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PENTECOSTALISM has so pervaded society that religion has become subjective rather than the objective view God intended. Spirituality and religion in general are more about one’s feelings, than it is about the truth and how or when the truth should be ascertained. Most people believe it is their "pastor" or "priest" that is the authority when it comes to religion and its doctrine. Forgot about God and His inspired Word (revelation) to man. Paul enjoined in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through Him” (NKJV). In other words, in everything we believe, teach, or practice we are to have the Lord’s authority (approval) for it. In the name of = by the authority of (Acts 4:7). All Christians are obligated (required, duty-bound) to “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7). In Romans 10:17 we find that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Therefore, since God said we acquire our faith by hearing the Word of God, then common sense informs us that if there is no Word from God on any given subject, then there can be no faith, and when there is no faith, there is no pleasing God (Hebrews 11:6). This matter is so important, that individuals are jeopardizing their souls by being members of religious groups that care not about God’s authority. Groups that have not taught their members about having Bible authority for what they believe, teach and practice. Our purpose in all our articles to bring to light subjects most of you dear readers have never heard or been taught. God has always required His authority in religious matters and daily living. You’ve heard the story of Nadab and Abihu in Bible classes, how they died for offering strange fire on the altar (Leviticus 10:1-2). Why did God consume them with fire? Because they offered “strange fire,” fire not authorized by God. Our faith comes from hearing the Word of God which rests upon sufficient, conclusive, and compelling evidence that the Bible is exactly what it claims to be – the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and all-sufficient Word of the living God. Our faith is not a blind faith, but rests solidly upon conclusive and compelling evidence (Hebrews 11:1). Faith does not mean absence of evidence. Therefore, there can be no faith if evidence does not exist. Yes, Thomas refused to believe the Lord had risen, but when Jesus presented him evidence, Thomas believed (John 20:24-25). The evolutionist has faith, and as a Christian I have faith, my faith just happens to be supported by evidence, which the evolutionist does not have. Since purpose of life on earth is to prepare each of us for eternity, God, through His Word, has provided us with the building blocks that will help us during our training. The New Testament is God’s divine pattern for righteous living. Just as God gave Noah the pattern or blueprint for building the Ark to the saving of his household, and Moses the pattern for building the tabernacle; so, He has also provided us the pattern for the church, Christian worship and living. Sadly, most people cast aside God’s Word in favor of man’s creeds, manuals, statements of faith, catechisms, and methods. They choose to do that which is right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6); rather than by God’s authority, which means without Biblical faith. Each year we enter what many people refer to as the “reason for the season.” While Christmas is a joyous time of family and fun, where do we find anywhere in God’s Word, the authority for such a holiday? That is, celebrating such as a religious holiday? Most people are confused when it comes to Christmas, decorating both secularly and religiously. It’s one or the other, not both. Actually, it should only be secularly, not religiously, because there is no word from God on the subject. Are we grateful that Christ Jesus was born? Without a doubt, for salvation would not be possible. But the only thing God has authorized concerning Jesus’ life on earth, is about His death, and most refuse to recognize that. The Lord’s Supper or Communion was the main purpose for Christians in the first century assembling together on the first day of every week (Sunday – Acts 20:7). But nothing is said about His birth, its date, or even recognizing it yearly. Logically speaking, the Scriptures teach that in Christian work and worship we must do only that which is authorized by the Word of God. Therefore, it is possible for human beings to ascertain what is and what is not authorized by the Word of God. There is no authority from God to change, substitute, add, or subtract, from the New Testament Law of Christ. We are not authorized by God to allow what God condemns (alcohol, gambling, homosexuality, adultery, divorce for any reason, etc.) nor are we authorized to condemn what God allows (eating all meat, marrying, working on the sabbath, no foot washing, or women not wearing veils, etc.). Since God’s inspired Word, the New Testament is provided for all human beings today to follow, anything not found in the New Testament is not authorized. God will not accept the worship of anyone taking part in acts that He has not approved of. Cain’s worship was not accepted by God (Genesis 4:2-5). God did not accept the worship of the Israelites when He said, “try offering that kind of sacrifice to your governor!” (Malachi 1:8). God does not authorize based upon our likes or dislikes, our erroneous conclusions about Scripture, what is popular, or majority rule. He does not authorize by human tradition, long-standing practices, silence of the Scriptures, or what some highly respected individual believes or teaches. The Bible authorizes by what it says – not by what it doesn’t say! Nowhere does the Bible authorize counting beads, praying to dead saints, or praying to Mary. Nowhere does the Bible authorize praise teams, the use of instrumental music, women preachers, elders, deacons, prayer, and song leaders. Nor does the Bible authorize more than one church to exist. Jesus gave authority for only one church, HIS church – the church of Christ (Matthew 16:18), and that is the only church that is discussed in the New Testament. All denominational churches today are anywhere from 1500 to 2000 years too late, with founders of their own churches. If we are wrong, then we would appreciate someone showing us where the Bible authorizes more than one church, or anything else we have said in this article. Instead, all we have found, are individuals who hide behind their anonymity when writing us of their disagreement, or those who remove these articles from the paper and cast them aside. Is your doctrine that weak, that you are unable or unwilling to demonstrate it is superior to what we have been teaching? Our purpose is not to cast aspersions upon any one person, but to expose the errors of the doctrines you have been taught. And if you believe they are not errors, then please, let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18).

