Abundant Life: April 2009

To download this issue in PDF format click here.

Problems with Holy Spirit baptism

A popular doctrine among some of our friends and prevalent in several large, local religious groups concerns John the Baptist’s remarks about Jesus in Luke 3:16: “I baptize you with water. He who is mightier than I is coming. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” The doctrine states that all the saved today are saved by Holy Spirit baptism. Water baptism may, or may not, occur at a later time but a person is saved before and without water baptism. They are saved by Holy Spirit baptism. This article discusses what the New Testament has to say about baptism today and the role water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism plays, if any, in salvation for you and me.

The church of Christ at Antioch

It was the will of Jesus that the gospel be preached “to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). He told His apostles, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). So we read of the preaching of the gospel in Jerusalem in Acts 2 through 7, and (following the stoning of Stephen) in Judea and Samaria, in Acts 8. In Acts 9 is recorded the conversion of the man who would be the apostle to the Gentiles, Saul of Tarsus, and in Acts 10 we learn of the first Gentile converts. Then Acts 11 tells us of the Gospel going to Antioch. Much can be learned by studying the church at Antioch.