 Everyone who says “Jesus is Lord” has already received the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3).

  • The verse reads, “no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). It does not say that anyone who acknowledges Jesus as Lord has received the Holy Spirit. A person who has not received the Holy Spirit may also be moved by the Holy Spirit to acknowledge Christ as Lord.
  • If everyone who can say “Jesus is Lord” has received the Holy Spirit, why then is it that the people in Samaria did not receive the Holy Spirit even when they had accepted the word of God and had been baptized? (Acts 8:12-17). Were they still not able to say, “Jesus is Lord”?
  • The disciples in Ephesus had not received or even heard of the Holy Spirit when they had already believed in the Lord. It was not until Paul laid hands on them that the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 19:1-6).

11.9 The Lord Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38-39). Paul asked the Galatians, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Gal 3:2) He also wrote to the Ephesians, “…having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13). So anyone who believes in the Lord, regardless of his race or status, has received the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor 12:13).

  • The correct interpretation of Ephesians 1:13 must be based on Acts 19:1-7, where it tells us exactly how the Ephesians received the Holy Spirit. They did not receive the Holy Spirit when they believed. They did not receive the Holy Spirit when they were baptized. They only received the Holy Spirit when Paul placed his hands on them. So the Ephesians wouldn’t have taken Paul’s letter to mean receiving the Holy Spirit instantaneously upon belief.
  • A person must believe in “the word of truth, the gospel of salvation” in order to receive the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13). If a person believes in a false gospel, he would not be able to receive the Holy Spirit.
  • The verse “Having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” means that every believer of the true gospel will receive the Holy Spirit, but it does not mean that he receives the Holy Spirit the moment he confesses Jesus as Lord.
  • Those who listened to Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost were told to “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins” before they could receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). True faith consists of following the commands of the Lord Jesus (Jas 2:17, 22).
  • Paul was writing to the churches in Galatia and Ephesus, which were established by the Holy Spirit and have believed in the truth. The word “you” in both passages do not refer to all present-day professed Christians.
  • In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul is stressing the unity and oneness of the believers, who are members of Christ’s body and have received the same Spirit (v. 13). Again, verse 13 does not refer to all modern day churches.
  • A person does not automatically receive the Holy Spirit the moment he believes (see previous question). The sign of receiving the Holy Spirit is speaking of tongues (Acts 10:44-46; 19:6; 2:4).

11.10 Anyone who has love or faith, or the fruit of the Holy Spirit, or whom God works with, has been filled with the Holy Spirit.

  • A person who is filled with the Holy Spirit would naturally have love and faith, and God would work with him. However, a person who has love and faith or whom God works with is not necessarily filled with the Holy Spirit.  
  • The fruit of the Holy Spirit is a result of a believer’s submission to the Spirit (Gal 5:16-18). But we may not conclude that a person who has not received the Holy Spirit is filled with the Holy Spirit just by looking at their good character.
  • Cornelius was a devout man who had both love and faith (Acts 10:1-2; cf Acts 19:1-6); yet he did not have the Holy Spirit before he accepted the gospel from the apostles.
  • Apollos was a learned man who was well-versed in the Scriptures, and fervently preached Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, he had not received the Holy Spirit when he met Priscilla and Aquila because he knew of only the baptism of John (Acts 18:24-28; cf Acts 19:1-5).
  • Speaking in tongues is the sole basis for discerning whether a person has received the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10:44-46; 19:6; 2:4).

11.11 We should not base a doctrine on historical recordings. Luke simply recorded things as they happened. But he did not say that this was the way it has to happen all the time. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that everyone who receives the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues.

  • “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (italics added; 2 Tim 3:16). Historical writing, including Acts, make up a major portion of the Scripture. It is not wrong to base doctrine on historical recordings as long as the passages in question are interpreted correctly.
  • In 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, Paul did not hesitate to base his teachings on history. What happened to the Israelites was recorded for a reason. They serve as warnings for present-day believers.
  • In the case of speaking in tongues, Luke as well as the apostles did interpret the occurrence of tongues in relation to receiving the Holy Spirit:
  1. Acts 8:16 it records, “For as yet He [the Holy Spirit] had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” The people of Samaria had believed in the Lord Jesus and been baptized. If tongues are not the necessary sign of receiving the Holy Spirit, on what basis did Luke conclude that they had not yet received the Holy Spirit?
  2. In Acts 10:44-48, Peter knew that the people had received the Holy Spirit just as the apostles had on the day of Pentecost. Peter interpreted the evidence of tongues according to their own experience. Likewise, based on the experience of the apostles, we also know that a person today has received the Holy Spirit when he speaks in tongues.
  3. In Acts 19:1-7, Paul asked the Ephesian believers, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” and the response was negative. Why did Paul have to ask such question if there is no physical sign when a person receives the Holy Spirit, or that a person receives the Holy Spirit the moment he believes? After they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, why didn’t Paul just tell them, “you have now received the Holy Spirit”? When the Holy Spirit came on them, there is clear evidence of speaking in tongues (v. 6). If the external signs were not evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit, how did Luke conclude that the Holy Spirit came on them when Paul placed his hands on them and not when they were baptized?

11.12 In Acts, the believers always received the Holy Spirit in groups and never individually. If we base the necessity of tongues on Acts, why is it that in your church, people receive the Holy Spirit individually?

  • The necessity of tongues is based on the way Luke and the apostles interpreted the occurrences of receiving the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10:44-48, Peter and the brothers knew that the Holy Spirit came on them when they heard them speaking in tongues (v. 46). This was the evidence on which they based their judgment. The Bible does not say that the Holy Spirit came on them because entire groups received the Holy Spirit at once. Therefore, receiving the Holy Spirit as a whole group is not a necessary evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit.
  • It is not true that the believers never received the Holy Spirit individually. Paul received the Holy Spirit after his conversion when he was with Ananias (Acts 9:17).

11.13 Speaking in tongues cannot save a person and is as such insignificant. We should not insist that every believer should speak in tongues.     

  • Speaking in tongues is the sign that a person has received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-48). Every true believer of Christ must receive the Holy Spirit (evidenced by speaking in tongues) to be saved (John 3:5; Eph 1:13-14; 2 Thes 2:13; Tit 3:5). Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ (Rom 8:9).
  • Even though we are not saved by speaking of tongues per se, speaking in tongues in itself is also very important. A person who speaks in tongues speaks to God and edifies himself (1 Cor 14:2,4). This edification is derived from the intercession of the Holy Spirit expressed in spiritual tongues (see Rom 8:26-27).
  • While we do not insist that every believer should preach in tongues, we do emphasize that every believer must pray for the Holy Spirit, who helps us to sanctify ourselves so that we may be saved (2 Th 2:13; see 1 Pet 1:2). When a person receives the Holy Spirit, they will naturally be able to speak in tongues in prayer.     

11.14 If speaking in tongues is a necessary sign of receiving the Holy Spirit, every believer must speak in tongues to be saved. This teaching is against the Bible. Are you telling me that people such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, Mother Teresa, and Billy Graham cannot be saved because they couldn’t speak in tongues?

  • Neither the Bible nor the True Jesus Church ever commands anyone to speak in tongues to be saved. Speaking in tongues is given by God rather than an action to take. We cannot command anyone to speak in tongues to receive salvation.
  • But the Bible does promise that everyone who believes in the true gospel and is baptized will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38,39; Eph 1:13). The believer also needs to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). When he receives the Holy Spirit, he will speak in tongues.
  • It is our duty to preach the full gospel according to the Bible. We are not in the position to conclude whether anyone who has never known the full gospel or heard of the true church will be saved. If we deny the words of the Bible based on people’s experience, then we could even go as far as saying that believing in Christ is not necessary because countless good people in history had died without believing in Christ; are they not saved? What is important is personal accountability. If you have heard of the gospel but refuse to obey it because someone else had never heard of it or received the experience, you are still personally accountable to God.

