Tag Archives: Zwingli

IS BAPTISM THE FIRST STEP OF OBEDIENCE?

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IS BAPTISM THE FIRST STEP OF OBEDIENCE? (This is the second edition of an article by Jack Cottrell, first published in Christian Standard in April 10, 2005.) A church leader was recently asked to explain his convictions and practice concerning baptism. He replied, “I have always believed that when a person sincerely comes to trust Jesus Christ as leader, forgiver, and Savior, and repents, the first step of obedience is to be baptized into Christ. That is what I have always taught, believed, and practiced” (Christian Standard, 6/27/04, p. 6). What does it mean to think of baptism as “the … Continue reading →

A NEW BOOK ON BAPTISM: A REVIEW

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I really like this book! It is arguably the best book on baptism (except my Baptism: A Biblical Study, of course!) since George R. Beasley-Murray’s Baptism in the New Testament appeared in 1962. The book is called Recovering the Evangelical Sacrament: Baptisma Semper Reformandum (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013; 403p., pb.), written by Anthony R. Cross. Like Beasley-Murray, Cross is a British Baptist. A member of the faculty of theology and religion at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, Cross is an expert in Baptist history and doctrine and in the theology and practice of baptism. This work is … Continue reading →

IS THE LORD’S SUPPER “MORE THAN AN MEMORIAL”?

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IS THE LORD’S SUPPER “MORE THAN AN MEMORIAL”? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 3:55pm My friend, former student, and fellow Kingdom-worker Tom Lawson has written a very provocative article on the Lord’s Supper:  “More Than a Memorial,”  in the 1/29/12 issue of Christian Standard (pp. 6-8).  He challenges the view that the Supper is “merely symbolic” and that the bread and juice are just “emblems” of the body and blood of Christ. Instead, Brother Lawson suggests that eating the loaf and drinking the cup are a real partaking of the actual body and blood of … 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 THE “BAPTISM OF DESIRE” SUFFICIENT?

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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 →

THE IMPERATIVES OF ACTS 2:38

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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 →

THE “PIOUS UNIMMERSED”

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THE “PIOUS UNIMMERSED” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 12:23pm QUESTION:  What is the salvation status of the “Pious Unimmersed”?   ANSWER:  The question of the salvation status of the pious unimmersed has been a mind-boggling and heart-wrenching issue in the Restoration Movement since its beginning.  The reason this question arose was that most of Protestantism since the days of the Reformation had abandoned the Biblical view of baptism as a salvation event and had adopted Huldreich Zwingli’s newly-minted concept of baptism as a visible sign of a salvation status already received.  The early Restoration leaders, … Continue reading →

INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART FOUR: AN APPEAL

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INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART FOUR: AN APPEAL by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 4:05pm THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE: DOES IT STILL MATTER? JACK COTTRELL – CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY – APRIL 2011 PART IV. AN APPEAL. I have always been a part of the fellowship called “the Restoration Movement,” and I am still committed to its basic principles. For 43 years I have taught theology at Cincinnati Christian University (which began as The Cincinnati Bible Seminary). Today it is my earnest desire that every one of our students, and this school as such, and the Movement of … Continue reading →

Baptism and Original Sin

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Baptism and Original Sin by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, September 3, 2010 at 2:29pm QUESTION: How does baptism relate to original sin? ANSWER: To answer this question we must first begin with the fact that the NT teaches that baptism is a salvation event. I.e., it teaches that baptism is the point of time when God bestows the double cure for the problem of sin. In that moment God takes away the GUILT of sin by uniting us with Jesus Christ’s atoning death. This is called “baptism for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38). Also in that moment God … Continue reading →

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

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“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 →