Dave Miller, Ph.D.

APOLOGETICS PRESS

Apologetics Press, Inc.

230 Landmark Drive
Montgomery, Alabama 36117-2752

Copyright 2007
ISBN: 978-1-60063-001-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations.
All Scripture quotations are from The New King James
Version of the Bible, unless otherwise specified. Copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

Dave Miller (1953 - )
What the Bible says about the Church of Christ/Dave Miller
Includes bibliographic references
ISBN: 978-1-60063-001-9
1. Comparative religion. 2. Christian theology. I. Title
280dc22

2007929504

DEDICATION
To Deb
whose positive influence on my
life has been inestimable, profound, and eternal.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Foretold and Founded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Genesis 3:15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Genesis 12:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Ephesians 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Prophets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Acts 2: The Hub of the Bible . . . . . . . 12

Chapter 2
Doctrine/Creed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 3
Entrance Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Great Commission. . . . . . . . . . . .
Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rome, Corinth, Galatia,
Colossae, and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . .
Hear, Believe, Repent,
Confess, Be Baptized. . . . . . . . . . . .
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19
19
22
23
24

Chapter 4
Structure/Organization. . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Christ the Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Elders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Deacons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Preachers/Evangelists and Teachers . 29
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 5
Names. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Names for the Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Names for the Members
of the Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Chapter 6
Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Sunday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Lords Supper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Singing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Giving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Preaching, Teaching,
Bible Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Chapter 7
Work and Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Evangelism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Edification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Benevolence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Chapter 8
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Appendix A
New Testament Christianity vs.
Denominationalism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
One Body = One Church. . . . . . . . . 52
Pluralism: Live and Let Live,
Im Okay, Youre Okay . . . . . . . . . 53

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Appendix B
Appendix C

Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
The Thief on the Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
The Essentiality of Baptism. . . . . . . . . 63
The New Birth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Is Baptism a Symbol? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Romans 6:3-18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Colossians 2:11-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 Peter 3:20-22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

72
74
76
78

Christ at the Door of Your Heart?. . . 79

Calling on the Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Chapter 1
Foretold and Founded
If you were to open your Bible and begin reading, you
would quickly come to understand how the Universe got
here, including the Earth, and how we human beings
came into existence. You would read about the first two
human beings, Adam and Eve, and how they disobeyed
Gods directive to them, thereby introducing sin into the
world. This circumstance becomes the central concern
of the rest of the Bible: human sin and Gods intention
to atone for that sin so that humans can be reconciled
to Him through the forgiveness of their sins.
Something had to be done about human sin. God
loves people in spite of their sin. Neither His love nor His
justice would let that be the end of the matter. Being
perfect, holy, and unable to allow sin to go unresolved
--

What the Bible Says...

(Habakkuk 1:13), God had already devised a wonderful

plan to make it possible for Adam, Eve, and all people
since them to be forgiven of sin. Consequently, the Old
Testament is riddled with references to Gods eternal and
ultimate plan to redeem people from their disobedience
to His will. It turns out that, due to the foreknowledge
of God, this divine intention was formulated in eternity
before the sin of Adam and Eve (Ephesians 3:9-11). God
knew that humans would violate His will, so He preplanned a means by which they could be forgiven if they
would choose to do so. This plan entailed the sending
of Himself, in the person of His Son, to be offered as a
perfect sacrifice for human sin (Hebrews 9:26-28).

Genesis 3:15
Anticipation of this amazing plan of redemption is
detected repeatedly in the Old Testament. Even on the
occasion when sin first entered the world, God offered
a glimpse of His intention in His remarks to the snake
through whom Satan had worked his seductive ploy:
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your
head, and you shall bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15). What
did God mean by this statement?
He meant that trouble would always exist between
Satan (including those who follow him), and those who
follow God. From the Garden until now, Satan tries to
get people to disobey God. The righteous people and the

Foretold and Founded

unrighteous have always been at odds with each other.

But God explained how He would handle this trouble:
He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.
He meant that even though Satan would do everything
possible to get people to sin, and to stop God from saving people from their sin, God would still make a way
for people to be forgiven. He would send Jesus to live a
sinless life, and then to die for everybodys sin.
When Jesus died on the cross, His horrible suffering
constituted the heel bruising accomplished by Satan.
But His death was the right sacrifice that would allow
God to forgive sin without violating His nature. Christs
death on the cross satisfied the justice and wrath of God,
enabling Him to forgive the sinner. The cross amounted
to the crushing of Satans headin the sense that
people do not have to be consigned to the final abode
of Satanhell. Now people can escape the power of
Satan (Acts 26:18). The death of Jesus on the cross
destroyed Satans efforts to prevent people from having
access to forgiveness (Hebrews 2:14). People still have to
exercise their free will and choose to follow God. They
have to follow Gods Word in order to avoid sinning. But
the atoning act of Jesus on the cross enabled God to
frustrate the activity of Satan and to forgive those who
choose to live life in harmony with His will.

What the Bible Says...

Genesis 12:3
Another recorded mention of Gods intention to redeem humans came when God spoke to a man named
Abram who lived in Ura highly advanced civilization
for its day. God made the following declaration to him:
Get out of your country, from your family and from your
fathers house, to a land that I will show you. I will make
you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name
great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who
bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in
you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). God fulfilled the first two promises when
He multiplied Abrahams offspring to form the nation of
Israel (Deuteronomy 1:10; 26:5), and when He brought
the descendents of Abraham, the Israelites, into the land
of Canaan (Joshua 11:23). But the third promise (i.e., in
your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed)
was fulfilled in the arrival of Jesus into the world, as Paul
explained: Now to Abraham and his Seed were the
promises made. He does not say, And to seeds, as of
many, but as of one, And to your Seed, who is Christ
(Galatians 3:16).
Predictions about the coming of Christ to Earth abound
in the Old Testament. In fact, it has been estimated that
there are over 300 distinct prophecies in the Old Testament that have been literally fulfilled in Christ. The fact
that Jesus is God is so important to Christianity that to

Foretold and Founded

reject it is to reject the whole Christian religion and to

rob Christianity of its power. Most people in Christendom
recognize this truth and acknowledge that without Christ,
there is no Christianity.
What is so surprising is that Christendom has largely
failed to see the comparable importance assigned by
Scripture to the church. This failure has made itself visible
in the very existence of multiple churches and different
denominationsa circumstance in direct conflict with
the will of Christ (see Appendix A). The majority view
seems to be that one can embrace Christ before and
without any connection to any church.

Ephesians 3
But as one goes through the Old Testament, one is
struck with the fact that even as God predicted the coming Christ, He likewise offered glimpses of the kingdom
of Christthe church of Christand how it would be
linked to Christ and His atoning work at the cross. Indeed,
before Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden together;
before the skies, seas, and land were populated by birds,
fish, and animals; before the Sun, Moon, and stars were
situated in the Universe; and before our planet Earth was
but a dark, watery, formless massGod purposed to
bring into being the church of Christ.
Scripture describes this divine intention as eternal.
Central to the great purposes of God from eternity has
been both the sending of His Son and the creation of the

10

What the Bible Says...

church of Christthe blood-bought body of Jesus and

living organism of the redeemed. Read Pauls statement:
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church
the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal
purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord
(Ephesians 3:10-11, emp. added). It is difficult for human
beings to understand eternal. There are times when
the notion of everlasting is abbreviatedlike Jonah 2:6
where Jonah said he was in the fishs stomach forever.
It must have seemed like it to him. So the word can be
used in a limited way. In Philemon 15, Paul said that
once Onesimus returned, he would be with Philemon
aionionforever. But the context limits the meaning
to just until he dies.
But when we speak of deity or the church, we are
talking about everlasting, eternal, forever. Hebrews
12:28 asserts confidently: Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which... will someday end? No! Rather, a
kingdom that is unshakable, destined to be around
foreveran eternal institution. No wonder Daniel was
informed: The saints of the most high shall take the
kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever
and ever (Daniel 7:18, emp. added). With that grand
purpose in mind, God gradually began predicting (through
promise and prophecy) the eventual accomplishment
of that purpose.

Foretold and Founded

11

The Prophets
Some 750 years before Christ came to Earth, Isaiah
announced the eventual establishment of the Lords
house in the last days in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1-4).
At about the same time, Micah preached basically the
same message (Micah 4:1-3). Some 500 years before
Christ, Daniel declared to a pagan king that during the
days of the Roman kings, the God of heaven would set
up a kingdom that would never be destroyed (Daniel
2:44). He also stated that the Son of man would pass
through the clouds, come to the Ancient of Days, and
be given an indestructible kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14).
Thus, the church, which existed first in purpose in the
mind of God, now existed in promise and prophecy in
the utterances of His spokesmen.
With the appearance of John the Baptizer and Jesus
on the Earth, the church of Christ entered a new phase
of existence. Now, more than ever before, the kingdom
was presented with a sense of immediacy, nearness,
and urgent expectation. Now, Gods workers actively
prepared for its immediate appearance. John exclaimed:
[T]he kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2). Jesus echoed precisely the same point: [T]he kingdom
of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). As John made
preparations for the Lord (Matthew 3:3), so the Lord
made preparations for the kingdom. He announced His
intention personally to establish His church (Matthew

12

What the Bible Says...

16:18). He declared that it would occur during the lifetime

of His earthly contemporaries, and that, in fact, some
were standing in His presence who would not die before
they would see the kingdom of God come with power
(Mark 9:1). [note: As it turned out, among the apostles,
only Judas died before the kingdom came.]
Just prior to His departure from Earth, Jesus further
noted that the apostles would be witnesses of His death
and resurrection, and would preach repentance and remission of sins in His name among all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem. He would even send the promise of the
Father upon them, which would entail being endued
with power from on high (Luke 24:46-49). This power
was to be equated with Holy Spirit immersion (Acts
1:4-5,8).
Now that the kingdom had existed in purpose, promise, and prophecy, as well as in preparation, the time
had come for the church to come forth in perfection.
After urging the apostles to wait in Jerusalem, Jesus
ascended into a cloud and into heaven (Acts 1:9). The
apostles returned to Jerusalem and for ten days awaited
the fulfillment of the Saviors words.

