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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you,
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age"
(Matt. 28:19,20).
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April 10, 2016
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Contents:
1) "...Christ did not send me to baptize..." (Tom Edwards)
2) A Simple Observation of a Hebrew Cubit (Tom Edwards)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
"...Christ did not send me to baptize..."
Tom Edwards
The title of today's article is from a passage that is sometimes
used as an argument by those who believe that baptism is not
necessary to be forgiven and become a Christian. Of course, we
have seen in the two previous bulletins for March 27 and April 3
that baptism is part of God's plan of salvation. But let us
look more into 1 Corinthians 1:17:
The verse fully states, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but
to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross
of Christ would not be made void."
If Paul were not sent to baptize ever, then does that mean, like the
Quakers believe, that baptism should never be practiced today for
any reason? In other words, instead of some trying to use this
passage to only show that baptism is not needful to be saved, would
they not have to also be consistent by saying that "Baptism is also
not for those who have already been saved without it"? But
would not most people who reject the need for baptism to become a
Christian, believe that "Christians are to be baptized in obedience
to the Lord's command," that it is "an outward showing of an inward
grace"? So, why the double standard? If Paul's not being
sent to baptize mean that it should not be done, then it should not
be done for any reason. But that is not what the passage
means.
From the context, it is obvious that the Lord was not forbidding
Paul from baptizing people. For he even speaks of those whom
he had baptized in Corinth: Crispus, Gaius, and the household of
Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:14,16). Was Paul disobeying Christ by
doing that?
Rather than wrongfully viewing the statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17
to imply that Paul was not to baptize, or that baptism is not
necessary, we should see that the apostle is simply putting the
emphasis on preaching the gospel, rather than on baptism. For
without the preaching that instills faith (Rom. 10:17), baptism by
itself will not save anyone (cf. Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:36-38).
In the context of 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul did not baptize many of
the Corinthians. These Christians were of a divisive
party-spirit. Some said, "I am of Paul," while others said, "I
of Apollos," "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ" (v. 12). Because
of their factions, Paul had exhorted them toward unity (v. 10), so
that there "be no divisions" among them.
After speaking of the different groups that each were claiming
affiliation with, Paul then says, "Has Christ been divided? Paul was
not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of
Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus
and Gaius, SO THAT NO ONE WOULD SAY YOU WERE BAPTIZED IN MY NAME"
(vv. 13-15, emphasis mine).
Due to those who would have a misconception of baptism -- and think
they are being baptized into Paul's name, rather than into the
Lord's -- the apostle had no desire to baptize these. So we
see more of the need for preaching that others might rightly
understand the purpose for baptism. Therefore, Paul had said,
"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel."
We might also see in this the need for "first things first" -- and
which certainly doesn't exclude the second and third things, etc.
Similarly are the "not-but" passages (the "emphasis passages") in
which the "not" does not rule out the need for what it refers
to. For example, Jesus instructs, "Do NOT work for the food
which perishes, BUT for the food which endures to eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give to you..." (Jn. 6:27, emphasis
mine). Is Jesus teaching that no one should have a secular
job? Of course not. And would we not think that being
able to buy food is one of the main reasons for working? Food
is essential for the body; but even more important is the spiritual
food for the soul. For "Man shall not live on bread alone, but
on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matt.
4:4). The great patriarch Job had treasured and esteemed the
word of God more so than even "necessary food" (Job 23:12).
If Paul was not to baptize, why did he also baptize those 12 men in
Ephesus (in Acts 19:1-7) who had not known about the baptism Jesus
commanded, until after Paul taught them?
And remember, too, that Paul is certainly not implying in 1
Corinthians 1:17 that baptism is irrelevant for salvation; For he is
the one who had been told by Ananias, whom God had sent, to "arise,
and be baptized, and wash away thy sins..." (Acts 22:16). And
it is Paul who teaches the need for baptism "...so we too might walk
in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4); and that we may be "clothed with
Christ" by being "baptized into Christ" (Gal. 3:26,27).
For "...we are buried with Him in baptism, in which" we are also
"raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised
Him from the dead" (Col. 2:12); and that God saves us "...by the
washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" (Titus
3:5). Yes, Paul taught the need for baptism.
