In studies for my Bible Study class, I often read through many commentaries, sermon notes and lessons on the web. Some of them provide very good insight, while others seem to miss the mark. In early 2002, we had a lesson on James 2:1-13. I compiled my notes and then read through some commentaries on the web. I came across a study on this passage, which seemed to be very good, until the end. The article has been since moved off the Internet.
Not content to let a sleeping dog lie, I pressed the issue. Below, you can see my email exchange with the author. I do not do this to boast or to make a point, but hopefully to encourage other Christians to be ready to make a defense for their faith.
Hello,
I appreciated your study on James 2:1-13. However, I am one of those that am wondering why you added the part at the end. However, I am not prejudging you, but am interested in why you believe you should or can make statements that you made.
You said: I believe that it is impossible for a man to be saved unless he is baptized. ... I believe that to be a member of and affiliated with these denominations is sinful in God's eyes, and can cause a person to lose their souls.
I would be interested in where you make such bold statements - scripture that backs it up. The more I've grown in Christ, I've come to learn that there are Christians found in many denominations. It's not the name of a denomination or the lack of a name that saves people. It's the blood of Jesus Christ. For anybody to believe that heaven will be filtered because of denomination is something that will shock many people someday.
Perhaps I missed something big, and as I'm a Bible Study teacher, just looking for some extra resources, I surfed to your site. Perhaps I'll look at more of your site as the week goes.
Thanks. In Christ,
Don Akers
Subject: Re: James 2:1-13
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 13:27:13 EST
Don,
I appreciate the fact that you have been reading from our site, and would encourage you to continue. I will speak plainly to you for brevity's sake. I would ask that you consider carefully the plain statements, and feel free to respond. Please do not interpret the plain speech as hateful. The only reason to correspond in this way is because we have a sincere care and concern for one another.
First, I believe that denominationalism as it exists today is antithetical to the cause of Christ. Division is sinful, and the denominations perpetuate division. (cf. John 17:20-21; 1 Corinthians 1:10-14; 1 Corinthians 3:1-4).
Second, I believe that the denominations teach error, and thus distort the doctrine of Christ. As such, they teach something other than the gospel, which can not save men. (cf. 2 John 9-11; Galatians 1:6-9; Matthew 7:20-21; Matthew 15:9).
Third, I believe that you must be baptized to be saved because that is what the Bible teaches. (cf. Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21).
I agree, of course, that it is the blood of Christ that saves men. However, not all are saved by the blood of Christ. Only those who obey the requirements God has given in the gospel are saved. In saying that the blood of Jesus saves, not denominations, you are certainly correct. But you have in no way proven that those who are in the denominations have gained access to the blood of Christ. You say, "The more I've grown in Christ, I've come to learn that there are Christians found in many denominations." How do you arrive at such a statement? You asked me to back up my assertions with scripture, and I have. You claim this, and yet supply no proof. I do not doubt that there are many sincere people in the denominations. I do not doubt that they do "good works", and that their lives have "been changed." But that does not mean they are saved. (Again, see Matthew 7:20-21; 2 John 9-11).
Most of the denominational creeds deny the necessity of baptism for the remission of sins. That is "another gospel" (cf. Gal. 1:6-9) as it denies what is taught in the New Testament. As such, it is not the "gospel" at all, but a "perversion", and thus has no power to save.
Now, a final quick thought. I do not say these things to upset anyone. I do not expect any to accept them because I say it. I ask only two things: 1) That people realize these warnings are given because of my love and concern for souls. I take no pleasure in warning of possible condemnation, but am compelled to do so because of my love for the souls of men. 2) That the scriptures I have cited be read and contemplated, to see if they give credibility to the claims I have made.
If you wish to continue this correspondence, I would love to hear from you. I will look forward to hearing from you. May God bless you.
Stan Cox
for the West Side congregation
Subject: Re: James 2:1-13
Date sent: Fri, 01 Mar 2002 12:57:58 -0600
Stan,
I appreciate your response as well. I did not take your statements as hateful and the main reason I responded was I believe that iron sharpens iron. I realize you have a sincere desire to serve the Lord and you do care for lost souls.
