by Richard Mansel

What is baptism? For most of us, this seems rather obvious. Yet the concept of baptism is one of the most controversial in all of Christendom.

The basic Greek word for the variants of "baptism" is "bapto" and it means "to dip or immerse." Yet there is no shortage of debate about whether baptism should be immersion, sprinkling or pouring. I will seek to define baptism in the next few articles.

Three proofs can be provided to prove that baptism is by immersion. How is it defined by Greek authorities? How was it used in Greek extra-Biblical literature? How is it used contextually in Scripture?

Greek authorities verify the definition of immersion. I hasten to add that lexical authority, on its own, is not conclusive. However, adding the extra-Biblical usage and the contextual study of Scripture we can find validation for the Greek authorities.

The Theological Dictionary of The New Testament in its nine volume study of New Testament words defines "bapto" as "to dip in or under" (p. 1:529). William Mounce defines "bapto" as "to dip or immerse" (p. 112). William Thayer defines it as "to immerse" (p. 95). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines it as "to dip in or under" (p. 1:410). Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich define it as "to dip or dip in" (p. 132). Dozens more could be cited, but this will suffice for now.

W. E. Vine adds a dimension to the definition (also cited in TDNT, ISBE and Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich). Vine writes, "to dip, was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment" (p. 97). As we contemplate this, we imagine a bowl of dye. We take a hand towel that we wish to dye completely and we ask whether we should immerse, dip or pour in order to accomplish our task.

If we take our towel and pour dye on it, we will find splotches instead of uniformity. If we take the towel and sprinkle dye on it, we will have a towel that has been spotted rather than solidly colored. Finally, if we immerse the towel we will find a towel that is completely dyed to our specifications.

In Acts 22:16, Saul (Paul) is told, "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (NKJV). Since we find that baptism washes away sins, we return to our illustration. If we want our sins washed away do we pour (splotchy), sprinkle (spotty) or immerse (complete)? Logic would tell us that the latter is the only right answer.

How would Jews have understood this concept? The Jews had the "mikveh" which the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines as "an immersion pool used for ritual washing" (ISBE, p.1:353).

A Jewish authority defines "mikveh" as a "Ritual bath. According to Jewish law, individuals as well as various objects must be immersed and ritually cleansed on certain occasions."/1

The concept of a ritual cleansing by immersion is a short step to Christian baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. Washings were a very important part of Jewish life, so they would have been able to make a simple transition to immersion for the remission of sins (cf. Exodus 19; Numbers 19). We could learn a lot from our Old Testament roots.

We shall examine further proofs in subsequent articles.

/1. Myjewishlearning.com

by Richard Mansel

Are you a saint?

The term "saint" is used more of children of God than any other name from Acts through Revelation. Saint(s) is used 60 times while disciple(s) is used 26 times and Christian(s), 3 times. Yet it is rarely ever used in our culture because it has developed negative connotations.

Some in the religious world believe that "saints" are a special group of people who are holier than all other Christians. The process involves being thoroughly examined and approved for sainthood. Beatification is where someone has performed a miracle during their life. The Catholic Encyclopedia says, "The Catholic Church canonizes or beatifies only those whose lives have been marked by the exercise of heroic virtue, and only after this has been proved by common repute for sanctity and by conclusive arguments."

Sainthood is finally reached when someone has performed two posthumous miracles. When the person attains sainthood, Catholics pray to them, because Jesus is not their sole intercessor, or advocate, to carry their prayerful requests to God. Saints carry their prayers to God alongside Jesus.

The problem is that there is not a shred of evidence in Scripture for this doctrine. Instead of Scriptural proof, we are directed to the doctrine of Papal Infallibility, which also fails to have any Scriptural precedent. This is too important to take someone's word for it.

"Saint" simply means someone who is "holy, sanctified, set apart." The word "church" means the "called out." Therefore, we are called out of the world when we become a child of God and are separated, sanctified, and holy. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:2, "to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (NKJV). Peter writes, "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15,16). Finally, the Hebrews writer said, "we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10).

The Catholic model says that "saints" are a special subset of Christians. I would propose the following problems with this theory.

