Expert: Todd Tyszka - 10/22/2010

Question
QUESTION: Good day! I have some very important questions today. This site has been very helpful to me in the past.....
I wear jewelry, more specifically earrings. I am really not into jewelry (in fact I don't even own any rings and I currently have 2 beautiful necklaces in my collection); my style is earrings, mostly hoop earrings and decorative precious metal earrings. I will on rare occasions wear a necklace. But I love my earrings!!!! and I feel very thoroughly dressed when I am able to coordinate a beautiful pair of earrings with my outfit. Earrings are a fitting complement to my beauty, and self-worth. I totally and absolutely hate vanity and pride, and so have never worn my jewelry in an ostentatious manner, or in such a way that disattracts, or takes away from my true beauty that the Lord God has blessed me with and character. Because I wear hoop earrings and decorative ones, I tone down by wearing a very moderate amount of make-up (when I do go out to special places). Sometimes just some dabs of foundation and some lipgloss and I'm on the go!!!! I am basically just myself; and that's who I appreciate. This is especially important to me as a young Christian woman. My first question is about 1st Timothy 3: 3,4. I just need some clarification, because I don't think the few Christians that are misinterpreting both verses really are reading into these verses correctly and placing these verses in the context of biblical history, and applying it correctly to Christian living today.
Question 1) What was the general message that the apostle Paul was sharing with Timothy about conduct and propriety in worship (for women)and what was the particular offense that the women were commiting that led him to write these verses?
Question 2)Why was he declaring to Timothy that it is important for a GODLY woman to "dress oneself" with spiritual traits of character rather than expensive clothes?
Question 3) Why does the apostle Paul only mention 3 items in verse 3 --- broided hair, gold, and pearls?
Question 4)Is the teaching from abstinence of jewelry asceticism? Is the teaching that there is spiritual benefit from abstaining from jewelry a false doctrine?
Question 5) I just recalled 2 verses from Romans 14 (verses 22 and 23). Can I apply these verses to my stance on jewelry and if so, how can I apply it?
HEADCOVERINGS )
You know the other day I was rereading I Corinthians 11, and something became evident to me --- that a man covering his head would be equivalent to long hair and so I went and reread the verse where it says (paraphrasing): "Judge in yourselves is it appropriate for a woman to pray with her head uncovered?"
Question 6) What was the basis of the Apostle Paul asking the Corinthians this question?
Question 7) What type of covering was he talking about (is the answer in the earlier verses ("BUT EVERY WOMAN WHO PRAYS OR PROPHESIES WITH HER HEAD UNCOVERED DISHONOURS HER HEAD...") or in the next verses (verse 15)?
Question 8) What is the final point that the apostle Paul is driving home in verses 11-16?
Question 9) Is it a final mandate from God for Christian women today (the age of grace) to wear headcoverings?
Question 10) I don't really have long hair so I wear additional hair pieces sewn into my natural hair to make my hair fuller (my hair stylist does this for me; this process is called hair weaving, and it is a common hairstyle amongst African-American women). I feel that I look more feminine with longer hair, but I can equally look just as feminine with shorter hair. NOTE: but because I am a Christian, yet not a legalist, and want to keep a clear conscience before the Lord, I prefer to wear long hair (although most of it is synthetic). I guess that I am my worst judge. But I know that God knows that I don't inherently have long hair, but I am getting there, by his grace and mercy, to grow out my hair again, so where does this context of submission to headship leave me?
Question 11)Am I sinning anywhere before the Lord by wearing artificial hair?
BAPTISM (WATER BAPTISM)
Question 12)I am confused about Mark 16:16. It seems that Jesus is telling his disciples and future believers that we have to both believe on him and be baptized to be saved, but what about Romans 10: 9,10? I thought that the latter was the correct formula?
Question 13) About Romans 6:3. What exactly does water baptism symbolize for the new believer? Is every believer's declaration of faith in Christ Jesus represented by water baptism?
Question 14) So is water baptism the next step in salvation?
Question15) Why are a few of these churches teaching the assembly that if they are not water baptized that they are not yet part of the body of Christ. Is this teaching correct and in accordance to the New Testament?
Question 16) What about 1 Corinthinans 12:13? So I was meditating on this verse today. So if the same Spirit that regenerated us at conversion is what we are baptized into one body (the body of Christ) why are these pastors teaching otherwise --- that water baptism is necessary to be incorporated into the body of Christ?
Umm, these are very important questions to me. Please help. Thank you very much and I appreciate your time.
Heather


ANSWER: Hi Heather,
It was great to hear from you and thank you for the excellent questions. It is always encouraging to hear from young people who are genuinely concerned about their conduct, desiring to please God!

