Rahab understood that drawing near to God and his people would give her the strength she needed to choose wisely. That strength allowed her to believe in a better future far beyond the walls of Jericho. God blessed her with dignity as she lived out her years among God’s people and became the grandmother (many generations removed) of Jesus Christ.

Let us be inspired by Rahab to believe in a better future beyond this life and become a woman of strength.

A Strong Woman versus a Woman of Strength
(Revised from a poem by Luke Easter with Dee Cheeks)

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape.
But a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

 A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything.
But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

 A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her.
But a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future.
A woman of strength realizes life’s mistakes can also be God’s blessings and capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure-footedly.
But a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face.
But a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey.
But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

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• Introduction
• Five intriguing questions:
• Q: Is man inherently good or evil?
• Q: Are we born with a predetermined destiny, or do we have a choice?
• Q: Did Jesus die just for those who would be saved, or for all men?
• Q: Do Christians really have a choice, or is God’s sovereign grace “irresistible” for those whom God has chosen?
• Q: Can a saved Christian ever lose their salvation by turning away from God?
• These are extremely difficult Bible questions that have been debated in Christendom for centuries.
• Fortunately, I don’t believe our salvation depends on us figuring out the exact right answer to these questions.
• But there is benefit in wrestling with them:
• One: They influence how we view God
• Two: They influence how we present God to others
• Three: Our view of God influences our behavior
• So, tonight, we are diving into deep waters! (Put your scuba gear on! J)
• Approach:
• We’ll look at “Calvinism”.
• Q: What is Calvinism?
• A: Calvinism (or “Reformed Theology”) is the teaching that attempts to biblically answer these five questions by presenting a systematic argument represented by the acronym: T.U.L.I.P.
• This is the argument we will be considering tonight.
• Background on John Calvin:
• John Calvin was one of the leading thinkers in the Protestant Reformation.
• He got many of his ideas from Augustine, who lived in the 4^th Century.
• His teachings on this subject became known as Calvinism, and are subscribed to by most:
• Baptists
• Presbyterians
• Anglicans
• Total Depravity
• Calvinist Doctrine: (Doug Jacoby’s summary)
• “There is absolutely no good in fallen man. Before he is converted, all his actions and thoughts are sinful and selfish. Therefore there is absolutely nothing he can do to save himself. Only when God’s Spirit “quickens” a man and enables him to believe, can he be saved.”
• Scriptures emphasized:
• Ephesians 2:1 = “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…”
• Romans 3:12 = “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
• Benefits of this emphasis:
• Calvinism stresses the sinfulness and lostness of man.
• Good deeds and empty rituals cannot save us.
• Problems with this emphasis:
• We were created in God’s image and likeness.
• Sin corrupted us, but it did not fundamentally change who we are – that would devalue us as human beings.
• Quote Sam Laing (from ICMC, 2012): “We are not inherently evil. We were created in the image of God. Sin is not the truest thing about you; but it’s like an infection that you catch.”
• Let’s see this in Romans 7…
• Romans 7:20-25 = “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