Acts 2: The Hub of the Bible

Then it happened. The year was approximately a.d. 30.
The place was the city of Jerusalem (Acts 1:8,12,19)just
as Isaiah predicted (Isaiah 2:3). The time was the last
days (Acts 2:16-17)just as Isaiah predicted (Isaiah 2:2),

Foretold and Founded

13

during the time of the Roman kings (specifically, Tiberius:

Luke 1:3)just as Daniel predicted (Daniel 2:44). With
stunning splendor, after centuries of eager anticipation,
God poured out His Spirit upon the Twelve on the first
Pentecost after Christs resurrection (Acts 2:2-4)just as
Joel predicted (Joel 2:28ff.). This miraculous outpouring
enabled these one dozen ambassadors (2 Corinthians
5:20) to present a stirring defense of Christs resurrection, convicting some in the audience with the guilt of
the crucifixion. Peter then detailed the conditions of
forgiveness and the terms of entrance into the kingdom
of Christ (Acts 2:37-38)just as Jesus predicted (Matthew 16:19; 18:18).
The church of Christ was now perfected into existence on the Earthjust as Jesus predicted (Matthew
16:18; Mark 9:1). She consisted of approximately 3,000
membersall of Jewish descent (Acts 2:41). From this
moment forward, the kingdom of Christ on the Earth was
a reality. From this point forward in the New Testament,
the church/kingdom is always spoken of as being in
existence (e.g., Acts 14:22; Romans 14:17). To its Jewish
citizens were added the first Gentile converts, when those
of the household of Cornelius obeyed the same terms
of entrance that their Jewish counterparts had obeyed
some ten to fifteen years earlier (Acts 10:47-48). By the
cross, Christ had made in Himself one new man from

14

What the Bible Says...

the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile

them both to God in one body (Ephesians 2:15-16).
In his great writing on the church of Christ, Paul in
Ephesians insisted that the church of Christ is the body
of Christ over which Jesus now reigns and rules from
heaven (1:20-23). He further insisted that Jesus is the
head of this body (1:22), and that there is one body
(4:4). Yet Christendom has made mockery of these foundational premises of Christs religion by founding and
fashioning many churches with differing names, creeds,
and doctrines. Two points are clear: (1) if Christ approves
of multiple churches, then being the Bridegroom (Mark
2:19-20), He is a polygamist; and (2) if one church is
as good as another, and the church is so unimportant
that mere human beings are permitted to found them,
then the New Testament endorses a decapitated Gospel
in which the head of the body (Christ) is disconnected
from His body.
Churches of Christ are those who conform themselves
to the teaching of the Bible regarding the founding
of Christs church. If they are genuinely the church of
Christ, they are indistinguishable from the church of
the Bible.

Chapter 2
Doctrine/Creed
Faithful churches of Christ, like the church we read
about in the New Testament, manifest a conspicuous
absence of denominational trappings. New Testament
churches of Christ have no official creeds, church manuals, or confessions of faith to which members must
subscribe. There are no synods, councils, or governing
bodies handing down official decrees to churches. The
only authoritative document that governs belief and
practice is the Bible. Once the New Testament was
completely revealed by the Holy Spirit, the Bible became
Gods complete revelation to humans. Thus, the Bible
presents itself as the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word
of Godthe only reliable and authoritative guide to get
- 15 -

16

What the Bible Says...

humans from this life to heaven (1 Thessalonians 2:13;

2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 3:16).
The 66 books of the Bible, written by some 40 men
over a period of 1,600 years, are the product of the Holy
Spirit, Who empowered the writers to pen only what
God wanted written (2 Samuel 23:2; 1 Corinthians 2:913; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
The Bible is thus verbally inspired of God, inerrant, and
all-sufficient. [note: For an excellent discussion of the
inspiration of the Bible, see Butt, 2007.]
In order to understand Gods Word, one must rightly
divide it or handle it aright (2 Timothy 2:15). Churches
of Christ recognize that it records three distinct periods
of human history. The Patriarchal period extended from
the Creation to the cross of Christ and was addressed
to all people prior to Mt. Sinai, and only Gentiles from
Mt. Sinai to the cross. The Mosaic period, on the other
hand, refers to the period that began when God gave
the Old Covenant (Law of Moses) to the nation of Israel
at Mt. Sinai (about 1500 b.c.). This period of Bible history came to a close at the death of Christ when Jesus
nailed the Old Law to the cross and took it out of the
way (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 9:15-17).
It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to
grasp many of the details of New Testament Christianity
if a person does not understand these biblical distinctions. In any given passage, one must recognize who

Doctrine/Creed

17

is being addressed and which laws apply to whom. For

example, mechanical instruments of music in worship
are often defended on the grounds that David used
them. But David was a Jew (neither a Gentile nor a
Christian) who lived under the Law of Moses and was
not subject to the regulations of the New Covenant of
Christ. Another example is the failure to understand the
importance of water baptism on the grounds that the
thief on the cross did not have to be baptized. Yet, the
thief also lived under a different law before Christs New
Testament came into effect. He was not subject to the
command to be baptized for the remission of sins (see
Appendix B).
Faithful churches of Christ accept the Bible as their
only guide in spiritual matters. Indeed, it is the perfect
law of liberty (James 1:25) that contains all things that
pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). No additions
are permissible (Galatians 1:6-9).

Reference
Butt, Kyle (2007), Behold the Word of God (Montgomery, AL:
Apologetics Press).

Chapter 3
Entrance Requirements
The entrance requirements for the church of Christ
are unlike any other institution on Earth. Just before He
left the planet, Christ Himself articulated them in what
is often referred to as the Great Commission: Matthew
28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16, and Luke 24:46-47.

The Great Commission

Jesus lived prior to the establishment of His church
and the Christian religion. Therefore, one must go to the
book of Acts to see the outworking of Jesus instructions
regarding how to enter the church of Christ.

Acts
As reported early in the book of Acts, the church had
its beginning on the first Pentecost after Christs resur- 19 -

20

What the Bible Says...

rection. Observe what people in the first century did to

become a member of the church of Christ. In Acts 2,
after listening to the preaching of the Gospel, the people
were so convicted by the message that they were cut
to the heart (Acts 2:37). They then asked the apostles
what they needed to do. Peter responded: Repent and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ,
for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38). This was in
fulfillment of Jesus own words in Mark 16:16: He who
believes and is baptized will be saved.
The exact same procedure is depicted over and over
again in Acts, earning for this inspired record the labelthe book of conversions. Acts 8:12-13 records that
when they believed Philip as he preached the good news
of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself
believed and was baptized. In the same chapter, Philip
preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch. After hearing
Philips preaching about Jesus, they came to a body of
water, and the eunuch said: See, here is water. What
hinders me from being baptized? Philip said he could
if he believed (Acts 8:36ff.).
In Acts 10, Cornelius heard the message, believed,
and was baptized (vss. 47-48). In Acts 16, Lydia listened
to the message, believed, and was baptized (vss. 14-15).
In the same chapter, the Philippian jailer heard the Word
of the Lord and was immediately baptized the same

Entrance Requirements

21

hour of the night (vss. 33-34). In Acts 18:8, many of the

Corinthians heard the Word, believed, and were baptized.
In Acts 19:4-5, some of the citizens of Ephesus listened
to Pauls preaching, believed, and were baptized. Paul,
himself, in Acts chapters 9 and 22, heard the Word and
was baptized to have his sins washed away (9:18; 22:16).
The same pattern of conversion is repeated over and
over again in Acts. Examine the following chart:
Great
Commission

Matthew
28:19-20

Mark
16:15-16

Acts

Believe

Repent

2:37-38
Jews

pricked

repented

8:12-13
Samaritans

believed

8:36-39
Eunuch
9:6,9,18;
22:16
Saul
10:43,48;
11:14,17-18
Cornelius
16:14-15
Lydia

trembled

sorrow

believed

repented

heart
opened
believed

17:12
Bereans

believed

18:8
Corinthians

believed

19:2-5,18
Ephesians

believed

Romans
10:9

Baptized

Saved

baptized

remission

baptized

believed

16:31-34
Jailer

Confess

Luke
24:46-47

washed
stripes

confessed
evil deeds

confessed

baptized

rejoiced

confessed

baptized

sins washed

baptized

saved/life

baptized

faithful

baptized

rejoiced

baptized

saints
1 Cor. 1:2

baptized

in Christ
Eph. 1:3

22

What the Bible Says...

Notice that this chart pinpoints only the explicit indications of what first-century people did to be saved. By
allowing the Bible to speak for itself unfettered by human
theology, one can quickly surmise the divine entrance
requirements of the church of Christ.

Rome, Corinth, Galatia,

Colossae, and Beyond
The rest of the New Testament confirms these procedures for becoming a Christian. Everyone who became
a Christian did so in precisely the same manner. Paul
reminded Roman Christians that on the day they were
baptized, they were baptized into Christ, into His death,
and were made free from sin to live a new life: [D]o
you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we
were buried with Him through baptism into death, that
just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life (Romans 6:3-4). He told the Corinthians that on
the day they were baptized, they were baptized into the
one body, which is the church of Christ (1 Corinthians
12:13). He told the Galatians that when they were baptized, they were baptized into Christ, and thus put on
Christ, that is, they were clothed with Him (3:27). He
told the Colossians that it was at the point of baptism
that their sins had been cut off as a sort of spiritual
circumcision (2:11-12). Peter added his support to this

Entrance Requirements

23

same understanding by declaring that one is saved at

the moment of baptism, for it is at that point that the
benefits of the resurrection of Christ are applied to the
believer (1 Peter 3:21).

Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, Be Baptized

Notice from these Scriptures that in the first century,
a person became a Christian in the same way and at
the same moment that he became a member of the
church of Christ. Upon hearing the gospel message of
salvation and Gods will for their life, first-century people
who were receptive to the message were made aware
of their horribly sinful condition. They recognized the
purpose of Jesus atoning sacrifice through His death
upon the cross. This realization caused them to believe
(have faith) in God, in Jesus as the Son of God, and in
the New Testament expression of the will of God. After
all, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of
God (Romans 10:17). This belief/faith then lead those
individuals to repent of their sins. Jesus Himself had
stated: [B]ut unless you repent you will all likewise perish
(Luke 13:3,5). These now penitent believers were then
required to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord, the
Son of God. Paul insisted: [I]f you confess with your
mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation

24

What the Bible Says...