For a time, John the Baptist was "...preaching a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins" ( Mark 1:4). The Jews of his
day needed to realize that they had failed in keeping the Law of
Moses and repent of that. "But the Pharisees and the lawyers
rejected for themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of
him" (Luke 7:30).
So John's baptism was also important. To reject that was to
reject God.
That would have also been the baptism that the Lord's disciples had
been administering, prior to the Lord's death on the cross:
"Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that
Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although
Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left
Judea and went away again into Galilee" (John 4:1-3).
Are we to infer that this baptism was irrelevant or of no importance
because Jesus Himself did not personally do the baptizing, but His
disciples did? Of course not.
Similarly, it was important for the Corinthians to have been
baptized, even though Paul emphasized to them that he was not sent
to merely do that; but, rather, to preach the gospel. And,
according to Acts 18:11, he had remained in Corinth for "a year and
six months, teaching the word of God among them." So compare
that long period of teaching to the few minutes it would take to
baptize someone! What did Paul spend more time doing?
For in this we again see why the emphasis should be on the preaching
rather than just the baptism. And also because, without the
proper understanding and beliefs that the gospel can instill,
baptism would be ineffectual.
It is the gospel that is "...the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes..." (Rom. 1:16); and after hearing that
message preached, "Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in
the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when
they heard were believing and being baptized" (Acts 18:8).
The baptism that Jesus commanded as part of the plan of salvation
(Mark 16:16) is just as important today as it was way back
then! Do not allow the multitudes who believe to the contrary
dissuade you from the truth! Examine Gods word for yourself to
reach the conclusion He wants you to understand -- and then believe
and obey His soul-saving message! You will not be sorry in the
great Judgment Day for having done so!
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-2-
A Simple Observation of a Hebrew Cubit
Tom Edwards
Out of all the different kinds of cubits, it is probably the Hebrew
cubit of which we are the most familiar -- or maybe it being the
only cubit to our knowledge. Yet there were also various
others that fall within the range of a 3.31" difference
between the shortest and the longest of them, as seen in the
following list:
Roman cubit (17.5")
Egyptian cubit (17.72")
Hebrew cubit (18")
Ezekiel's cubit (20.5")
Royal Egyptian cubit (20.67")
Hebrew Long cubit (20.67")
Babylonian Royal cubit (20.81")
I'm glad that this one we find used most often in the Old Testament
is the Hebrew cubit, and that it is an even 18". For it makes
it much easier to get a quicker grasp on the sizes, since we merely
need to divide the number of cubits by 2 and call it a yard!
This came in handy when reading, for example, in Exodus 26 of the
various dimensions for the tabernacle, where mention is made of
"thirty cubits," "twenty-eight cubits," "ten cubits," "four cubits,"
and "one and a half cubits."
Yes, it is much easier to think of 28 cubits as 14 yards (28 divided
by 2), rather than figuring 18 * 28 = 504, which divided by 36
equals 14.
You probably already know these things, but this is for those folks,
who like me in the past, used to do it the more difficult way.
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-3-
News & Notes
Let those of us who are Christians be praying for the following
people:
After having a mini-stroke last Wednesday, Frankie Hadley
also had another the following day, which might have been a little
worse. She is now back in the hospital. Saturday, she
had an MRI and will probably also have an echocardiogram Monday to
determine the cause.
Here is an update on Joyce Mooney's daughter Mandy: The mass
on her breast turned out to be benign. But the tumor on her
brain, for which they performed surgery, was malignant.
Carol Drain had her once-every-three-week chemo treatment
last Friday. By Saturday, she was already feeling some of the
negative effects of it, which usually lasts for a few
days.
James Medlock, who is 89, sometimes goes into a deep sleep
that he can not be awakened from. Could it be seizures or
something to do with his sleep apnea? Let us pray that testing
will tell, and his problem will be remedied.
Minnie Lanier, who is legally blind, will be having a corneal
transplant Monday (4/11/16).
Jean Beach, Jim Lively's sister, is back in the
hospital. She has not been feeling well and has several health
problems.
Let us also continue to remember Easton Cox through all his
chemo treatments. He has been doing well.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith
comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John
8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10;
Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the
remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith; for, if not,
salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet.
2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM
& 5 PM (worship)
Tuesday: 7 PM (Ladies' Bible class)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)