I have heard discussion of all those 3 points, though certainly not universal agreement.
What are your views on Mark 16:9-20?
I have looked at the textural dispute on that passage, and for my part concluded that it is a legitimate part of the Bible.
The signs mentioned in v.17 &18 were performed by the apostles, and there is no suggestion that are to be performed by every believing individual.
V.16 "Whosoever believes and is baptized.." has been used to teach baptisimal regeneration, but I would consider this a distortion of the words, because the teaching does not harmonize with the rest of the Bible.
so some verses are legitimate but others aren’t ? Let’s see if there’s any harmony regarding
baptism
“
There is one body, and
one Spirit, even as ye are 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.”
Ephesians 4:4-6 KJV
Matthews commission to the apostles
“Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Matthew 28:19-20 KJV
mark
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mark 16:15-16 KJV
The first thing Peter tells them to do after he receives the power of the Holy Ghost and starts speaking by the spirit when he’s asked plainly by them “ what do we need to do ?”
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto
Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 2:37-38 KJV
But surely they didn’t baptize in water that’s “only John before the cross “
“Then
Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way,
they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See,
here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said,
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and
they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”
Acts 8:35-38 KJV
Baptism is misunderstood but yet it’s well explained and easy to see in the doctrine
“Know ye not, that
so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:3-4 KJV
“in whom also
ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands,
in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism,
wherein
also ye are
risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
And you, being
dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he
quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”
Colossians 2:11-13 KJV
Sin requires death . All who have sinned owe death thier lives by gods word
“Behold,
all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine:
the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
Ezekiel 18:4 KJV
when jesus died for our sins it fulfilled that word of requirement for the sinners who repent and believe the gospel. Baptism in his name ( who died for our sins ) is about inclusion in his death , burial and resurrection . Which is the means of mans regeneration not baptism but the reason we act in faith and get baptized . Because we believe that Jesus death paid for our sins and his resurrection brings our justification . Baptism is about making the decision to be included in that not because we want to show our faith to others ot anything but because Gods word tells believers what baptism means ,
“so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
We can hear this and reject it and say “ baptism has nothing to do with what that says …. But
really it makes sense why the believer is confessing thier sins and then being buried in water in Jesus name , then bieng raised back up in his name when they are baptized .
If baptism is about remission of sins in Jesus name as the Bible states , and if baptism is about being included in his death for our sins as the Bible states then it sort of is part of the Christian regeneration process we need to be recognized as having died with Christ …… in order to change and become who we are in him for eternal life
of we get past the idea that there is a different baptism other than the one explained and repetetively shown in scripture that states “ there’s one baptism “
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:3-4 KJV