• Notice how Paul identifies himself with the good part that wants to do good, but shows his need for God by explaining that his sinful nature (flesh) is enslaved to what’s bad.
• We are inherently good people (created in God’s image and likeness) – enslaved to sin!
• Q: Do we need God to save us?
• A: Yes!
• Q: Can we save ourselves?
• A: No!
• Q: But are we “totally depraved” (“wicked, evil”)?
• A: No! Or else we wouldn’t WANT to do good!
• Q: Did you do any good at all as a Non-Christian, or was your behavior totally evil all of the time?
• M.P. = The Bible paints a dark picture of man’s selfishness and sinful condition, but to say there is no good at all in an unsaved person is going too far.
• C.S. Lewis quote: “Heresy is orthodoxy taken too far.”
• Let’s not go to extremes…
• Other verses to consider:
• Luke 8:11-15
• Jesus said there were some with “noble and good hearts” who could choose to obey God.
• Acts 10:1-4, 34-35
• Cornelius was devout, God-fearing, generous to the poor, and prayerful as a non-Christian (vs. 2).
• Cornelius impressed God with his heart as a non-Christian (vs. 4)
• Romans 5:7 = “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.”
• There is some good in the world at large.
• 2 Timothy 3:13
• Deceivers are said to “go from bad to worse” which makes no sense if they are already “totally depraved”.
• One last thought on this section:
• IF you believe that man is “totally depraved”, THEN the entire salvation process has to be from God alone.
• Man cannot even respond to the offer of salvation, because he cannot even desire to do good – he’s totally evil and depraved.
• (Which we saw was not true from Romans 7.)
• In fact, Calvinism says man has no free-will.
• But man DOES have a free will!
• Acts 2:40-41 = “With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
• Clearly there is a part we play in our own salvation.
• M.P. = Doug Jacoby quote:
• “As far as salvation goes, Calvinism grossly undervalues the part man plays in accepting the salvation that God offers. To illustrate, we’d all agree that there is nothing a drowning man can do to save himself. But when he is thrown a life preserver, he must decide to accept it and then do something about it (grab on). Calvinism errs because it denies that man has free will.”
• Transition =) Logical Link to next section:
• IF you believe in “Total Depravity”, THEN it logically leads to the next belief, “Unconditional Election”.
• IF there is nothing man can do to save himself (since man does not even have free will), THEN God alone decides who will be saved.
• Unconditional Election (or “predestination”)
• Calvinist Doctrine: (Doug Jacoby’s summary)
• “Unconditional Election, or Predestination, teaches that the decision about who will be saved is 100% God’s. He has decided in advance exactly who will be saved. Not only is there no way for us to save ourselves, but even if we wanted to be saved, unless God had already chosen us, we would have no chance of going to heaven.”
• Scriptures Emphasized:
• Ephesians 2:8-9 = “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
• Romans 8:29 = “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
• Acts 13:48 = “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
• Benefits of this emphasis:
• It shows God’s sovereign control over his creation.
• Problems with this emphasis:
• Again, the issue is balance. There are plenty of scriptures that teach God’s sovereignty, but there are also many scriptures which show man’s free will. It is a mystery how these two doctrinal truths fit together in God’s perfect plan for man’s salvation, but we must not choose to believe one biblical doctrine and not the other. We must accept that the Bible simply teaches both doctrines and they are perfectly compatible in the mind of God.
• One way for us to understand this = the concept of “foreknowledge”.
• 1 Peter 1:1-2 = “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”
• God foreknows who will obey Jesus Christ.
• That’s one reason He can work out “all things for the good” – because he exists outside of time, and knows our choices before we make them.
• But that’s different than making those choices for us! (Big difference!)
• Example: (video-taping Heat game tonight…)
• Person at home knows the outcome, but did not choose the outcome; the players themselves did that.
• God knows who will obey him.
• But it’s our choice whether or not we obey him.
• That’s the essence of free will!
• That’s the essence of what makes us human!
• If not, then we are robots!
• If not, then how can we be fairly judged?
• 2 Corinthians 5:10 = “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
• God is NOT unfair…
• We are responsible for our choices, not our predestination.
• Other scriptures to consider:
• Luke 7:30 = “But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.”
• You CAN reject God’s purpose for your life!
• That’s what free-will is all about!
• Acts 13:46-48 = “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,

that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”

• God knew who would believe (vs. 48).
• But it was still their choice to believe or not (vs. 46).
• Doug Jacoby quote: “Calvinism promotes a distorted, negative concept of God. It’s not going too far to say that in Calvinism, conversion is a mere formality, since people are saved or damned even before they are born.”
• Transition =) Logical Link to next section:
• IF you believe in “Unconditional Election”, THEN it logically leads to the next belief, “Limited Atonement”.
• Since God does nothing in vain, and since only the few “elect” will be saved, Christ must have died only for those who would be saved. Thus the doctrine of “Limited Atonement”.
• Limited Atonement
• Calvinist Doctrine: (Doug Jacoby’s summary)
• “Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was limited to those who would be saved. In other words, he did not bear the sins of all mankind, only those of the elect.”
• Scriptures emphasized:
• Matthew 26:28 = “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
• “many”, not “all”.
• Ephesians 5:25 = “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”
• Christ gave himself up for “the church”, not everyone.
• Acts 20:28 = “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
• Benefits of this emphasis:
• Some people think that because Jesus died for everyone, therefore everyone is going to be saved (“Universalism”).
• But only those who respond to the gospel will be saved.
• Problems with this emphasis:
• The Bible teaches that all men are potentially saved by the cross:
• 1 Timothy 2:3-6 = “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people.”
• 1 Timothy 4:10 = “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.”
• 1 John 2:2 = “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
• Additional Scriptures:
• John 1:29
• John 3:16
• 2 Peter 3:9
• Isaiah 53:6
• Transition =) Logical Link to next section:
• IF you believe in “Limited Atonement”, THEN it logically leads to the next belief, “Irresistible Grace”.
• Since Christ died only for the elect, no grace is “wasted” on non-elect unbelievers. So, when God’s grace, through his Spirit, starts to work in an unbeliever’s heart, it cannot be resisted.
• Irresistible Grace
• Calvinist Doctrine: (Doug Jacoby’s summary)
• “The Spirit of God draws men to Christ, and it is utterly impossible to resist God’s grace once this has begun to happen.”
• Scriptures emphasized:
• John 6:44 = “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
• Acts 16:14 = “One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”
• Benefits of this emphasis:
• Emphasizes the Spirit’s power and work in our lives.
• Problems with this emphasis:
• Several passages indicate that we CAN resist the Holy Spirit, like:
• Acts 7:51 = “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”
• Biggest problem:
• What about free will? What about choice? What about genuine, sincere love? If God’s will is “irresistible” then we are robots, not people – incapable of true love. Has God stacked the deck? If true love is not possible, then this diminishes the power of the cross – the power of Christ’s sacrifice to draw all men to himself by his amazing love for a lost world (John 12:32; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:7-12). All of the choices given by God in the Word would make no sense at all unless they are indeed genuine choices.
• Philippians 2:12-13 = “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
• The balance.
• One sentence shows both:
• Our part (vs. 12)
• and God’s part (vs. 13)
• Doug Jacoby quote: “Calvinism, through teachings such as “irresistible grace”, makes humans into robots. Once again, there is no free will.”
• Transition =) Logical Link to next section:
• IF you believe in “Irresistible Grace”, THEN it logically leads to the next belief, “Perseverance of the Saints” (or “once saved, always saved”).
• Since grace is irresistible, it follows that once saved, you are always saved; falling away is impossible.
• Perseverance of the Saints
• Calvinist Doctrine: (Doug Jacoby’s summary)
• “Once a person is saved, it is impossible for that person to become “unsaved”. And if someone seems to be saved, but later leaves God, that is proof that he was never saved to begin with. Only the saints persevere to the end.”
• Scriptures emphasized:
• John 10:29 = “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
• Note: Impossible for external powers to snatch away, but they can choose to walk away.
• Romans 8:38-39 = “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• Note: But Jude 21 says “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”
• Benefits of this emphasis:
• We should rightly feel secure in our salvation. God is able to keep us faithful to the end.
• Problems with this emphasis:
• The Bible repeatedly says that we CAN lose our salvation:
• Read Hebrews through:
• 3:12-14 = “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”
• 4:11 = “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.”
• 6:4-12 = “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

