Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew

 

Questions from Pandan Annual Church Camp 2014-- part 8 (final)

 

1. Is there a difference between the baptisms mentioned in Matthew 3 and in Matthew 28?

Matthew 3 describes the baptism of John the Baptist who was a forerunner of Christ. His duty was to make straight the pathway for the 1st coming of Christ. He preached against sin and warned the people of the impending judgement. When the people realize the sins in their lives they will then be prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ whose name means "the anointed Saviour".

 

In contrast, Mathew 28 is a baptism after the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. This was a baptism for believers who desired to testify to friends and loved ones that they were children of God through Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour.

 

2. In Acts 8, when Philip preached to the Samaritans, the people believed (verse 12). Why did they receive the Holy Ghost' in verse 15? Does this receiving of the Holy Ghost refer to baptism with the Holy Ghost?

The key to understanding Acts 8 is Acts 1:7-8 (KJV), "And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." The blueprint for the birth, expansion or growth of the local church was given by Christ in Acts 1:8. They had to begin in Jerusalem (HQ) and then go onward to Judea and Samaria, culminating in the uttermost part of the earth, i.e. to all Gentiles. The timing was not given to them. The timing belonged to God. By this blueprint, we see that the first local church of Christ was made up of Jews only. There were no Samaritans or Gentiles. When persecution came, the children of God left Jerusalem and were "forced" to bring the gospel to Samaria. The Apostles deliberately remained in the church in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 8:1). Key leaders of the church went out to preach the Word and one of them was Philip whom God sent to Samaria.

 

The Samaritans and the Jews had been at logger heads since the time of Zerubbabel and Jeshua. The Samaritans were rebuffed by the Jews who rejected their offer to help them rebuild the Temple (cf. Ezra 4:1-5). Now the Samaritans had to be accepted as part of God's plan of salvation and witness and to be brought into the church as part of God's people. The Lord could not allow any animosity to remain in the local church. Both parties needed to learn to accept and love one another in the Lord or else the plan of God to save the world through the ecclesiastical system would be jeopardised. The problems that God needed to solve included:-

* Samaritan Christians must accept the Apostles, who were all Jews, as God's appointed leaders of the church;

* Samaritan Christians must submit to the writings of the Apostles (i.e. the NT Scriptures) and regard them as authoritative for the formation and growth of the church;

* Jewish Christians must receive the Samaritan Christians as equals (note Timothy was a Samaritan, i.e. half Jew and half Gentile);

* the unity of the first local church was crucial for the survival of the church as God's new witnesses on earth, replacing the national witness of Israel.

 

In order to do this, God had to ensure that all believers (Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles) were saved through the Apostles. When Philip preached the Word of God to the Samaritans, many of them believed, including one Simon the sorcerer, and they were also baptized by water baptism. But they were not actually saved yet as they did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, i.e. they were not baptized with the Holy Spirit by Christ yet. They had to wait for the Apostles.

 

When this amazing news reached Jerusalem, the Apostles went to check what happened in Samaria through the ministry of Philip. Peter and John were sent to Samaria to make sure of their salvation. This is the record from Acts 8:14-17 (KJV), "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." With the Apostles present, salvation was given to the Samaritan believers when they received the Holy Spirit. These were the first Samaritans to be saved. Subsequently, all Samaritans would be saved without the Apostles being present. This was also true of the Gentile believers as seen in Acts 10. These were the "first fruits" of the Samaritan and Gentile believers who had to come under the authority of the Apostles who had been entrusted by Christ to instruct them with God's Word, namely the NT Scriptures.

 

This brought unity and growth to the church for thousands of years as evidenced by church history.

 

3. Hebrews 6:4-6. It is impossible for a believer to fall away (v4-5). However, in v6, it seems that there is a condition that they can fall away from God.

The context of the passage is this . . . Hebrews 6:1-8 (KJV), "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit. 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned."

 

Believers who have been Christians for a number of years must be established in the doctrine of salvation, which is the "first" doctrine to be preached to any sinner. Once they have accepted Christ, then they are supposed to grow into maturity. The mature Christian is one who is able to teach the Word of God to others. He must first make sure of his own salvation so that he will not be easily deceived by Satan who will try to make him doubt his salvation. In order to grow, he must first know the doctrine of salvation very well so that he will no longer succumb to the cunning devices of the evil one pertaining to his own salvation. From that point on, he must grow unto perfection, i.e. spiritual maturity (cf. 6:1). The Bible says, "this will we do, if God permit", i.e. acknowledging that every believer's growth is always according to the will of God. However, human responsibility is definitely expected in the believer's personal growth. He has to set aside time to study, understand and obey the Word of Truth.

