You raise some interesting points. I have thought it is ironic that a church like the one I am a part of will baptize many more people in Jesus name than the old time Oneness Pentecostal churches in our area even though we do not believe in the three step plan of salvation.
We do believe that baptism is of very great importance and that anyone professing to want to be a Christian and follow Christ would naturally want to be baptized to identify theselves with Christ and to follow his commandments. As my pastor says the question is not does one have to be baptized but why would one not want to be?
So back to the ironic part about the importance old time Oneness Pentecostals give Jesus name baptism and a church like mine. In five years we have baptized around 500 people in Jesus name but yet we are villifieed because of our perspective of it to the point some extremist will most likely try to say the baptism doesn't count.
I will confess ignorance on this I am conflicted since baptism remits past sins when done in Jesus Name I don't know if the person being baptized and the baptized has to believe that or not for the baptism to be valid?
Haven't been here for a while (traveling -- I know, where are my priorities? ), so I'm way behind in this riveting thread, but I bet the best response I could come up with, if I were to catch up, is something like:
AmIright?
__________________
Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Haven't been here for a while (traveling -- I know, where are my priorities? ), so I'm way behind in this riveting thread, but I bet the best response I could come up with, if I were to catch up, is something like:
AmIright?
You are bitter.
__________________ "Nikita Khruschev said, "the living will envy the dead," why are so many people bent on surviving a nuclear war?
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
), so I'm way behind in this riveting thread, but I bet the best response I could come up with, if I were to catch up, is something like:
Linear Mode