• 10:26-39 = “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while,

“He who is coming will come and will not delay.

38 But my righteous one will live by faith.

And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

• Read 2 Peter through:
• 2:20-22 = “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”[f] and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
• 3:17 = “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.”
• James 5:19-20 = “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
• Revelation 2:5 = “Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
• (1:20 = “The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”)
• Galatians 5:4 = “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”
• (And many other scriptures…)
• Conclusion
• C.S. Lewis: “Heresy is orthodoxy taken too far.”
• Let’s be willing to teach the strengths of Calvinism:
• The sinfulness of man
• The Sovereignty of God
• That the cross does not save everyone
• The Spirit’s power
• God’s ability to keep us faithful to the end
• But stand firm against the extremism of Calvinism, which wrongly teaches:
• Too negative a view of man
• The denial of man’s free will
• Presents God as unjust and unfair
• Denies that Christ died for ALL men
• False sense of security can lead to sin and luke-warmth
• Refuted by hundreds of verses
• All of God’s Word is inspired and thus does not contradict itself, but paints a beautiful picture of both God and man’s part in the salvation process. How do God’s sovereignty and man’s free will interact? This is a sacred mystery of scripture, but let us resist the urge to oversimplify the subject by pitting them against each other simply because our minds cannot reconcile them adequately. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). We can rest assured that both concepts are biblical and therefore both are true. Let’s believe and follow the whole Bible, not just one part or another.

What Does Jesus Look Like?
by Lindsey Dominguez

Paint a picture of scary
Jagged rocks, rushing waters, and a deadly cliff
And I’ll show you a waterfall
Paint a picture of a strong leader
Crystal blue eyes, and the sun
And I’ll show you the Holocaust
Great artists know
It’s not about a pieces parts
But the parts in whole
Consider where we call home…Earth
A place filled with rocks and dirt
But get enough of it combined
And you’ll have a mountain to climb
Air, filled with children’s laughter
As they swing in playgrounds
With parents looking after
Inhale deep enough
And you’ll smell the breath
Of kids in distant lands
Whose laughter’s have been captured
And made into hands
Only trained to tote a gun
As civil war ravages through cities like Abidjan
Take a moment to exhale
And you could feel the relief
As the best man gives his toast
“You two are perfect for each other”
Wedding bells and love
Perfume the breeze
As it races through trees
And dances with leaves
Out into the open seas
Where thunder and lightning
Boom through the sky
And as you pan out into space
Looking back at the Earth
There only lies
A peaceful tranquility
Of amazing blues and sharp greens
I told you before
Not all art is as it seems
Down below is destruction and beauty
Fear and heart
But a piece is not just a piece
It’s the sum of its parts

