The theif on the cross misconceptions

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,679
113
Water dunking is as effective at removing sin as circumcision was.
and yet under the New Covenant it's still something that was common practice. Why would they reject circumcision and then turn around and water baptize people? I doubt they saw those two things as equal in effectiveness.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
56,303
26,340
113
and yet under the New Covenant it's still something that was common practice. Why would they reject circumcision
and then turn around and water baptize people? I doubt they saw those two things as equal in effectiveness.
It is prep for priesthood.


Ephesians 4:5-6
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,701
3,548
113
I wouldn't be so quick to assume the thief on the cross was not water baptized. Actually, I believe most people in Jerusalem and the Judean countryside were water baptized, during the time of John the Baptist's and Jesus' ministry, based off of what I've read in the New Testament.

I speculate that this fact may account for why water baptism isn't mentioned all that much in the gospels. People wrote things from their perspective and it may not have been necessary to mention water baptism too often if they knew the people they were talking to were already water baptized.

Hard to say and mostly just amounts to speculation. Conveying information through reading and writing is a rather limited medium. You're only going to know what I am telling you while the countless number of possible things occurring around me aren't even mentioned. That's typically why it's better to not "add to or take away" when talking about the Bible, or really anything in general.
Therefore, if water baptism was required, it would have been mentioned.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,679
113
It is prep for priesthood.


Ephesians 4:5-6
I don't think water baptism is a prep for priesthood. I think the blood of the lamb, the removal of sins, is a prep for priesthood. Water baptism is for something else.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,679
113
Therefore, if water baptism was required, it would have been mentioned.
That is not the conclusion I was making. Quite the opposite.

Just because something isn't mentioned doesn't mean it isn't required.

Allow me to demonstrate. Believing in Jesus isn't mentioned everywhere so does that mean it isn't required? Of course not.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
56,303
26,340
113
I don't think water baptism is a prep for priesthood. I think the blood of the lamb,
the removal of sins, is a prep for priesthood. Water baptism is for something else.
What else? It was prep for service as a priest. The blood of the Lamb removes sin.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,679
113
What else? It was prep for service as a priest. The blood of the Lamb removes sin.
Just going with what the Bible says. Jesus did all the work in making us a kingdom of priests. Water baptism would be stripping Christ of His ability to make us priests.

Revelation 1:5,6
5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood, 6who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,679
113
I think saying "water baptism is a prep for priesthood" is a way to distance oneself from from what it's really for.

"Just equate water baptism to circumcision." In effect, making water baptism a cut from the same cloth as the Law that couldn't save people.

That's how people are denying the true purpose of water baptism I think. Very clever, but I'm very clever too.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,701
3,548
113
That is not the conclusion I was making. Quite the opposite.

Just because something isn't mentioned doesn't mean it isn't required.

Allow me to demonstrate. Believing in Jesus isn't mentioned everywhere so does that mean it isn't required? Of course not.
Can you post an example from scripture? Thanks! Btw, of course not all verses are dealing with salvation, but you'd think the ones that were would mention baptism.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,701
3,548
113
Can you post an example from scripture? Thanks! Btw, of course not all verses are dealing with salvation, but you'd think the ones that were would mention baptism.
Paul's epistles specifically...
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
56,303
26,340
113
Just going with what the Bible says. Jesus did all the work in making us a kingdom of priests. Water baptism would be stripping Christ of His ability to make us priests.

Revelation 1:5,6
5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood, 6who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
Yeah, and so...? That strips us of nothing. Water baptism is not what saves. Nor does our faith come from others.

So what else is it for? You gave nothing.
 

DJT_47

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2022
1,004
177
63
Water dunking is as effective at removing sin as circumcision was. Or being born a great great great great great grandson of Jacob.
Tell that to the inspired writers as well as Jesus himself

Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1Peter 3:21
 

Aaron56

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2021
2,576
1,460
113
@Magenta @Runningman

In Hebrews chapter 6 this is written about 6 "elementary doctrines" (I numbered them):

"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of 1) repentance from dead works and of 2) faith toward God, of the 3) doctrine of baptisms, of 4) laying on of hands, of 5) resurrection of the dead, and of 6) eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits."

Notice that there is a doctrine of baptisms; plural. Also, "baptism" has been made into a religious word but it was a very common word when the Bible was written. For example, if you wanted to dip a rag into water for cleaning you would "baptize" the rag into the water. The end result would be that the rag, because of the addition of the water, was now a more effective cleaning tool. So, baptize (baptismo) simply means "to immerse"

In my study there appears to be 4 baptisms. I've written about these before so I don't want to rehash it here. The types of baptisms are with fire, with water, by the Holy Spirit, and with the Holy Spirit.

There is one baptism that establishes our place within the Body of Christ: Baptism by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12 records:

"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many."