11.15 Speaking of tongues is one of, and the least of, the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:10-11). Furthermore, not every believer must speak in tongues (1 Cor 12:30). So speaking of tongues is not an absolute sign of receiving the Holy Spirit.

  • In 1 Corinthians 12:10, Paul is referring to preaching in tongues, which must be interpreted (see 14:26-28). The gifts mentioned in this passage are for the edification of the church. Speaking of tongues here does not refer to the speaking of tongues when receiving the Holy Spirit which need not be interpreted.
  • “Do all speak with tongues?” (v. 30) also refers to preaching in tongues because it is followed by “do all interpret?” In other words, not everyone has the gift to preach in tongues.
  • Though not every believer can preach in tongues to edify the church, everyone who has received the Holy Spirit speaks in tongues. Speaking in tongues is definitely the sign of receiving the Holy Spirit. The apostles received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and spoke in tongues (Acts 2:1-4). Peter and the other disciples were certain that Cornelius and his relatives and friends received the Holy Spirit because “they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God” (Acts 10:44-47; see also Acts 19:6).
  • If Paul regarded speaking in tongues as insignificant, why did he thank God that he spoke in tongues more than all the believers? (see 1 Cor 14:18).

11.16 In Acts 2   3,000 people were baptized. Yet we do not see any hint of speaking in tongues by these people. Similarly, the Bible does not say that the believers in Samaria spoke in tongues when they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).

  • The Bible does not record that the 3,000 people received the Holy Spirit, so it is also not necessary to record that they spoke in tongues.     
  • Although the Bible does not mention that the believers in Samaria spoke in tongues, we can infer that there was a clear sign to show that they received the Holy Spirit, for “when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given” (Acts 8:18).
  • The apostle Peter must have heard the believers in Samaria speak in tongues. For him, speaking in tongues was the sign of receiving the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10:44-47).
  • That speaking in tongues by the believers was not mentioned in either incident does not lead to the conclusion that they did not speak in tongues.      

11.17 On the day of Pentecost, the disciples spoke in foreign languages, which were understood (see Acts 2:4-11). In your church, however, people speak in tongues that are completely unintelligible even to themselves.

  • “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him” (1 Cor 14:2). Prayer in tongues, unless interpreted, cannot be understood.
  • The disciples did not actually speak in foreign languages. But God opened the ears of the Jews so that they heard the disciples speaking in their own languages (see Acts 2:8, 11).
  • Ordinarily if several people speak in more than two or three languages at once, no one else can make out what is being said. On the day of Pentecost, however, 120 people all spoke in tongues, and the Jews from about 15 language groups were able to understand that they were “speaking the wonderful works of God” in their own tongues (Acts 2:8-11).
  • The tongues were not intelligible to everyone in the crowd. While the devout Jews understood the tongues, others thought that the disciples had had too much wine (Acts 2:13). If the disciples were indeed speaking foreign languages, why then did only the devout Jews understand what was being said? And why did the ungodly think the disciples were drunk?
  • God intended to save the devout Jews and therefore allowed them to understand the tongues, which declared the wonders of God. Consequently, many believed and were baptized into Christ (see Acts 2:37-41). The mockers, on the other hand, could not understand.

11.18 To claim that Christians today may also speak in tongues is to add to the Scripture. The Bible is the only divine authority for present day Christians, and there must not be additional divine interventions (see Rev 22:18). The New Testament churches might have had the gift of tongues. However, after the Bible was completed, all tongues and other signs had ceased.

  • To say that the divine work has ceased after the Bible was completed is essentially to say that all the promises in the Bible have ceased and do not apply to modern-day Christians. This assertion subtracts from the Scriptures.       
  • Revelation 22:18 refers to adding teachings or claims that are beyond or contradictory to the Bible. Receiving the Holy Spirit is a promise in the Bible and definitely applies to Christians today.    
  • Speaking in tongues is the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-46; 19:6; 2:4). If Christians today may not speak in tongues, does it mean that Christians today may not have the Holy Spirit in them?
  • The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to everyone who believes in the Lord (John 7:38-39), who is baptized (Acts 2:38), and who asks for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13). This promise is timeless and is certainly given to Christians today as well.
  • The Lord Jesus promised his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20). This abidance of the Lord refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-20). In other words, as long as the believers obey the Lord’s commands, the Holy Spirit would be with the church to the very end of the age. Therefore, today, believers in the true church that is established by the Holy Spirit may also pray for and receive the promised Holy Spirit.

11.19 In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul discourages the believers from speaking in tongues during service. He writes, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33). But some churches today, in contradiction to the Bible, ask the congregation to speak in tongues all at once during service without any interpretation.

  • “Yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue” (v. 19). Here Paul is referring to preaching (prophecy) in tongues, not prayer in tongues. When there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet and “speak to himself and to God” (v. 28). Thus, Paul discourages preaching in tongues without interpretation but never discourages praying in tongues during service (see 1 Cor 14:39)
  • Paul says that “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” because during church service in Corinth, the members would preach in tongues even when there was no interpreter and many would speak at once (see 1 Cor 14:27-30). All this caused confusion and disorder.
  • Prayer in tongues is directed to God and needs no interpretation (1 Cor 14:2). When everyone prays in tongues during church service, there is no confusion nor disorder. Rather, there is a spirit of unity.  

11.20 If a person must receive the Holy Spirit in addition to being baptized to be saved, then would baptized believers who pass away before they could speak in tongues be saved? What about baptized infants who pass away? They cannot even pray, let alone speaking in tongues.

  • The promise of the Holy Spirit for those who have been baptized is also given to children (Acts 2:38-39). Children, of course, include infants. So infants, or children in general, not only can be baptized, they can also receive the Holy Spirit.
  • Since receiving the Holy Spirit is necessary for salvation, God would give the Holy Spirit to those who have been baptized before they pass away. There have been members in the True Jesus Church who received the Holy Spirit shortly before they pass away (they spoke in tongues during prayer).      
  • Speaking in tongues helps us discern if a person has received the Holy Spirit. But infants or adults who receive the Holy Spirit immediately before they pass away might not have the opportunity to speak in tongues. Nevertheless, they have received the Holy Spirit for a moment, however brief it might have been.
  • Could infants be saved, who are not able to “confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord”? If the answer is yes, then does it mean that it is not necessary to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord? We should not use exceptions of believers who are prevented by circumstances to speak in tongues to conclude that speaking in tongues are not necessary. Exceptions are not rules. Those who are not in such circumstances should still pray for the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes on them, they will speak in tongues.

11.21 Romans 8:9 states that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ do not belong to Christ. What about those who have been baptized into Christ but have not yet receive the Holy Spirit? Do they not belong to Christ?

  • Those who have been baptized into Christ certainly belong to Christ (Gal 3:27-29).
  • As far as God’s salvation is concerned, baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit are two sides of the same coin. The promise of the Holy Spirit is given to everyone who accepts God’s grace through baptism (Acts 2:38-39). Believers who have been baptized belong to Christ, though they might not have yet received the Holy Spirit. Through faith, they have accepted Christ and his baptism, and the promise of the Holy Spirit is already theirs. In time, they will receive the promise.
  • Romans 8:9 should not be applied to believers who have been baptized. Yet those who do not believe in Christ and Christians which do not seek the promised Holy Spirit must take this verse as a warning.

11.22 The Lord Jesus strictly warns us not to repeat the same words in prayer (Matt 6:7). Yet some people teach others to pray for the Holy Spirit by repeatedly saying “hallelujah.”

