Tag Archives: Acts 22:16

IS BAPTISM A PART OF THE GOSPEL?

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IS BAPTISM A PART OF THE GOSPEL? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, September 28, 2012 at 2:13pm QUESTION: I know someone who argues that baptism cannot be related to salvation because (a) salvation comes via the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16), and (b) baptism is not part of the gospel (1 Cor. 1:17). Therefore (c) baptism has nothing to do with salvation. What do you think about this argument? ANSWER: This is a bit of a twist on the usual Zwinglian (faith-only) argument against baptism for salvation based on this Corinthians text. I have briefly discussed and refuted … Continue reading →

QUESTIONS ON MY NOTE ABOUT THE “UNBIBLICALLY BAPTIZED”

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QUESTIONS ON MY NOTE ABOUT THE “UNBIBLICALLY BAPTIZED” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 2:56pm QUESTION: I read your note on the spiritual status of the unbiblically baptized, and it raised some serious questions in my mind. First, you say it is “possible that in some cases God has made exceptions and has acted outside his stated plan” regarding the role of immersion in salvation. If that is true, why is there absolutely no example or even hint of God making such an exception? Do we have a right to give a hint of hope where … Continue reading →

WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL STATUS OF THOSE BAPTIZED UNBIBLICALLY?

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WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL STATUS OF THOSE BAPTIZED UNBIBLICALLY? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 1:15pm QUESTION: What is the spiritual status of the millions of people who have mistakenly followed the false views of baptism, whether in regard to meaning, subjects, or mode? E.g., here is a person who was sprinkled as a baby as a mark of membership in a local church, based solely on the fact that he was born to parents who were already members of that church. That person is now an adult and is actively involved in church activities and … Continue reading →

THE PARADOX OF PRAYER

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THE PARADOX OF PRAYER by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, June 13, 2011 at 1:17pm THE PARADOX OF PRAYER:  JAMES 5:13-18  (A SERMON PREACHED 5/29/11)   THE PARADOX:  If God can do whatever He chooses, and if He really loves us, why doesn’t He answer all of our prayers?  Here I will comment on James 5:13-18, and will use this text to help resolve the paradox of prayer.   PART ONE:  COMMENTS ON THE TEXT.   Verse13 – “Suffering” means any time things are going bad for you in any way. “Cheerful” means any time things are looking good for … Continue reading →

BAPTISM FOR SALVATION: ITS BIBLICAL BASIS

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BAPTISM FOR SALVATION: ITS BIBLICAL BASIS by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, May 27, 2011 at 9:16am QUESTION: Not long ago I had your course on “The Doctrine of Grace,” in which you discuss the issue of baptism. Personally, I accepted Christ as my Savior as an adult, but was not immersed until some years later. What was my spiritual status during that interim between my acceptance of Christ and my immersion? ANSWER: The subject of baptism comes up in several places in my course on grace, but in that course I do not attempt to “set forth the Biblical … Continue reading →

Books By Jack Cottrell

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BOOKS BY JACK COTTRELL by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 1:35pm Someone asked me recently to make a list of my available books. I thought some of you may be interested in the list, so I am publishing it here, mostly as written for another purpose. I, Jack Cottrell (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary), have taught theology at Cincinnati Christian University for 43 years. During this time I have written 20 books, 16 of which are still in print. The following is a list of these available books. The first seven are available from College Press Publishing … Continue reading →

What Is the Best Time for Baptism?

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What Is the Best Time for Baptism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 8:54am A RECENT QUESTION: We have had a number of baptisms lately during the week, i.e., not on Sunday. We keep our water warm and tell people we can do baptisms any time, when they have come to that decision, and will arrange for someone to be baptized on, say, Wednesday at 10 A.M. Of course, Sunday baptisms are always welcomed and encouraged, and we’ve had a number of those too. But my question is, is there a Scriptural reason to prefer having … Continue reading →

Baptism and Calling upon His Name

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Baptism and Calling upon His Name by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:54am QUESTION: Is it possible to correlate the Scripture that exhorts us to “call upon the name of the Lord” with 1 Peter 3:21, where Peter says that baptism is our “appeal” to God? In other words, is the exhortation to call upon the name of the Lord, in essence, baptism? MY REPLY: The closest thing to an exhortation to call upon the name of the Lord is Acts 22:16, where Ananias addresses the repentant Saul of Tarsus, “Now why do you delay? Get … Continue reading →

Acts 22:16 and Baptism

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Acts 22:16 and Baptism by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 12:59pm A RECENT INQUIRY: Some Bible versions [e.g., Holman Christian Standard Bible] are translating Acts 22:16 as, “Be baptized and wash away your sins BY calling on his name.” This is different from other versions and can be construed differently in meaning. Can the Greek be translated that way? What is the more accurate translation? And, does the ending relate to what’s happening in baptism or is it a separate action? Thanks for your input. MY REPLY: It is true that a Greek participle can have … Continue reading →

WHY DO CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS?

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WHY DO CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 8:37am SHOULD CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS? AN INQUIRER WRITES: “We are studying prayer in our small group. I remember a conversation that came up in one of our classes in Bible college. Since Jesus has already died for our sins, do we ask for forgiveness in a prayer, or do we simply just thank God for having already forgiven us of our sins? Do we make a request or just say ‘Thank you’?” MY REPLY: First, you would not say it this way: “Since … Continue reading →