(Romans 10:9-10, emp. added). Then these now penitent, confessing believers were baptizedimmersed in
water (see Appendix C)with the understanding that
the blood of Christ was contacted in the act of baptism,
and that as they rose from the waters of baptism, they
were forgiven of sin and added to the church by Christ
(cf. Hebrews 10:22). Peter had announced on the day of
Pentecost: Repent, and let every one of you be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins
(Acts 2:38). These first-century people did not become
Christians and then join the church of their choice.
When they were baptized for the remission of sins, they
were simultaneously added to the church of Christ by
Jesus Himself (cf. Acts 2:41, KJV; 1 Corinthians 12:13;
Ephesians 5:26). Believe, repent, confess, and be immersedsimple!

Summary
So much diversity and widespread misconception
exists. Most religious groups teach salvation is solely by
faith, without any further acts of obedience. They say
that all you have to do is accept Jesus as your savior,
which means saying, I believe in Jesus Christ, I accept
Him into my heart as my personal savior. Denominationalism teaches that at that moment the person is
forgiven of sin and he becomes a Christian. While the
New Testament certainly teaches that a non-Christian
must believe, as noted above, it also teaches the ne-

Entrance Requirements

25

cessity of repentance, confession, and baptism. In fact,

the apostle Paul stated that his sins were washed away
and he called on the name of the Lord in the act of
baptism (Acts 22:16; see Appendix C). Most people in
the religious world believe that a person is forgiven of
sins before being immersed. But, once again, that is a
departure from New Testament teaching. The church
of Christ practices the entrance requirements set forth
in the New Testament.

Chapter 4
Structure/Organization
The organizational structure of the church of Christ
comes from the arrangement given in the New Testament.
Each local congregation is independent and autonomous.
There is no hierarchy or denominational headquarters.
Churches of Christ have no synods, councils, or conventions that establish policy or provide governing guidelines.
Every single local congregation is self-governing and
completely autonomous.

Christ the Head

The first century New Testament churches were organized first and foremost with Jesus as the head (Colossians 1:18). After all, He stated that He would build
His church (Matthew 16:18). So the church belongs to
Him, and only He has the right to structure the church.
- 27 -

28

What the Bible Says...

Only He has the right to function as head. Churches of

Christ recognize that no human may rightly substitute
for Christ and act as head of the church on Earth.

Elders
Under the authority of Christ as the Chief Shepherd
(1 Peter 5:4), a qualified group of men serves as the
earthly overseers or managers of the local congregation
(1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Three terms are used in
the New Testament to identify and describe these men
and their role. One of the terms is typically translated
into English as elder or presbyter. The second term is
translated pastor or shepherd. [NOTE: The name pastor
did not refer to a preacher in the New Testament, but
to an elder.] The third term is translated as bishop or
overseer. All three terms are used interchangeably (Acts
20:17,28; Titus 1:5,7; 1 Peter 5:1-4). They refer to a single
office, position, or function (1 Timothy 3:1). Elders
authority extends only to the congregation where they
are members. A plurality of elders is necessary for each
single congregationin harmony with New Testament
practice (e.g., Acts 14:23; 20:17; Philippians 1:1; Titus
1:5). These men function as the overseeing authorities in
the local church. As the overseers of the congregation,
they admonish (1 Thessalonians 5:12), take care of
(1 Timothy 3:5), rule over (Hebrews 13:7), watch for
souls (Hebrews 13:17), and feed or shepherd the
membership (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2).

Structure/Organization

29

Deacons
Working under the oversight of the elders, another
group of men serve as deacons. Like the elders, they
too must meet the qualifications laid out in Scripture
(1 Timothy 3:8-13). Whereas the elders are the spiritual
overseers of the souls of the members of the local congregation, the deacons are assigned responsibilities and
tasks that involve serving the needs of the congregation
(cf. Acts 6:1-6). Their assigned areas of work and ministry enable the shepherds to concentrate on the spiritual
condition of the members.

Preachers/Evangelists and Teachers

In addition to the elders and deacons (Philippians 1:1),
churches of Christ have preachers or evangelists who
proclaim the Gospel, the good news (Ephesians 4:11; 2
Timothy 4:5; James 3:1). They have the responsibility to
declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27)teaching and preaching Christian doctrine to non-Christian
and Christian alike. They serve under the authority of
the elders. They are joined by other members of the
local congregation, both men and women, who act as
Bible class teachers, also instructing members in the
faith. Female Bible teachers teach women and children
(Titus 2:4). All of the members participate together in
the work and worship of the church in an effort to glorify
God in their lives.

30

What the Bible Says...

Summary
Many changes have been made since the first century in church government and organization. Faithful
churches of Christ avoid the ecclesiastical hierarchy and
denominational trappings typical of many churches. In
summary, in accordance with the simple structure of
Christs church according to the New Testament, churches
of Christ have elders who shepherd the flock, deacons
who minister to the congregation, preachers and evangelists who preach the Gospel, Bible class teachers, and
all other members of the local congregation who work
and worship under the oversight of the elders. Who are
the churches of Christ? They are those churches that
follow this simple New Testament format.

Chapter 5
Names
As one takes Bible in hand and reads about the church
of the New Testament, the terminology used to refer to
Christs church becomes readily apparent. Churches of
Christ endeavor to conform themselves to this scriptural
terminology. They attempt to confine themselves to the
names and designations that have been given by Christ
through the Holy Spirit. Even the name churches of
Christ (Romans 16:16) is the result of this intention to
call Bible things by Bible names, as well as to speak
where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible
is silent.

Names for the Church

Churches of Christ have insisted through the years
that the designation church of Christ is not a formal or
- 31 -

32

What the Bible Says...

official designation (like Baptist Church or Methodist

Church). It is not a denominational identifier. Rather,
it is to be understood in the same way that the New
Testament uses several other expressions to refer to
the collective group of Christians: church of God (1
Corinthians 1:2), church of the living God (1 Timothy
3:15), the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), body
of Christ (Ephesians 4:12), the church (Acts 8:1the
most prominent expression), the kingdom (Matthew
16:19), the kingdom of God (Mark 9:1; John 3:5), the
kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3), the kingdom of
His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Churches of Christ
(Romans 16:16) is simply a plural form of the singular
concept.
In the New Testament, these expressions are not intended to be formal denominational titles. Rather, they
are descriptions. Churches of Christ have so intended
their use of the name church of Christ. They have
insisted that any of the above expressions are scriptural
and may be used. In contrast, the New Testament grants
no sanction to refer to the church of the New Testament as the Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal,
Lutheran, or Pentecostal church. These are manmade
designations that spotlight mere humans or favorite
doctrines, rather than giving honor to the Founder and
Owner of the church.

Names

33

Since Jesus promised to build His church (Matthew

16:18), and since He paid for His church with His own
blood (Acts 20:28), and since He is the head of that
body (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18), then the
church belongs to Him and wears His name (even as
individuals who are saved bear the name Christian).
Even the designation church of God refers to God the
Son. Jesus is now reigning and ruling over His kingdom,
the church (Acts 2:30,33; Ephesians 1:22). He will turn
the kingdom over to His Father when He returns at the
end of time (1 Corinthians 15:24). Until then, the church
is unquestionably intended in the New Testament to be
associated in name with Christ. Hence, churches of
Christ is simply the most expedient way to emphasize
to the world that the church is Christs, she belongs to
Him, she is Christs church, i.e., the church of Christ.
Thus, she wears the name of her Head, Owner, and
SaviorChrist (Daniel 7:14; Ephesians 4:12; Revelation
11:15).
No wonder Paul wrote in his remarks to the church
at Ephesus:

to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus

(Ephesians 3:21)
as the church is subject to Christ (Ephesians
5:24)
just as Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself for her, that He might sanctify and
cleanse her with the washing of water by the

34

What the Bible Says...

word, that He might present her to Himself a
glorious church (Ephesians 5:25-27)

These verses clarify forcefully the relationship that

exists between Christ and the church. The church (the
bride) is to wear the name of the bridegroom (Jesus),
even as women today take the name of their husband
when they marry. But Jesus has only one bridenot
multiple ones as existing today in the denominational
world. Interestingly, many churches of Christ over the
years have placed on their church building sign, The
Church of Christ Meets Here, in order to emphasize to
the public that the people, not the building, make up
the church, which, in turn, belongs to Christ.

Names for the Members of the Church

The same may be said with regard to the names that
God wants individual members of the church to wear.
In Isaiah 62:2, the prophet foretold that God, with His
own mouth, would give a name to His people. We find
the fulfillment of that prophecy in Acts 11:26. The name
that God wants individual members of His church to
wear is the name Christian (Acts 26:29; 1 Peter 4:16).
Again, this name is the name that indicates that one
belongs to Christ. Beyond this central name, the New
Testament uses several secondary names to describe
Christians. Romans 1:7 uses the term saints, while Acts
5:14 uses the term believer. Other passages refer to
disciples (Acts 20:7), which means learners, saints

Names

35

(1 Corinthians 1:2), brothers (1 Corinthians 15:1), sons

of God (Romans 8:14), children of God (1 John 3:1),
and priests (1 Peter 2:9). These are scriptural names.
Churches of Christ use all of them, though priority is
given to the name Christian.
Churches of Christ have also avoided using many of the
religious titles that are commonly used in Christendom.
The denominational concept of a clergy is foreign to the
New Testament. Preachers in the New Testament were
merely Christians who prepared themselves to preach.
They were not set apart as a special class of religious
people. They did not receive special titles like reverend
or pastor or father (Matthew 23:9). The term pastor is used in the New Testament to refer to one who
has been appointed to serve as an elder or shepherd
along with other men. This office was distinct from the
role of the preacher. Churches of Christ have sought to
avoid using names that are manmade, or that serve only
to cultivate the praise of men, when, in fact, all praise
belongs to God (Luke 4:8).

Summary
New Testament truth on the matter of names is
simple. Contrary to that New Testament pattern, many
churches and individuals have taken the name of a man
or a particular doctrine and applied that name to themselvesnames that are conspicuously absent from the
New Testament. Surely, God is not pleased with man-

36

What the Bible Says...

made names. Surely, God will not sanction or extend

His grace to groups and individuals who have chosen
to stray from His will and His pattern for religion. Those
who formulate for themselves their own religions, their
own churches, and their own names, surely displease
God since He has already given the names He expects
the church to use. Indeed, down through the annals of
human history, the Bible records that God has never
accepted human invention in religion (Matthew 15:9).
So who are the churches of Christ? They are those
churches that wear the name of Christindividually
and collectively. As the apostle Peter stated: Neither is
there salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved (Acts 4:12, emp. added). If any man suffers as
a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify
God in this name (1 Peter 4:16, emp. added).