  • The Lord Jesus is teaching us to pray from our hearts, for God is not persuaded by prolonged and meaningless repetitions of words (see context: Matt 6:5-6, 8). But this is not to tell us that we should not make long prayers or pray for a specific goal with similar words. The Lord Jesus repeated the same thing when he prayed three times in Gethsemane (Matt 26:44); he also prayed all night (Luke 6:12).
  • “Hallelujah” means “praise the LORD.” This phrase is found throughout the psalms (see Ps 104-106; 111-118; 135; 146-150) and even in the vision of heavenly worship (Rev 19:1-6). Saying “Hallelujah” is completely based on the Bible and is the best way to pray since God is worthy of our praise. And a person should also pray from the heart while he praises God with his words.
  • In the True Jesus Church, countless members have received the Holy Spirit by repeating “Hallelujah” and praying with sincerity.

11.23 Could I receive evil spirit when I pray for the Holy Spirit?

  • A person who sincerely yearns for the Holy Spirit must accept the true church—the body of Christ, which is established by the Holy Spirit. Anyone who wishes to receive the Holy Spirit must obey the true gospel taught by the church and pray in the way that the church instructs. The believers in Samaria (Acts 8:14-17), Paul (Acts 9:3-17), Cornelius and his relatives and friends (Acts 10:1-8, 44-46), and the disciples in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7) received the Holy Spirit only when they came into contact with and obeyed the disciples of the Lord. Similarly, those who yearn to be baptized by the Holy Spirit must also seek the true church and accept the true gospel.
  • The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:15-17). A person must believe and obey the truth to receive the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-16,21,23; Acts 5:32). Those who reject the truth or refuse to accept the true church that preaches the truth might receive evil spirit even if they pray for the Holy Spirit.
  •  If a person prays with wrong motives or unrepentant heart, he allows room for evil spirits to work. But anyone who accepts the truth, follows the way of prayer instructed by the church, and prays sincerely for the Holy Spirit will not receive evil spirit. The Heavenly Father will not allow evil spirit to possess those who sincerely ask him (Luke 11:11-13).

 

 

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Questions on Receiving the Water Baptism
 

8.0 Romans 10:9-10 says "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Therefore, one only needs to believe and confess with your mouth to be saved. Why do you then claim that water baptism is required for salvation?

Jesus says in John 3:5  Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

Jesus never lies. He emphasizes here in John 3:5 that unless one is born of water (water baptism) and the Spirit (receiving Holy Spirit), no one can enter the kingdom of God.  Romans was written by Paul. Do you think there is a contradiction here between what Jesus says and what Paul says? If so, do you think Jesus outranks Paul?

Actually, there is no conflict. In fact, when Paul wrote in Titus 3:5,

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Here the washing of rebirth refers to water baptism. Paul was not contradicting himself either. In Romans 10:9-10, the Christians were under severe persecution and therefore, he emphasized the courage to confess that they believed in Jesus. The receipients of the book of Romans were already believers and presumeably already baptized. So Paul was encouraging them to continue to perservere in their faith. When we study the Bible, we need to look at it as a whole. For example, Jesus answers the rich young man's question on how can one inherit eternal life in Luke 18:18 by answering in Luke 18:20 that he must keep the Ten Commandments. So we can see from these few verses that we need to be baptized and we need to keep the Ten Commandments in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus emphasizes in Matthew 7:21 that we will be "evildoers" if we do not do the will of my Father who is in heaven:

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Doing the will of God is obeying God's commands, not just in one verse, but the entire Bible. Through the Bible, God reveals to us all the elements of salvation that we must have in order to be saved.

8.1 John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” A person receives eternal life when he believes; he does not need to be baptized.

•         Believing in Christ is not just intellectually agreeing that he is Lord and Savior. True faith involves obeying his words (Lk 6:46-49). We are saved by grace through faith, but faith without deeds is not true faith (Jas 2:14–20). Even the demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Mt 8:28–29; Lk 4:41), but their belief is not true faith (Jas 2:19-20). We cannot dismiss the necessity of baptism since baptism itself is part of and an act of, belief and faith in Jesus Christ (Mk 16:16; see Acts 16:30-33).

8.2  “Mark 16:16 mentions the need both to believe and to be baptized, for it was assumed that once a person believed in Christ, he would be baptized to publicly express his salvation. This same verse indicates, however, that the only basis for condemnation is unbelief: ‘He that believeth not shall be condemned.’”1

•         If it is assumed that baptism, with no saving effect, follows belief, then why did Jesus say, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved”(italics added)? Wouldn’t this be redundant? This very statement by the Lord is clear proof that a person must be baptized to be saved.

•         If baptism is an expression of salvation, why didn’t the Lord say, “He who believes will be saved, and his baptism expresses that salvation”?

•         The logic should instead be applied to the second phrase, “He that believeth not shall be condemned.” It is assumed that if a person does not believe in Christ, he will not be baptized. A person who does not believe obviously would not want to be baptized. So to say, “He who believeth not and is not baptized shall be condemned” would be redundant.      

•         Baptism is not simply a public expression of salvation. We receive God’s saving effect through baptism (1Pet 3:20-21; Col 2:11-12; Rom 6:3-4; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Gal 3:26-27; see also Questions 7.2 & 7.3).      

8.3 In Acts 16:30-31, the jailer asked Paul, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Thus belief is the sole requirement for salvation.

•         Belief in the Lord Jesus also consists of belief in and following his word (Jn 5:24; see Lk 6:46-49). This is why Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord to [the jailer] and to all who were in his house” (Acts 16:32). And having believed in the word, “immediately he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:33). There are many similar examples in which converts were baptized immediately after they had accepted the gospel (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 35-36; 9:18; 10:44-48; 16:14-15; 18:8).

•         True belief involves obedience. It is by faith that one repents and is baptized. So the words, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” do not contradict with or deny the necessity and saving power of water baptism.

8.4 Acts 3:19 reads, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Baptism is not necessary since a person’s sins are forgiven when he repents.        

•         We must read the Bible in its entirety. If repentance alone can cleanse sins, wouldn’t this verse contradict with Acts 22:16, where it says, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins”?         

•         We do not deny the necessity of repentance. But repentance is coupled with baptism (Acts 2:38). And it is during baptism, not repentance, that sin is washed away (see Rom 6:3; Acts 22:16).

•         Peter does not mention baptism here because his main message is that the people should turn from their evil (v. 26). One must repent before he considers baptism (Acts 2:37-38).

8.5 According to the Bible, water baptism is not required for salvation; rather, it is an evidence that salvation has already taken place2.

•         Baptism is far more than just an expression of salvation. Rather, according to the Bible, believers are saved through baptism (1Pet 3:20–21; Tit 3:5).

•         The Bible makes it clear that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16; 2:38). If believers’ sins are forgiven before baptism, then the command to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins would be misleading. If baptism is only an expression, why then does the Bible repeatedly emphasize its effect?

8.6 The phrase “for the remission of sins” in Acts 2:38 should be translated as “in view of the remission of sins” or “referring to the remission of sins.” In other words, we must be baptized to show that we have already received the remission of sins when we believed the gospel. John said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto [eis] repentance” (Mt 3:11). This is the same language as “for [eis] the remission of sins” (Lk 3:3; Acts 2:38). Baptism does not bring about, but is a result of, repentance. Likewise, baptism does not bring about, but is the result of, the forgiveness of sins.

•         If remission of sins takes place apart from baptism, why was Paul commanded not to wait but be baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16)? Why such urgency in the command if his sins had already been washed away?

•         The Greek word eis means “for” and is rarely used to mean “in view of.” That is why the Bible translators chose “for” instead of anything else.

•         If we were to read Mt 3:11 as “I baptize you with water as a result of repentance,” the force of the language would be lost. The correct interpretation would be that the ministry of John, which was to baptize, would bring about the effect of repentance among the people. (This effect is general—the effect of leading people to repentance. It does not mean that the action of baptism causes inward repentance of the individual being baptized). So the meaning of [eis] in this case is still “for,” not “in view of” or “as a result of.”

