1
Common-Sense Questions a Church-of -Christ
Preacher Cannot Answer?
Lesson 2
Simple Answers

• So says David Martin of the so-called Rock Solid
  Baptist Church
• Yet he is not solid enough to allow me to answer
  his questions before his people

David Martin
2
Martins Unanswerable Questions

1. If a "Church-of-Christ" elder refuses to baptize
   me, will I be lost until I can find one who will?
   Do I need Jesus AND a Campbellite preacher in
   order to be saved? If I do, then Jesus Christ is
   not the only Mediator (1 Timothy 25) and the
   Holy Spirit is not the only Administrator (1
   Corinthians 1213) of salvation - the "Church of
   Christ" preacher is necessary to salvation, for
   he is performing a saving act on me when he
   baptizes me! Is this not blasphemy against Jesus
   Christ and the Holy Ghost?

3
Answer

• One does not need a church-of-Christ elder to
  baptize him.
• Who--except Baptist preachers--has ever taught
  that you must be baptized by a Church-of-Christ
  elder?
• Jesus did not say, He who believes and is
  baptized by an elder shall be saved.
• A person is lost until he does what Jesus
  commanded regarding baptism. (Mark 1616)

4
Answer

• If you charge one with being a Campbellite, you
  MUST prove that what he teaches, believes, and
  practices began with a man named Campbell.
• Teaching baptism for salvation began with Christ
  (Mark 1616).
• Partaking of the Lords Supper on the first day
  of the week began with Christ (Acts 207).
• Giving of our means on the first day of the week
  began with Christ (1 Corinthians 161,2).
• Being a member of a church of Christ began with
  Christ (Romans 1616).

5
Martin needs to cite one item of faith we
practice that began with Campbell!
Answer

• Otherwise
• His charge is empty!
• He is a false accuser/witness.

6
Martins Unanswerable Questions

• If a "Church of Christ" elder refuses to baptize
  me, will I be lost until I can find one who will?
  Do I need Jesus AND a Campbellite "preacher" in
  order to be saved? If I do, then Jesus Christ is
  not the only Mediator (1 Timothy
  25) and the Holy Spirit is not the only
  Administrator (1 Cor. 1213) of salvation - the
  "Church of Christ" preacher is necessary to
  salvation for he is performing a saving act on me
  when he baptizes me! Is this not blasphemy
  against Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost?

7
Answer

• Does Martin believe that preaching is essential
  to faith?
• For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall
  be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom
  they have not believed? And how shall they
  believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And
  how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans
  1013,14)
• He who calls shall be saved belief comes before
  calling hearing is before believing and
  preaching is before hearing.

8
The Knife Cuts Both Ways!
if-then reasoning

• If teaching that baptism saves denies the
  mediatory office of Christ and replaces it with a
  man, then
• teaching that preaching saves denies the
  mediatory office of Christ and replaces it with a
  man!
• teaching that man must do the believing denies
  the mediatory office of Christ and replaces it
  with a man! (John 824)

9
The Knife Cuts Both Ways!
if-then reasoning

• IF A PERSON CAN PREACH TO SAVE OTHERS WITHOUT
  USURPING THE MEDIATORY OFFICE OF CHRIST, THEN HE
  CAN ALSO BAPTIZE!

10
Martins Unanswerable Questions

• If a "Church of Christ" elder refuses to baptize
  me, will I be lost until I can find one who will?
  Do I need Jesus AND a Campbellite "preacher" in
  order to be saved? If I do, then Jesus Christ is
  not the only Mediator (1 Timothy
  25) and the Holy Spirit is not the only
  Administrator (1 Corinthians1213) of salvation -
  the "Church of Christ" preacher is necessary to
  salvation for he is performing a saving act on me
  when he baptizes me! Is this not blasphemy
  against Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost?

11
Answer

• The Holy Spirit is not, never has been, and never
  will be the administrator of water baptism!
• He authorizes but does not administer water
  baptism.

12
Matthew 2818, 19

• Go therefore and make disciples of all the
  nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
  and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching
  them to observe all things that I have commanded
  you. . .
• who is to go?
• who is to make disciples?
• who is to teach?
• who is to administer baptism?
• who authorizes such?