First, it would require saints to be dead. Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Corinthians are specifically written to saints. Why would Paul write letters to dead people? Since they are only written to saints, were the other Christians responsible for their contents?

Second, why were Ananias and the other Christians so afraid of Paul (Saul) after his conversion? Ananias said, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem" (Acts 9:13). Apparently, by the Catholic model, Paul (Saul) had no intention of sending average Christians to their death but only saints who were dead in heaven. Therefore, the early church had nothing to fear of Paul, and Peter and the apostles should have just pointed this out.

We do not become a saint by canonization but by being baptized for the remission of our sins. In Ephesians 1:1, we find that "saints" are those who are "in Christ." The only way Scripture ever says we can get "into Christ" is through baptism (Romans 6:3,4; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27). Grace allows us to come to Christ and will save us in the end, but our sins are washed away in baptism.

Saint is a glorious word that we must reposition in its proper place. Saints are set part from the world, not other Christians (John 17:14-17). Saints are blessed in innumerable, distinct ways that loudly proclaim the passionate love of God (Isaiah 40:27-31; John 14:1-6).

by Richard Mansel

In former times, John 3:16 was the most favored verse of Scripture. In our post-modern age, though, we find another verse taking its place. Often it is angrily hurled at Christians as a poisoned arrow to invoke silence and an end to scrutiny. It is "judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1, NKJV) and its popularity evidences a lack of understanding of what Matthew intended and the increasing immorality of our society.

Initially, judging is not inherently wrong, because the Bible tells us that it is, in some situations, required. Courts must judge whether a crime has been committed (Romans 13). Churches must judge whether a member has become disorderly and between sound and false teachers (1 Corinthians 15:1-13; 2 Peter 2:1; Titus 3:10,11; 1 John 4:1).

What people often mean when they hurl this charge is that they feel indicted by something Christians have said or taught and they don't want to hear it any longer. They do not want anyone telling them they are committing sinful acts. They want to be able to commit any act without the pangs of guilt. In some cases, their conscience has not yet been trained to appease their feelings.

The judging that is forbidden is when we put the worst possible interpretation on the actions of another. We make everyone guilty until proven innocent through hasty, unfounded and slanderous judgment.

We should not unjustly judge others, because we may not have all the facts. Once there was a young man on a passenger train holding an increasingly angry baby. As the night deepened, an impatient passenger could no longer tolerate the crying infant and demanded to know where the child's mother was so she could silence the child. Wearily, the young man informed him that the child's mother was in a coffin in the baggage car and she would never again hold her baby.

Years ago a dog and a child went off into the woods together and they failed to return that night. As morning came, the parents were forming a search party to find the child when the dog limped into the yard, covered in blood. Furious, the father shot the dog for what he had done to his child. Later, they found the boy sitting next to the wolf that the family dog had killed to save the child. The dog had simply been coming for help now that the danger was past.

When we commit unrighteous judgment we are judging people by a standard that God will not use to judge us. For example, God will not judge us based on the color of our skin, national heritage, age, gender, intelligence, or level of wealth. Accordingly, we cannot judge someone's worth based on these criterion. As Matthew continues, "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged: and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you" (Matthew 7:2).

No one would want to be judged on the day of judgment on the standards we use for others. Would we want a rumor or prejudice to decide our eternal destiny? Instead, we will be judged by the Word of God (John 12:48; Revelation 20:11-15).

We need to develop a loving nature and see unrighteous judging as the despicable practice that it is. Furthermore, we need to practice the golden rule and treat others as we would like to be treated. Of course, no one would dare pretend this is easy to do.

by Richard Mansel

A young man once received a short wave for his birthday. Weeks later he turned it on and heard a transmission: "Mayday! Mayday! This is the Blue Dolphin, One Seven Seven. We have encountered a storm! (static) taking on water (static) Mayday! Mayday! Any ships in the area, please (static)."

Then there was silence. A chill came over him as his heart pounded. Their terror was now his.

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus told a parable about the rich man and Lazarus, a beggar. Both men died and Lazarus went to be with God while the rich man went to Hades.

The rich man was tormented in the flames and cried out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame" (Luke 16:24, NKJV).