So what about you
If I told you to paint your self-portrait
What would you do?
Because I’m convinced we’ve spent way too long
Looking at our poor traits
To paint our portraits
And we’ve forgotten how God views us
Instead, we put our sin on pedestals
Always willing to talk about the “easy” things
But never the “difficult”
When the truth is, no sin stands alone
So to wait to confess
Only when it becomes full grown is death
Found even within the church
We learn these false identities
We don’t feel open with people
Until we’ve confessed the worst parts of us
But never the best of me
So we learn to introduce ourselves as
Allan the Angry
And Darren the Drunk
Jessie the Insecure
And Sam the Flunk
Hello my name is Mark the same-sex attracted
And I’m Courtney the infected
Instead of saying
Hello! My name is Disciple!
And yes, I may be prideful
But that’s not what defines me
I’m an approved workman by God Almighty
I’m engraved in the palms of the strongest of hands
My daddy is a King which makes me a prince of this land
I am the son, brother and friend to the Lord
Call me seasoning; I’m the salt of this world
A city on a hill, a lamp on a stand
Chosen, Holy, Royalty I am
How did Jesus look?
Gaze into my eyes
And as the lamps of my body
Hopefully, you’ll see a similar light
And incomplete a portrait I may be
But with every command obeyed and battle fought
With every victory claimed and carried cross
He adds a stroke of paint to that which used to be lost
Me
And while some are complacent with being replicas
I intend on being an original
So without tire I read my Word
To lose my identity in Christ
And not in the world
So as He speaks
That’s how I’ll follow
“Stop being scared and be courageous
No more being selfish, it’s time to be contagious
I commanded you to be gentle, so stop being weak
There’s a big difference between softness and meek
Experience Shalom, a heavenly peace
Start forgiving others
It’s the strongest a man can be”
What does Jesus look like?
Look in a mirror and tell me what you see
Don’t you get it yet?
You are the closest thing to Jesus the world has ever seen
Bruised and battered
We fight as a team
So never forget
You are the most majestic piece of artwork
God has ever dreamed

It is important to have a vision in mind of where you want to be so that you know what to do today. Take a look and see the vision for the Florida and Louisiana churches and join in the adventure

– The Florida and Louisiana Church Leaders

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1. Introduction
1. Definition
1. The word, “baptize”, in the Greek is “baptizo”, which means:
1. “to immerse, dip, or submerge” (Holman Bible Dictionary)
2. “to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet)” (Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words)
2. History of Baptism
1. Ceremonial washings
1. Baptism first appears in the Bible as ceremonial washings for the priests before they could perform their ritual sacrifices.
1. Leviticus 16:3-4 = “This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on.”
2. Proselyte (new convert) Baptism
1. Non-Jews by birth were circumcised and then baptized to be accepted into the faith (Holman Bible Dictionary).
3. John’s Baptism
1. John the Baptist immersed repentant sinners for the forgiveness of sins, forming a purified community waiting for God’s salvation.
1. Mark 1:4 = “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
4. Jesus’ Baptism
1. When Jesus comes on the scene, his followers are baptized as well.
1. John 3:22-26 = “After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.
5. Summary
1. Historically speaking:
1. Baptism was always a physical bath that cleansed, washed clean and purified spiritually.
2. Baptism (and circumcision) was used by the Jews to usher new converts into the faith.
3. John the Baptist further defined these ceremonial washings as being “for the forgiveness of sins“.
4. Jesus and his disciples continued this practice in his ministry.
3. Baptism in the Early Church
1. Purpose of Baptism
1. For the forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
1. Acts 2:38 = “Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
2. Acts 22:16 (Ananias to Paul) = “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
2. For entrance into the church, the body of Christ
1. Acts 2:41 = “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number [the first Christian church] that day.”
2. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 = “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
2. Importance of Baptism
1. Baptism is essential for salvation
1. John 3:3-5 = “In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.‘

4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.“

2. Mark 16:15-16 = “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

2. Salvation is only found “in Christ“
1. Ephesians 1:7 = “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…”

2. Romans 8:1 = “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus“

3. There are only 3 passages in the whole Bible that tell us specifically how to get into Christ:
1. Romans 6:3-4 = “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
2. Galatians 3:27 = “…for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
3. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 = “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
3. The Plan of Salvation
1. Acts 2:36-41 = “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

1. Summary:
1. Q: What was required of them?
1. Faith (vs. 36-37)
2. Repentance (vs. 38)
3. Baptism (vs. 38, 41)
2. Q: What did they receive?
1. Forgiveness (vs. 38)
2. Holy Spirit (vs. 38)
3. Added to the church (vs. 41)
1. A simple chart of the conversion accounts in the book of Acts (by Dr. John Oakes) shows graphically how all of these elements of the conversion process work together:

3. Some people erroneously pit one element of the salvation process against another, but they are meant to be taken together.
1. Example:
1. I tell Jose I live in America; I tell Bob I live in Florida; I tell Jane I live in Tampa; I tell Mike I live at 7234 Hammet Road.
1. Question: which is correct?
1. They get together and talk and all insist that either:
1. One of them is correct.
2. Or I am contradicting myself.
2. But the truth is that they are all correct.
1. I live in America, Florida, Tampa and 7234 Hammet Road all at once.
2. Same with the scriptures on salvation.
1. Question: What is required to be saved?
1. John 3:16 = faith
1. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
1. This verse says nothing about repentance or baptism.
2. Acts 3:19 = Repentance
1. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”
1. This verse says nothing about faith or baptism.
3. 1 Peter 3:21 = baptism
1. “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also…”
1. This verse says nothing about faith or repentance.
2. Question: which is correct?
1. Many people today insist that either:
1. One of them is correct.
2. Or the Bible contradicts itself.

