WHAT JESUS SAID AND DID NOT SAY by steve finnell
Why do men reject what Jesus said and believe what He did not say?
WHAT JESUS SAID: Mark 16:16 He who has believed and been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. (NASB)
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 He who has believed is saved already and should be baptized as an act of faith.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 Unbelievers such as infants and atheists should be baptized so they can be forgiven for the original sin committed by Adam.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 He who believes shall be saved, however, water baptism is not essential for salvation because it is a work of the law of Moses.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 He who believes because they were individually selected for salvation shall be saved.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 Believing in Me is one of many ways to be saved.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 Be baptized for your sins and believe at a future date and you will be saved.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 He who believes and speaks in tongues, as evidence of their salvation, shall be saved.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 He who believes has been saved by "Faith Only" and should be baptized into the denomination of their choice.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 He who has been selected by God to be lost will burn in hell and all others will be forced to believe so they may be saved.
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has water sprinkled or poured on him will be saved
PROVERBS 16:25 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.(NASB
WHAT JESUS DID NOT SAY: Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has water sprinkled or poured on him will be saved
PROVERBS 16:25 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.(NASB
Y'shua, Jesus, DID SAY, to the woman who wanted to be saved, in Matthew 9:22, "Your faith has saved you. And the woman was made whole from that hour." Amazing, no baptism. Why do people want to add to what the Messiah did on the cross?
ReplyDeleteAlso, look what Mark 16:16 actually says about who is comdemned, the one who does not believe, not the one who doesn't get baptized.
I see why you would ask that as there is much confusion in the world on how to be saved. However, a few basic building blocks of scripture should clear it up. As the Lord says in Isaiah 1:18 ... Come now let us reason together.
ReplyDelete1) God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33) so he is not trying to confuse us
2) All scripture is inspired by God or breathed out by God and is used to train us, teach us, correct us and thoroughly equip us for all good works (2 Tim 3:16-17)
3) It's impossible for God to lie (Heb 6:18 & Titus 1:2)
So we see that if ALL scripture comes from God and God cannot lie then ALL scripture is TRUE. The Bible speaks of the Truth of God's words throughout. (John 17:17, John 14:6-7, Psalm 119:160 and others)
Jesus is the author of words and is God in the flesh (John 1:1-2,14)
God says that He now speaks to the people through His Son (Heb 1:1-2)
Jesus tells us that we will be judged by His words (John 12:48)
So we see that words mean something. The written Word is how God communicates to man. It is very important for us to understand that.
Jesus is the same yesterday today and tomorrow (Heb 13:8)
So His Words mean the same today as they did when they were written. However, we must know what they meant in the time they were written. For example at one time the plan of salvation was Do Not Eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil at another time in history the plan of salvation was Build a Boat and Get Inside and then another time is was to bring the First Born Unblemished Lamb to be Sacrificed. In the time that we are living in and have been in for about 2000 years the plan of salvation is Believe, Confess Repent and be Baptized.
Now Jesus tells us that Satan is the liar and is actually the father of lies (John 8:44). So Satan lies to us and tries to confuse us whereas Jesus tells us the truth and does not try to confuse us (John 14:6-7 & 1 Cor 14:33)
So If we find what appears to be a contradiction in the Bible then we need to keep searching because we know there can be no contradiction if all scripture is TRUE. Once we have found no contradiction then we have found the TRUTH.
So to your first question: Why no baptism for the woman in Matt 9? We could probably ask that question for the many people that Jesus forgave their sins. What was different then as opposed to now? How come they could be saved without baptism? I think you actually answered your own question. Jesus, the Messiah, was God in the flesh (John 1:1-2,14) since He was God in the flesh He obviously could forgive sins. In fact the Bible makes it clear to this fact. If you back up a few verses in Matt 9:1-8 you will see that Jesus said He had authority on earth to forgive sins. You can also find this account in Mark 2:5-10 and Luke 5:24. How could He forgive sins? Because He was God in the flesh and was able to see the heart of each of these people.
The reason that Jesus performed miracles was to show that they were from God. To let the people see that there was something different about this God/Man Jesus...to prove that the Messiah was now on earth among the people.