Let me add my thoughts on some of your thoughts. First, I agree with you that many denominations have gone away from the idea of being one in Christ (John 17:20-21). One of the key points is that this unity is visible to the unsaved world. Denominations that declare they are exclusive in their pursuit of truth do not portray unity.In 1 Corinthians 1:10-14 and 3:1-4, Paul was speaking to groups of people that were following different leaders - and were not showing unity. Unity does not mean that we will agree on all issues, but there must be agreements on the essentials - deity of Christ, grace by faith and resurrection of Christ. I don't believe that Paul was saying that the problem was with the leaders, but the followers. Individuals are responsible to God, not groups or denominations. Also, Paul mentions it as wrong to be a follower of himself, Apollos, Cephas or Christ. Not that we aren't to be followers of Christ, but there is a danger when people, groups or denominations consider themselves exclusive recipients of the true gospel. Many of the Corinthians exuded spirituality - others may have thought they were and they probably thought so themselves. However, they showed immaturity due to the lack of their use of the Word. They probably did good things, but had never really experienced salvation that changed their lives.
As far as denominations teaching error, I agree to some point. There are those that are more in line with today's culture and society and less with the Word of God. It pains me to see some denominations voting on issues that are clear and plain in Scripture - and should never be put to vote. But, I don't think you can throw all denominations into the same bag. I believe the Bible to be inerrant and absolutely truthful, but I've yet to find the person that knows it all correctly, without error. If you are that person, are you saying that you will never have further revelation from Scripture?
The passages you cited for false doctrine are accurate - progressive theology and doctrine is wrong. Any doctrine that makes Christ to be the teacher rather than God is wrong. I'm sure this can be found in some denominations, but again I don't think you can throw all of them together and call any denominationalism to be wrong.
I attend a Southern Baptist church, but I am not a Baptist - I am a Christian. Where division exists in the body of God - that is sinful. You are probably right that denominations perpetuate division, even if unconscious of it. For example, the Baptist church speaks of Baptist missions, etc - but I would also argue that even your church promotes division, as referenced by some of the words I found that led me to send the original email.
On baptism, I would agree that it is important, as it is a command of Christ. However, I differ from your argument that you must be baptized to be saved. I believe that it is closely tied to faith in Christ, but it is only the faith in Christ that saves. I looked at all of the verses you referenced - and if that was all the Bible said, I'd be inclined to agree with you, but after digging deeper, I really don't even believe that these verses, on their own merit, really support that baptism is necessary for salvation.
Mark 16:16 says "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." What about those not baptized? Are they condemned? It doesn't plainly state. Belief in what God has done is what brings salvation. Baptism is a public demonstration of what God has done in your life. The issue of this verse seems to be clearly belief, not baptism.
Acts 2:38 says "Repent and be baptized" Repentance takes place in the heart of a man, baptism involves the presence of others. Baptism publicly identifies us with the work Christ has done in our lives. I believe it's more important to search what the verse means in context than what it says on its own. For example, in Luke 14:33, Jesus says "any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." Does this mean giving up all possessions is essential and a requirement? Seems like I could point to this verse (and other similar verses) to make that point.
In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul states "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel - not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross be emptied of its power". If baptism is a requirement to be saved, why wouldn't Paul baptize everyone - why was his concern to preach the gospel? Why did Paul say Christ did not send him to baptize? It appears that the emphasis on baptism led to some of the disunity, where people where baptized of this leader or that.
In Acts 10, as Peter took the gospel to Cornelius and the Gentiles, the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his family before the issue of baptism was considered. In Luke 22:43 - Jesus told the believing thief next to Him on the cross that he would be with him today in paradise, without baptism.
The blood of Christ saves all that call upon His name as Savior and Lord. That is the requirement. The rest of our lives we spend growing closer to Him and knowing Him and His Word better. We need to repent of our sins. We need to follow the commands of Christ, including baptism. We need to fellowship with other believers.