•         While it is important to emphasize faith and inward conversion, it is wrong to deny the effect of the sacraments and consider them as mere outward rites.

8.7  “Being born of water” in John 3:5 does not refer to baptism. It either refers to the rebirth through God’s word (Eph 5:23; Jas 1:18; 1Pet 1:23), or serves as a synonym for the Holy Spirit because the rest of the passage is about the Holy Spirit.

•         It is true that the Bible uses water as a symbol for the Holy Spirit (e.g. Jn 7:37-39). But to interpret the water in John 3:5 and the washing in Tit 3:5 as only referring to the Holy Spirit would be forced because water and Spirit are mentioned together in Jn 3:5 and washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit are mentioned together in Tit 3:5. The reason Jn 3:6-8 emphasizes Spirit rather than water is that Jesus was speaking of a spiritual rebirth, not a physical one (Jn 3:6). In fact, baptism and receiving of the Holy Spirit are closely related and together they comprise the spiritual rebirth of which Jesus was speaking. To be born of the Spirit, we need to accept baptism and live a new life according to the Spirit.

•         The Bible clearly teaches spiritual rebirth through baptism. Rebirth involves receiving a new life. This new life is given to a person when his old self has died and been buried during baptism (Rom 6:3-4; Col 2:12). So considering the use of the words “water” and “washing,” it would be correct to interpret Jn 3:5 and Tit 3:5 as referring to the specific event of baptism.

•         The word of truth and baptism are not mutually exclusive but are closely related (cf. Eph 5:23). The word of truth includes the command of baptism, and baptism is effective because God’s word has promised salvation through it (Mk 16:16; 1Pet 3:21). It would be a mistake to refer to the birth through the word of truth in order to deny the rebirth through baptism.

8.8 Paul stated, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1 Cor 1:17). He rarely baptized anyone. If baptism truly washes away sins, why was he not sent to do this necessary and important task?

•         It would be wrong to assume that Paul rarely baptized people. In Acts alone we read two instances of baptism where Paul was directly involved (Acts 16:33; 19:5).

•         The context of 1 Corinthians tells us that the Corinthian believers took pride in being the followers of prominent workers of God. Lest anyone took pride in receiving his baptism or claimed that they were baptized into Paul’s name (1 Cor 1:13), Paul reminded them that his mission was not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Even if it were true that Paul hardly baptized anyone, nowhere does he deny the necessity of baptism. Just because Paul did not personally perform baptism himself does not mean that it wasn’t done or that it had nothing to do with salvation.

8.9 If baptism is indeed for the forgiveness of sins, as you claim, then does it mean that Jesus also had sin that he needed to be baptized?

•         Jesus is without sin (Jn 8:46; 2Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15).

•         John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance (Acts 19:4). It did not have the power to cleanse sins since Jesus had not yet offered his body and shed his blood (see Heb 9:26). Only baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus can wash away sins (Acts 2:38; 4:10,12; 10:43).

•         Jesus was baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt 3:15), meaning to fulfill the will of God and duty as a man. Jesus, being in the flesh, must also obey the Heavenly Father’s will (see Jn 4:34). His baptism therefore sets an example of obedience to God’s requirements. It also shows us that we need to be baptized to be accepted by God. Incidentally, the correct manner of baptism is demonstrated as well (immersion: “went up out of the water”; see Mt 3:16).

•         As far as the Lord Jesus himself was concerned, his baptism also served as a testimony to his ministry and that he was the Messiah whom John had been preaching about (see Jn 1:30-34).

8.10 The Bible states that our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ (Rev 1:5). How can the water during baptism possibly remove a person’s sins?

•         The apostle John bears witness that from Jesus’ side flowed blood and water (Jn 19:34). In 1 John 5:6, John explains that Jesus did not come by water only (here the water refers to baptism; notice water is mentioned first), but by water and blood, and that it is the Spirit who testifies. In other words, the effect of Jesus’ blood, by the testimony of the Holy Spirit, is present during baptism to cleanse the sin of the person being baptized. Although the candidate’s body is immersed in water physically, yet his spiritual being is cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb 10:22 “washed”=immersed).

•         The explanation by John is confirmed by the baptisms performed in the True Jesus Church, during which many have witnessed blood in the water.     

8.11 The mode of baptism is insignificant and it makes no difference how one is baptized. After all, the Bible never instructs believers how baptism should be performed.              

•         The definition of baptism itself already denotes how and where one should be baptized (i.e. immersion in living water). If done otherwise, the action could not be called baptism, nor could it carry any effect to cleanse sins.           

•         The way a person is baptized carries great spiritual significance (e.g. bowing of head signifies dying with Christ in the likeness of his death; full immersion signifies complete burial of the old self). And, in addition to this spiritual significance, baptism in the correct manner actually results in the effect of death and burial of the old person and resurrection of the new person (Rom 6:3-5; Col 2:12).

•         Eph 4:5 points out that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism”. All true believers of Jesus Christ must believe in the same Lord, hold the same faith, and receive the same baptism. So it is important to know what the Bible says about how one should be baptized.           

•         The baptism of salvation has spiritual power to cleanse sins. The baptism is thus different from the traditional ablution of the Jews or proselyte baptism. It must be performed in the name of the Lord Jesus since a person receiving baptism of salvation is baptized into Christ, who forgives sins through baptism (Gal 3:27; Acts 2:38); He is not simply following a ritual.

•         Although the Bible does not specifically prescribe the mode of baptism, the Lord Jesus and the disciples did set examples of baptism for believers to follow.

8.12 Are you saying that a person’s salvation hangs on such trivial details as the mode of baptism? Such teaching is contrary to the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith because it presupposes that God saves us based on technical correctness of the procedure.

•         Naaman was cleansed when he followed Elisha’s instructions (2Ki 5:10-14). The ten men with leprosy were healed as they went on the way according to the Lord’s words (Lk 17:11-14). The blind man received his sight when he obeyed the Lord and washed in the Pool of Siloam (Jn 9:6-7). In each of these instances, it was the grace and power of God, not the action of the person that saved them. But their willingness to obey showed their faith in God, and through their obedience, God’s healing took its effect on them.

•         The mode of baptism in itself does not save us. We are saved by grace through faith. But it is wrong to reduce baptism to mere “procedures” we go through. Baptism is our Lord’s command, and the cleansing is made effective through God’s word (Eph 2:26). During baptism, God acts to bring us salvation (Col 2:11-12). We, in turn, receive God’s grace by receiving baptism in obedience to his word.

•         It is wrong to trivialize the biblical way of baptism. Faith means being willing to obey God’s word even if it appears trivial and doesn’t seem to make sense. It is such faith that God looks for. By imitating the Lord and the apostles in baptism, we aim to follow God’s word as closely as possible. If we claim to have faith but do not want to obey God’s will, we cannot receive God’s grace of salvation.

•         Other than the grace of God and the atonement of Jesus Christ, the effect of baptism comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit (Jn 20:21-23; 1Jn 5:6-9). God has established the True Jesus Church with the Holy Spirit, revealed to her the truth of salvation, and confirmed the truth with the works of the Holy Spirit. In particular, God has revealed to her the “one baptism” according to the Bible (Eph 4:5). Through our faith in the word of God as revealed by the Holy Spirit and through the testimony of the Holy Spirit, our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ during baptism. So it is important for us to receive the baptism of the True Jesus Church because of the perfect gospel that she preaches and the presence of the Holy Spirit in this church. The issue once again boils down to whether we have the faith to humbly obey God’s will, which he has revealed and testified to with the Holy Spirit.

8.13 Sprinkling is a form of baptism. God promised in Ezekiel 36:25 that he would sprinkle on his people to make them clean. In 1 Peter 1:2 the apostle Peter states that believers have been sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews also confirms that our hearts have been cleansed by sprinkling (Heb 10:22).