ReplyDeleteNow let's think about the time that Jesus walked on earth. Jesus' entire life was lived under the Mosaic Law. He died under Law, in fact, He fulfilled the Law. He lived and died sinless having fulfilled the requirements of the law. He was the sin offering. He abolished death and was raised from the grave. You and I do not live under the Mosaic system. We live under the Christian system. The criteria that Jesus laid out for salvation was His last Will and Testament (Heb 9:15-20). We can find this in the last chapter of Matthew, Mark and Luke. All of these give the same last words before Jesus ascended back to the Father.
To your second point
Belief and Baptism are linked together. In Mark 16:16, Mark is simply saying that there is no need to be baptized if you don't believe. Belief and baptism is linked all throughout the book of Acts with those being saved.
Let's look at it this way. There are many life and death statements throughout the Bible:
- If you do not believe that I am He you will die in your sins (John 8:24)
Is this a true statement? Yes, it has to be if ALL Scripture is God breathed and God cannot lie
So I must BELIEVE in order to be saved
- Unless you repent you will likewise perish (Luke 13:3,5)
Is this a true statement? Yes, it has to be if ALL Scripture is God breathed and God cannot lie
So I must REPENT in order to be saved?
- If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved (Rom 10:9)
Is this a true statement? Yes, it has to be if ALL Scripture is God breathed and God cannot lie
So I must CONFESS in order to be saved?
- Those who believe and are baptized will be saved those who believe not will be condemned (Mark 16:16)
Is this a true statement? Yes, it has to be if ALL Scripture is God breathed and God cannot lie
So I must be BAPTIZED in order to be saved
- Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)
Is this a true statement? Yes, it has to be if ALL Scripture is God breathed and God cannot lie
So I must be BAPTIZED in order to be saved and have my sins forgiven
- Arise be baptized and wash away your sins calling on His name (Acts 22:16)
Is this a true statement? Yes, it has to be if ALL Scripture is God breathed and God cannot lie
So I must be BAPTIZED in order to be saved and have my sins washed away
So does one of the above cancel out the other? If the Bible says I have to believe does it mean that's all I have to do? What about the verses that says I must repent in order to be saved? What about the verses that says I must confess Jesus as Lord? And finally what about the verses that say I must be baptized in order to be saved? The fact is, the bible clearly teaches that we have to do all these things in order to be saved. If not, it means the Bible is contradicting itself and we know it can't do that if it's all TRUE.
ReplyDeleteRemember the Bible is very clear on how to be saved. God is not trying to confuse us. He is the author of words and we will be judged by His words. In several of the above verses Jesus Himself is saying that baptism saves. Do we really think that Jesus did not mean what He said? We are not doing any works when we do the above we are just obeying the instructions from the Lord. It’s His Last Will and Testament which means He sets the terms. If I Believe, Confess, Repent and are Baptized then I am an Heir to His Last Will and Testament. I will receive my inheritance because I have fulfilled the requirements in His Last Will and Testament. What will I receive? The entrance into eternal Heaven to be with Him. Conversely if I do not meet the terms I will not receive my inheritance and will be disqualified…which means I will not enter into Heaven. It’s as simple as that.
Satan is the author of confusing and is the father of lies. The Bible tells us that he also has schemes, traps and snares (2 Tim 2:25, Ephesians 6:11). If he can keep you in a trap all your life and you die in that trap then he has succeeded in getting your soul. Satan is okay if you believe in God. He doesn't even have a problem if you repent of sins. Confessing Jesus as Lord doesn't matter to him. Why? because you can do all those things and still not be saved. Why do you think there is so much controversy in the world concerning baptism? Because baptism is where your sins are washed away and you are given the Holy Spirit. Satan tries to keep people away from the water for that reason.
Biblical baptism is for the remission of sins. It's not the first step of a new Christian, It's not to join some denomination church, and it’s not something to do because you should. If you meet the prerequisites of 1) Believing 2) Repenting of sins 3) Confessing Christ then you are a candidate for baptism. When you submit to baptism then your sins are forgiven and you are given God's Spirit. You are now a child of God. Continue to live the Christian life and grow in knowledge and holiness and you will receive the crown of life
I'll end on a question that Jesus asked of the Pharisees. The same could be asked of folks proclaiming Christianity today
Baptism, is it from Heaven or man?
Thank you for allowing me to respond and I hope you have a great week.
In Him
John
Hi John, Before I get started. I wish to bring a couple items, to your attention, concerning your comment.
