Tag Archives: Matthew 28:19

WHAT ABOUT BAPTISM AS TRINE (TRIPLE) IMMERSION?

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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 →

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 →

IS GOD MORE THAN THREE PERSONS?

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IS GOD MORE THAN THREE PERSONS? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:11pm QUESTION: We speak about the “three persons in the Godhead,” i.e., the Trinity. We also say that God has revealed Himself in these three persons as performing different roles for salvation purposes. Is it not possible that the omnipotent God could reveal Himself in MORE than three persons with other roles? Perhaps he has revealed Himself in just three persons because these are enough and sufficient to save mankind. ANSWER: This speculation is quite faulty, and it is based on a false assumption … Continue reading →

BAPTISM AND 1 CORINTHIANS 1:17

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BAPTISM AND 1 CORINTHIANS 1:17 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 10:55am QUESTION: How do you interpret 1 Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (ESV)? ANSWER: It is very common for this passage to be interpreted as implying that baptism is not important, and that Paul considered it to be almost irrelevant. As thus interpreted, this text is thrown in the face of those who believe that baptism is a … 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 →

Describing God

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Describing God by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 2:09pm QUESTION: How would you describe God? ANSWER: I appreciate the questioner’s wanting me to “describe God,” but I must confess that a thorough answer to this question requires an answer that would be much too large for a brief piece like this. In the early 1980s I set out to answer this question by writing a book on “What the Bible Says About God.” Before I finished, I had three large volumes totaling 1,500 pages. Originally published by College Press, they are still available from Wipf and … Continue reading →

Is Baptism an Act of Obedience to a Command?

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Is Baptism an Act of Obedience to a Command? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 12:58pm QUESTION: In your book “Baptism: A Biblical Study” you say, “The Bible never treats baptism as a work of law or as a simple act of obedience in response to a command” (p. 139, 2006 ed.). Did not Christ command His disciples to go and make disciples, baptizing them (Matt. 28:19)? When the Jews asked Peter on the day of Pentecost, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37), did he not command them to “be baptized” (2:38)? Was not their baptism … Continue reading →

1 Corinthians 1:17 and the Importance of Baptism

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1 Corinthians 1:17 and the Importance of Baptism by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 1:17pm QUESTION: I have heard some use 1 Corinthians 1:17 to diminish the importance of baptism, or to say that baptism isn’t essential for salvation because Paul seems to put so little emphasis on it. What would be your response? ANSWER: When this text is rightly interpreted in its total context, it actually shows just the opposite of this. In fact, this text underscores the unique importance of baptism, and makes it clear that it cannot be considered to be just another … Continue reading →

What Is the Trinity?

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What Is the Trinity? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 6:48pm QUERY: I have a relative who is a Jehovah’s Witness. He accepts that Jesus is the son of God but denies that he (Jesus) is God. How would you explain the triune God? ANSWER: For details, see chapter 3 of my book, “What the Bible Says About God the Redeemer” (pp. 117-174). Here I will summarize a section of my book, “The Faith Once for All” (pp. 70-73): God is ONE, but he is also THREE. He is one and three at the same time. … Continue reading →