•         Sprinkling is not baptism. The word “baptism” is derived from the Greek word baptismos, which means immersion. The Greek word baptein (baptism) means to plunge, to immerse, or to wash3.    

•         The language in Ezekiel 36:25-26 is figurative (e.g. heart of stone and heart of flesh). So the cleansing through sprinkling is figurative of the inward cleansing (see point 4). The reference to sprinkling comes from the ceremonial cleansing in Numbers 8:6-7.

•         1 Peter 1:2 does not refer to the physical action of baptism, but the spiritual cleansing by the sprinkling of Christ’s blood (sprinkling of blood is a foreshadow in the Old Testament; See Heb 9:18-22). If the verse did refer to actual sprinkling, then one must be sprinkled by the physical blood of Christ (which is impossible).

•         Hebrews 10:22 cannot be a basis for sprinkling. On the contrary, this verse actually supports baptism by immersion. Notice that it is the heart, not the body, that is being sprinkled spiritually; the body is “washed with pure water” physically (washed=immersed4). So when the candidate is immersed in water during baptism, his spiritual being is being cleansed.         

8.14 Sprinkling should be permissible, especially when the candidate is seriously ill or when it is not convenient to perform baptism with immersion. In Acts 2:41, for example, when 3,000 were converted in one day, it must have been almost impossible to perform baptism other than by sprinkling.

•         Sprinkling is not baptism (see previous question). The Word of God cannot be altered regardless of the circumstances.

•         There are countless miracles in the True Jesus Church concerning candidates of baptism in critical illness being healed by God during baptism.           

•         It was not uncommon for large numbers of people to be baptized. John the Baptist, for example, constantly performed baptism for the people at Aenon “because there was much water there” (Jn 3:23; attesting to immersion). It is certainly possible to baptize 3,000 with immersion in one day if there were, say, 30 people performing baptism at different spots at the baptismal site.

8.15 If baptism must be by immersion, why did the Bible not say clearly that it must be by immersion?

•         Any reader of the original language would have no such problem because the Greek word “baptism” should be translated as immersion. That is why the Greek or Orthodox Catholics still baptize with immersion.

•         When the King James version of the Bible was translated in 1611, the translators realized that translating the word “baptize” literally as immersion would have caused great embarrassment and confusion to the church of England. The Episcopalian church was then, and is now, supported and controlled in England by the government. So King James instructed the translators to transliterate the Greek word baptizo as baptize. The word baptize, which was never used before, was thus added to the English language.

8.16 In Matthew 28:19, Jesus clearly instructed the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

•         If the Lord’s exact words were a formula to be recited, then why did the disciple always baptize or instruct the people to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5)? “In the name of” is not just recitation, but indicates the authority and power of the risen Christ (Phil 2:10-11). It is in Jesus that we can have the forgiveness of sins during baptism (Col 1:14). Because it is into Christ that we are baptized (Gal 3:27), the baptismal candidate must believe the Lord Jesus as his Lord and Savior and determine to live for Christ all his life. Instead of saying “in Jesus’ name,” which he never once did, Jesus mentioned “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of Holy Spirit” to show that all authorities that are God’s have now been given to him.

•         “Father,” or “Son,” or “the Holy Spirit” are not names. They are titles. The name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is “Jesus” (Jn 5:43; 17:11; 14:26), and there is only one name (singular).

•         There is no other name (than the name of Jesus Christ) under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:10,12). Only through the name of Jesus is a person’s sin cleansed during baptism (Acts 2:38; 10:43).

8.17  “In the name of Jesus” does not need to be a baptismal formula. It means in the authority or in relationship to Jesus Christ (Col 3:17).

•         It is true that the Bible does not say that a person’s salvation hinges on the baptist’s pronouncement of Jesus’ name, and it is true that “in the name of” should be more than a formula. But it is also unlikely that the apostles baptized people “in the name of the Lord Jesus” or “in the name of Jesus” without actually saying so. There is evidence that the apostles did say, “in the name of Jesus” when they cast out demons because that was what the exorcists did when they imitated the apostles (Acts 19:13).

•         In Acts 19:4-5, the believers were re-baptized. Not only were they commanded to believe in Jesus, they were baptized again “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” In terms of the way of baptism, what would be different about this baptism from the baptism they have received if the name of Jesus was not pronounced?

•         The name “Jesus” is very important. It carries authority and honor (Phil 2:9-11). God has revealed to the True Jesus Church to baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus and has confirmed such baptism with miraculous signs and wonders. In the same way, God often manifests his power by casting out demons through believers who do so in the name of the Lord Jesus. But it is not merely the recitation of the name that makes baptism effective or drives away demons. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit and the promise of God that manifests God’s power in Jesus’ name.

8.18 Baptism may be performed in a pool or in a baptistry.

•         Baptism in the Bible was performed in natural water 4. The Lord Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (Jn 3:13). John the Baptist also baptized at Aenon (Jn 3:23); the word “Aenon” means “spring.”

•         There is no Scriptural basis for baptism in pools.

•         It has been prophesied that a fountain would be opened to cleanse sins (Zech 13:1). Figuratively, baptism is represented by the flood at Noah’s time (1Pet 3:20) and by the crossing of the Red Sea (1Cor 10:1-2). The prophet Micah also prophesies that God would “cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic 7:19). In all cases, baptism is always represented by natural water, never man made pools or cisterns.

•         The early church also performed baptism in living water5.

8.19 If you insist that baptism must be performed in natural flowing water because the Lord Jesus was baptized in the river, then shouldn’t you also perform baptism in the Jordan River only?

•         The apostles baptized at places other than Jordan, such as on the desert road (Acts 8:26, 36-38) or in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-5). This shows that the exact location of baptism is not important, as long as there is abundant natural flowing water (Jn 3:23).

8.20 What is the biblical support for baptizing people with their heads bowed?

•         In Romans 6:3-4, Paul states that believers are “buried with Christ through baptism into death.” Through baptism, we receive the spiritual effect of dying with Christ. Paul continues in verse 5, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Rom 6:5). Since our death with Christ is signified by baptism, our union with Christ in the likeness of his death is also signified by baptism. In other words, the manner of baptism during biblical times was in the likeness of the Lord’s death. Paul uses this physical likeness in baptism to discuss the spiritual likeness that believers carry.

•         The description of the physical likeness of Jesus’ death is found in John 19:30, “bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” This is the only detail that John records. He describes the appearance of the Lord’s death even though the appearance should have been normal for a person who died on the cross. It is on this basis that we understand what the physical likeness of the Lord’s death refers to.

•         In the Bible, the bowing of head is a gesture that signifies disgrace and heaviness of sin (Ps 40:12; Lk 18:13; Job 10:15). Just as Christ died to sin once for all, we also die to sin so that sin should no longer have power over us (Rom 6:2,10). As we bow our heads and be immersed in water, our sinful self dies and is buried with Christ. As we rise from the water, we are raised with Christ and receive a new life in him (Rom 6:4; Col 2:12).

8.21 The phrase “uniting together in the likeness of His death” refers to a spiritual likeness to Christ’s death. It cannot be taken to literally mean bowing of the head during baptism.

•         While the “likeness of His death” refers putting off of the sinful self, in the context of baptism, it also refers to the manner of baptism. Since baptism signifies spiritual truth and effect, the way it is performed must be biblical. Otherwise, it loses its signifying character. This bowing of the head in the physical likeness of Christ’s death is essential since it signifies the spiritual unity with Christ in the likeness of his death. This action represents the actual death of the old person during baptism (see Rom 6:3-5; Col 2:12).

8.22 If we must receive baptism in the physical likeness of Jesus’ death, shouldn’t we also stretch out our hands and put our feet together during baptism?

•         The Bible stresses the likeness of the Lord’s death, not the likeness of his crucifixion.