ReplyDelete1. You misquoted Yeshayahu, Isaiah 1:18. "Come, let us reason" is a English mistranslation. It actually says, "Come be judged or reproved". If you actually read the chapter, you will find that, "Come, let us reason" doesn't make any sense.
2. You also misquoted Hebrews 1:2, another English mistranslation. It actually says, "Has over recent days spoken to us by his Son, who he has appointed heir of all things, who actually fulfilled promises made to the world."
Even though I do agree that God speaks to us through his Son, through his Spirit.
3. I do agree with your comment, "Now Jesus tells us that Satan is the liar and is actually the father of lies (John 8:44). So Satan lies to us and tries to confuse us whereas Jesus tells us the truth and does not try to confuse us."
Would you also agree that mistranslating the scriptures, whether intended or not, are lies?
I could go on, but I won't. I only have to submit two witnesses.
As for your reference verses, in Mark and Acts, Did you know that one of the main reasons, why there are so many denominations and fractures, within the church, is that people misread the Bible?
ReplyDeleteI know that's hard to believe. But seriously, there are countless issues that has caused division, within the church. Most of them arise out of misreading the scriptures. One of these is your self imposed requirement to be baptized, in order to be saved. This church fallacy comes from misinterpreting Mark 16:15-16
"Later, Yeshua appeared to the Eleven as they were eating, and he reproached them for their lack of trust and their spiritual insensitivity in not having believed those who had seen him after he had risen. Then he said to them, “As you go throughout the world, proclaim the Good News to all creation. Whoever trusts in it, then immersed are saved. Whoever does not trust will be condemned."
and Acts 2:38
ReplyDeleteThe actuall word for word is:
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, then be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, then ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost"
Not the way your erroneous English bible has it.
and John 3:5.
"Yeshua answered, “Truly and Faithfully I affirm unto you, unless one is born out of water and Spirit, one will not enter the Kingdom of God."
Let's look a little closer at Mark 16:15-16. Please notice that Y'shua was talking about their lack of trust. Also, Mark 16:15-16 ends in two separate statements. One states that those, who put their trust, in the previously mentioned Good News, and then immersed are saved. Notice, it doesn't say, 'will be saved'. That's a very important distinction.
All of Y'shua's teachings contain the 'If/Then structure. If you do this, then either this will happen or your will do this. When you trust, you follow. When you trust, then you obey. When you trust, then your first act of obedience is baptism. It drives the point home, in the last statement. 'Those, who do not trust, will be condemned.' Notice, it doesn't say anything about those, who do not get immersed. Immersion or Baptism is not required. Baptism is an act of obedience following putting your trust in the Lord.
Now, let's look at John 3:5. Y'shua could either be talking about Baptism or a well know Jewish idiom, 'The Daily Washing', at the Laver. Since Nicodemus appears to not understand, 'Born Again', Y'shua begins to approach it from a Torah, Old Testament angle. This is evident, when Yshua breaks into the example of the serpent, being lifted up in the desert.
So, what was Y'shua talking about? The Jewish idiom, 'Washing in the Laver', is describing our daily washing within the scriptures. He is saying that you won't understand being 'Born Again', unless you are born out of the scriptures, not literally water. You could say, 'Unless you are Baptized in the Word of God and his Spirit.', not Baptism in Water.
Don't take my word for it. Let's ask our Lord, Y'shua.
ReplyDeleteRemember, when Y'shua said to the woman, who wanted to be saved, in Matthew 9:22, "Your faith has saved you. And the woman was made whole from that hour." Amazing, no baptism.
Don't forget the theif, on the cross, when after giving his trust in Y'shua. Y'shua told him, 'Today, you will be with me in Paradise.' Again, no baptism.
Now let's stop right and pause a moment. There are some of you that will say that the women and the thief were under the old covenant. Ok, that's fine, but wasn't Nicodemus under the old covenant in John 3:5? If Y'shua was telling Nicodemus to be baptized, in order to be saved, wouldn't he have told the women and the thief to be baptized, since all three were "under the old covenant"? You can't have it both ways.
I totally agree that God is not a God of confusion. You see confusion, if you believe the way you do.
Finally, let's not forget, Ephesians 2:8-9.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Why do people want to add to what the Messiah did on the cross? He did it all. He doesn't need our help. However, he does want to act like you trust in him.
...and that's what you'll find, When You Search For The Truth.