Tag Archives: Forgiveness

WHAT ABOUT BAPTISM AS TRINE (TRIPLE) IMMERSION?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

WHAT ABOUT BAPTISM AS TRINE (TRIPLE) IMMERSION? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 26, 2012 at 4:36pm QUESTION: I have heard that some churches baptize their new converts by immersing them three times. They call this “trine” (or “triune”) immersion. Where does this idea come from? ANSWER: Today practically all Orthodox Churches (e.g., Greek Orthodox) immerse both infants and adult converts three times as their form of baptism. They are simply continuing a practice that began in the early church around the beginning of the third century. Also, the Church of the Brethren practices believers’ baptism by immersing three … Continue reading →

UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALISM

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALISM by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 1:41pm QUESTION: If homosexualism is wrong, what should be the Christian’s attitude toward it? ANSWER: Here are some general considerations. ONE. The first thing is that we must distinguish between a homosexual disposition and homosexual behavior. A homosexual disposition is a real sexual preference for or attraction to persons of one’s own sex. Such a person is “a homosexual” (gay or lesbian), whether sexually active or not. On the other hand, homosexual behavior refers to sexual desire and sexual contact between persons of the same sex. Homosexual desire, … Continue reading →

WILL “THE HEATHEN” (THE UNEVANGELIZED) BE SAVED?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

WILL “THE HEATHEN” (THE UNEVANGELIZED) BE SAVED? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, January 16, 2012 at 9:40am QUESTION: If a person dies without hearing of Jesus or of grace, but still believes in his heart that all things in the heavens and on earth were created by God the Creator, will this person be saved? Do such people not have the law written on their hearts, as Romans 2:15 says, even though they are not able to hear about Christ? ANSWER: Paul’s point in Romans 1:18-32 (and 2:14-15) is that even those who do not have special revelation (such … 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 →

“CONSCIENTIOUS RESPONSE TO AVAILABLE LIGHT”

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

“CONSCIENTIOUS RESPONSE TO AVAILABLE LIGHT” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, November 25, 2011 at 12:03pm QUESTION: You make a big deal of the principle of “conscientious response to available light,” especially in explaining how you think God will judge those who are not Biblically baptized. I don’t see this phrase used anywhere in the Bible, and I don’t see how it can be derived from Romans 4:15. Doesn’t the Bible say that we will be judged by the standard of the words of Jesus (John 12:48)? Wouldn’t this principle excuse every believer whose thinking is wrong on any issue … Continue reading →

WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL STATUS OF THOSE BAPTIZED UNBIBLICALLY?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

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 IMPERATIVES OF ACTS 2:38

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

THE IMPERATIVES OF ACTS 2:38 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, September 16, 2011 at 1:21pm QUESTION: Some interpreters of Acts 2:38 make a big deal of the difference between second person imperative for the verb “repent,” and third person imperative for the verb “be baptized.” My systematic theology professor says that “be baptized,” as third person imperative, is not a command as such but is rather “a strong plea.” His basis is the same usage in Galatians 1:8, where Paul says “let them be accursed,” which is not really a mandatory command to God but a strong plea. What … Continue reading →

Can We Cooperate with Christian Groups?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Can We Cooperate with Christian Groups? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 7:34pm QUESTION #1 – “Some parachurch organizations use the 1974 Lausanne Covenant to describe what they believe. What are your thoughts about this?” QUESTION #2 – “What do you think of the Manhattan Declaration? Have you signed it? How can we cooperate with those whose doctrine is different from ours?” ANSWER: The former question came today; the latter came some months ago. Each involves the same two issues: (1) Can we endorse the doctrine expressed in these documents? And, (2) can we in good … Continue reading →

IS REBAPTISM EVER NECESSARY?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

IS REBAPTISM EVER NECESSARY? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 3:17pm QUESTION: Is it ever a good idea, or even necessary, for a person to be rebaptized, i.e., baptized a second time? ANSWER: My approach to this question assumes that sometimes what is considered to be a baptism is indeed a valid baptism, but sometimes it is not. If a person has been baptized once with a valid baptism, there will never be a need for rebaptism. This is true even if a baptized person has fallen from grace and has now decided to return to … Continue reading →

SUICIDE AND FORGIVENESS

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

SUICIDE AND FORGIVENESS by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 4:29pm QUESTION: If a Christian commits suicide, does he or she automatically go to hell? Doesn’t the Bible say we must confess our sins in order for them to be forgiven? Surely suicide is a sin, but by its very nature it can be confessed only prior to the act. Is that sufficient in order to receive forgiveness for it? ANSWER: We can certainly agree on some crucial points here: suicide (self-murder) is certainly a very serious sin, being a violation of the sixth commandment; committing any … Continue reading →