2. But the truth is that they are all correct.

1. We are saved by faith, expressing itself through repentance and baptism.
1. What did the Early Church Father’s Teach about Baptism?
1. Historians record that the Patristic Fathers taught and practiced baptism (full immersion in water) for the forgiveness of sins exclusively until the late 2nd and early 3rd Century, when theology weakens and false teachings begin to appear. (Refer to A Dictionary of Early Church Beliefs, by David Bercot)
2. Hermas, c. 70-130 A.D.
1. “Before a man bears the name of the Son of God, he is dead. But when he receives the seal, he lays aside his deadness and obtains life. The seal, then, is the water. They descend into the water dead, and they arise alive.” (Hermas c. 150, W, 2.49)
3. Justin Martyr c. 100-165 A. D.
1. “Accordingly, we have believed and testify that the very baptism which he announced is alone able to purify those who have repented.” (Justin Martyr c. 160 E, 1.201)
4. Irenaeus of Lyons, c. 130-200 A. D.

i. “When we come to refute them [the Gnostics], we will show in its proper place that this class of men have been instigated by Satan to a denial of that baptism which is regeneration to God. Thus, they have renounced the whole faith…. For the baptism institute by the visible Jesus was for the remission of sins.” (Irenaeus c. 180, E/W, 1.346)

e. Clement of Alexandria, c. 150-215 A. D.

i. “Being baptized, we are illuminated. Illuminated, we become sons…. This work is variously called grace, illumination, perfection, and washing. Washing, by which we cleanse away our sins. Grace, by which the penalties accruing to transgressions are remitted. Illumination, by which that holy light of salvation is beheld, that is, by which we see God clearly.” (Clement of Alexandria. c. 195, E, 2.215)

ii. “In the same way, therefore, we also repent of our sins, renounce our iniquities, and are purified by baptism. Thereby, we speed back to the eternal light as children of the Father.” (Clement of Alexandria.” c. 195, E, 2.217)

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Baptism
1. FAQ: What about the thief on the cross?
1. Two reasons the thief on the cross did not need to be baptized to be saved:
1. The thief on the cross was saved under the old covenant.
1. Baptism into Christ represents being unified with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4), which had not yet occurred at that point.
2. Baptism into Christ was not instituted until the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, after Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven.
3. So, the thief on the cross was saved under the old covenant, not under the new covenant which took effect only after the death of Jesus (Hebrews 9:15-18, see NIV Bible Commentary, pgs. 980-981).
2. The thief on the cross was forgiven directly by Jesus.
1. Mark 2:10-11 = “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
1. Jesus had authority on earth to forgive sins.
2. FAQ: We’re saved by grace, not by works; Isn’t baptism “a work”? Aren’t we saved by “faith alone”?
1. The Bible teaches that we are not saved by our works, meaning that we are not saved by obeying the Law of Moses (Jews) or any good deeds on our parts (Gentiles).
2. But to categorize baptism as “a work” would be to necessarily categorize any other biblical response to the gospel as “a work” as well, such as faith and repentance.
1. Is not repentance more “work” than being baptized?
2. And yet, no one teaches that repentance is “a work”. All agree that repentance is essential for salvation:
1. Acts 3:19 = “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”

b. Acts 26:20 = “…I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

3. The biblical truth is that while belief, repentance and baptism are all things that we must do, they are deeds of faith, not works. In other words, they are manifestations of our faith – what the Bible calls “deeds” in passages such as Acts 26:20 above and James 2:14-26.
1. James 2:20, 26 = “…faith without deeds is useless; …faith without deeds is dead.”
4. Besides, baptism is a work of God, not man.
1. Colossians 2:12 = “having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
5. There is only one place in the Bible that the phrase “faith alone” occurs – James 2:24. And it states very plainly that we are not saved by faith alone:
1. James 2:24 = “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”
3. FAQ: Aren’t I saved by “praying Jesus into my heart” (Rev. 3:20)?
1. Revelation 3:20 = “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
1. This verse is taken out of context.
2. The letter is written to the church in Laodicea (vs. 14) – people who have already been baptized and born again to be saved.
3. It has nothing to do with our initial salvation.
2. Nowhere in scripture do we see anyone “praying Jesus into their hearts”.
1. It is quite simply an unbiblical practice invented by men relatively recently.
3. Excerpt from “The Sinner’s Prayer” by Steven Staten:
1. “Today, hundreds of millions hold to a belief system and salvation practice that no one had ever held until relatively recently. The notions that one can pray Jesus into his or her heart and that baptism is merely an outward sign are actually late developments. The prayer itself dates to the Billy Sunday era [early 1900s]; however the basis for talking in prayer for salvation goes back a few hundred years.”
4. FAQ: Isn’t baptism just “an outward sign of an inward grace”?
1. Baptism is more than just a sign or ritual; it is a participation in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is our vehicle into Christ; how we get into Christ and receive the benefits of salvation.