 

The meaning of Verses 4 – 6 is that it is impossible (i.e. no power) for someone who has truly experienced what is described in these verses to "fall away", i.e. not to fall into sin but to fall away from the right path (to become apostate), and then to renew him again unto repentance, i.e. to be saved again. For to save such a person means that Christ Jesus has to be sacrificed all over again. This will never happen! Then we have the illustration given in verses 7 and 8. The rain water that falls from heaven will fall on good and bad ground. The good ground will bring forth "herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed." This means that the one who plants these herbs on good ground will ensure that it will bring forth exactly what is intended. The Bible calls this bearing of intended fruit a "blessing from God." The bad kind of ground that receives the same water will bear "thorns and briers" and is rejected and the end of this is to be burned. The continuation of the argument in chapter 5:12-14 is that the babes in Christ must grow. They have to establish their doctrine of salvation so that they can learn "meat" doctrines and become teachers of God's Word. If they are truly born again in Christ, like the good ground that drinks the rain, they will surely bear the fruit that God intended them to, i.e. become mature believers. In other words, the Lord wants all professing believers to examine the sincerity and genuineness of their salvation. If they are truly born again in Christ, they should grow in grace and in the Lord Jesus Christ through the study of God's truth. This is indeed the will of God for all born again believers.

 

4. Hebrews 6:6b "Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Could you clarify who the people represented as "those" in Hebrews 6:4, and "they" in Hebrews 6:6a are? Are they unbelievers who have heard the Gospel, behave like believers but reject the truth? Or are they Dispensationalists who have to "renew their salvation" time and again because they think that they have lost it?

The experiences of the person mentioned in verses 4 and 5 will help us understand whether he is a believer or not. The biblical phrases to consider are:-

* who were once enlightened – the word "enlightened" literally means "made to see." These are some verses where the word has been used to describe one who is truly born again in Christ. Luke 11:36 (KJV), If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. John 1:9 (KJV), "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Ephesians 1:18 (KJV), "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," Hebrews 10:32 (KJV), "But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;" Revelation 22:5 (KJV), "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." [Emphases added] Based upon the usage of the word, it is evident that the person was once enlightened, for the voice and tense used here is in the past tense and passive voice whereby the emphasis is on the action of one who has been enlightened, and in this case by God Himself;

* have tasted of the heavenly gift – This is also in the active tense whereby the emphasis is also in the action but with a difference: it is in the middle voice which means that the person experienced this personally. The believer has personally tasted of the heavenly gift. The word "tasted" means "to eat". It literally describes one who has experienced something, and in this case it is the heavenly gift. The heavenly gift refers to the gospel message he has experienced which would include the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is affirmed in the next part of the verse. He has personally experienced salvation in his life;

* were made partakers of the Holy Ghost – this verb is also like the previous two in terms of tense. It is in the past tense with emphasis on the completed action. The believer has been made a partaker, i.e. sharer of the Holy Ghost. The word "partakers" has been used before in Hebrews. Hebrews 3:1 (KJV), "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;" and Hebrews 3:14 (KJV), "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;" and again in Hebrews 12:8 (KJV), "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." [Emphases added] These are descriptions of truly born again believers in Christ.

* have tasted the good word of God – The same verb used in verse 5 is used here again but this time it describes the believer as having tasted, i.e. experienced or eaten, the good word of God. The Word of God has impacted his life. He has been transformed by the power of the Word of God! The use of the word "good" to describe the Word of God implies that the sinner has been transformed into a good person. The good work of the Holy Spirit has been done in his life.

* have tasted the powers of the world to come – Therefore, the conclusion is the experience of the powers of the world to come. These powers to come will include the transforming power of the gospel in the lives of a person whereby he knows in his heart that he is a child of God; he knows that his future will be one of glorification whereby this mortality will be changed to immortality; he has the hope of the resurrection if he were to die in Christ and the blessed hope of one day experiencing eternal life in the presence of God. These are some of the powers that the believer knows are his by faith. The powers are all future.

 

Based upon the understanding of the experiences described that are from God, the person has to be a believer.

A person who thinks he can lose his salvation after he is born again is not a dispensationalist. Dispensationalists are those who believe that God saves mankind throughout the ages using different ways. They believe that when man fails, God will dispense with the previous method and replace it with another. For example, they believe that from the time of Moses, believers were saved by obeying the Law of Moses. When man failed God replaced that dispensation of salvation of obeying the law with salvation by grace through Christ in the New Testament period. We believe that this is a false way of understanding the Bible. We are covenantalists who believe that God gave man only two covenants of salvation. The first was the covenant of works. Adam sinned against God and he failed. The second, which was given immediately, is called the covenant of grace. All believers (both Old and New testaments) are saved by believing in Christ. The TO believers looked forward to what Christ would do on Calvary whereas the NT believers looked back to what Christ has done on Calvary. This means that all sinners are saved by believing in Christ!