Chapter 6
Worship
Churches of Christ seek to worship God in harmony
with the worship specifications given in the New Testament. Even as God has always explained to humans
throughout Bible history how they are to worship Him
(e.g., Genesis 4:3-5), so the New Testament provides
specific instructions that indicate how God wants to be
worshipped in the Christian age.

Sunday
In the first century, Christians met for worship on the
first day of the weekSunday. Sunday is pinpointed in
New Testament Christianity as the special day on which
Christians gather together to worship God (Acts 20:7).
Christians are required by God to attend these worship
assemblies on a regular basis, since the Bible teaches
- 37 -

38

What the Bible Says...

the necessity of assembling with other Christians for

mutual edification (Hebrews 10:25). Jesus referred to
the church when He said, Seek first the kingdom of
God (Matthew 6:33). Putting the church first in life necessarily entails regularly meeting with fellow Christians
for worship on Sunday.

Lords Supper
In harmony with New Testament practice, churches of
Christ observe the Lords Supper, also called communion
(1 Corinthians 10:16). In keeping with Acts 2:46 and 20:7,
as well as 1 Corinthians 11:20-34 and 16:1-3, the Lords
Supper is observed every first day of the week. This
observance is in keeping with Jesus own instructions
(Matthew 26:26-29), and thus consists of every Christian
partaking of both the fruit of the vine (grape juice) and
unleavened bread. These symbols represent the shed
blood and crucified body of Christ. Christians sit quietly
and meditate on the sacrifice of Christ.

Singing
In the realm of music, churches of Christ follow the
expressed directives of the New Testament. Ephesians
5:19 reads: [S]peaking to one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord. Colossians 3:16 states: Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching
and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and

Worship

39

spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the

Lord. New Testament instructions for musical worship
are that simple and unencumbered. There is no authority
in the New Testament for playing musical instruments
in worship to Godwhich would constitute a manmade
addition to pure, spiritual worship. Nor does the New
Testament give authority for performance groups like
choirs and praise teams. The music in the New Testament is very clearly congregational, vocal singing.
Churches of Christ endeavor to conform themselves to
this simple specification.

Giving
In addition, every first day of the week churches of
Christ contribute a percentage of their income to a general
treasury so that the church may carry on its work. Paul
instructed the church at Corinth: Now concerning the
collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the
churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first
day of the week let each one of you lay something aside,
storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections
when I come (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Whereas tithing
is an Old Testament command given to the Jews (e.g.,
Malachi 3:8), a requirement not directed to Christians in
the New Testament, churches of Christ encourage each
other simply to give liberally, in keeping with New Testament injunction: But this I say: He who sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully

40

What the Bible Says...

will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he

purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for
God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). The
collected funds are then used to carry on the work of
the local church.

Prayer
Churches of Christ also give serious attention to prayer.
The New Testament has much to say about prayer in the
life of the faithful Christian (e.g., Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; James 5:13). Even as the
early church gave herself continually to prayer, churches
of Christ include this feature of worship in their worship
assemblies (Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:1-8).

Preaching, Teaching, Bible Reading

A final avenue of worship through which churches of
Christ approach God in their corporate assemblies is
through preaching, teaching, Bible study, and Scripture
reading. When the church listens to and contemplates
the meaning of the Scriptures, he or she is receiving
direct information from God. Christians honor God when
they are receptive to His admonitions issued through
His Word. Consequently, a preacher will typically preach
a gospel sermon to the congregation at some point in
the service. A designated member may read a passage
from the Bible to the entire assembly (1 Timothy 4:13).

Worship

41

In these ways, Christians worship God by encountering

Him in His Word.

Summary
Luke summarized the worship of the first church of
Christ in these words: And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking
of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42). Churches of Christ
endeavor to emulate these avenues of worship in their
own assemblies, by continuing in the apostles doctrine
(teaching, preaching, and examining doctrinal truth), fellowship (weekly contributions to the work of the church),
the breaking of bread (the Lords Supper), and in prayers.
As noted above, they also engage in congregational
singing at every service. The public worship assemblies
of faithful churches of Christ employ these five acts of
worshipwithout modification or human addition.
The worship of churches of Christ is extremely simple
and unpretentiousfree from the hype and glitter that
bored humans frequently fabricate. Faithful churches of
Christ have restored simple New Testament worship in
their congregations. They meet together every first day
of the week and commune together around the Lords
Table; they sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
together; they contribute a percentage of their income
to carry on the work of the church; they pray together;
and they study the Word of God together.

Chapter 7
Work and Purpose
Churches of Christ recognize that the unique mission
of the church is to bring glory to God (1 Corinthians
6:20). Peter explained: If anyone speaks, let him speak
as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it
as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things
God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom
belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
(1 Peter 4:11, emp. added). This task is accomplished
through essentially three avenues of activity.

Evangelism
First, churches of Christ place a high priority on
spreading the Gospel of Christ to the human race (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47; Acts
8:4; Romans 10:14; Philippians 2:15-16; Hebrews 5:12- 43 -

44

What the Bible Says...

14). This prime directive stems from the fact that, as

noted earlier, after Jesus crucifixion and resurrection,
He issued to His apostles what some have called the
Great Commission. The apostles, and by implication
all Christians since, are to go into the whole world and
preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:16). This
objective is accomplished in many ways. Some churches
support fulltime missionaries in foreign fields. Others
harness mass media by producing television and radio
programs, Internet Web sites, newspaper advertisements,
or mass mail outs. Some go door-to-door and speak
with their neighbors.

Edification
Second, churches of Christ try to keep their members
faithful (Romans 14:19; 15:1-3; Ephesians 4:12; Jude 2024). Edification, which refers to building up the body of
Christ, is generally accomplished by providing members
with a strong program of Bible study. Bible classes, with
teachers for all age groups, are typically held on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Other forms of
encouragement to sustain members spiritually include
gospel meetings, seminars, retreats, lectureships, and
other means of strengthening the saints.

Benevolence
Third, churches of Christ seek to manifest a benevolent
spirit to society. Assistance is given to the poor and those

Work and Purpose

45

who are struggling with the physical necessities of life

(Matthew 25:31-46; Galatians 6:10; James 2:1-17). Even
as Jesus placed a high priority on being compassionate
towards the needy, so faithful churches of Christ strive
to assist their fellowman with their basic needs.
These three avenues serve to summarize the basic work
of the church. In short, churches of Christ attempt to
achieve complete conformity to the will of Christ (Matthew
22:37-38; 2 Corinthians 5:9; 10:5; Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Chapter 8
Conclusion
Churches of Christ today possess as a conscious,
deliberate intention to be reproductions of the church
of Christ that is described in the New Testament. Members of churches of Christ are certainly not perfect. As
in the first century, churches of Christ are composed
of imperfect people. But the superstructure of the New
Testament church has been set in place. Therefore, it is
possible for anyone to be simply a Christiana member
of the church we read about in the New Testamentthe
church of Christ.
Thats not to say that all groups who wear the name
church of Christ are following the New Testament portrait of the church. A church may have a scriptural name
without engaging in scriptural worship. Some churches
- 47 -

48

What the Bible Says...

of Christ have followed the road to apostasy by restructuring the church and making unscriptural changes.
Such churches cannot be endorsed, even though they
continue to wear the name church of Christ.
Nevertheless, every reader of this book can be a
member of the New Testament church. You do not
have to settle for a manmade denomination. Study for
yourself what the New Testament says about the church
of Christ. If you conform yourself to the teaching of the
New Testament by obeying the gospel plan of salvation,
then you, too, can be simply a member of the church
of Christ.

Appendix A
New Testament Christianity vs.
Denominationalism
What is a denomination? Does God approve of
denominations? These extremely significant and critical
questions deserve answers from the Word of God.
When we go to the New Testament and examine
Gods Word with a view toward ascertaining what His
will is with regard to religion, we find that there is a
clearly defined system of religionGods religionin
the New Testament. It is the religion of Christ that has
come to be called Christianity. We also find that Satan
does everything he can to blur the distinctions that God
wants observed. We should not be surprised at that.
Think about the great hoaxes that have been perpetrated
upon mankind. For instance, the doctrine of evolution
- 49 -

50

What the Bible Says...

is almost universally believed by the scientific elite of

many societies. So it is with many political, philosophical, and religious systems of thought like Communism,
Buddhism, and Hinduism. Those who have examined
the evidenceobjective truthon these matters know
that those systems of thought simply are not true. Yet
large numbers of people adhere to them.
In 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul spoke about the fact that
Satan endeavors to take advantage of people. He said
that we should not let Satan take advantage of us, for
we are not ignorant of his devices. The word devices
means schemes. We must be aware of the fact that
Satan uses deceitful, deceptive ploys in an effort to
trick people to get them to believe and practice various
things that simply are not true. In a similar statement,
Paul used the phrase wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).
Most people are oblivious to this fact. Many people do
not even believe that Satan existsanymore than they
believe that God exists. Yet if the New Testament is true,
it is clear there is a Satan, and he will do all he can to
fool, trick, and deceive people. He wants to obscure
distinctions that God wants observeddistinctions that
are scriptural and biblical.
It is clear that this is the case with denominationalism.
Consider the following dictionary definitions (American...,
2000, p. 485). The term denominate means to give a
name to; designate. Denomination is [a] large group

N.T. Christianity vs. Denominationalism

51

of religious congregations united under a common faith

and name and organized under a single administrative
and legal hierarchy; a name or designation, especially
for a class or group. Denominator refers to [t]he
expression written below the line in a common fraction
that indicates the number of parts into which one whole
is divided. Denominationalism is [t]he tendency to
separate into religious denominations; sectarianism.
Think about these meanings for just a moment. The very
word denomination refers to a named or designated
division. Denominationalism occurs when religious
people and groups divide and segregate themselves on
the basis of different designations or church affiliations
and different doctrines.
Have you gone to the New Testament and read Jesus
prayer for unity in John chapter 17? There He prayed
against religious division, and prayed to God that believers in Christ would be unified! Paul made the same
point to the church of Christ in Corinth: I beseech you
brothers by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you
all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions
among you (1 Corinthians 1:10). Here is a passage that
says denominations are not even to exist! Let there
be no divisions among you. If a denomination is a
designated division, then denominationalism is clearly
unscriptural! It is against the will of Christ. The passage

52

What the Bible Says...

continues, but that you be perfectly joined together in

the same mind and in the same judgment.
I assure you, I have nothing against any particular
religious group. I have no biases or prejudices against
any one church or denomination. But we must go to
Scripture and be objective in our appraisal of New Testament truth. It is clear when we go to the Bible that
denominationalism, though viewed innocently by millions of people worldwide, is an approach to religion that
is out of harmony with New Testament teaching. God
does not want denominations to exist. He wants all
of us to understand His will in the New Testament, and
then to bring our lives into conformity and our spirits
into submission to that will.