Well, because you asked 16 questions in three categories (jewelry, head coverings and baptism), I will consolidate the answers as much as I can and if you need me to go into more detail, please ask those questions individually.

As far as jewelry, it is generally agreed that your suspicions are right and these verses need to be placed in their historical context. Paul clearly declared that character was more important than expensive clothing, and that is clearly true because God will reward us for our character, it has eternal significance, whereas expensive clothing only uses precious resources (money) and we will be judged for what we do with what God entrusted us with. I am not sure exactly why Paul only mentioned three items in verse 3 (question #3) other than those three things were probably the most used and were becoming a distraction to the early church. Keep in mind this was a critical time for the birth of the church and had huge repercussions to the growth of the church. I believe there is no harm in using jewelry but if God convicts someone about it, I do not judge them, God is the judge and people have all sorts of personal convictions. Some people have convictions about dancing, food, drinking, wearing pants... I could go on and on. People are convicted differently by the Holy Spirit. Jewelry could be fine for you but someone may make jewelry an idol in their life and the Holy Spirit will convict them for that, and ask that they refrain from using it. Someone vulnerable to alcohol abuse may be convicted about drinking anything with alcohol. The Holy Spirit knows better than we do and will convict us for all sorts of reasons we may not understand.

As far as head coverings and artificial hair, most Biblical scholars agree that there are cultural factors and head coverings are not required today. Bald men and women have the same standing as those who have big hair. I have never heard of anyone having a problem with artificial hair and don't imagine how that could be an issue. If you feel convicted about this, by all means don't use it, but I can't imagine the Holy Spirit would convict someone for this.

Water baptism is an extremely important issue because Jesus commanded that we be baptized, and even He was baptized. Most scholars say it is clear that we don't have to be baptized to be saved and I definitely fall in that camp. The Bible does not say we need to be baptized to be saved. One verse is misunderstood re: this but we are saved by faith and a relationship with Christ, not by baptism. Baptism is symbolic of many things, mainly dying in our sins, dying to our sins (going under the water) and then being resurrected to life in a new life through Christ (coming out of the water). We are cleansed and go forth in a new life. It is also a public display to everyone of a work that has been done in a person's heart (conversion). I believe baptism is extremely important but it is not required for salvation, remember the thief on the cross that wasn't baptized but Jesus said he would be in paradise with Him? As far as why it is being taught that it's required for salvation, few churches teach this and I believe it is a false teaching and being taught in error. It is not required to be incorporated into the body of Christ, you are in the body of Christ at the moment of conversion, which is always before water baptism.

I hope this helps and if you have other specific questions, please ask them individually and I will get to each of them. I didn't supply the Scripture references for sake of time but can provide them if necessary.

Thanks again for the excellent questions and praise God you have such a strong desire to please God! Please keep in touch and keep the faith!!!