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THERE is much confusion in the world over this one word “Baptism,” causing many to not realize theirs did nothing for them. God commands us to have His authority (Bible authority) for EVERYTHING we believe, teach and practice (Colossians 3:17). For the only book God will use to judge us all in the end is His Word, the Bible (John 12:48). He won’t be using catechisms, or church manuals, creeds, statements of faith, or confessions. Therefore, since we will be judged out of God’s creed book, wouldn’t it be logical to understand what God says about baptism? Our English words, “Baptism,” “Baptize” and “Baptized,” come from the Greek words “Baptizo” and “Baptisma,” which denote the process of immersing, or submerging. Jesus’ cousin John was called the “Baptist,” or the “immerser.” He was never referred to as the “pourer,” or “sprinkler,” as many today conduct baptism. So, if you were baptized, were you sprinkled with water or was water poured over your head? If so, your baptism was invalid because you were not fully immersed in water which is the definition of the words baptism and baptize. No person in Scripture was ever sprinkled or poured on when instructed to be baptized, they always went down in the water and after immersion, came up out of the water (Acts 8:39; Matthew 3:16). Were you baptized as an infant? Again, nowhere in Scripture do we find an example of babies being baptized. Even the Lutheran and other Protestant churches that practice this error, admit it is not found in the Bible. Therefore, if not authorized by God in His Word, why perform a ritual that God does not condone? Paul said in Romans 14:23 “If it is not of faith, it is sin.” In other words, since faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), then anything not found in the Word of God cannot possess Bible faith and is sin if we choose to do it anyway. The doctrine of Infant Baptism was introduced when men falsely believed men inherited the sin of Adam and felt they had to sooth their conscience with the false dilemma of sinful infants dying. To protect them from inborn sin, and admitting that baptism washes away sin, they invented infant baptism. The problem with this doctrine, is that it does nothing for the soul of the baby since they are born innocent in the first place. Not to mention, water baptism is not all that is required for salvation. The individual must hear the gospel to develop saving faith (Romans 10:17), and that faith must then motivate the person to repent of their sin, confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and then submit to water baptism (Luke 13:3, Romans 10:9-10; Acts 22:16). Babies are incapable of doing any of these things. Were you baptized after being saved? Since baptism is an immersion, individuals submitting to this baptism find themselves being buried alive, which is absurd. In baptism, a person is mimicking the dead, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Paul reminded the Roman Christians that they had been ‘buried’ with Christ by baptism into death (Romans 6:4). The old man of sin dies and is buried in the watery grave of baptism. He is then raised up (resurrected) a new man in Christ – made alive in Christ (Romans 6:5-6). How is it possible to be saved and then immersed, when the baptism of the Bible says we must be immersed to be saved (Mark 16:16; Matthew 28:19; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21)? This doctrine puts the cart before the horse. Since this is the case, this type of baptism is not taught in Scripture and therefore is invalid. Were you baptized by the Holy Spirit to be saved? This is a common doctrine among Pentecostals and Neo-Pentecostals. Nowhere in Scripture do we find a command to be baptized (immersed) with the Holy Spirit to be saved. There are several baptisms mentioned in Scripture, but only one is commanded, and that is water baptism (Ephesians 4:5; Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16 et al). Baptism by fire, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11) and that of suffering (Matthew 20:22) are only promises, not commands. Disciples are commanded to administer water baptism (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16), but only Jesus is able to administer Holy Spirit baptism, and then only to certain individuals. The baptism of the Great Commission as found in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16 is not Holy Spirit baptism. Water baptism is for “all nations” and required of every accountable individual. Concerning Holy Spirit baptism Jesus said, the world cannot receive (John 14:7). Water baptism is commanded by God, while Holy Spirit was a promise given only to the apostles (John 14-16; Acts 1:2-5). Water baptism is a condition of salvation, while Spirit baptism dealt with confirming the gospel (John 16:13; Hebrews 2:4). Water baptism has both a burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12); Spirit baptism has neither (Acts 1:5; 2:4). Therefore, Holy Spirit baptism is invalid as a way of salvation. The baptism as taught and demonstrated in the New Testament, and also commanded by God of all accountable men and women is the ONE baptism of Ephesians 4:5 – immersion in water. There is no example of infants being immersed in water, let alone water being sprinkled or poured upon them. There is no example of the apostles informing people they must be immersed in water as an outward sign of an inward grace. There are no examples of men and women being told to receive Holy Spirit immersion to be saved. Each of these things can only be found in the creed books of men, not the inspired Word of God. The examples we do find in Scripture - the same Scripture that will be used to judge whether or not we followed the dictates of God, or of men - is that men and women submitted themselves to immersion in water FOR (in order to receive) the remission of their sins, after they had repented and confessed Christ so that God could then add them to the church (Acts 2:41, 47; 8:12-13, 38-39; 9:18; 16:13;18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:14, 16; et al). Nowhere in the New Testament is there an example of preachers telling their audience they had already been baptized as infants, or that they were already saved without baptism, or that Holy Spirit baptism saves. Either God lied when He said there is only “ONE” baptism (Ephesians 4:5), or the various baptisms now being taught are the products of men’s minds, and not God’s. Remember, God is not the author of confusion, nor does He ever lie (1 Corinthians 14:33; Titus 1:2). Only the one immersion in water as taught in God’s Word is able to save, and find you added to the one and only church by God, which Jesus will come for when He returns – the church of Christ (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47). Please, research this for yourself, convince yourself you have been taught error and then seek the truth.