One Body = One Church

In Ephesians 1:22-23, the body of Christ is referred
to as the church, and later we are told that there is only
one (4:4). Those two passages alone should cause us
to recognize that the existence of denominations is out
of harmony with Gods will. Ephesians 4:4 says there
is one body. That body is the church of our Lord. He
established it; He built it; He purchased it with His own
blood (Acts 20: 28). If there is only one church, God is
not pleased with the division, the named designations,
of competing churches with various names, doctrines,
and practices.

N.T. Christianity vs. Denominationalism

53

In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul wrote to Timothy that he might

know how to conduct himself in the house of God, which
is the church of the living God. Most people just do not
realize that New Testament truth is that simple, that plain,
and that uncomplicated. The denominationalism that
has gripped western civilization is so entrenched and
so entangled in the minds of people that they seem to
be unable to detach themselves from it, and to go back
to the New Testament to get a clear conception of the
New Testament church. They seem unable or unwilling
to embrace pure New Testament teaching and to repudiate all denominationalism.

Pluralism: Live and Let Live,

Im Okay, Youre Okay
Our society says, People ought to be free to believe
what they want. Dont be judgmental. You dont have
any right to say they are wrong. But such propaganda
is unbiblical. God has a right. He is the Creator, and
He said in His Word that we must know His truth, we
must be right about that truth, and we must obey that
truth (Hebrews 5:9). Jesus said, If you love Me, keep
My commandments (John 14:15). He also said, [Y]ou
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free
(John 8:32). Paul spoke about the time when people
would refuse to hear healthy teaching (2 Timothy 4:3).
But God wants all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

54

What the Bible Says...

The Scriptures make clear that God never has and

never will sanction the present blurring of the distinction
between the New Testament church and the manmade,
counterfeit churches that exist in abundance. Many seem
oblivious to the fact that no denominations can be found
in the Bible. They appear unaware of the fact that the
Bible describes a single churchChrists church.
The only hope of any individual is to be in the one true
church living faithfully in accordance with Gods desires.
The New Testament teaches that we must stay with Gods
words. We are not free to deviate, or to believe and practice whatever we choose (2 John 9; 1 Corinthians 4:6;
Galatians 1:8). In the final analysis, denominationalism
is what results when humans assert their own religious
inclinations, formulate their own religious doctrines, and
originate their own churches. Solomons words ought to
cause every single person to refrain from affiliation with
denominationalism: Every word of God is pure. He is a
shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add
to His words lest He reprove you and you be found a
liar (Proverbs 30:5-6).
The truth continues to be that denominations are
manmade divisions, unmitigated departures from the
faith. Denominationalism is about the best thing Satan
has come up with to subvert the truth of the Bible and
to bring otherwise religious people under his influence.
The world religions, as well as those who embrace hu-

N.T. Christianity vs. Denominationalism

55

manistic philosophies like atheism, by definition, have

rejected the one true God and have capitulated to Satan.
So where do you suppose Satan is going to focus the
brunt of his assault upon the Earth? The more he is
able to muddy the waters and to obscure the certainty
of the truth, the more chance he has of luring people
into his clutches.

Conclusion
If one could be just a Christian in the first century
without being affiliated with any denomination, then
one can be simply a New Testament Christian today. If
denominations were not created by God, but have, in
fact, come into existence since the first century, then to
participate in and support denominations is to promote
that which God did not create. It is to give sanction to
mere manmade invention, and to tamper with the divine
system originated by God and Christ. It is to subject
oneself to the eventual wrath of God, for Jesus Himself
declared: Every plant which My heavenly Father has not
planted will be uprooted (Matthew 15:13).
If we would truly fathom that the church of Christ is
distinctive, exclusive, and unique; if we would truly view
fraternization with the denominations as traitorous; if we
would love the genuine body of Christ with the same
fervency and jealousy with which Jesus loves her; then
we would be in a position to proclaim with Paul: Unto

56

What the Bible Says...

Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout

all ages, world without end (Ephesians 3:21).

Reference
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000),
(Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin), fourth edition.

Appendix B
The Thief on the Cross
Legion are those who dismiss water baptism as prerequisite to salvation on the grounds that the thief on
the cross was not baptized. The thought is that since
the thief was suspended on the cross when Jesus said
to him, Today you will be with Me in paradise (Luke
23:43), he was being pronounced as saved by Christ
without being required to be baptized. As one well-known
preacher put it, There was no water within 10 miles of
the cross. Please give consideration to two important
observations.
First, the thief may well have been baptized prior to
being placed on the cross. Considerable scriptural evidence points to this conclusion (Matthew 3:5-6; Mark
1:4-5; Luke 3:21; 7:29-30). If he was, in fact, baptized, he
- 57 -

58

What the Bible Says...

would have been baptized with the baptism administered

by John the Baptizer. Johns baptism was temporary (i.e.,
in force only during his personal ministry, terminating
at the death of Christ). However, even Johns baptism
was for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4) and, hence, essential for salvation for those to whom it was addressed.
Johns baptism, like the one administered by Jesus while
He was on Earth (John 3:22,26; 4:1-2), was unique and
temporary. It was addressed only to Jews, and only to
the Jews who populated the vicinity of Jerusalem and
Judea. It was designed to prepare the Jewish people
for the arrival of the Messiah. But Johns baptism must
not be confused with New Testament baptism that is
addressed to everybody, and that did not take effect until
after the cross of Christ. If the thief was a Jew, and if he
already had submitted to Johns baptism, there would
have been no need for him to be re-baptized. He simply
would have needed to repent of his post-baptism thievery and acknowledge his sinswhich the text plainly
indicates that he did.
Second, and most important, the real issue pertains to
an extremely crucial feature of Bible interpretation. This
hermeneutical feature is so critical that, if a person does
not grasp it, his effort to sort out Bible teaching, in order to
arrive at correct conclusions, will be inevitably hampered.
This principle was spotlighted by Paul when he wrote to
Timothy and told him he must rightly divide the word

The Thief on the Cross

59

of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). In other words, if one simply

takes the entire Bibleall 66 booksand treats them
as if everything that is said applies directly and equally to
everyone, his effort to be in harmony with Gods Word will
be hopeless and futile. For example, if a person turned
to Genesis 6 and read where God instructed Noah to
build a boat, if he did not study enough to determine
whether such instruction applied to himself, he would
end up building his own boatthe entire time thinking that God wanted him to do so! The Bible is literally
filled with commands, instructions, and requirements
that were not intended to be duplicated by people living today. Does God forbid you and me from eating a
certain fruit (Genesis 2:17; 3:3)? Are we to refrain from
boiling a baby goat in its mothers milk (Exodus 23:19)?
Does God want you and me to offer our son as a burnt
offering (Genesis 22:2)? Are we commanded to load up
and leave our homeland (Genesis 12:1)? Moving to the
New Testament, does God want you to sell everything
you have and give it to the poor (Matthew 19:21)? Does
God expect you to leave everything, quit your job, and
devote yourself full time to spiritual pursuits (Matthew
4:20; 19:27; Mark 10:28; Luke 5:28)? Does God intend
for you to desire spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1), i.e.,
seek to possess miraculous abilities? The point is that the
entire Bible applies to the entire human race. However,
careful and diligent study is necessary to determine how

60

What the Bible Says...

it applies. We must understand the biblical distinction

between the application of the principles of the Bible
and the specific details.
Here, then, is the central point as it pertains to the
relevance of the thief on the cross: Beginning at Creation,
all humans were amenable to the laws of God that were
given to them at that time. Bible students typically call
this period of time the Patriarchal Dispensation. During
this period, which lasted from Creation to the cross, nonJews were subject to a body of legislation passed down
by God through the fathers of family clans (cf. Hebrews
1:1). In approximately 1500 B.C., God removed the genetic
descendants of Abraham from Egyptian bondage, took
them out into the Sinai desert, and gave them their own
law code (the Law of Moses). Jews were subject to that
body of legal information from that time until it, too, was
terminated at the cross of Christ. The following passages
substantiate these assertions: Matthew 27:51; Romans
2:12-16; Galatians 3:7-29; Ephesians 2:11-22; Colossians
2:11-17. The book of Hebrews addresses this subject extensively. To get to the heart of the matter quickly, read
especially Hebrews 9:15-17. When one correctly handles
the Word of truth, one sees that the Bible teaches that
when Christ died on the cross, Patriarchal and Mosaic law
came to an end. At that point, all humans on the planet
became amenable to the law of Christ (cf. Galatians
6:2). The law of Christ consists strictly of information

The Thief on the Cross

61

that is intended to be in effect after the death of Christ. It

includes some of the things that Jesus and His disciples
taught while He was still on Earth. But as regards the
specifics of salvation, one must go to Acts 2 and the
rest of the New Testament (especially the book of Acts)
in order to determine what one must do today to be
saved. Beginning in Acts 2, the new covenant of Christ
took effect, and every single individual who responded
correctly to the preaching of the Gospel was baptized
in water in order to be forgiven of sin by the blood
of Christ. Recall the chart on page 21. Every detail of
an individuals conversion is not always mentioned, but
a perusal of the book of Acts demonstrates decisively
that water immersion was a prerequisite to forgiveness,
along with faith, repentance, and confession of the deity
of Christ (Acts 2:38,41; 8:12,13,16,36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48;
16:15,33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16).
The thief was not subject to the New Testament command to be baptized into Christs death (Romans 6:3-4),
just as Moses, Abraham, and David were not amenable
to it. They all lived prior to the cross under different law
codes. They could not have been baptized into Christs
deathbecause He had not yet died! The establishment of the church of Christ and the launching of the
Christian religion did not occur until after Christs death,
on the day of Pentecost in the year A.D. 30 in the city of
Jerusalem (Acts 2). An honest and accurate appraisal of

62

What the Bible Says...

the biblical data forces us to conclude that the thief on

the cross is not an appropriate example of how people
are to be saved this side of the cross.