1. Romans 6:3-4 = “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

2. 1 Peter 3:18-22 = “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good 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.”
1. Illustration: wedding ceremony
1. Like a baptism, a wedding ceremony effects what it symbolizes.
2. Just as a wedding ceremony both marks and changes the status of two people from single to married, so baptism both marks and changes the status of someone from lost to saved.
3. Watch the order of Paul’s (Saul’s) conversion. At what point is he saved (sins forgiven) – when he believes in Jesus or when he is baptized?
1. First he believes:
1. Acts 22:6-8 = “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'

8" 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.

"'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied.”

2. Then Jesus tells him that Ananias will tell him what he must do:
1. Acts 22:10 = “What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.
   "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.”
3. Then Ananias tells him to be baptized and wash his sins away:
1. Acts 22:16 = “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
1. Note: we are saved when our sins are washed away (forgiven).
4. So, at what point in this story is Paul saved – when he believes in Jesus or when he is baptized? The Bible clearly states that it’s when he is baptized (see Acts 22:16).
5. Point: baptism is more than just a sign. It is the point in time when our sins are forgiven and we are saved.
1. Note: We are not fully saved until Judgment Day, but the Bible uses “saved” in the past, present and future tenses in the scriptures, so it is biblical to say that we are already saved (past tense) even though we know that ultimate salvation is yet to come.
2. Another example: Acts 2:36-41 reveals the same truth.
1. Verses 36-37 show that the people already believed the message and were “assured” that Jesus is Lord and Christ (so they were believers at that point) – but they are still not saved.
2. Verses 38-41 reveal that they must still repent and be baptized for their sins to be forgiven.
3. So, their sins were not forgiven at the point of their faith, but at the point of their baptism.
2. FAQ: What about infant baptism?
1. Infant baptism was not practiced by the first century church.
1. There are no commands to baptize infants or examples of infants being baptized in scripture.
2. Some point to Acts 16 to say that “whole families” were baptized in the book of Acts, and so surely some that were baptized were infants.
3. But upon closer observation, this passage makes the opposite point:
1. Acts 16:31-34 = “They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.“
1. Notice verse 34 indicates that he and his whole family had come to believe in God.
1. An infant cannot believe in God, therefore there must not have been any infants who were baptized.
2. The logical reason that infants were not baptized in the first century is that the Bible teaches that infants are born without sin and therefore do not need to be saved.
1. Matthew 19:14 = “Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
2. Romans 7:9 = “Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.”
3. Deuteronomy 1:39-40 = “And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. 40 But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”
3. Additional reasons infants are not candidates for baptism:
1. An infant cannot have his or her own personal faith, which is essential for their salvation:
1. Colossians 2:12 = “having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
2. An infant cannot personally repent, which is also essential for salvation:

a. Acts 26:20 = “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

3. Infant baptism is done by “sprinkling”, yet baptism into Christ must be full immersion in water.
1. The Greek word “baptizo” itself means “to immerse, dip, or submerge” (Holman Bible Dictionary), and “to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet)” (Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words).
2. Baptism is meant to evoke the image of a burial:
1. Colossians 2:12 = “having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
2. Romans 6:4 = “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
3. Examples in scripture suggest more than sprinkling:
1. Acts 8:35-39 = “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.”

6. FAQ: What about the Greek word “eis” in Acts 2:38? (Is it “for” or “because of”?)
1. The Greek word, “eis”, can mean a number of different things depending on its context.
2. So, some claim that the original Greek word “eis” in Acts 2:38 means “because of”, rendering the translation: “be baptized because you already have the forgiveness of sins”.
3. But there are several problems with this hypothesis:
1. One: Not a single version of the Bible translates it that way.
1. Quote from Rex Geissler’s book, “Born of Water”: “The Protestant translators agree that “eis” means “for” or “so that”. It is true that the translation of “eis” can mean different things in different contexts in the Greek, but there is no debate among Greek scholars about it’s translation in Acts 2:38.” (page 27)
2. Two: That translation wouldn’t make sense anyway.
1. If their sins were already forgiven (and they were already saved), why would Peter urge them in verse 40: “Save yourselves…”?
2. The whole verse says: “Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).”
1. Yet no one would argue that we are to repent as a response to having our sins already forgiven.
2. In fact, Peter specifically says repentance is a condition of forgiveness in his next recorded speech:
1. Acts 3:19 = “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”.
3. So the only proper translation of “eis” here would be “for” or “so that” (which makes baptism a condition of salvation as well).
3. The exact same word, “eis”, is used in the same way in Matthew 26:28. Yet to translate it “because of” would be absurd:
1. Matthew 26:28 = “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for ["eis"] the forgiveness of sins.”

