Scripture Reading: Acts 19:1-5
One Cannot be Taught Wrong and Baptized Right!
Intro.
1. Illus: Must take the correct road from
Bellingham, WA to Boise, ID to get there (take the wrong road…never arrive at
your destination).
Jno. 14:6
-Just like one will never get to Kurnool from Bangalore on the wrong road, one will never get to the Savior and salvation on the wrong road (one can be very sincere, yet still on the wrong road!). Matt. 7:13-20
2. Some wrongly accuse us of demanding that baptism be “by a church of Christ preacher” in order to be valid. That is not true.
3. What we advocate is this: Baptism by the authority of Jesus Christ – it alone will save the lost; It alone is approved by God and acceptable to God (Matt. 28:18-19).
4. Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). Only when we hear and believe the right word will we have true faith that leads to true obedience of Christ and salvation from our sins through Him (Acts 4:12).
I. FALSE DOCTRINE DOES NOT PRODUCE TRUE OBEDIENCE AND SALVATION.
A. One Cannot be Taught Another Faith (error, false gospel) and Correctly Obey the One Baptism of Truth, Eph. 4:5.
1. One Lord gave one faith that commands one baptism. [“One baptism” is the result of preaching the “one faith” that is given by “one Lord” (Jesus Christ).]
2. When two people have different faiths (gospel or body of truth, Gal. 1:11, 23) they cannot both be partakers of the same (one) Lord and baptism (Gal. 3:26-27).
a. That would be this: One Lord...two faiths…one baptism!!
b. cf. Denominationalism that teaches “salvation by faith only” perverts the gospel by teaching another faith that is not the “one faith” and therefore cannot produce the correct baptism (“one baptism”) of the gospel, Gal. 1:6-7.
B. One Cannot be Taught Another Jesus (error, false gospel) and be Correctly Baptized into the True Christ (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 3:27).
1. cf. 2 Jno. 7: Some taught Jesus did not come in the flesh; these were not to be fellowshipped (9-11).
2. cf. LDS: Teach Jesus was a spirit child born to God the Father in pre-mortal existence: They baptize for remission of sins, but not into Christ!
C. One Cannot be Taught Another Faith about Sin (error, false gospel) and Expect Baptism to Wash Away His Sins, Acts 2:36-38; 22:16. It will not do so!
1. That would be salvation by ignorance and faithlessness, not faith!
2. cf. Catholics: Teach the false doctrine of original, inherited sin; they say baptism is necessary to remove it; but their doctrine is false and their baptism invalid. (Also, they sprinkle, not immerse – false and invalid.)
3. Sin will not be washed away without proper faith about sin and its removal (cf. Rom. 6:1-4).
D. One Cannot be Taught Another Faith about Salvation (error, false gospel) and Expect Baptism to Save the Lost, Mk. 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21.
1. Acts 16:30-34: Jailer taught truth about salvation in Jesus so he could be correctly baptized and saved.
2. cf. LDS: Salvation is exaltation in a celestial kingdom (become a god); Their baptism doesn’t save them!
E. One Cannot be Taught Another Faith about the Church (error, false gospel) and be Correctly Baptized into the Body of Christ, Eph. 4:4; 1 Cor. 12:13.
1. The Holy Spirit (one Spirit, Eph. 4:4) revealed “one faith” that leads us to be baptized into “one body” (the church, Acts 2:47).
2. When Philip preached the church (kingdom) and the authority of Jesus believers were baptized and added to the church (one body), Acts 8:12; 2:47.
3. cf. Denominations teach the wrong church. They say, “join the church of your choice.” Therefore, their baptisms will never put a person into the true church!
II. THE AUTHORITY THAT VALIDATES (APPROVES) BAPTISM. (Matt. 21:23: “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?”) (From heaven or men? Matt. 21:25)
A. The Authority that Approves Baptism Belongs to Jesus Christ, Matt. 28:18-20 (Col. 3:17).
1. Baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” is by the authority (power and approval) of Christ (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; 1 Cor. 1:13-16).
2. Example: John the baptizer, Acts 19:1-5.
a. His “baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” was no longer valid (Mk. 1:4; Jno. 3:30).
b. People who had been baptized with an invalid baptism submitted to being baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
B. The Misuse of Authority Invalidates the Action, Acts 19:11-17.
1. Paul worked miracles by the power (authority) of God, 19:11-12.
2. Some men tried to exorcise evil spirits by calling the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits, but they failed because they had no authority to do so! 19:13-16
3. This show of true power (authority) caused “the name of the Lord Jesus” to be greatly honored, 19:17.
4. Baptism is not authorized or approved by any of the following:
a. Not a denomination started by man because their existence is not authorized by Christ (Col. 3:17).
b. Not a council convened by men, because the council is unauthorized by Christ (Col. 3:17).
c. Not a creed written by men, because the creed is not authorized by Christ (Col. 3:17).
5. God uproots all plants He does not plant; When blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch, Matt. 15:12-14.
6. Note: The church of Christ does not validate or approve baptism; Christians merely preach the gospel that contains God’s authority! (Matt. 28:18-19) When the gospel is obeyed the Lord adds the saved to His church (Acts 2:47).
III. CHRIST’S AUTHORITY FOR BAPTISM IS REVEALED IN HIS NEW TESTAMENT.
A. Christ is Not Divided, 1 Cor. 1:13. He does not accept divided baptisms that come from divided doctrines!
1. cf. 1:12: Like them, some say: "I was baptized in the ______ Church; ______ Church; _____ Church."
2. The baptisms of denominational churches are preached and approved by divided believers without the approval of Christ (they make “the cross of Christ…of no effect” against sin, 1 Cor. 1:17).
3. Therefore, Christ does not accept the baptisms of denominations (1 Cor. 1:10); they have no power to save lost souls.
4. The correct authority (word of Christ) must approve baptism for it to have Christ’s saving power, 1:13, 17; That authority is His gospel.
Conclusion
1. If you were not baptized by the authority of Jesus Christ then you are not yet saved by Jesus Christ.
2. If you were baptized after being taught false doctrine by a false church, then your baptism was not approved by Christ and you are still in your sins; you need to be baptized in the name of Jesus (cf. Acts 18:8; 19:5).
3. The person who wants to be right with God must submit to Jesus Christ in all things, including baptism.
4. Water baptism in the name of (by the authority of) Jesus for the remission of sins is the response of a good conscience that is craving to be right with God, 1 Pet. 3:21.
5. There is one Lord we believe one faith and obey one baptism (Eph. 4:5). Get right with God now!