God Or Man God Or Man





13
Acts 838

• So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And
  both Philip and the eunuch went down into the
  water, and he baptized him.
• Who baptized the eunuch?
• Did Philip negate the mediatory office of Christ?
• Who sent Philip?

14
1 Corinthians 1213

• For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
  bodywhether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or
  freeand have all been made to drink into one
  Spirit.
• This baptism is into one body (the church see
  Ephesians 122,23)
• Baptists already believe water baptism puts them
  into the church
• Why can they not see that this is, therefore,
  water baptism?

15
TWO Many Baptisms

• Baptists admit that there is a baptism in water
  that puts them into the Baptist church.
• Baptists assert there is also a baptism
  administered by the Holy Spirit that saves them.
• TWO baptisms is ONE baptism too many.
• one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians
  45)

16
Martins Unanswerable Questions

1. If the water pipes broke and the baptistery was
   bone dry, would my salvation have to wait until
   the plumber showed up? If I were to die before
   then, would I go to hell? If obedience to water
   baptism is the means of forgiveness of sins, then
   I would.

17
Answer

• Since becoming a Baptist requires water baptism,
  should the pipes break and the baptistery be bone
  dry, would I have to wait to become a Baptist
  until the plumber showed up?
• Should the baptistery be bone dry, one can go
  elsewhere to obey the command, He who believes
  and is baptized shall be saved.
• Bathtub (provided it is big enough), pool, river,
  pond, lake, ocean

18
Answer

• HOW ABOUT If the preacher lost his voice and
  could not teach an illiterate man, would he have
  to wait until the preachers voice was restored?
  If he were to die before then, would he go to
  hell? If hearing is the means to faith, then he
  would.
• Shall we argue that preaching, hearing, and faith
  are, therefore, not essential to salvation?

19
Answer

• If the illiterate infidel dies before he hears
  the gospel and believes in Christ, he will be
  lost.
• Therefore I said to you that you will die in
  your sins for if you do not believe that I am
  He, you will die in your sins. (John 824)
• If the believer dies before he repents and is
  baptized, he will be lost.
• Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every
  one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
  Christ for the remission of sins and you shall
  receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts
  238 cf. Luke133)

20
Martins Unanswerable Questions
4. If my past sins are forgiven when I am
baptized in water, and it is possible for me to
lose my salvation and go to hell after being
baptized, then wouldn't my best chance of going
to heaven be to drown in the baptisterybefore I
had a chance to sin so as to be lost again? If I
wanted to be absolutely sure of heaven, isn't
that my best opportunity?
21
Note David Martins Argument Style

• Scenario-based
• Absence of Scripture
• What if

22
Drown in the Baptistery to Ensure Salvation?

• This is not an accusation against baptism for
  salvation.
• Same argument could be framed against belief (the
  gospel and the gun).
• This is leveled at another biblical doctrinethe
  ability to fall away
• Martin denies that a Christian can fall away.
• God has not called us to kill ourselves, but to
  live for Him (1 Thessalonians 59,10)

23
Can One Lose His Salvation?

• Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to
  the things we have heard, lest we drift away
  (Hebrews 21)
• Martin says we cannot drift.

24
Can One Lose His Salvation?

• Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an
  evil heart of unbelief in departing from the
  living God. (Hebrews 312)
• Martin says do not beware, you cannot depart!
• Therefore, since a promise remains of entering
  His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to
  have come short of it. (Hebrews 41)
• Martin says do not worry about it, you cannot
  come short of it!

25
Can One Lose His Salvation?

• Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest,
  lest anyone fall according to the same example of
  disobedience. (Hebrews 411)
• Martin says theres no need to worry you cannot
  fall!

26
Question

• Who is a man who says he knows Jesus but denies
  His word?
• Who is a man who says he loves the Holy Spirit
  but contradicts His word?
• But why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not
  do the things which I say? (Luke 646)
• If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John
  1415)

27
Know We Are Saved?

• Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep
  His commandments. He who says, I know Him, and
  does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and
  the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His
  word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.
  By this we know that we are in Him. (1
  John 23-5)

28
But he who heard and did nothing is like a man
who built a house on the earth without a
foundation, against which the stream beat
vehemently and immediately it fell. And the ruin
of that house was great. (Luke 649)
29
1 John 24

• He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His
  commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in
  him.
• a liar is a person who contradicts Gods
  command-ments while affirming that he knows God.
• the truth is not in him!