Appendix C
The Essentiality of Baptism
Several aspects of the New Testament as it relates
to baptism merit special consideration in this book.
Why? Because it constitutes a fundamental difference
between the churches of Christ and the denominational
world at large.

The New Birth

A major cleavage within Christendom pertains to when
the new birth occurs. Most of Christendom maintains
that a person is born again, and thus has sin washed
away by the blood of Christ, when that person accepts
Jesus Christ as his personal savior. By this expression
it is meant that a person must mentally/orally decide to
embrace Christ as the Lord of his life. Hence, the new
birth is seen simply as a determination of the willa mo- 63 -

64

What the Bible Says...

ment in time when the person accepts Christ in his mind

and couples that decision with an oral confession.
The passage in the New Testament that alludes specifically to being born again pertains to a conversation
that Jesus had with a high-ranking Jewish official:
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night
and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher
come from God; for no one can do these signs that You
do unless God is with him. Jesus answered and said to
him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus
said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old?
Can he enter a second time into his mothers womb
and be born? Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say
to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born
of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be
born again. (John 3:1-7, emp. added).

In an effort to avoid identifying water (vs. 5) as water

baptism, many within Christendom in the last half century have proposed a variety of novel interpretations. For
example, some have proposed that water is a reference
to the Holy Spirit. While it is certainly true that John uses
the word water symbolically to represent the Spirit later
in his book (7:38-39), that fact had to be explained by
the inspired writer. However, in chapter three the normal,
literal meaning is clearly in view, not only because water

The Essentiality of Baptism

65

baptism throughout the New Testament is consistently

associated with the salvation event (e.g., Acts 2:38; 8:1213,36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15,33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16;
Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews
10:22; 1 Peter 3:21), but even in this context, 18 verses
later, the term clearly has a literal meaning: Now John
also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there
was much water there (John 3:23). Additionally, if water
in John 3:5 is an allusion to the Holy Spirit, the result
would be nonsensical: unless one is born of the Spirit
and the Spirit.
Another quibble offered in an effort to avoid the clear
import of John 3:5 is that water is a symbol for the
blood of Jesus. Of course, no rationale exists for making such a connection. Elsewhere John refers explicitly
to water and blood, but clearly distinguishes them from
each other in their import (1 John 5:6).
Perhaps the most popular notion, advanced only in
recent years, is that water is a reference to the water, i.e.,
amniotic fluid, that accompanies the physical birth of a
child. However, this novel concept likewise fails to fit the
context of Jesus remarks. In fact, Nicodemus thought
Jesus was referring to physical birth (mothers womb).
But Jesus corrected his misconception and contrasted
such thinking with the intended meaning of water and
Spirit. Indeed, Jesus would not have told Nicodemus
that he needed to be born physically (water). He would

66

What the Bible Says...

not have included the act of physical birth in His listing of

prerequisites to entering the kingdom. That would make
Jesus say that before a person can enter the kingdom he
or she must first be a person! What would be the point
of stating such a thing? Perhaps to make certain that
everyone knows that non-humans, or perhaps animals,
cannot enter the kingdom?! Later in the same chapter,
did John baptize near Salim because there was much
amniotic fluid there (vs. 23)?
If one cares to consult the rest of the New Testament
in order to allow the Bible to be its own best interpreter,
and in order to allow the Bible to harmonize with itself,
additional passages shed light on the meaning of John
3:5. According to the rest of the New Testament, spiritual
conception occurs when the Gospel (i.e., the seed of
the Holy SpiritLuke 8:11) is implanted in the human
heart/mind (James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 4:15; Ephesians
6:17; 1 Peter 1:23). The Word of God, in turn, generates
penitent faith in the human heart (Romans 10:17) that
leads the individual to obey the Gospel by being baptized
in water (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Hebrews 10:22). The
resulting condition of the individual is that he or she is
now a child of God, a citizen of the kingdom, and member of the church of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Galatians
3:26-27; Romans 6:4).
Additional verses in the New Testament clarify and
cinch this meaning of John 3:5, pinpointing the meaning

The Essentiality of Baptism

67

of the new birth, while also allowing us to understand

the activity of the Holy Spirit in the act of conversion.
Consider the following chart (Jackson, 1988):

John 3:5

Spirit

Water

Kingdom

1 Corinthians 12:13

Spirit

Baptized

Body

Ephesians 5:26

Word

Washing/Water

Cleansed Church

Titus 3:5

Renewal of
Spirit

Washing of
Regeneration

Saved by Mercy

These verses demonstrate that God achieves conversion through the gospel message authored by the Holy
Spirit. When a person comes to an understanding (Acts
8:30) of the gospel message, his penitent faith leads
him to submit to water immersion for the remission of
sins (Acts 8:36,38;10:47). The result of his obedient
response to the Gospel is that he is saved and cleansed
from past sin and instantaneously placed into the kingdom of Christ.
Notice that submission to the divine plan of salvation does not mean that humans save themselves by
effecting their own salvation. Their obedience does not
earn or merit their forgiveness. Rather, the terms or
conditions of salvation are stipulated by Godnot by
humansand are a manifestation of His mercy! When
people submit to the terms of entrance into the kingdom
of Christ, they are saved by the blood of Jesus and the
grace of Godnot their own effort! Water immersion
is not to be viewed as a work of righteousness which

68

What the Bible Says...

we have done (Titus 3:5). When we submit to baptism,

we are being saved by the kindness and love of God
our Savior (Titus 3:4). We are being saved according
to His mercy (Titus 3:5).

Is Baptism a Symbol?
The design of water baptism in the New Testament is
unquestionably to allow for the sinners sins to be removed
by the blood of Jesus. This purpose is variously described
as to be saved (Mark 16:16), for the remission of sins
(Acts 2:38), to put on Christ (Galatians 3:27), to enter
the kingdom of God (John 3:5), to wash away your sins
(Acts 22:16), to place one into one body (1 Corinthians
12:13) and into Christ (Romans 6:3). These are parallel
expressions that pinpoint the same design.
In an effort to avoid the clear import of such verses,
some theologians have concocted the notion that water baptism is a post-salvation action that follows the
forgiveness of sins. Christendom, almost in its entirety,
insists that remission of sin is imparted to the sinner
at the very moment the sinner believes (i.e., accepts
Jesus as personal Savior). This reception of Christ is an
internal, mostly intellectual/mental decision in which
the individual makes a genuine commitment to receive
Jesus as Lord.
In his book How To Be Born Again, Billy Graham
articulated the viewpoint espoused by the bulk of Christendom: All you have to do to be born again is to repent

The Essentiality of Baptism

69

of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior (1977, p. 156). He stated further:
Faith is trust, an act of commitment, in which I open
the door of my heart to Him (p. 160); It means a single,
individual relinquishment of mind and heart toward the
one person, Jesus Christ (p. 161); Conversion occurs
when we repent and place our faith in Christ (p. 162).
Near the close of his book, Graham summarized the
prevailing view of when forgiveness occurs:
Make it happen now. If you are willing to repent for
your sins and to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Savior, you can do it now. At this moment you can either
bow your head or get on your knees and say this little
prayer which I have used with thousands of persons
on every continent: O God, I acknowledge that I have
sinned against You. I am sorry for my sins. I am willing
to turn from my sins. I openly receive and acknowledge
Jesus Christ as my Savior. I confess Him as Lord. From
this moment on I want to live for Him and serve Him.
In Jesus name. Amen. If you are willing to make this
decision and have received Jesus Christ as your own
Lord and Savior, then you have become a child of God
in whom Jesus Christ dwells. You are born again (pp.
168-169, emp. in orig.).

Mr. Graham leaves no doubt as to his view of when forgiveness of sins occurs, and that it occurs before and
without water baptism.

70

What the Bible Says...

Another popular Christian writer, Max Lucado, expressed the same viewpoint in his book, He Did This
Just for You:
Would you let him save you? This is the most important decision you will ever make. Why dont you give
your heart to him right now? Admit your need. Agree
with his work. Accept his gift. Go to God in prayer and
tell him, I am a sinner in need of grace. I believe that
Jesus died for me on the cross. I accept your offer of
salvation. Its a simple prayer with eternal results (2000,
p. 50, italics and emp. in orig.).

Lucado then followed this statement with a response

page that provided the reader with the opportunity to
make the decision that he (Lucado) had just advocated.
The page, titled Your Response, includes the statement,
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God.
I want him to be the Lord of my life, and is followed
by two blank lines, one for the reader to sign his or her
name, and the other to record the date (p. 51).
These two widely recognized figures are sufficient to
establish the point: most within Christendom believe that
salvation occurs prior to water baptism. The Protestant
world has insisted that water baptism is a secondary and
subsequent action to salvation. But if this is the case,
what then is the purpose of baptism? Various religionists have maintained that it serves as an outward sign
of an inward grace. That is, since a person already has
received the saving grace of God by which sins have

The Essentiality of Baptism

71

been cleansed, baptism serves the purpose of providing an outward demonstration or public declaration
that the person has already been saved. The claim is
that baptism is a symbola visible expression of the
forgiveness already received at the point of faith.
Perhaps the reader would be shocked to find that the
Bible nowhere articulates this unbiblicalalbeit provocativeconcept. It is the figment of someones vivid
imagination that has been taken up and repeated so
often that it sounds biblical, even when it is not. When
Ananias prodded Paul to arise and be baptized, and
wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord
(Acts 22:16), he said nothing about an alleged symbolic
(versus actual) cleansing or post-forgiveness washing.
He uttered not one word that would lead the unbiased
reader to even remotely conclude that Pauls sins were
washed away before he was baptized in water.
The grammar that the Holy Spirit selected by which to
express Himself is very often a key to allowing the Bible
to interpret itself. In Acts 22:16, the grammar militates
against the denominational interpretation that so often
is imposed on Pauls baptism. The Holy Spirit utilized
two participles and two verbs in verse 16 that clarify His
intended meaning:
anastas is an aorist active participle: having arisen or rising
baptisai is an aorist middle imperative verb: get yourself baptized
apolousai is also an aorist middle imperative verb: get your sins washed away
epikalesamenos is an aorist middle participle: you will have been calling

72

What the Bible Says...

