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At 12:34 AM 14/12/99 -0600, you wrote:

JESUS Said, He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. He that believes not shall be damned. Mark 16:16

Jesus gave the apostles the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20 Go into the world teaching all nations baptizing them into the name of the father and ot the son and of the holy spirit.

Dear M,

Thank you for your mail.

There are three group of people that the Bible is written T0 or ABOUT. Jews, Gentiles and the Christ 1 Cor 10:32.

2 Tim 2:15, says we should rightly divide or handle the word of God.

We cannot take everything that was written to the Jews and apply it to the Gentiles or Christians.

John the B. come on the scene preaching a message to the Nation of Israel. He told them they should get ready for the Lord was coming. He said, Repent, be baptism, FOR (with a view toward) forgiveness and when Jesus came to believe on Him and He would baptized you in the Spirit.  See Luke 3:3  Acts 19:4

Their baptism and repentance was conditional. It did not save them. They had to accept the Messiah when He came.  Many of them didn't.

Now the message to the Jews only went on for about 10 years to the "opening of the door of salvation" to the Gentiles in Acts 10:43....but  was still offered to the Jews collectively in Acts 28:

Since the gospel was to be preached to the Jews first (Rom. 1:16) we have the verse spoken by Jesus in Mark 16:16.

Matt 28:18,19 is not speaking about evangelizing people but making disciples of  them after they are saved. The word "teach" means to make disciples.

Question 150 needs Christ commandments. Those under the old covenant will be judged according to their faithfulness under the old covenant. All scripture up to the cross led to the cross. All scripture after the death of Christ is under the new covenant. Christ was not on this earth during the writngs of the old covenant. He was under the old covenant when he was baptized by John. The new covenant went into effect after the resurrection of Christ. This same Christ prior to being taken  into heaven gave the above commands to the apostles. concerning salvation.

The old covenant or people of Israel were preached to right up to the end of Acts 28:

Acts 2:38 is very clear and meets all the requirments Christ gave concerning what one must do to be saved. The people ask, " What shall we do?" Peter who was instructed by Christ himself told them what they must do. Acts 2:41 Those who gladly recieved his word were baptized and about 3000 were added to them that day.

Though the "promise in Acts 2:38, is about salvation, it is the "gift of the Holy Spirit" that is said to be for all people afar off. That is, the Gentiles. John the B. never had made any promise to them while preaching to the Jews.

Acts 2:47 And the Lord added daily thos who were being saved. Who were the ones being saved? Mark 16:16

Yet another answer to the modern day question. How do I join the church. One can't join the church the Lord
must add you to the church when you are baptized.

That is right, you cannot join, but water baptism doesn't join you either.  All in the Body of Christ are in the family of God. They are God's children.  They never became that by baptism, but by faith in Christ.  Gal. 3: 26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The baptism here is NOT WATER but INTO Christ. 1 Cor. 12:13,  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

So when we have faith in Christ we are then baptized  in the Spirit and into the Body.

According to the account written in Acts one is not even a member of the church the rock Christ kingdom until they are baptized.

No Jew in the N.T. ever received the Spirit without water baptism. But, the Gentiles did Acts 10:43,44

Rom 8:9, "  if any man have not the Spirit of Christ He is none of His." It does not say anything about baptism.

John's gospel was written about A.D. 90, long after God had laid aside Israel and destroyed the city and temple.

There are eighty six verses that speak of believing. The majority of them is about salvation and eternal life. Not one of them mentions baptism.

You must realize that there was progressive revelation from Jesus day until the end of the apostolic age.  What you are believing is at its beginning and you are not looking at the end of the N.T.writings.

Water baptism had one place among the Jews, but quite another among the Gentiles that we saved.  To the Jew is preceded their receiving the Holy Spirit and to the Gentiles it followed.

Will those who are not of the Kingdom of God enter the promise land?

If you mean the kingdom of God , as the promised land the answer is, No!

Believing is but one step. some teach salvation is not a two step situation I agree it is one step with two actions that lead to proper obedience of a two part requirement. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. One might also consider that Satan believes So one can now assume that we will all be in heaven with Satan and is angles. Revelation 20:10 Clearly tells us where Satan the false prophet and the beast will be thrown. In the lake of fire.

To parallel the believing of Satan in God to that of faith in Christ is to say you do not understand what the word believe means.

When the jailer was told to: Acts 16:31 "....., Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The words "believe on," is an action word. It means to rely, depend, trust with all the heart on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Too many they believe ABOUT the Lord and not ON Him. Most professing Christians believe and do the best they can, hoping to make it.  They will never make it that way.  Jesus is able to do all the saving without our help. But, there must be that 100% trust in Him, and nothing else.

Paul's two-fold message was:   Acts 20:21  Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  (no baptism)

In fact, he says Christ never sent him to baptize but to preach the gospel  1 Cor 1:17  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Notice, to preach baptism as part of the gospel is to make the gospel  of none effect.  That would be serious business.

I hope you don't get the idea that I don't believe in baptism, because I do. But only "believer's (not sinner's) baptism.

Think it over again before the importance of baptism is ruled out. Listen to Christ and hear what he teaches on this subject. I am not seeking credit for something I believe I preach Christ and him crucified. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That he died was buried and raised on the third day.

This is a faithful saying, " If we died with him we shall also live with him." Romans 6:3-8 was what Paul was telling Timothy if not then both Paul and Timothy have died and been raised to live with Christ. History will prove that wrong. Paul was in prison in Rome awaiting his death when he sent this letter to Timothy. After Romans 6:3-7 Paul lets those who were baptized have the faith that their obedience to the gospel would lead to eternal life.

And what baptism was this??

Hope this clarifies what I believe.