•         The only biblical description of the likeness of Jesus’ death was that he bowed his head (Jn 19:30).

•         While the bowing of head also signifies humble repentance (Ps 40:12; Lk 18:13), stretching the hands or placing the feet together would not signify anything related to spiritual rebirth or remission of sins.

8.23 Infants or children may not receive baptism since they do not understand the truth, do not have faith, and cannot repent.

•         Infants and children are born sin (Ps 51:5). Therefore they also need to be born again.

•         The promise of baptism for the remission of sins is also given to the children (Acts 2:38-39). Children were never excluded from God’s covenant with his people (Gen 17:9-14).

•         We must not forbid children from receiving salvation since the Lord Jesus himself does not reject little children but instead loves them (see Lk 18:15-17).

•         Children were healed of their diseases through their parents’ faith (Mt 15:28). By the same token, children and infants may be baptized based on the faith of their parents (Jn 4:49-51). However, we must also keep in mind that it is the grace of God and the cross of Christ, not the conscious choice of humans, that gives baptism its effect. So even if children cannot make a conscious choice to receive God’s grace, they should not be excluded from God’s grace.

•         In the early church, entire households were baptized (Acts 16:15, 32-34; 18:8; 1Cor 1:16). Children and infants are, of course, part of the household.

•         Circumcision prefigures baptism (Col 2:11-12). In the Old Testament the male infants of the chosen people are circumcised on the eighth day (Lev 12:2-3), prefiguring infant baptism.

•         Crossing of the Red Sea prefigures the New Testament baptism (1Cor 10:1-2). The Israelites, including the children and infants, crossed the Red Sea (Ex 10:9-10, 24; 12:31). The children and infants were not left in the land of bondage. In the same way, children and infants must also be baptized to be cleanse of their sins and be released from the bondage of Satan.

8.24 The Lord Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:14). Children do not need to receive baptism because they are already accepted by the Lord into his kingdom.

•         If children are saved by Christ, do they become unsaved when they become adults?

•         The Lord Jesus said that we must turn and become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt:18:3). He was not saying that all children are in the kingdom of heaven.

8.25 If children are baptized when they could not make a choice, what happens if they choose not to accept the gospel when they grow up? Will they be saved?

•         If a person chooses to forsake the covenant of grace, he will have to face God’s judgment (Heb 6:4-8; 10:26-31).

•         Parents have the responsibility to bring their children up in the teachings of the Lord (Eph 6:4).

8.26 Isn’t there biblical basis for baptism for the dead (1Cor 15:29)?

•         This passage does not command baptism for the dead nor make any judgment about such practice. Paul asked the question, “Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:29). His point was not that such practice was necessarily correct, but that such practice demonstrated people’s belief in the resurrection.

•         Paul could not have endorsed vicarious baptism (the living being baptized on behalf of the dead) because it is against Biblical teaching for several reasons:

  1. Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16). Since all have sinned (Rom 3:23), everyone must be baptized for the forgiveness of his own sins (Acts 2:38). No one may be baptized for the forgiveness of another’s sins.
  2. Baptism is not merely a formality or an immersion of the body; it is a spiritual cleansing and salvation of the soul (1Pet 3:21; Heb 9:14). Once a person dies, the soul leaves his body. Baptizing a living person on behalf of the dead cannot in any way save the soul of the dead.
  3. After a person dies, he is to face judgment (Heb 9:27). Those who had failed to believe in the Lord will be condemned (Mk 16:16; Rev 21:8), and every person will be judged according to what he had done (Rev 20:12). So once a person dies, he has to give an account of his disbelief and no one else may receive salvation on behalf of him.

•         This verse might possibly refer to baptism of family members for the sake of a Christian member who has passed away and had expressed the wish before death that his/her family believe in the Lord Jesus and be baptized.

Notes

  1. Harold J. Berry, What They Believe: The Worldwide Church of God (Lincoln: Back to the Bible, 1987) 12-13.
  2. Ibid., 12-13. (The quotation is an argument made by the author, a professor of Grace College of the Bible; it is not the belief held by The Worldwide Church of God.)
  3. See “BAPTISM.” The Encyclopedia of Religion 1987 ed. Mircea Eliade, et al. (New York: Macmillan; London: Collier Macmillan, 1987).
  4. “The external form of baptism was immersion in flowing water which is presupposed in Ac 8:36, He 10:22. . . .”
  5. Hastings. “BAPTISM.” Dictionary of the Bible (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1963).
  6. Everett Furgenson, Early Christians Speak (Austin: Sweet Publishing Company, 1971) 51.

 

 

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Questions on Holy Communion
 

10.1 It is not important whether we hold the Holy Communion. Partaking of bread and cup was the customary way to remember the Lord’s death at the time of the apostles. Today, however, there are many other ways for Christians to remember the Lord’s death.

•         After the Lord Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread and gave it to the disciples, he said, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Lk 22:19; see also 1Cor 11:23-25). The Lord clearly instructed that partaking the Holy Communion is the way to remember his death. It is by keeping the Holy Communion that we proclaim the Lord’s death (1Cor 11:26). How then can we dismiss the Holy Communion as unimportant?

•         Partaking of the bread and the cup to proclaim the Lord’s death was to be done not only by the apostles but also by all believers, even those of modern age, until the Lord comes (1Cor 11:26).

•         The partaking of the bread and the cup during Holy Communion is not merely a custom or formality. It carries great significance and spiritual efficacy (see next question).  

10.2 The Holy Communion is nothing more than an occasion to remember the Lord’s death.

•         While the Holy Communion is an occasion to remember and proclaim the Lord’s death, it also consists of essential spiritual functions for believers. By partaking of the Holy Communion:

  1. We unite with the Lord in the Holy Spirit (1Cor 10:16; the Greek word for “communion” in 1Cor 16:16 is Koinônia, meaning fellowship; Jn 6:56); and we also unite with one another (1Cor 10:17).
  2. We receive eternal life (Jn 6:53-54).
  3. We will be raised on the last day (Jn 6:54).

10.3 Transubstantiation teaches that after giving thanks, the bread and grape wine transform materially into the physical body and blood of the Lord Jesus. Consubstantiation teaches that the physical body and blood coexist with the bread and the grape wine. Why does your church not agree with either view?

•         The bread and grape juice are the body and blood of the Lord after giving thanks. By eating and drinking the communion, we may receive the spiritual effects promised by God’s word. But the bread and juice have not changed materially.     

•         The manna that the Israelites ate in the wilderness prefigures the true bread from heaven—the flesh of the Lord Jesus (Jn 6:31-33, 49-51). According to Paul, the Israelites ate “spiritual food” and drank “spiritual drink” (1Cor 10:3-4). The prefiguration is applied in spiritual terms. Therefore during Holy Communion, we partake of the spiritual body and spiritual blood of the Lord.

•         The Lord Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life, flesh counts for nothing” (Jn 6:63). Here he elaborated on the previous passage(vv. 32-57), which his followers found difficult to accept (v. 60). In other words, the flesh and blood Jesus was referring to was flesh and blood in the spiritual rather than the material sense.

10.4 Symbolism teaches that the bread and cup only symbolize the flesh and blood of Jesus. Why is this view incorrect? The Lord Jesus could not have given his flesh and blood to his disciples to eat and drink since he was not yet crucified when he gave thanks for the bread and cup.

•         When the Lord Jesus instituted the Holy Communion, he did not say, “This symbolizes by body”; or “This symbolizes my blood”; rather, he said, “This is my body” and “This is my blood” (Mt 26:26, 28).

•         The Lord Jesus said, “for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink” (Jn 6:55). During Holy Communion, the bread we eat is actually the Lord’s body and the cup we drink is actually the Lord’s blood. The body and blood, however, are not material but are spiritual (see previous question).

