Tag Archives: Baptism of Desire

CAN ONE BE “SPIRITUALLY ALIVE” WITHOUT BAPTISM? (PART TWO)

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

CAN ONE BE “SPIRITUALLY ALIVE” WITHOUT BAPTISM? (PART TWO) by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 8:49am In part one we began discussing this question: If baptism results in death to sin and rebirth to new spiritual life, then (1) why do some unimmersed people seem to exhibit this new life and new lifestyle; and (2) why do some immersed believers not do a very good job of living a committed life? The “new lifestyle” that follows conversion is what we usually call “sanctification,” or the lifelong process of becoming more and more holy as God is … Continue reading →

HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

HOW DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 3:14pm QUESTION: I am confused about the various references to the working of the Holy Spirit [HS] in the Book of Acts. E.g., do Acts 1:5 and 1:8 refer to the same work of the Spirit? Is the promise in 1:5 fulfilled in 2:4? Does 11:15-16 tie 1:5 and 2:4 together? ANSWER: Once source of such confusion is the assumption that all works of the HS are basically the same. Some add to this the assumption that all works of the Spirit involve salvation. … Continue reading →

QUESTIONS ON MY NOTE ABOUT THE “UNBIBLICALLY BAPTIZED”

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

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 →

IS THE “BAPTISM OF DESIRE” SUFFICIENT?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

IS THE “BAPTISM OF DESIRE” SUFFICIENT? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 9:36am QUESTION: I know of a severely-handicapped person who had a sincere desire to be baptized in the Biblical way, but because of the disability simply could not be immersed. It was decided to put this person under the shower and cover him with water in such a way that he was extremely wet from head-to-toe and had to hold his breath for a time while the water was showered over his face. Those conducting this “baptism” emphasized the importance of the person’s commitment … Continue reading →

Is Sound Doctrine a Moral Obligation? (Part Two)

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Is Sound Doctrine a Moral Obligation? (Part Two) by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 2:22pm I wrote an earlier note called “Does It Matter What Church We Attend?” What I said in that note stirred up quite an active discussion, with some responders consigning me to some version of theological (if not literal) Tartarus. That’s OK; I don’t expect everyone to agree with my (always) completely rational and Biblical answers! I do like to avoid being misunderstood or misinterpreted, however. Thus I have chosen to follow up on that note with a two-part essay that addresses … Continue reading →

ELECTION, CALVINISM, AND THE BIBLE, PART TWO

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

ELECTION, CALVINISM, AND THE BIBLE, PART TWO by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 4:02pm In part one of this essay, I said that the Biblical language of election is used in several different senses or applied in several different ways. In that part, I explained the first four such ways: (1) the election of Jesus as the incarnate God the Redeemer; (2) the election of individuals to service, e.g., the patriarchs and the apostles; (3) the election of groups (especially Israel) to service; and (4) the election of groups as categories of individuals to whom God … Continue reading →

“Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?” Questioning the Question.

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

“Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?” Questioning the Question. by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, August 20, 2010 at 3:50pm “Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?” QUESTION: A brother has written expressing his dismay upon discovering that his church’s preacher and many of its elders do not see baptism as related to salvation, appealing, e.g., to the thief on the cross and to the hypothetical new believer lost in the desert. One elder is quoted as saying, “You will never get me to believe you have to be baptized to get to heaven.” Another elder cited a quote from Hicks and Taylor’s … Continue reading →

BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD (2)

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD (2) by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 3:01pm BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD (2) QUERY: First Corinthians 15:29 says, “Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” What is Paul saying here? It does not seem to fit with everything else the Bible teaches about personal salvation. ANSWER: What does not seem to “fit” here is the supposed implication that an individual’s personal choices during this lifetime are not necessarily the measure of whether or … Continue reading →

Questions About the Essentiality of Baptism

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Questions About the Essentiality of Baptism by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 7:22pm QUESTION: An individual asked me some questions about baptism, and I would love to hear your response. Here are the questions: (1) If we are justified through faith (Rom 3:27—4:8) how are we justified in baptism? And (2) what about the man in the desert who is incapable of being baptized? Will he be lost, even if he has a genuine faith? I responded to the latter question by saying this is a rare case and that these types of situations are in … Continue reading →

IS HOME COMMUNION NECESSARY?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

IS HOME COMMUNION NECESSARY? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 12:13pm INQUIRY: The question has been raised about the necessity of home communion. If Christian brothers and sisters cannot attend a regular Sunday service, is it essential that the Lord’s Supper be taken to them in their homes or in the hospital or wherever they may be? Is there some “sacramental” blessing bestowed in the taking of communion that they will miss if communion is not taken to them? ANSWER: This inquiry raises the question of WHY we take the Lord’s Supper in the first place. … Continue reading →