1. Clearly Jesus shed his blood so that our sins could be forgiven, not because our sins have already been forgiven.

7. FAQ: Aren’t we saved when we “confess Jesus as Lord” (Rom. 10:9)?

i. Romans 10:9 = “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

2. A faithful view of scripture never pits one verse against another, but seeks to harmonize them.
1. Example: Acts 22:16 combines confessing Jesus as Lord with baptism:
1. Acts 22:16 = “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” [i.e. confessing the name of Jesus as Lord]
2. To confess Jesus as Lord is to make Jesus the Lord (master) of our lives. So, that involves repentance and discipleship.

a. 2 Timothy 2:19 reminds us that repentance must accompany confessing Jesus as Lord: “Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

3. So, confessing Jesus as Lord must be accompanied by repentance and baptism for it to save us, and sure enough that is exactly what Acts 2:36-38 shows us:
1. Acts 2:36-38 = “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

3. So, “confessing Jesus as Lord” is one part of the salvation process – not instead of faith, repentance and baptism.
1. It is actually a faith statement, expressing repentance at our baptism.
3. FAQ: Didn’t Paul downplay the importance of baptism (1 Cor. 1:17)?
1. Not at all. Look at the context of this passage (vs. 13-18). Paul was just downplaying the baptizer since the Corinthians were taking pride in who had baptized them, and Paul wanted nothing to do with that kind of immaturity.
2. Paul thought so much of baptism, that he saw fit to include it in the following list of important doctrines:
1. Ephesians 4:4-6 = “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
4. FAQ: When does someone need to be re-baptized (Acts19:5)?
1. Paul re-baptized these disciples because they had been baptized with the baptism of John, and not into Christ.
1. Acts 19:1-5 = “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
   They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

3So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"
"John's baptism," they replied.

4Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.”

2. The efficacy (effectiveness) of baptism depends on your faith.
1. Colossians 2:12 = “…having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”

iii. The efficacy (effectiveness) of baptism depends on a clear conscience.

1. 1 Peter 3:21 = “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God…”

iv. So, rebaptism may be necessary if a problem with either faith or conscience.

1. One: a problem with faith
1. Either baptized for the wrong reasons (not for forgiveness of sins, but only as an outward sign)
2. Or baptized without a personal faith in Jesus:
1. Infant baptism
2. Immature baptism (person too young)
3. Baptized because of peer pressure, family pressure, etc. (therefore, not a personal faith)
2. Two: a problem with conscience
1. Either did not combine baptism with repentance and confessing Jesus as Lord (becoming a disciple of Jesus).
2. Or baptized while consciously refusing to repent of a particular hidden sin.
1. Spirit of this lesson
1. I sincerely hope and pray that God is merciful to sincere seekers who misunderstand his will about baptism.
2. But I have no authority to teach that God expects anything less than his word reveals. God is the judge; we are simply his servants.
3. So, I have attempted to faithfully present the Bible’s teaching on baptism, and leave judgment to God.
2. References:
1. Holman Bible Dictionary
2. Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words
3. “One Baptism”, bebaptized.org
4. “The History of Baptism”, by Dr. John Oakes, evidenceforchristianity.com
5. “The Sinner’s Prayer”, by Steven Staten
6. “Born of Water”, by Rex Geissler
7. “Shining Like Stars”, by Dr. Douglas Jacoby

(See Article at duke.edu)

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1. Q: What does it mean to “fall away”?
1. To fall away is to leave God and never come back.
1. Hebrews 6:4-8 = “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.”
1. Those who have “fallen away” can never be brought back to repentance (vs. 6).
2. Unfortunately, this term has been used incorrectly in our family of churches in the past.  As a result, we have confused “falling away” with “wandering away”.
1. Those who “wander away” CAN be brought back to repentance and restored to God.
1. James 5:19-20 = “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
3. Contributing to the confusion is the unfortunate translation of the NIV in Matthew 26.
1. Matthew 26:31-35 = “Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

   “‘I will strike the shepherd,
   and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
   32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”
   34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.”

1. The Greek word rendered "fall away" in verses 31 and 33 is actually better translated as "stumble”.
1. (See “Young’s Literal Translation” and footnote in New American Standard Bible.)
1. “Stumble” = Greek word, “skandalizo”.
2. “Fall away” = Greek word, “parapipto”.
3. The word used in verses 31 and 33 in this passage is “skandalizo” (“stumble”), not “parapipto” (“fall away” in Hebrews 6:6).
1. Hence we must distinguish between “stumbling” (what the apostles did; and of course they all came back, except for Judas) and falling (of which there is no return).
1. Q: Exactly when does one cross the line between “wandering away” and “falling away”?
1. We don’t know.  Only God does.
1. Hebrews 4:13 = “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
2. But there is a point of no return.
1. Proverbs 29:1 = “Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.”
2. Galatians 5:21b = “I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
3. Of course, we ought not to play with fire.
1. I don’t know how much arsenic I can have in my bloodstream before I will actually die, but this uncertainty does not make me want to drink arsenic in small doses!
4. I would imagine that those who repent and return to God show that they had only “wandered away” and had not “fallen away”.
2. Those who have “wandered away” need to be “restored”.
1. When someone has wandered from the truth as James 5:19-20 depicts, they need to be “brought back” to God and the fellowship.
1. James 5:19-20 = “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
2. Note that someone may have “left our fellowship” and yet not left God.
1. They would still need to be reconciled and restored to our fellowship if they would like to be one of our members again.
1. Matthew 5:23-24 = “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
2. 1 Corinthians 1:10 = “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
2. This is why we prefer to use the term “left our fellowship” for those who are coming back to church, rather than “wanders” or “lost sheep”, which may not always be the case.
1. (Though in many cases the person has left both God and our fellowship.  Still, they are right with God as soon as they repent; but only right with the body when they are officially restored. Both reconciliations are necessary for someone to be officially “restored” at church.)
3. Miscellaneous notes:
1. Another biblical term for “wander away” is “drift away”
1. Hebrews 2:1 = “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”
2. Other possible terms we could use:
1. “walk aways”
2. “lapsed disciple”
3. Etc.
2. Biblically speaking, we all need to be “restored” from time to time, but this is the normal ebb and flow of the disciple’s life, not the major wandering away and drifting away that we have been addressing in this paper. Still, the verse below is instructive in all situations.
1. Galatians 6:1-2 = “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
4. For more on restorations:
1. See “Shining Like Stars”, Douglas Jacoby, Appendix B, “Restorations”
2. See the Tampa Bay Church Restoration Study Guide