10.5 Only priests may partake of both the bread and the cup. Believers in general may only partake of the bread.

•         When the Lord Jesus instituted the Holy Communion, the disciples partook of both the bread and the cup (Mt 26:26-27). They were believers, not priests.

•         When Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning the Holy Communion, he was addressing the members in general (see 1Cor 10:16; 11:26). So every believer has the privilege to partake of the bread and the cup.

10.6 Why does your church not allow non-members to participate in the Holy Communion?

•         In the Old Testament, Gentiles were forbidden to eat the Passover lamb (Ex 12:43). The Passover feast prefigures the New Testament Holy Communion (1Cor 5:7-8). Similarly, those who do not participate in the salvation of the Lord may not partake the Holy Communion since they are foreigners to the kingdom of God.

•         The Lord’s body and blood are holy and pure; those whose sins have not been cleansed through baptism are not worthy to partake of the Holy Communion (see 1Cor 11:27-29). And only those who have received the correct baptism for the remission of sins may partake of the Holy Communion.

•         The Holy Communion is a fellowship (Koinônia) among the believers within the church. Unbelievers or those who do not share the same faith with us are not part of the communion in the true church. So they should not partake of the Holy Communion.

 

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Questions on Receiving Foot Washing
 

9.1 Footwashing is merely a Jewish custom; it is not a sacrament and has no relationship to a person’s salvation. The Lord Jesus washed the feet of his disciples only to set an example of humility and serving others.

•         The footwashing that the Lord Jesus instituted is beyond being merely a custom. According to tradition, slaves washed the feet of the master, never the reverse. The Lord, however, washed the feet of his disciples even though he was their master. Peter, not realizing the significance of this footwashing, refused to be washed by the Lord (Jn 13:6,8).

•         Footwashing is directly related to salvation for the following reasons:

  1. Jesus told Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (Jn 13:8). To receive footwashing is to have part with the Lord. As such footwashing cannot be simply a custom.
  2. Jesus also said, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean” (Jn 13:10). A person who is baptized needs also to receive footwashing.

•         Though formerly a custom, footwashing becomes a sacrament that carried great spiritual power and effect after the Lord Jesus had performed it and explained its meaning and efficacy and had commanded his disciples to do likewise.         

9.2 Footwashing cannot be a sacrament. If footwashing is so essential and relates directly to a person’s salvation, why is the institution only found in the Gospel according to John and not anywhere else in the Bible?

•         Despite the fact that footwashing is found only in the Gospel according John, it is still to be kept and its relationship to salvation is still valid.

•         All of the Lord’s commandments need to be kept. Not a single commandment should be neglected regardless of how many times they are being mentioned in the Bible (see Mt 5:18-19; Rev 22:19). The Lord instructed his followers to perform footwashing as he had done for his disciples; therefore, we also need to keep this commandment.

9.3 The Lord Jesus instructed his disciples, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet” (Jn 13:14). But why is that during the footwashing sacrament in your church, only the ministers wash the feet of new members, and other members do not wash one another’s feet?

•         The footwashing the Lord Jesus established serves two functions, namely: 1. sacrament 2. spiritual teaching.

  1. As a sacrament, footwashing is to have part with the Lord. The disciples did not wash each other’s feet during the sacrament. It was performed by the Lord Jesus for the disciples. That is why he did not say, “if you do not wash each other’s feet, you have no part with me.” Rather, he said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.”

    Today, during the footwashing sacrament, rather than washing one another’s feet, the church performs footwashing on the Lord’s behalf so that the believers who receive the sacrament may have part with the Lord. The sacrament does not involve mutual washing. Instead, the task of of performing the sacrament is given to “he who is sent” (i.e. those in the church who administer the sacrament on the Lord’s behalf; “he who is sent” = apostles; see Jn 13:16).
  2. As a spiritual teaching, footwashing shows believers that they should love one another (Jn 13:1), humbly serve one another (Jn 13:4-5,12-17), forgive one another (Jesus also washed the feet of Judas Iscariot), and keep their holiness (Jn 13:10). While the mutual washing of feet with water is still practiced in the church on occasion as a sign of love and forgiveness, what is most essential is that we follow the spiritual teachings behind this action.

 

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Questions on Sacraments
 

7.1 What are sacraments?

•         “Sacraments”1 is a term that refers to three New Testament institutions: baptism, footwashing, and Holy Communion. These three sacraments are instituted by the Lord Jesus and commanded to his followers (Mk 16:16; Jn 13:1-17; Mt 26-29).

•         The sacraments all involve the use of physical elements or actions. According to the Lord’s promise, the sacraments have the effect of salvation. In baptism, the effect of remission of sins takes place when the believer is immersed in water in the name of Jesus Christ. In footwashing, the believer has a part with the Lord by accepting the washing of feet in water. In Holy Communion, the believer partakes of the eternal life of Jesus Christ. The sacraments signify the believer’s covenantal relationship with the Lord and mark the beginning of regeneration.

7.2 Sacraments are only symbols that signify what Christ has done for us. They are not necessary.

•         If the Lord has commanded us to administer and receive the sacraments, how can they be unnecessary? The Lord’s command alone makes them necessary. Every believer ought to receive the sacraments in obedience to Christ.

•         Sacraments signify our salvation, but they are not mere symbols without effect. God’s word tells us that Christ’s salvation is made effective on the believer through the sacraments. Although we cannot rationalize how God brings us spiritual saving effect through material things or physical actions, with faith in God’s promise we trust that we can receive this effect when we accept the sacraments.

7.3 We are saved the moment we believe and confess Christ (Rom 10:9-10; Eph 1:13). Sacraments are only symbolic of the salvation we have already received. They do not have any saving effect.

•         In Romans 10:9-10, Paul is not saying that intellectual acceptance or open confession is the totality of faith and anything else would be deeds subsequent to faith. Nor is he concerned with the exact moment of justification. If he were, he would have said something like “when you agree that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess Jesus as Lord, you are justified and saved.” In that case, the sacraments would be acts subsequent to justification. But is Paul referring to the time of justification? Notice that the sentence consists of two parts, namely belief unto justification, and confession unto salvation. As we know, confession doesn’t usually occur at the same moment in time as belief (in the sense of conceptual agreement). So does it mean that salvation is a separate event in time from justification? Where would repentance come in, then? Is repentance an act subsequent to justification?

•         In Ephesians 1:13, Paul’s message to the church may seem to suggest that a person is already in Christ the moment he intellectually agrees with the gospel. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13). It would be a mistake to interpret “heard” or “believed” as only intellectual agreement that occurred at a specific point in time. The hearing and believing must include accepting Christ, confessing of sin, repentance, receiving the sacraments, and entrusting one’s whole life to the gospel, all of which make up “the word of truth.” If Paul’s words referred to a moment in time, then he would be literally saying that a believer is included in Christ the second he hears a Christian message for the first time in his life (in this case, even before intellectual agreement). His confession of sin and repentance have no effect. They are only symbolic of the salvation he has received. Such interpretation is not only out of context, but also without Biblical support.

•         Sacraments are not just symbols. God works through them to bring us salvation when we receive them with faith.

•         The saving effects of the sacraments are clearly stated by the Lord himself. We cannot reduce them to mere symbols or even deny their necessity just because we do not understand how God’s saving effect can take place through some outward actions. If a person believes that God raised Christ from the dead but does not believe that he can receive a new life through baptism, he doesn’t qualify as a true believer. If a person confesses that Jesus is Lord but rejects footwashing, he would be like those who call “Lord, Lord” but do not do what he says (see Luke 6:46). True belief in the heart would encompass acceptance of the sacraments, and that is the belief that justifies. True confession would encompass receiving the sacraments in the name of the Lord Jesus, and that is the confession that saves.

7.4 Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works (Eph 2:8,9). Sacraments are of works, not of faith.