The rich man was told that there was a barrier between him and God that no one could pass through. There was no hope for his lost soul. Turning his thoughts to his loved ones, he begged that Abraham would send Lazarus to his five brothers to warn them not to come to Hades. Yet he was told that if his brothers would not listen to the prophets or the word of God, then they would also ignore someone who returned from the dead.

Soberly we read Revelation 20:10, "And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." The term "tormented" refers to the intense pain and agony of torture.

In Luke 13:3, Jesus says, "unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Jesus will come get his disciples and take them to heaven with him (John 14:1-6; Matthew 25:31-46). Those who are not washed in the blood of the lamb will be lost (Mark 16:15,16). We do not want to go there. Nothing we can ever conceive will match its horror.

In this parable the rich man made mistakes and is begging us not to make the same mistakes. Would we be swayed if a voice spoke out from beyond the grave?

Imagine a funeral scene. The preacher says the deceased man is in a better place and lauds the life of the gentleman. Then a shriek comes in the unmistakable voice of the dead man saying, "Please, somebody help me! I'm in agony in this flame! Please help me!" Pandemonium would result. Theories would abound. Charges would be laid and investigations conducted. Yet little would change in the lives of those who heard the cry, sadly.

The rich man had waited too late to come to Christ. If he had sought Christ with as much ferocity as he sought water, he would never have been in the flames.

Jesus said he was the living water and the bread of life and the Jews ignored him. Years later when they were under siege, trapped in Jerusalem killing one another for food, they could have understood what Jesus meant. But then it was too late.

Please don't wait until it is too late for you, because Hebrews 9:27 says, "it is appointed unto man to die once and after this the judgment."

by Richard Mansel

We cringe when we hear, "Sit down. I have some bad news for you." We steel our nerves for what is coming. All of us have suffered through hard times, some more cataclysmic than others. It is the most painful aspect of life. We must be able to deal with it in a healthy fashion. John 14:1-6 provides an avenue of comfort.

Jesus knew his death was imminent and sought to prepare his apostles. Jesus would be betrayed by one of their own, he would soon be crucified and all of them would be scattered. These men were in the midst of a storm and Jesus seeks to console them, as only he could. By studying Jesus' answer we can learn how to endure our suffering. If we are not a Christian, this lesson will hopefully illustrate what Christians have in Christ. It is a treasure worth pursuing.

First, Jesus is our peace. Jesus begins, "Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1, NKJV). Literally, it is "stop letting your heart be troubled." Hugo McCord translates it, "stop letting your heart be disturbed." We have power to decide whether we will be crushed by the storms of life or endure them. While storms batter us, we have more control than we imagine when they come our way. The Apostle Paul said that nothing can "separate us from the love of Christ" (Romans 8:39). The Psalmist wrote, "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8).

Second, Jesus is our security. Why should they not be troubled? Jesus says, "trust in God, trust also in me" (John 14:1, NIV). Westcott translates it, "Believe in God, and yet more than this, let your faith find in Me one on whom it can rest." Jesus knew they needed someone to be there for them to be a constant in the midst of confusion. The Lord is a "refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble" (Psalm 9:9).

Third, Jesus is our hope. Their fear needed reassurance that they would survive these storms. Hope is defined as the "expectation of future good."

Jesus then goes on to say, "In My Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2). Even after his death, their best interest would reside strongly in his heart. He would provide a permanent residence for them. The meaning is not that there will be literal mansions in heaven but that there will be plenty of room for all of us. No one will have to be turned away because there is no room at the inn.

Jesus wanted them to believe him, wholeheartedly. Seeking to assure them, he says, "if it were not so, I would have told you" (John 14:2). He had never lied to them so his word should be a guarantee (Titus 1:2).

Fourth, Jesus is completeness. After he tells the apostles that he will prepare a home for them he says that they know the way to their new home. Thomas speaks for the others and asks how they can know the way? Jesus adds, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

Jesus would not show them the way, he would come and get them and take them to his home. Isaiah 35:8 calls salvation the "Highway of Holiness." Scripture is the road map to heaven.

In Christ we can say, "O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (2 Corinthians 15:55).