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Does baptism come before or after the salvation contemplated in 1 Peter 3:21?
The Scriptures speak of the “common” faith and the “common” salvation. Does this term allow for the divergent views and practices in today’s world of “Christendom”? Does it permit various modes of “salvation”?
Are we baptized in the Spirit or in water?
One of the most fascinating areas of Bible study is that of typology—the study of Scripture “types.”
This article by Wayne Jackson provides a detailed analysis of the second epistle of Peter in the New Testament. It discusses its authorship, themes, and relevance to the Christian faith. The article also explores the controversies surrounding its authenticity and the teachings it presents.
More than a dozen words are used in the Greek N.T. to represent various aspects of "sin" (e.g., bad, evil, transgression, iniquity, trespass, godless, unrighteous, etc.). The most frequently employed word is hamartia (173 times), which provides the picture of "missing the mark." The word is used ...
The most common word in the Greek New Testament that conveys the idea of "forgiveness" is aphesis, a compound term meaning "to send away from." Forgiveness is a divine response to human sin, flowing from the loving and merciful disposition of God (Jn. 3:16; Eph. 2:4). Forgiveness is possible beca...
This English term is related to the Latin conscientia, literally, "to know together" or "joint knowledge." It corresponds to the Greek suneidesis (found thirty times in the New Testament), which essentially has the same meaning. The conscience is an inward faculty, unique to human beings, that ei...
Blood is a prominent theme in the Bible. Because blood is the life stream of a person (Lev. 17:11), it becomes the biblical representation of life. Because of sin, man has forfeited the right to live (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1). To satisfy the justice of God, a blood-offering was required (H...
The noun "baptism" and the corresponding verb "baptize" come directly from Greek into English with only slight spelling changes. The word literally denotes to immerse, dip, or submerge. When used metaphorically, it suggests being overwhelmed. It takes several senses in the New Testament, dependin...
Though this word is not found in most English translations of the New Testament, the thought is there in the Greek text. It is an anglicized form of the original term antitupos. The term is rendered "like-figure" (1 Pet. 3:21) and "figure" (Heb. 9:24). Literally, a tupos was a mark, or impression...
Explore Paul’s first sermon in Antioch of Pisidia. (See the picture of the archaeological ruins.) His message is still relevant to the debate over predestination and salvation through baptism.
The attributes of God are wonderful thoughts on which to meditate.
Although baptism is mentioned dozens of times in the New Testament, the rite has been so grossly misunderstood in a great variety of ways.
The Lamb’s blood flows from the book of Genesis all the way through the book of Revelation, and there are valuable lessons all along the way.
The doctrine of baptism, as set forth in the New Testament, is scarcely recognizable in the modern world of “Christendom.” How did this strange and unwarranted change come about? Study this issue with us.
To answer this question, let’s review a very fundamental principle of Bible interpretation. The Analogy of Faith and the Doctrine of ForgivenessThere is a principle of Bible interpretation known as the analogy of faith. Terry describes the analogy of faith as being: “[the] general harmony of fund...
Every one uses the principles of “logic,” whether aware of it or not. Humans cannot function without some logical skill. When it comes to religion, however, many fling “logic” to the wind. No where is this more apparent that in considering the plan of divine salvation.
The conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 contains valuable lessons for today.
Since its release in 2001, the English Standard Version of the Bible has gained popularity. We reviewed the ESV several years back and gave it commendation. Last year the ESV Study Bible appeared. While the study tools frequently are helpful, there are numerous danger spots characterized by doctr...