Your brother in Christ,
Todd


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Re: Thank you so very much

Hi Todd! I had initially wanted to direct my Biblical questions to 2 other panel experts on this section of the all experts.com website but I felt after reading your  profile that I should submit my questions to you. So praise be to God! I really want to thank you so very much for all of the biblical clarifications that you provided as answers to my questions (and the words of encouragement)! I know that you had indicated that you could not supply the scripture references to me for the sake of time, but I am asking now if you could provide those for me. Thanks. Still need some clarifications on the following:
Question 1) I also still would like to redirect the question to you that I had on Mark 16:16; what implications Jesus has when he indicates that he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Did He mean being saved from eternal destruction of the soul (because then He goes on to say that he who does not believe is condemned already)? So in what sense is water baptism used here in terms of salvation? Also too in 1st Peter 3:20, 21 the apostle Peter mentions the same concept how water baptism is an antitype which now “saves” us, just as it had saved the 8 souls in Noah’s day.
Question 2) I am just asking this question out of curiosity. What will happen if a believer just accepted Christ into his life, and has barely begun his new walk of faith in Christ, and has not yet gotten water baptized, and the Lord returns? Would he/she still get raptured?
Question 3) About 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13. How does these verses relate to us as born-again believers? What other scriptures can be used to supplement as proof that we as born-again believers are incorporated into the Body of Christ following conversion and before water baptism?
New questions: SORRY….
I am very sorry, but this will be my last set of questions.
Question 4) What (if there are any and please state according to scripture) are the qualifications for the minister who is baptizing the saved individual?
Question 5) I want to know specifically what is regeneration (I have seen this word in the book of Titus) and if it is related in any sense to conversion, or being born-again, or new birth? What is the difference between new birth, regeneration, and being born-again (John 3: 3,5)?
Question 6) When someone becomes saved, are they then converted to Christianity?
Question 7) I ask this question out of major concern. I really get scared when I read that a Hindu got converted to Christianity. I hear that this is a pretty strong religion to get out of.  Some of the false cults that claim to be Christian here in America have stemmed from indigenous Indian Pentecostalism. It seems like after some of the Hindus convert to Christianity, they end up incorporating some of their Hindu practices into Christianity (such as asceticism) and as a result, hinduize or mix Christianity with some of their previous religious beliefs. Not only is this totally unbiblical and ungodly, it is dangerous, spiritually!!! When people declare the gospel to someone like a Hindu, how are we sure that they are actually accepting the gospel, saying the prayer of salvation with faith, and accepting Christ into their heart?
Question 8) I understand that the Holy Spirit does the work of conviction in the sinner’s heart at conversion but specifically at what point does the saved individual become born-again? (please do not be offended at me….I really hear a lot of people use these terms interchangeably. Some churches are teaching that being saved is the same as being converted, and is one and the same as being born-again).
Question 9) I am asking this question relating to question 8. Can the new believer, or saved individual become born-again according to 2 Thessalonians 2:13?
Question 10) So when does the believer receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in order to be classified as being born-again (and can you please thoroughly explain this and provide scriptures for me please)?
Question 11) And finally when can the new believer begin to live out the Christian life, and new walk of faith in Christ with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit (I am referring to John 7:37-39, Acts 2:38 (c), 39, and Galatians 3:14 when asking this last question).
Question 12) Is it possible for a new believer, zealous for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to imitate (that is fake) speaking in tongues? I remember that the scripture vividly says: “….as the Spirit gave utterance.” I ask this question because of something that I have all of a sudden taken an interest in observing and have been noticing recently in my mom’s church.
I want to tell you about the power of God back in my life through learning his Word from others and studying his Word with the help, guidance, and counsel of the Holy Spirit. I reaccepted Christ back into my life last November, after backsliding and struggling with the Lord for years. He brought me to the point of my life that I had nothing more to say and He won over my heart and this time around, I am not going to let Him go. I am so happy that He brought me back to His pasture. Thank you very much for helping me with my Biblical questions. I am very, very grateful for your time and help.
Yours sincerely in Christ our Lord,
Heather  

Answer
Hi Heather,
Sorry for the delay but I asked that you ask me a few questions at a time, not all at once. regardless, here is what I could come up with in a reasonable amount of time.

Question #1a - Mark 16:16 implications - In NT times, conversion and baptism went together and were considered one event.

b. Yes and no, He is referring to hell, which is eternal, but the soul is not destroyed.

c. Baptism follows after conversion but does not directly play a part in it. The thief on the cross was never baptized, yet he went to heaven.

Question #2 - If they are converted, they will get raptured, and baptism has nothing to do with that. Baptism just follows conversion.

Question #3 - 1 Cor 12:12-13 - It relates to us because it explains how we relate to each other, our physical body is an illustration of the body of Christ. As far as other Scriptures, I would direct you to the rest of the chapter, this chapter says the most about it. You can also look at Eph 1:22-23, Romans 12:4-8 (compare to 1 Cor 12&13), and there are others. Again, conversion and baptism were see as one event but not the same thing, and if someone doesn't have a chance to be baptized before they die, they are not going to go to hell. I like the way it is put on gotquestions.org:

"Requiring anything in addition to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation is a works-based salvation. To add anything to the gospel is to say that Jesus' death on the cross was not sufficient to purchase our salvation. To say we must be baptized in order to be saved is to say we must add our own good works and obedience to Christ's death in order to make it sufficient for salvation. Jesus' death alone paid for our sins (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus' payment for our sins is appropriated to our “account” by faith alone (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9). Therefore, baptism is an important step of obedience after salvation but cannot be a requirement for salvation.