"By one Spirit" signifies that the Holy Spirit is the one completing the baptism. And the baptism is into "one body". It is given to the saints to discern the place of each member of the body (but that is another topic).

So, baptism by the Spirit is the one baptism that recharacterizes the individual parts into One complete Body of Christ. And this is independent of each member's background, race, status, sex, education, etc. The Spirit decides this.

This baptism, by the Holy Spirit, is the "one baptism" (of the 4 total baptisms) referenced in Ephesians 4:

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

The hint is that Paul is writing about "one body" and the diversity of gifts among the many parts. In the book he writes extensively about how the parts are to work together. The framework for this is that all parts, individuals within the Body of Christ, make up the one body and are to work together in coordination with the head, who is Christ.

The Spirit places us in the Body to make the one Body of Christ.

Blessings.
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
18,526
7,274
113
Tell that to the inspired writers as well as Jesus himself

Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1Peter 3:21
You will figure it out eventually bro.....;)
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,679
113
Can you post an example from scripture? Thanks! Btw, of course not all verses are dealing with salvation, but you'd think the ones that were would mention baptism.
No mention of believing, baptism, repentance, etc. Here I am taking a single verse that guarantees being saved via calling on the name of the Lord.

Romans 10:13
13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Or here where nothing about believing is even mentioned.

1 Peter 3:21
21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Or here where Jesus said those who are born of water and Spirit can enter the kingdom of God. Nothing about believing to be saved.

John 3:5
5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,679
113
Yeah, and so...? That strips us of nothing. Water baptism is not what saves. Nor does our faith come from others.

So what else is it for? You gave nothing.
I gave you what the Bible says and a verse that proves that being a priest in God's kingdom isn't because of water baptism.

You just gave something about Christians being water baptized in preparation for service as a priest. That isn't in the Bible as far as I'm aware.

You gave nothing.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,679
113
@Magenta @Runningman

In Hebrews chapter 6 this is written about 6 "elementary doctrines" (I numbered them):

"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of 1) repentance from dead works and of 2) faith toward God, of the 3) doctrine of baptisms, of 4) laying on of hands, of 5) resurrection of the dead, and of 6) eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits."

Notice that there is a doctrine of baptisms; plural. Also, "baptism" has been made into a religious word but it was a very common word when the Bible was written. For example, if you wanted to dip a rag into water for cleaning you would "baptize" the rag into the water. The end result would be that the rag, because of the addition of the water, was now a more effective cleaning tool. So, baptize (baptismo) simply means "to immerse"

In my study there appears to be 4 baptisms. I've written about these before so I don't want to rehash it here. The types of baptisms are with fire, with water, by the Holy Spirit, and with the Holy Spirit.

There is one baptism that establishes our place within the Body of Christ: Baptism by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12 records:

"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many."

"By one Spirit" signifies that the Holy Spirit is the one completing the baptism. And the baptism is into "one body". It is given to the saints to discern the place of each member of the body (but that is another topic).

So, baptism by the Spirit is the one baptism that recharacterizes the individual parts into One complete Body of Christ. And this is independent of each member's background, race, status, sex, education, etc. The Spirit decides this.

This baptism, by the Holy Spirit, is the "one baptism" (of the 4 total baptisms) referenced in Ephesians 4:

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

The hint is that Paul is writing about "one body" and the diversity of gifts among the many parts. In the book he writes extensively about how the parts are to work together. The framework for this is that all parts, individuals within the Body of Christ, make up the one body and are to work together in coordination with the head, who is Christ.

The Spirit places us in the Body to make the one Body of Christ.

Blessings.
If you made a post about that somewhere I would love to read more about it brother Aaron.

Blessings.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
56,303
26,340
113
I gave you what the Bible says and a verse that proves that being a priest in God's kingdom isn't because of water baptism.

You just gave something about Christians being water baptized in preparation for service as a priest. That isn't in the Bible as far as I'm aware.

You gave nothing.
I said nothing about being a priest in God's kingdom being because of water baptism.

Giving me what the Bible says is an improvement over past performances from you.

Unfortunately it did not answer the query.

Water baptism is for something else.
What else is it for?
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
56,303
26,340
113
Exodus 29
Consecration of the Priests
1 “This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: .... 4 Then
bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.



Leviticus 8
The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons
8 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull
for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, 3 and gather
the entire assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” 4 Moses did as the Lord commanded him,
and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting.


5 Moses said to the assembly, “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”
6 Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.
 

Bob-Carabbio

Well-known member
Jun 24, 2020
1,272
616
113
The thief on the cross misconceptions

I continually encounter people trying to justify that baptism is not an absolute necessity for one's salvation by use (erroneously) of the thief on the cross as justification, as he was not baptized but yet saved by the Lord, which is true!
Standard response: "BUT HE WAS A SPECIAL CASE" bla, bla, bla.