•         The works here refer to the works of the law (Gal 2:16; 3:2; Rom 9:32). Such works do not come from faith but from a desire to obtain righteousness without the saving works of Jesus Christ.

•         It would be a mistake to say that anything involving physical action is a “work.” If that is the case, confession with our mouth would be a “work.”

•         Sacraments are commanded by the Lord Jesus himself. Denying the Lord’s commands is not faith at all.

•         In receiving the sacraments, it is not the physical action on the part of the believer that saves. It is the mercy of God and the saving work of Christ that brings us the effect.

•         Faith is not just intellectual agreement. Faith without action is not true faith. Such false faith cannot save (Jas 2:14; Mt 7:21-23).

7.5  “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” (Tit 3:5). Sacraments are righteous deeds, and therefore cannot save us.

•         Sacraments are not “works of righteousness we have done.” Receiving the sacraments involves confessing our sins and having faith in the saving work of Christ. Sacraments do not establish our own righteousness. They are effective not because of our actions but because of God’s mercy and Christ’s salvation.

•         The same verse reads, “…He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5). The washing of regeneration, which refers to the sacrament of baptism, is a necessary part of God’s saving act. How can we say that sacraments have no saving effect? (see also 1Pet 3:21). Sacraments do not belong to the category of “works of righteousness we have done.” They are the mercy of God.

7.6 Romans 10:9 reads, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Baptism, footwashing, and Holy Communion are not mentioned and are as such not necessary for salvation.

•         Repentance is also not mentioned; is repentance, then, not necessary for salvation? It sure is! (Mt 3:2; Acts 3:19; 2:38; 11:18; 2Cor 7:10) So we cannot deny the effect and necessity of sacraments based on this verse. We must bring this verse into harmony with other verses in the Bible to understand all the necessary steps to salvation.

•         Here Paul is emphasizing justification and salvation through faith as opposed to seeking to establish one’s own righteousness without Christ (see 10:3). The argument in verses 9 & 10 is drawn from verse 8, which quotes Deut 30:14 (note the repeated use of the words “mouth” and “heart”).

•         The word is in our mouth and in our heart so we may obey it (Deut 30:11-18). Paul cited this passage to show that Christ is the Word become flesh, whom we should confess and believe. This confession and belief is realized in the obedience to Christ—the Word. His argument here was to show that observance apart from Christ cannot attain to righteousness. He was not at all saying that confession and belief in Christ removed the need for sacraments. In fact, true confession of and belief in Christ would involve obedience to the Lord’s command to receive the sacraments.

7.7 Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus has eternal life (Jn 3:36; 5:24; 6:47). A person is guaranteed of salvation upon belief. Sacraments are not necessary for salvation.

•         Believing in the Lord Jesus includes believing and carrying out his command (Lk 6:46-49). Those who only confess the Lord’s name without doing the will of God are not true disciples (Jn 8:31) and cannot enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt 7:21-23).

•         If belief means intellectual agreement without obedience, even Satan would be a believer (Jas 2:19). Faith without obedience is false faith; it cannot save (Jas 2:14).

7.8 A person’s good works show that he is already saved. If sacraments are required for salvation, then how do you explain the good works of Christians who have never received the sacraments?

•         A person could perform good works without faith in Jesus Christ. So good works cannot be a sign of a person’s salvation.

•         Cornelius’s good works were not enough. He still needed to hear the gospel, repent and be baptized to receive eternal life (Acts 10:1-47; 11:18).

•         The sacraments are fundamental to our covenantal relationship with God. Without them, all subsequent works of faith would amount to nothing. Unless a person is baptized into Christ, he still stands condemned because he is still in sin. Unless his feet are washed by Christ, he still has no part with Christ. Unless he partakes of the Lord’s body and blood, he does not have life in him. The good works that he performs may seem to assure him that he is an elect of God, but these good works would not be much different from the works of the law because he has not received the righteousness of Christ.

7.9 In Romans 4:10-12, Paul stresses that Abraham was justified before circumcision, not after. Circumcision was only a sign of the righteousness he had already received by faith. Likewise, sacraments are only signs which have no effect.

•         In terms of necessity, this passage cannot be used to argue that sacraments are not necessary. Sacraments are necessary for us because they are commanded by the Lord himself, just as circumcision was necessary for Abraham because it was commanded by God. Had Abraham denied the necessity of circumcision with the rationale that it was only a sign, would he still be a man of faith?

•         In terms of saving effects, we cannot confuse circumcision with the sacraments. Circumcision is a covenant of flesh for Abraham and his earthly descendants (Gen 17:13). It is done by the hands of men and is a work of the law as such. Because no divine action is involved, its only function was to signify God’s promise and justification of Abraham. More importantly, it was a foreshadow of the saving work of Christ to effect justification for all men, whether Jews or Gentiles. “What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made” (Gal 3:19). So the law, including circumcision, could only signify the reality, which is Christ. In the sacraments, on the contrary, there is divine action, mediated by Christ himself. Baptism, for instance, is a circumcision done by Christ, not by men’s hands (Col 2:11-12). Sacraments are on a totally different level from circumcision because they are divine actions rather than just symbolic signs.

7.10 The people in the Old Testament were saved without the sacraments.

•         God did not command the sacraments in the Old Testament.

•         Before Christ came, the chosen people were under the old covenant. But the sacraments are signs of the new covenant (see Mt 26:28).

7.11 What about those believers who never had a chance in their lifetime to receive the sacraments?

•         Whether God chooses to save them has no relevance to the necessity of sacraments. These people belong to a different category from those who do have the chance to accept the sacraments. If a person has the chance to believe in Christ and obey his words but refuses to, he still stands condemned (Jn 3:18-21; Mt 7:21-23).

7.12  In Lk 7:37-50, the Lord saved the sinful woman by her faith. She did not accept the sacraments.

•         The sacraments had not been instituted then.

7.13 In Lk 23:39-43, the Lord promised the repentant criminal salvation. The criminal was saved without accepting the sacraments.

•         We should not make an exception the rule. Besides, the exception was made because the circumstance did not allow the criminal the chance to accept the sacraments.

•         God, not sacraments, is our savior. God could choose to save someone who does not have a chance to receive the sacraments. But there is a big difference between not being able to receive the sacraments and refusing to receive them. If the criminal lived today and refused the sacraments, he still would not have been saved.

7.14 Since believers in the Old Testament as well as some in the New Testament (such as the repentant criminal on the cross) were saved without the sacraments, sacraments are not absolutely necessary, and if they are not absolutely necessary, they are not required for salvation.

•         The command to receive the sacraments for salvation is by the Lord. His word makes them a requirement.

•         The rationale “if it’s not required for them, it’s not required for us” is misleading. It mistakenly puts us in the same category as believers who either lived before the command was given or who could not perform the command. The sacraments may not have been required for them, but they are required for us, who have received the command and are able to carry them out. The salvation of these believers in the past does not free us from our responsibility now. Each person will be judged based on what he has been given (cf Mt 11:20-24; Lk 12:47-48).

7.15 Sacraments take away the glory and power of Christ’s saving work on the cross.

•         Sacraments would be meaningless without the cross of Christ. In fact, Christ manifests his salvation on the cross and the power of God through the sacraments. For example, baptism is effective because of the death and resurrection of Christ. Through baptism, our old self is crucified with Christ (Rom 6:3-10).

•         Sacraments cannot be detached from the cross. The effect of salvation on the cross takes place in the believer through the sacraments.

Notes

  1. In both Catholic and Reform theology, the word “sacrament” refers to the Christian rites, such as baptism and the Lord’s supper. Tertullian was the first to employ the word sacramentum, the Latin version of the New Testament term “mystery” (see Eph 5:32; 1Tim 3:16; Rev 1:20). The use of this word to refer to the New Testament divine institutions may be due to the spiritual effect, which we cannot rationalize.

 

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