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• Introduction
• Let’s just scan the New Testament for passages on false teachers and see what they teach…
• Romans 16:17 = “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”
• “I urge you…”
• God wants us to be serious about false teaching.
• 1 Timothy 4:16 = “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
• Today, most people hate hypocrisy, but see false doctrine as not that big a deal.
• This passage teaches that both are important to our salvation.
• “…to watch out for…”
• Be alert! Be on guard!
• Don’t be naïve.
• False Teachers exist in every generation.
• They are generally:
• charismatic
• popular
• and see themselves as crusaders for the truth.
• “…those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.”
• These:
• “cause divisions”
• “put obstacles in your way”
• “Keep away from them.”
• Q: Why?
• A: 1 Corinthians 5:6 = “Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?”
• False teaching spreads throughout the fellowship.
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 = “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”
• Vs. 3 = “…command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer…”
• This is the burden and responsibility of church leadership.
• Ron and I do not take it lightly.
• Vs. 4b = “…Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work…”
• If Satan can’t stop us, he’ll distract us!
• Q: Why do False Teachers always pray on “the sheep”?
• Q: Why are they not evangelizing the lost?
• A: Because they’re not truly about “God’s work”, but about themselves.
• (Refer: vs. 5-7 = Bible says their true motivation is pride, not love.)
• 1 Timothy 1:18-20 = “Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.”
• People are “handed over to Satan” by being put out of the church, the realm of the Spirit’s oversight.
• 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 = “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.”
• 2 Timothy 2:15-18 = “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.”
• Vs 17 = “Their teaching will spread like gangrene.”
• A common theme in these passages: protect the flock!
• Vs. 17b-18a = “Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.”
• Q: How had Hymenaeus and Philetus “departed from the truth”?
• A: By teaching an untruth about the resurrection (that it had “already taken place”).
• Untruths about the Bible = false teaching.
• We must not water this down.
• 2 Timothy 4:3-4 = “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
• The draw of many false teachings is that they are easier.
• 2 Timothy 4:14-15 = “Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.”
• “…he strongly opposed our message.”
• False Teachers strongly oppose God’s leaders.
• God’s leaders need your support:
• 2 Timothy 1:8a = “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel…”
• Titus 3:10-11 = “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”
• This passage is not talking about disciplining someone for having a differing opinion at church.
• Differences of opinion are good and healthy in the fellowship.
• But this passage is talking about someone who is causing divisions and factions in the fellowship.
• 2 Peter 2:1-3 = “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”
• Vs. 1 = “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies…”
• False Teachers can be very shrewd and crafty.
• Beware!
• Vs. 2 = “Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.”
• Q: Does it surprise you that “many will follow their depraved conduct”?
• Matthew 7:13-14 = “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
• Close
• Beware of false teachers.
• Their teaching:
• spreads and infects like gangrene
• and can destroy the faith of many in the church.
• They are not allowed in our fellowship.
• If you have specific questions, please ask us.
• Let’s uphold the difficult truths of God’s Word, and protect the flock.

We invite you to come and worship with us on a very special Sunday we are calling our “Homecoming Service” because we want to sincerely invite you back to our spiritual family here in Tampa.

Who:
Anyone who has ever been a part of our family of churches and is living in the Tampa area

What:
Homecoming Worship Service including family style potluck meal afterwards

Where:
St. James United Methodist Church
16202 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Tampa, FL, 33647
(Show Map)

When:
Sunday, April 15, 4pm

What else:
Child care provided

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you,
since I have you in my heart…” (Philippians 1:7)

This is our heart for you. We hope you’ll join us for this very special day.

For more information, please contact:

Jeff Chacon
(352) 870-7723
 Send Message to Jeff

Ron and LauriAnne Conkling
(813) 421-5766
 Send Message to Ron
 Send Message to LauriAnne

JC and Shyla Smith
(813) 952-6057
 Send Message to JC