An adverbial participle is a participle that is used as

an adverb to modify the verb. Calling is an adverbial
participle of manner. It shows the manner in which the
main verbs are accomplished. The verbs (baptized and
wash away sins)joined by the coordinate conjunction
and (kai)are causative middles (Robertson, 1934,
p. 808) in the aorist tense, and so relate to the aorist
middle of the participle that follows (calling). Hence, a
literal translation would be: Having arisen, get yourself
baptized and get your sins washed away, and you will
have been calling on the name of the Lord. In other
words, Ananias was telling Paul that the way to accomplish calling on the Lord was to be baptized and have
his sins washed away.
But doesnt the Bible teach that baptism is, in fact, a
symbol? Doesnt baptism have symbolic significance?
Yes, the Bible assigns symbolic significance to baptism
in regard to at least three distinct features.
Romans 6:3-18

In a context dealing with the power of the Gospel

to counteract sin (5:20), Paul addressed the potential
misconception that some may form in thinking that the
continued indulgence in sin might be justified in order to
allow grace to flourish (6:1). When the Romans became
Christians, they died to sin (vs. 2). Thus, they should no
more have continued a sinful lifestyle, than a physically
deceased person could continue living physically. In

The Essentiality of Baptism

73

arguing his point, Paul informed the Romans that water

baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection
of Jesus. He used the term likeness (and later form)
to pinpoint this symbolism:
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life. For if we have been united together
in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be
in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that
our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of
sin might be done away with, that we should no longer
be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed
from sin (Romans 6:3-8).

When the believing, penitent non-Christian allows

him or herself to be lowered into the watery grave of
baptism, a parallel to Christs redemptive work is taking place. Baptism is into Christs death because that
is where He shed His blood on our behalf. The atoning
activity of Christ was achieved in His death, burial, and
resurrection. Consequently, the alien sinner taps into
that redemptive power in the act of water immersion.
The newness of life followsnot precedesbaptism (vs. 6). The old man of sin, the body of sin, is
eliminated in the waters of baptism. Being immersed in
waterburied in baptism (vs. 4)is equivalent to you

74

What the Bible Says...

obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which

you were delivered (vs. 17). Only then, i.e., in the act
of emulating Jesus atonement in the waters of baptism,
is one set free from sin (vs. 18). To summarize, notice
that seven significant achievements occur at the point
of water immersion: (1) baptized into Christ; (2) baptized
into Christs death; (3) newness of life; (4) united in His
death; (5) old man/body of sin crucified/done away; (6)
no longer slaves of sin; and (7) freed from sin.
Colossians 2:11-13

A second depiction of baptism as a symbol is seen in

Pauls identification of a link between baptism and the
Old Testament practice of circumcision. God introduced
the rite of circumcision into His covenant relationship
with Abraham (Genesis 17:10ff.). This surgical procedure
was strictly a physical feature of the Abrahamic covenant sustained by God with the physical descendants
of Abraham, i.e., the Israelites. In this sense, it did not
pertain ultimately to ones spiritual standing with God (1
Corinthians 7:19). In contrasting and comparing Christianity with various unacceptable religions and philosophies,
Paul used the physical rite of Jewish circumcision as a
parallel to water baptism:
In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision
made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins
of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with
Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him

The Essentiality of Baptism

75

through faith in the working of God, who raised Him

from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive
together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses
(Colossians 2:11-14).

One must be very careful to allow the text to express

itself with regard to the intended symbolism, refraining
from drawing unintended points of comparison. The
point that Paul was making is the idea that as skin was
cut off in the act of circumcision, so sins are cut off at
baptismskin vs. sin!
Paul underscored this meaning by alluding to the fact
that baptism in water involves a burial followed by a resurrectionbeing raised (vs. 12). Twelve verses later, he
again referred to this rising from the waters of baptism:
If then you were raised with Christ (3:1, emp. added).
The conclusion is unmistakable: being buried/lowered
into the waters of baptism, and then being raised from
those waters, is the point at which sin is removed from
the sinnerin the same way that flesh was removed
from the body in the act of circumcision.
In fact, Paul presented precisely the same case to the
Colossians that he presented to the Romans. Note carefully the points of comparison in the following chart:

76

What the Bible Says...

Romans 6

Colossians 2/3

we died (6:2)

(3:3) you died

we died with Christ (6:8)

(2:20) you died with Christ

buried with Him/baptism (6:4)

(2:12) buried with Him/baptism

Christ raised from dead (6:4)

(2:12) raised Him from dead

Walk in newness of life (6:4)

(3:1) Seek things above

be dead to sin (6:11)

(3:5) put to death your members

live any longer in it (6:2)

(3:7) when you lived in them

Both passages teach that people are dead in sin and

lost until they access the benefits of the death of Christ
by being buried in water baptism. At that point, a person
becomes dead to sin in the mind of God. Coming up out
of the waters of baptism is a type of resurrection that
signals a change in the way that person now lives life.
1 Peter 3:20-22

Peter added a third instance of baptisms symbolic

value.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the
unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom
also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,
who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine
longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark
was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls,
were saved through water. There is also an antitype
which now saves usbaptism (not the removal of the
filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience

The Essentiality of Baptism

77

toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of
God, angels and authorities and powers having been
made subject to Him (1 Peter 3:18-22).

Peter made a powerful point of comparison. The antediluvian people had the opportunity to hear Gods will for
their lives. Noah preached to them (2 Peter 2:5), perhaps
for over a century (Genesis 6:3). But the day came when
God brought the Flood waters upon the Earth, drowning
the entire human population with the exception of only
eight individuals. Peter noted that those eight people
were saved by (i.e., diathrough) water, i.e., through
the medium of water. In other words, God used water
as the dividing line between the lost and the saved. The
water was the medium that separated the eight members
of Noahs family from the rest of humanity. He then
comparednot the arkbut those Flood waters with
the water of baptism. The water of baptism is the dividing line that God has designated to distinguish between
the lost person and the saved person.
But does that mean that H2O is the cleansing agent?
Of course not. Such a conclusion is unwarranted, and
would certainly contradict other clear biblical testimony. Salvation is dependent upon and accomplished
by means of the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the
crossHis death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians
15:1-4). Likewise, immersion must be preceded by faith,
repentance, and confession of the deity of Christ. But

78

What the Bible Says...

Peter included this very point in his discussion. When

one removes the parenthetical material from the verse,
the interplay between baptism and Christs redemptive
activity is clearly seen: There is also an antitype which
now saves usbaptism, through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Resurrection is the figure of speech
known as synecdoche in which the part is put in place
of the whole. Resurrection includes the entire atoning
event of Jesusdeath, burial, and resurrection. Hence,
Peter attributed ones salvation to Christs work on the
crossbut the application of this salvific achievement
to the sinner occurs at the point of baptism.
Summary

The Bible is its own best interpreter. It teaches that

baptism is, indeed, a symbol. But what does baptism
symbolize? It symbolizes: (1) Christs death, burial, and
resurrection; (2) the act of cutting off in circumcision;
and (3) the waters of the Flood. How could anyone get
out of this that baptism symbolizes past forgiveness
that was achieved prior to being immersed? The honest
exegete is forced to conclude that the Bible nowhere
expounds such a notion. The symbolism associated
with water baptism further verifies the essentiality of
immersion as a mandatory prerequisite to forgiveness.
We dare not go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians
4:6), since it is by Jesus words that we will be judged
(John 12:48).

The Essentiality of Baptism

79

Christ at the Door of Your Heart?

One of the most familiar expressions uttered within
Christendom is: Christ stands at the door of your heart.
Many have been the preachers who have urged their
hearers to invite Jesus into their hearts in order to be
forgiven of sin and made a Christian. Someone said if
you repeat a statement enough times, people will come
to accept it on the basis of sheer repetition and familiarity. The admonition that Christ stands at the door
of your heart has been repeated so frequently that, for
many, to question it is unthinkable. One would think that
since this approach to salvation is so widespread, and
the expression is so predominant, that surely the statement can be found in Scriptureeven if only in so many
words. How disturbing to realize that the statement is
not found in Scripture and that the Bible simply does
not teach this doctrine!
The phraseology is reminiscent of Revelation 3:20the
passage usually quoted to support the idea of Christ
standing at the door of ones heart. But observe the
context. Revelation chapters two and three consist of
seven specific mini-letters directed to the seven churches
of Christ in Asia Minor near the end of the first century.
At the outset, one must recognize that Revelation 3:20
is addressed to Christiansnot non-Christians on the
verge of conversion.

80

What the Bible Says...

Second, the verse is found among Christs remarks

to the church in Laodicea. Jesus made clear that the
church had moved into an unfaithful condition. They
were lost. They were unacceptable to God since they
were lukewarm (3:16). They had become unsaved since
their spiritual condition was wretched and miserable
and poor (3:17). Thus, in a very real sense, Jesus had
abandoned them by removing His presence from their
midst. Now He was on the outside looking in. He still
wanted to be among them, but the decision was up to
them. They had to recognize His absence, hear Him
knocking for admission, and open the doorall of which
is figurative language to say that they must repent (3:19).
They would have to return to the obedient lifestyle so
essential to receiving Gods favor (John 14:21,23).
This means that Revelation 3:20 in no way supports the
idea that non-Christians merely have to open the door
of their heart and invite Jesus in with the assurance
that the moment they mentally/verbally do so, Jesus will
come into their heart and they will be simultaneously
saved from all past sin and counted as Christians! The
context of Revelation 3:20 shows that Jesus was seeking readmission into an apostate church.
But doesnt the Bible teach that Christ does come
into a persons heart? Yes. But not the way the religious
world suggests. Ephesians 3:17 states that Christ dwells
in the heart through faith. Faith can be acquired only

The Essentiality of Baptism

81

by hearing biblical truth (Romans 10:17). When that

biblical truth is obeyed, the individual is saved by faith
(Hebrews 5:9; James 2:22; 1 Peter 1:22; et al.). So Christ
enters our lives when we draw near with a sincere heart
in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience [i.e., when we repent of our
sins] and our bodies washed with pure water [i.e., when
we are baptized in water] (Hebrews 10:22). Here is
the New Testament (i.e., non-denominational) way to
accept Christ.

