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Churches Of Christ/Is Baptism a social proclamation of the acceptance of Jesus Christ?

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Expert: - 11/25/2011


Question
Is baptism a social proclamation of the acceptance of Jesus Christ?

Answer
No.  NT immersion is the point where the sinner's soul comes into contact with the blood of Christ for the first time.  The old person is there spiritually slain and the person the comes up out of the water is a new creation.  That is the context of Romans 6.  Verses 3-5 talk about being buried with Christ and raised in the likeness of his resurrection.  This is not an outward show, it is an inward reality.  Later on in that chapter, Paul writes that when we obey from the heart that pattern (immersion, which he just laid out earlier in the chapter), when we obey from the heart that pattern of doctrine, we are then made free from sin...not before.

1 John 5:8 says that it is the spirit, the water, and the blood that agree in one here on the earth.  When we are immersed in water, our spirit comes into contact with the blood of Christ for the first time and we are redeemed, transformed into servants of the Light, into saints.  There are zero scriptures that ever speak of immersion as a "social" display.

I can elaborate if this is not clear enough. :)

In Truth and Love,
Ernie

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Ernie Laurence, Jr.

Expertise

I am capable of answering any questions concerning doctrines of the church of Christ. I specialize in Creation vs. Evolution topics, the book of Revelation and other Biblical prophecies, and other apologetics related topics such as distinctions from denominational doctrines.

Experience

My experience in this area includes: having been raised by members of the church of Christ from infancy, having been immersed into the church of Christ at age ten, having taken an active role in worship/service leadership (song leading, teaching, preaching, youth ministry) since age fourteen through the present, and participating in numerous formal debates, research projects, and online discussions.

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The church of Christ

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Local congregations.

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I hold a bachelor's degree in computer information systems (CIS) from Tarleton State University which focuses on business communication and management. This provided training for how to deal professionally with individuals and organizations if not direct training in the field of religion. See experience section for informal education experience.

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