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“Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? […] But in vain

they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

—Matthew 15:3,9

l e e r. p e t e r s

F r o m A t o Z

religioUS doctrine not foUnd in the bible

TradiTion

trad

ition

/ from

a to

z PEtErS

Peters TRADITION

 164   

   

could have been used but were not because they would not have accurately conveyed the physical aspect of baptism and what it represents spiritually. Every instance of conversion in the New Testament included an immersion (by water). Today there are people who indignantly scoff at immersion (II Pet. 2:1-3). Most denominations do not practice immersion into Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It begs the question: Why do people stubbornly resist God’s will expressed in the Bible? Why can’t people take God at His word?

Immersion into Christ by the repentant sinner for the forgiveness of sins is absolutely essential to salvation. Read the Bible for yourself. God has left no doubt as to the importance of baptism. Only the stubborn person ignores God’s word. Only a stubborn and willfully blind person would ignore so many clearly stated scriptural passages. Man in his vanity has developed various traditions, including sprinkling babies, praying the sinner’s prayer, and placing a small amount of water on a person’s forehead. None of these methods was ever practiced in the first century or commanded in the Bible. Every time, from the resurrection of Christ on, that a person became a follower of His they did so by being buried in the waters of baptism by the authority of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. That is what the Bible teaches. Why would anyone want to follow a tradition of man in such an important matter?

Peters TRADITION

 161   

   

52 – SALVATION IN CHRIST WITHOUT BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

This is the doctrine of John Calvin, not God! It is completely traditional. One may believe he can “let Jesus come into his heart and be saved” or “pray the sinner’s prayer,” but he will search in vain to find this man-made doctrine in the New Testament.

In Acts 2:38, three thousand people who realized they were lost in their sins asked a question, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Here is the answer they received from the apostles: Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost[…]Ac 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

What does the Bible say?

• Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mk 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

We are to believe and be baptized for the remission of our sins.

• Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? Ac 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Ac 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Peters TRADITION

 162   

   

The eunuch listened to Philip preach the gospel and asked to go down into the water in order to be forgiven of his sins.

• Ac 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? Ac 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

When the Gentile soldier Cornelius and his household heard the gospel they were immersed into Christ.

• Ac 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Ac 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. Ac 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

When the jailer heard the gospel he asked a very important question in verse 30. Apparently part of the “belief” described in verse 31 and the “word of the Lord” given in verse 32 included immersion.

• Ac 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Paul was told to be baptized in order to wash away his sins. Calling on the name of the Lord means to look to Jesus as the One with authority to cleanse us from our sins.

• Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Ro 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in

Peters TRADITION

 163   

   

newness of life. Ro 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection

Paul taught that baptism symbolized a burial. At baptism we die to sin and begin to live a new life in Christ.

• Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The Galatian Christians were reminded that putting on Christ began with baptism into Christ. This made them children of God through their faith in Jesus.

• I Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; I Pet 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. I Pet 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

How does baptism save us? We are putting our trust in the resurrected Jesus that He will keep His word and forgive our sins.

• Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Once again baptism is described as a burial.

The Greek word for baptism used throughout the New Testament is BAPTIZO. It means to plunge or submerge. The Greek language has other words for “sprinkle” or “pour” that

Peters TRADITION

 162   

   

The eunuch listened to Philip preach the gospel and asked to go down into the water in order to be forgiven of his sins.

• Ac 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? Ac 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

When the Gentile soldier Cornelius and his household heard the gospel they were immersed into Christ.

• Ac 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Ac 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. Ac 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

When the jailer heard the gospel he asked a very important question in verse 30. Apparently part of the “belief” described in verse 31 and the “word of the Lord” given in verse 32 included immersion.

• Ac 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Paul was told to be baptized in order to wash away his sins. Calling on the name of the Lord means to look to Jesus as the One with authority to cleanse us from our sins.

• Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Ro 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in

Peters TRADITION

 163   

   

newness of life. Ro 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection

Paul taught that baptism symbolized a burial. At baptism we die to sin and begin to live a new life in Christ.

• Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The Galatian Christians were reminded that putting on Christ began with baptism into Christ. This made them children of God through their faith in Jesus.

• I Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; I Pet 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. I Pet 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

How does baptism save us? We are putting our trust in the resurrected Jesus that He will keep His word and forgive our sins.

• Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Once again baptism is described as a burial.

The Greek word for baptism used throughout the New Testament is BAPTIZO. It means to plunge or submerge. The Greek language has other words for “sprinkle” or “pour” that

Peters TRADITION

 164   

   

could have been used but were not because they would not have accurately conveyed the physical aspect of baptism and what it represents spiritually. Every instance of conversion in the New Testament included an immersion (by water). Today there are people who indignantly scoff at immersion (II Pet. 2:1-3). Most denominations do not practice immersion into Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It begs the question: Why do people stubbornly resist God’s will expressed in the Bible? Why can’t people take God at His word?

Immersion into Christ by the repentant sinner for the forgiveness of sins is absolutely essential to salvation. Read the Bible for yourself. God has left no doubt as to the importance of baptism. Only the stubborn person ignores God’s word. Only a stubborn and willfully blind person would ignore so many clearly stated scriptural passages. Man in his vanity has developed various traditions, including sprinkling babies, praying the sinner’s prayer, and placing a small amount of water on a person’s forehead. None of these methods was ever practiced in the first century or commanded in the Bible. Every time, from the resurrection of Christ on, that a person became a follower of His they did so by being buried in the waters of baptism by the authority of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. That is what the Bible teaches. Why would anyone want to follow a tradition of man in such an important matter?

Peters TRADITION

 161   

   

52 – SALVATION IN CHRIST WITHOUT BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

This is the doctrine of John Calvin, not God! It is completely traditional. One may believe he can “let Jesus come into his heart and be saved” or “pray the sinner’s prayer,” but he will search in vain to find this man-made doctrine in the New Testament.

In Acts 2:38, three thousand people who realized they were lost in their sins asked a question, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Here is the answer they received from the apostles: Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost[…]Ac 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

What does the Bible say?

• Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mk 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

We are to believe and be baptized for the remission of our sins.

• Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? Ac 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Ac 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.