 

The ones who believe that they can lose their salvation are called Arminians. They do not believe in total depravity but that a sinner does contribute to his salvation by his act of believing. This means that if they sin or stop their act of believing, they will lose their salvation. Therefore, maintaining their salvation is their motivation for living a holy life. They seldom experience the joy of the Lord in their hearts. Covenantalists, on the other hand, live a holy life as a fruit or evidence of their salvation in Christ. They continually experience the joy of the Lord as they live for Christ daily.

 

5. I have been taught that Hebrews 6: 4–6 means that if a "believer" has tasted of all the good things as described in verses 4–5 and then still 'falls away' (verse 6 ) (the conditional 'If') despite his experiences, there is no hope of salvation for him, i.e. he was not a believer. It does not seem to say that it is impossible for a believer not to grow in Christ.

"If they shall fall away" in verse 6 is not a conditional clause. The literal translation is: "And they shall fall away". Why should there be no hope of salvation for him if he accepts Christ later on? This question is answered in the above answers to the two questions.

 

6. Hebrews 6:1-2 "The "doctrines of Christ" are the foundations of every Christian’s life from which they grow. Is it true that the six doctrines in verses 1 and 2 pertain to salvation since salvation is the foundation in every Christian’s life? Therefore, should not the doctrine of "laying on of hands" be a reference to Christ’s sacrifice as a perfect lamb for sin instead of ordination?

The doctrine of laying on of hands is found in Acts 8:17 (KJV), "Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." This was with reference to the salvation of the Samaritan believers. However, the meaning of the doctrine of the laying on of hands in the New Testament has to include the administration of the sacrament of water baptism. The believer has to understand why laying on of hands is used to administer this sacred act.

 

Burkitt explains this phrase well when he said, "The doctrine of the laying on of hands is to confirm the baptized persons in the faith, and to oblige and enable them to keep the covenant they entered into with God, when they were baptized; which was done before their admission to the Lord's table. Imposition, or laying on of hands, was an ancient and venerable rite, used in the primitive church upon several occasions; particularly, in ordination, in absolution of penitents, in healing the sick, in conferring the gifts of the Holy Ghost, Acts 8:17. And lastly, in confirmation, when baptized persons were brought before the church to acknowledge, confirm, and renew their baptismal covenant with God; and to receive the benefit of public prayer and episcopal benediction, in order to the further endowments of grace to perform their vows, adorn their profession, and be admitted to the Lord's table, as complete members of the visible church of Christ." [Swordsearcher 6].

 

7. Hebrews 6:2 "of the doctrine of baptisms, and of the laying of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgement." Why is it wrong to be baptized twice? IF a person was baptized as an infant (sprinkling), then baptized (while studying overseas) in a Bible-believing Baptist church which only accepts baptism by immersion in order to fulfil God's call to serve in this church , is it a sin? Can you explain why the disciples of John in Acts 19:1-7 were baptized twice?
Acts 19:1-7 (KJV), "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve." The disciples of John the Baptist were not baptized again by water baptism. The text clearly reveals that the apostle Paul laid hands on them so that the Holy Spirit could indwell them. They did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as yet because of the reasons stated under question 2. John’s disciples also needed to come under the authority and teaching of the Apostles like the Jewish, Samaritan and Gentile believers.

 

If you are convicted that you are a Covenantalist, i.e. a Presbyterian, then you will not want to disobey the teaching of God's Word by being baptized twice or more. The sacrament of baptism is to be done only once, like circumcision. This is the clear teaching of the Bible which all conservative Baptists believe in too. Baptists insist on baptizing Covenantalists who were baptized by sprinkling because they do not recognize that Covenantalists are actually baptized. These Baptists believe that the only true mode of baptism is by immersion and that any other way of baptism, e.g. sprinkling, is not of God. This is not a biblical understanding of God's truth.

 

For a Presbyterian to be baptized again is to deny his own belief of God's truth. To do it so that he can "serve" is called expediency. Truth is not based upon expediency. It stands on its own. If a person is convicted by what he believes in, then he should not "sell it away" for whatever reason. This compromise by the Presbyterian who allows himself to be baptized again is only the tip of the iceberg. It is not just the mode of baptism that we have issue with. Baptists are dispensationalists and we are not. Baptists believe that the OT saints will not be resurrected because they did not die in Christ. They only obeyed the Law of Moses. The Baptists’ understanding of the entire OT is different from that of the Covenantalists, especially with reference to the doctrine of salvation. These are only a few of the major differences between Covenantalists and Baptists. As Presbyterians, we cannot subject ourselves to be "baptized again". To do so is to repudiate all that we believe in terms of our faith and understanding of the Word of God.

 

Service can be in many forms. When I was in America for further studies, I worshipped in a church that believes in baptism by immersion only. I did not become a member in order to serve; I served God through fellowshipping and sharing the Word of God with them. Service is good but not at the expense of compromising our convictions from God's Truth.