Yes, there are some verses that seem to indicate baptism as a necessary requirement for salvation. However, since the Bible so clearly tells us that salvation is received by faith alone (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5), there must be a different interpretation of those verses. Scripture does not contradict Scripture. In Bible times, a person who converted from one religion to another was often baptized to identify conversion. Baptism was the means of making a decision public. Those who refused to be baptized were saying they did not truly believe. So, in the minds of the apostles and early disciples, the idea of an un-baptized believer was unheard of. When a person claimed to believe in Christ, yet was ashamed to proclaim his faith in public, it indicated that he did not have true faith.

If baptism is necessary for salvation, why would Paul have said, “I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius” (1 Corinthians 1:14)? Why would he have said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:17)? Granted, in this passage Paul is arguing against the divisions that plagued the Corinthian church. However, how could Paul possibly say, “I am thankful that I did not baptize…” or “For Christ did not send me to baptize…” if baptism were necessary for salvation? If baptism is necessary for salvation, Paul would literally be saying, “I am thankful that you were not saved…” and “For Christ did not send me to save…” That would be an unbelievably ridiculous statement for Paul to make. Further, when Paul gives a detailed outline of what he considers the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), why does he neglect to mention baptism? If baptism is a requirement for salvation, how could any presentation of the gospel lack a mention of baptism?"

The link to this is http://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-salvation.html

Question #4 - It doesn't need to be a minister and the Bible doesn't state any qualifications for someone baptizing another.

Question #5 - Conversion, new birth, regeneration and being born again are all terms that are used to describe the same thing.

Question #6 - We are not converted to Christianity, that is just a belief system, we are converted into a relationship with Christ (Mt. 7:21-23). Being "saved" and being "converted" are used interchangeably.

Question #7 - This is a very involved question and there is not a simple answer to everything you are asking about. When a Hindu or someone from another religion is genuinely converted, certain things will take time to change. That is where the Holy Spirit works with them and convicts them for certain things. When you became converted, didn't you have some things in your life that you were convicted about and some things after your conversion? For me, I have stronger convictions in some areas and looser ones in other areas. For example, when I was first converted, I destroyed ALL of my secular music. Since then, I realized that this was over-zealous and that the Holy Spirit wasn't concerned if I listened to some secular music once in a while. However, I have become increasingly convicted about evangelizing, doctrine, and helping others grow spiritually. A Hindu, for example, may have certain cultural habits which may persist but we cannot judge them other than to look for what the Bible calls "fruit" in their life. If there is no fruit from their conversion, it may be a false conversion. Just saying a prayer doesn't save anyone.

Question #8 - Well, the fact of the mater is that the English words "saved," "converted," and "born-again" ARE used interchangeably and these people are referring to the same thing.

Question #9 - A new "believer" or saved individual IS born-again, I do not understand what distinction you are making... How can someone be saved and not born-again if we must be born again to "see the kingdom of God (be saved) according to John 3? I'm not sure what you are referring to in 2 Th 2:13, he is born-again.

Question #10 - Throughout the Bible we see that a converted Christian receives the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and they are "sealed for the day of redemption" (Eph 4:30) at conversion. I am not sure where you are going with this question but this is throughout the NT. Some believe that there is a second work which can follow (baptism of the Holy Spirit), aka sanctification, entire sanctification, being filled with the Holy Spirit, etc) but regardless, one has the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. I do not have time to provide all of the Scripture references that we get the Holy Spirit when we are converted, you can do that for homework if you like.

Question #11 - A new believer immediately begins to live out the Christian life at the moment of conversion. I read the verses you provided, John 7:39 explains the previous verses, and the other two agree with this statement as well, we do "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38) and "the promise of the Holy Spirit" (Gal 3:14) at the moment of conversion, and there is no verse in the Bible which suggests otherwise (except for that second work I referred to).

Question #12 - Yes, it is ABSOLUTELY possible to fake speaking in tongues. Anyone can speak some gibberish and make it sound like a language. However, some people do have a genuine prayer language in tongues.

Well, I am THRILLED to hear that you recommitted your life to Christ!!! Keep the faith and make sure to surround yourself with strong believers, yet always put your complete trust in the Lord!

Thanks gain for the excellent questions. If you have any others, please ask them individually.

Your brother in Christ,
Todd