Calling on the Lord

Considering how many people within Christendom
teach that an individual can be saved merely by professing
a belief in Christ, it is not surprising that skeptics claim
that the Bible contradicts itself in this regard. Although
Peter and Paul declared, Whoever calls on the name
of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13;
cf. Joel 2:32), skeptics quickly remind their readers that
Jesus once stated: Not everyone who says to Me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who
does the will of My Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21; cf.
Luke 6:46). Allegedly, Matthew 7:21 clashes with such
passages as Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 (see Morgan,
2003; Wells, 2001). Since many professed Christians
seem to equate calling on the name of the Lord with
the idea of saying to Jesus, Lord, I receive You, Bible
critics feel even more justified in their pronouncement

82

What the Bible Says...

of conflicting testimonies. How can certain professed

followers of Christ claim that they were saved by simply
calling out to Christ, when Christ Himself proclaimed that
a mere calling upon Him would not save a person?
The key to understanding correctly the phrase calling on the name of the Lord is to recognize that more
is involved in this action than a mere verbal petition
directed toward God. The call mentioned in Acts 2:21,
Romans 10:13, and Acts 22:16 (where Paul was calling
on the name of the Lord), is not equated with the call
(Lord, Lord) Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the
Mount (Matthew 7:21).
First, it is appropriate to mention that even in modern
times, to call on someone frequently means more than
simply making a request for something. When a doctor
goes to the hospital to call on some of his patients,
he does not merely walk into the room and say, I just
wanted to come by and say, Hello. I wish you the best.
Now pay me. On the contrary, he involves himself in a
service. He examines the patient, listens to the patients
concerns, gives further instructions regarding the patients
hopeful recovery, and then oftentimes prescribes medication. All of these elements may be involved in a doctor
calling upon a patient. In the mid-twentieth century, it
was common for young men to call on young ladies.
Again, this expression meant something different than
just making a request (Brown, 1976, p. 5).

The Essentiality of Baptism

83

Second, when an individual takes the time to study

how the expression calling on God is used throughout
Scripture, the only reasonable conclusion to draw is
that, just as similar phrases sometimes have a deeper
meaning in modern America, the expression calling on
God often had a deeper meaning in Bible times. Take,
for instance, Pauls statement recorded in Acts 25:11: I
appeal unto Caesar. The word appeal (epikaloumai)
is the same word translated call (or calling) in Acts
2:21, 22:16, and Romans 10:13. But, Paul was not simply
saying, Im calling on Caesar to save me. As James
Bales noted:
Paul, in appealing to Caesar, was claiming the right of
a Roman citizen to have his case judged by Caesar. He
was asking that his case be transferred to Caesars court
and that Caesar hear and pass judgment on his case.
In so doing, he indicated that he was resting his case
on Caesars judgment. In order for this to be done Paul
had to submit to whatever was necessary in order for
his case to be brought before Caesar. He had to submit to the Roman soldiers who conveyed him to Rome.
He had to submit to whatever formalities or procedure
Caesar demanded of those who came before him. All
of this was involved in his appeal to Caesar (1960, pp.
81-82, emp. added).

Pauls calling to Caesar involved his submission to

him. That, in a nutshell, wrote T. Pierce Brown, is what
calling on the Lord involvesobedience (1976, p. 5).
It is not a mere verbal recognition of God, or a verbal

84

What the Bible Says...

petition to Him. Those whom Paul (before his conversion

to Christ) sought to bind in DamascusChristians who
were described as people who call on Your [Jehovahs]
namewere not people who only prayed to God, but
those who were serving the Lord, and who, by their
obedience, were submitting themselves to His authority
(cf. Matthew 28:18). Interestingly, Zephaniah 3:9 links
ones calling with his service: For then I will restore
to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call
on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord
(emp. added). When a person submits to the will of God,
he accurately can be described as calling on the Lord.
Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 (among other passages)
do not contradict Matthew 7:21, because to call on the
Lord entails more than just pleading for salvation; it
involves submitting to Gods will. According to Colossians 3:17, every single act a Christian performs (in word
or deed) should be carried out by Christs authority. For
a non-Christian receiving salvation, this is no different.
In order to obtain salvation, a person must submit to
the Lords authority. This is what the passages in Acts
2:21 and Romans 10:13 are teaching; it is up to us to
go elsewhere in the New Testament to learn how to call
upon the name of the Lord.
After Peter quoted the prophecy of Joel and told those
in Jerusalem on Pentecost that whoever calls on the
name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21), he told

The Essentiality of Baptism

85

them how to go about calling on the name of the Lord.

The people in the audience in Acts 2 did not understand
Peters quotation of Joel to mean that an alien sinner
must pray to God for salvation. [Their question in Acts
2:37 (Men and brethren, what shall we do?) indicates
such.] Furthermore, when Peter responded to their
question and told them what to do to be saved, he did
not say, Ive already told you what to do. You can be
saved by petitioning God for salvation through prayer.
Just call on His name. On the contrary, Peter had to
explain to them what it meant to call on the name of
the Lord. Instead of repeating this statement when the
crowd sought further guidance from the apostles, Peter
commanded them, saying, Repent, and let every one
of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins (2:38). Notice the parallel:

Acts 2:21

Acts 2:38

Acts 2:21

Whoever

calls

on the
name

of the
Lord

shall be
saved

Acts 2:38

every one
of you

repent
and be
baptized

in the
name

of Jesus
Christ

for the
remission
of sins

Peters non-Christian listeners learned that calling on

the name of the Lord for salvation was equal to obeying the Gospel, which approximately 3,000 did that very
day by repenting of their sins and being baptized into
Christ (2:38,41).

86

What the Bible Says...

But what about Romans 10:13? What is the call

mentioned in this verse? Notice Romans 10:11-15:
For the Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him will
not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between
Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all
who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of
the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on
Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall
they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And
how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall
they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How
beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel
of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things! (emp.
added).

Although this passage does not define precisely what is

meant by one calling on the name of the Lord, it does
indicate that an alien sinner cannot call until after he
has heard the Word of God and believed it. Such was
meant by Pauls rhetorical questions: How then shall
they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And
how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not
heard? Pauls statements in this passage are consistent
with Peters proclamations in Acts 2. It was only after the
crowd on Pentecost believed in the resurrected Christ
Whom Peter preached (as is evident by their being cut
to the heart and their subsequent question, Men and
brethren, what shall we do?) that Peter told them how
to call on the name of the Lord and be saved (2:38).

The Essentiality of Baptism

87

Perhaps the clearest description of what it means

for an alien sinner to call on the name of the Lord is
found in Acts 22. As the apostle Paul addressed the mob
in Jerusalem, he spoke of his encounter with the Lord,
Whom he asked, What shall I do? (22:10; cf. 9:6). The
answer Jesus gave Him at that time was not call on
the name of the Lord. Instead, Jesus instructed him to
arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told
all things which are appointed for you to do (22:10). Paul
(or SaulActs 13:9) demonstrated his belief in Jesus as
he went into the city and waited for further instructions.
In Acts 9, we learn that during the next three days, while
waiting to meet with Ananias, Paul fasted and prayed
(vss. 9,11). Although some today might consider what
Paul was doing at this point as calling on the name of
the Lord, Ananias, Gods chosen messenger to Paul,
did not think so. He did not tell Paul, I see you have
already called on God. Your sins are forgiven. After
three days of fasting and praying, Paul still was lost in
his sins. Even though he obviously believed at this point,
and had prayed to God, he had yet to call on the name
of the Lord for salvation. When Ananias finally came
to Paul, he told him: Arise and be baptized, and wash
away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord (22:16).
Ananias knew that Paul had not yet called on the name
of the Lord, just as Peter knew that those on Pentecost
had not done so before his command to repent and

88

What the Bible Says...

be baptized. Thus, Ananias instructed Paul to be baptized, and wash away your sins. The participle phrase,
calling on the name of the Lord, describes what Paul
was doing when he was baptized for the remission of
his sins. Every non-Christian who desires to call on the
name of the Lord to be saved, does so, not simply by
saying, Lord, Lord (cf. Matthew 7:21), or just by wording a prayer to God (e.g., PaulActs 9; 22; cf. Romans
10:13-14), but by obeying Gods instructions to repent
and be baptizedin the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of your sins (Acts 2:38).
This is not to say that repentance and baptism have
always been (or are always today) synonymous with calling on the name of the Lord. Abraham was not baptized
when he called upon the name of the Lord (Genesis
12:8; cf. 4:26), because baptism was not demanded of
God before New Testament times. And, as I mentioned
earlier, when the New Testament describes people who
were already Christians as calling on the name of the
Lord (Acts 9:14,21; 1 Corinthians 1:2), it certainly does
not mean that Christians continually were being baptized
for the remission of their sins after having been baptized
to become a Christian (cf. 1 John 1:5-10). Depending on
when and where the phrase is used, calling on the name
of the Lord includes: (1) obedience to the gospel plan
of salvation; (2) worshiping God; and (3) faithful service
to the Lord (Bates, 1979, p. 5). However, it never is used

The Essentiality of Baptism

89

in the sense that all the alien sinner must do in order to

be saved is to cry out and say, Lord, Lord, save me.
Thus, the skeptics allegation that Matthew 7:21 contradicts Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 is unsubstantiated.
And, the professed Christian who teaches that all one
must do to be saved is just say the sinners prayer, is
in error.

References
Bales, James (1960), The Hub of the BibleOrActs Two
Analyzed (Shreveport, LA: Lambert).
Bates, Bobby (1979), Whosoever Shall Call Upon the Name of the
Lord Shall be Saved, Firm Foundation, 96:5, March 20.
Brown, T. Pierce (1976), Calling on His Name, Firm Foundation,
93:5, July 20.
Graham, Billy (1977), How to Be Born Again (Waco, TX: Word
Books).
Jackson, Wayne (1988), The New Birth: What is It? Christian
Courier, 24/4:14.
Lucado, Max (2000), He Did This Just for You (Nashville, TN:
Word).
Morgan, Donald (2003), Biblical Inconsistencies, [On-line],
URL: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/
inconsistencies.shtml.
Robertson, A.T. (1934), A Grammar of the Greek New Testament
(Nashville, TN: Broadman).
Wells, Steve (2001), Skeptics Annotated Bible, [On-line], URL:
http://www.Skepticsannotatedbible.com.