“Preacher? Oh, hi! I’m glad I caught you at a good time. I just had to tell you about my friend at work!”
“The one you’ve been studying the Bible with at lunchtime?”
“Yes! I’m so excited! We finished talking about the gospels today, and he said he believes that Jesus is the Son of God! He’s accepted Christ as his Savior!”
“Did he now? Well, that’s too bad.”
“Too bad? Excuse me?”
“Yes, too bad. You’ll have to stop teaching him now. In fact, you can’t have any contact with him at all. If you see him, turn your head. Walk away.”
“What in the world are you talking about?”
“Are you so dull? Your friend believes that Jesus is the Son of God! You said so yourself! But he hasn’t been baptized. Doesn’t recognize it’s necessary for salvation. He’s just like all of the other denominational church-goers out there who think they’re saved without baptism!”
“Well, then I’ll teach him. We were going right into Acts next …”
“You can’t teach people like that! The best thing you can do for them is shun them! Show them your back! Have no fellowship with them until they learn! Maybe they’ll come to their senses and actually read the Bible and come crawling in penitence to the true church, but if not — and in the meantime — what’s happened to your friend is all your fault!”
“My fault?”
“Yes! You should have started with the plan, just like Peter did in Acts 2! There’s always plenty of time afterward to explain to people about Jesus and who they believe in … the important thing is to baptize them now, before something terrible happens and they’re forever damned in a fiery hell! What in the world gave you the idea to preach Jesus first? — And while we’re on the subject of your ineptitude, have you explained to that hapless sister of yours yet what will happen to her if she doesn’t divorce that second husband and remarry her first one?”
Blog In My Own Eye 
Sadly in some cases that is not too far from reality. When I was planning my baptism, I was asked why I was bothering to be baptized if I believed I was saved already. I was told that baptism was superfluous unless I believed it was the act of baptism that saved me.
I think the kind of intellectual-istic snootiness that you were shown, Wendy, is one of the most damaging ways that believers can let their dogma run over their karma as evangelists (to reverse the old joke). I’m sorry that happened to you.
(And we wonder why people aren’t just beating down the church doors to get “saved” like us.)
Wendy, Just why were you baptized.?
Laymond, I was baptised as Jesus commanded it. It’s a powerful symbol of our rebirth, it’s a public witness of our faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, it’s symbolic of being accepted into the church, it’s a sign of our obedience to God, it’s following Christ’s example, it’s a declaration of faith, it’s a symbol of our spiritual experience…
I don’t see anything about forgivness of sins in that list wendy, what was the symbolism represented in John’s baptism?
I don’t see any of those symbolic reasons given by Peter.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
Seems you were mostly baptized to satisfy man.
Why baptism is a must first.even God can’t save you if you are carrying around a duffel bag filled with sin.
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,
[even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.
People seem inclined to stop right here, when reading what Peter had to say that
day, but Peter did not stop there.
Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save
yourselves from this untoward generation.
“Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” seems there are things we must
do in order to save our-self.
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day
there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.
“were baptized” and were added to the church.I don’t see where they were saved,
then joined the church, before their sins were forgiven in baptism.Yes I know God
can forgive sins anyway he wishes, but that is not the directions we were given. Most
any wood will burn in a fire, but not following the directions given cost some their life.
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and
in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by
the apostles.
“fear came upon every soul” fear of what, if they were saved?
Act 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
People who claim to be CoC Christians seem progressively to have less and less in common.
Sad but a true statement.
Act 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all [men], as
every man had need.
Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking
bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
“with one accord” quickly becommintg a thing of the past, if not already there.
“singleness of heart” “Ain’t it kinda funny, what the children say, skip a rope.”
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to
the church daily such as should be saved.
” such as should be saved.” future tense.
We are responsiable to teach our children– skip-a rope
Laymond, I knew I was wasting my time replying to your question. Thanks for confirming it for me. Blessings.
Sorry to say, Wendy, you may have wasted your time in other ways as well. God Bless.
Whoa, Laymond — who are you? And why do you have such a large chip on your shoulder?!?
Tonia, can’t you tell the difference between a chip, and a cross?
Laymond — I hope I can see the difference between a chip and a cross. I know I have much to learn as I journey through my Christian life, but I hope when I have a discussion with other Christians that I don’t sound as if I am attacking them or bludgeoning them with what I believe that the Bible says. I read your responses to people and it seems to me that you are “attacking” rather than “reasoning”. I don’t claim to know the Bible as well as I should, but I am working on that. I just seems to me that you pull out the quotes that you feel will most likely match what you want to justify — I just feel that it is best to read the WHOLE scripute rather than bits and pieces.
Keep studying the bible Tonia, that’s a good thing- I have read it for some length of time, and will continue even at my age of 71 years I still see some clarity in things I didn’t understand at first read,. so keep at it.