I still don't understand how you can say the denominations have not gained access to the blood of Christ. I can't speak to all denominations and I would agree with your assertion that some have followed another gospel. However, from what I've seen and what has been publicized, I am glad to say that my denomination and my church places total emphasis on the Word of God. My church is First Baptist Church of Harvester, in Missouri. You can go to our website (www.fbch.com) and find out what we believe and why we believe. I don't feel I need to provide substantiation that there are denominations that follow the true gospel of Christ.
I am part of a Bible Study that meets every Wednesday at Boeing in St Louis. We have grown from four men to four separate studies, reaching about 50 people a week. These are the people I know that are men and women, black and white, Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, non-denominationlists (which I consider a denomination in itself). There is a sincere yearning to study the Word of God and apply to our lives. We have seen people come to faith in Christ. We have seen people that saw the need to be baptized or to follow other commands of Christ in their lives. They wanted to do this to be obedient to the commands of Christ - not to be saved in doing so. If the world wants to see unity, they see it in our studies. People that work on our floors bring us prayer requests. They seek us out in times of need in their lives. There is a level of accountability that has become part of our lives at work. There is fruit, which is what the Bible calls for. The blood of Christ and His saving power is evident, along with a desire to remain true to the teachings of the Bible. We're not speaking about this in the confines of a church, but we are living it in our careers. Isn't this what being a Christian is really all about?
I don't doubt that you are a believer. I just pray that God would show you that there are many other believers in this world and when unity is called for, it is called for all believers to come together. I don't think that making blanket statements about denominations is the way to show unity.
On baptism, I agree that it is important. I have been baptized. I would encourage all believers to be baptized, but I believe it clear to not be an act that brings salvation, but more of an act that indicates our new standing to others. If you want to read more about how I see this, I agree with the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry - you can go to http://www.carm.org/questions/baptnec.htm Or you can go our church site, which is http://www.fbch.com/baptism.html. I would also encourage all believers to be part of a body of believers and to repent of sinful habits, attitudes and actions in their lives.
I applaud you for standing on what you believe to be true. I just can't say I agree and I don't believe the passages you have given really support such a strong stance. I have read them all and have tried to take them in context, apart from single passages pulled to make a point. I think we can agree to disagree, but when our disagreements detract from unity in the body of Christ, we are guilty of what Paul wrote of in 1 Corinthians, regardless of whether we belong to a denomination or not.
I appreciate your response. I enjoy debates such as this, as it makes me critically examine what I believe and it helps support me in research for teaching at my church.
I'll be happy to continue if you'd like. Thanks again.
In Christ,
Don Akers
Subject: Re: James 2:1-13
Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2002 13:11:06 -0600
Mr. Akers,
I wanted you to know that I have received your email, and want to respond, but time will not allow it for a few weeks.
I am to engage in a week's meeting in another town, and will be without my computer for the next week, and simply do not have time to give your post a proper response before leaving. I will try to get back with you in 10-14 days.
Sorry for the delay.
Sincerely,
Stan Cox
After several months of no responses, I sent one final response and have yet to receive a last response. To be sure, if I do, I'll post it here.
Stan,
I am assuming that there will not be any more responses to this? I've lost email in the past and didn't know if you had lost this one. Not trying to press the issue, but I went back and read what you had written in the original text - http://members.aol.com/TXchurch/articles/0028.htm
Your last paragraph said:
These are very serious charges, and perhaps it upsets some to read this.
But I would like you to consider something very carefully. Are you ready
to give a defense for what you believe? Are you ready to study to find out
the truth in God's word? Or would you be guilty of "showing partiality" and
prejudging my teaching and my motives in teaching it. I love God's word,
and I love your Soul. If I point out what I believe to be error it is because
of that love, and my concern for your eternal salvation. Do not hate me for
it, do not prejudge me, but rather I and my brethren invite you to study
with us, to come to a knowledge of the truth.
---
I am just trying to give a defense for what I believe, and I have been ready to study to find out the truth in God's word.
In Christ,
Don Akers