Jerry C. Brewer
…She was saved at Falls Creek in about 1942 and rededicated her life and was baptized in 1993 at Calvary Chapel Inland, Jurupa Valley, California. Her faith was very important to her in her latter years. She passed as a proud member of Martha Road Baptist Church.
The above quote is from an obituary of a lady who passed away in our area. Baptist doctrine reverses Bible teaching by 180 degrees from the teaching of Jesus Christ. According to Baptist doctrine, this woman’s salvation was separated from her baptism by 51 years. Their teaching of “salvation by faith only”—without and before baptism—is the devil’s doctrine that has sent—and will continue to send—millions to eternal punishment.
Baptist theologians are masters at doublespeak. Our son grew up, graduated from high school, and played sports, with a fine young man who became a Baptist preacher and and a graduate of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. In a discussion of the subject of baptism, that young man once told our son that, “Baptism is necessary, but not essential.” He had well learned Baptist doublespeak.
Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Baptist doctrine reverses the Lord’s teaching, saying, “He that believeth is saved and should be baptized.”
Peter wrote, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:21). Baptist doctrine denies these words of the inspired apostle, saying, “Baptism doth not also save us.” One Baptist theologian wrote,
Baptists believe that no one is a scriptural subject for baptism till he is already saved. All well-informed people know that we teach this: then upon what ground can they say we believe baptism is essential to salvation? (J. G. Bow, What Baptists Believe and Why They Believe It, nd, Issued by The Sunday School Board, of The Southern Baptist Convention, Nashville, Tenn., pp. 36, 37)
One is led to wonder why any Baptist bothers with baptism—the very thing from which the Baptist Church derives its name. Peter told his hearers on Pentecost to, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). In plain, unmistakable, language that verse says baptism is for the remission of sins, but Baptist doctrine says they were “already saved” and had no sins to remit.
Then, there is the Baptist quibble that wrests the word for in Acts 2:38. Baptists say Peter told his hearers to, “Repent and be baptized…for (because of) the remission of sins. Baptists say the word for means “because of.” It does in some Bible passages, but not in Acts 2:38.
Paul prayed that he might go to Rome (Rom. 1:10), then added,”For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift…” (1:11). The word for in Rom. 1:11 is translated from gar, which means “because of.” Gar always looks backward, never forward. In Acts 2:38 the word for is translated from a different Greek word, eis, which looks forward, never backward. Thayer says eis means, “into, unto, to, towards, for, among” (183). When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He used the identical wording that Peter used—in both Greek and English—in Acts 2:38. Of the cup, He said, “…this is my blood which is shed for many for (eis) the remission of sins. According to Baptist doctrine, Jesus shed His blood because sins had already been remitted. If their doctrine is right (which it is not) then Jesus shed His blood for no reason.
J. G. Bow obviously spoke for all Baptists when he said “Baptists believe no one is a fit subject for baptism till he is already saved.” That may be good Baptist doctrine, but it is not what inspired men taught in the New Testament. Who will you believe? Jesus in Mark 16:16, or Baptist theologians who twist, wrest, pervert, and reverse plain Bible teaching?
Like his fellow travellers, Billy Graham had little use for Bible teaching concerning the church and salvation. Baptist theologians teach salvation by “faith only” and then admission to their church by a vote of its members. This is all taught and practiced, of course, without a scintilla of Bible authority. Graham slobbered that same theological vomit in a 2002 edition of his syndicated column. A reader wrote, “Dr. Graham: When I was growing up I committed my life to Jesus, but I never joined a church. …But now I’m worried God won’t let me into heaven because I’m not a church member”
Graham answered,
Let me be as clear as I possibly can. The only thing that counts as far as our salvation is concerned is our relationship to Jesus Christ. In other words, if you have truly trusted Christ to save you and have committed your life to him, then God has already forgiven you, and nothing can take that away. Don’t misunderstand me, however. If we are committed to Jesus Christ, I firmly believe it is God’s will for us to be part of a fellowship of believers (“Billy Graham”, The Daily Oklahoman, June 10, 2002, p. 5B).
Graham’s knee-jerk Baptist reaction was to spew his false doctrine that one is saved without, and apart from, the church. If that’s true, then one is saved without, and apart from, Jesus Christ. Paul declared that the church is the fullness of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). One cannot be “in Christ” without being in the church. The inspired Paul also affirmed that it is the church which Christ saves (Eph. 5:23). No saved person is outside of the church of Christ. When 3,000 people obeyed the gospel on Pentecost, they were added to the church (Acts 2:41) and the divine record says, “the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved” (Acts 2:47). But the uninspired Graham would have his readers believe that one can be saved without being in the church. Christ died for the church and purchased it with His own blood (Acts 20:28). Graham despises the blood of Christ by despising that which Christ’s blood purchased.
Then, in the typical fashion of double-tongued Baptist deceivers, Graham gave lip service to church membership, saying, “If we are committed to Christ, I firmly believe it is God’s will for us to be part of a fellowship of believers.” That’s the kind of doublespeak talk the devil loves from his ministers, of which Graham was one. How can one believe something to be “God’s will,” but a response to that will is unnecessary?
Since Baptist doctrines teach—contrary to the New Testament—that the church is optional, I suggest that Baptists save themselves millions of dollars, enjoy life, and quit attending any Baptist Church. After all, if one is saved without being in the church and that salvation is guaranteed by the prevarication of, “once saved always saved”, Baptists don’t really need to be there on Sunday or any other day. Go fishing, take a cruise, go to Vegas and gamble, buy a season ticket to see your favorite NFL team on Sunday. That money would be as well spent as lining the pockets of deceivers like Graham and other Baptist preachers. Honestly, why would anyone join a Baptist Church and spend his hard earned money in it if salvation can be secured outside of church membership and, once secured, can never be lost?
In his temptation of Jesus, the devil quoted and twisted God’s Word (Matt. 4:6). As Satan’s disciples, Billy Graham and his Baptist preaching brethren have learned well the lesson from their master. Baptist preachers speak with “forked tongues” when they open their mouths, and a sure way to tell if a Baptist preacher is spouting error when preaching is if his lips are moving.
