Here is a list of unbiblical teachings that are accepted in some church groups:
Sin-you-must — teaches that you will continue to sin after being saved, and that a believer sins in word, thought, and deed daily. This teaching makes people easy prey to temptations and leaves them thinking that sin in a believer’s life is normal.
Further Reading: Sin You Must Teaching
Easy-Believism — teaches that godly sorrow, repentance, and obedience to Christ are not necessary. Instead, all you must do is believe. This teaching can have people that are only under conviction thinking they are saved.
Eternal Security> — teaches that if – once you are saved – you go back to your old life and live and die in sin, you will still go to heaven. This teaching gives a false sense of security and can work a carelessness in how you deal with temptations.
Further Reading: Considering Eternal Security and the IF Scriptures
Sinning Christians — teaches that a Christian will not experience spiritual death if they commit one sin, and that it takes either practicing sin or ‘big’ sins like murder or adultery before you are spiritually separated from God, and are no longer a child of God. This teaching takes away the seriousness of what happens when a Christian sins. It also leaves a person thinking they are a Christian when they are not.
Further Reading: Committing Sin Brings Spiritual Death
Unconditional Election– teaches that God pre ordained- before the world was created – who would be saved. Those who are not pre ordained as saved, have no chance to be saved. This teaching will leave the saved with a false sense of security and the unsaved with no hope that they can do anything about their unsaved state.
Pentecostalism– teaches that a prayer language called ‘tongues’ is the evidence of having experienced a higher spiritual experience after conversation called the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’. This teaching will leave a person trusting in an external manifestation that is experienced in unorthodoxed groups like the Mormons as evidence of conversion and a higher spiritual experience.
Baptismal Regeneration — teaches you are saved when you are baptized and you can’t be saved without water baptism. This teaching can cause people to trust in baptism as proof of salvation, and can leave those that have been converted – but not baptized – doubting their conversion.
Mistakes-are-sin– teaches that mistakes in opinion, judgments, and actions including faults, errors, and any conduct that comes short of complete angelic perfection is unwillful sin, and that there is no difference between what some are calling unwillful sins and willful sins. This teaching makes no differentiation between mistakes and sins. This teaching leads the Christian to confess that they are a sinner and opens them up to the unbiblical teaching of ’sin-you-must’ – with the excuse that we are all human and can’t help but make mistakes.
Further Reading: Are Errors, Faults, and Mistakes Sin
One True Visible Church (OTVC)– groups that hold this doctrine teach that their group is the one true visible church. They teach that all honest people will come to them, and that God is not working with any other group but them and if any leave the group, they are no longer saved. Examples of groups that hold this teaching are: The Watchtower Society, 2 x 2, Church of God in Christ Mennonite (Holdeman), and The Church of God (Restoration). This teaching is used to build a union in conduct, dress, and doctrine by the groups ministers – which claim they have the authority to cast disagreeing members out of the Body of Christ, and to take away their right standing with God.
Further Reading: One True Visible Church (OTVC) Teaching
December 12th, 2008 at 8:24 am
I cannot believe how off you are! I notice no scriptural references…Because you do not get your beliefs from scripture. How ironic that you have a picture of a wolf in sheep’s clothing; a nice likeness of your doctrine!
December 12th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Hi Ernie Carrillo;
>>>I notice no scriptural references
Thank you for your comments. I have dealt with most of these views more extensively in other posts and posted supported them there with scriptural quotes. After the short explanation in a number of the teachings you will note that I have a link to more reading. If you check those out you will notice that I have used scriptures there to show where these teachings are wrong. Thanks for pointing that out as I should write a post on the teachings that I have listed there and don’t have a full article on.
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July 24th, 2009 at 2:10 am
Hi Bob,
Thanks for having this site. I enjoy your articles!
You bring up some valid unbiblical teachings in this article, however, Baptismal Regeneration is not one of them. True we need to experience an ‘inner conversion’ i.e. godly sorrow and repentance. But we must also partake of the ‘outer conversion’ i.e. baptism in water to experience forgiveness of sins. The following scriptures make this clear:
Acts 22:16, Titus 3:5, IPeter3:21, Acts 2:38. This is the teaching of the first century church.
The ante-Nicene church frequently referred to the act of water baptism as ‘grace’. I’ll quote from Clement of Alexandria in his ‘Instructor’ Book 1 chapter 6 which discusses baptism:
“This work is variously called grace, and illumination, and perfection, and washing. Washing by which we cleanse away our sins. Grace, by which the penalties of our sins are cancelled. And illumination, by which that holy light of salvation is beheld, that is, by which we see God clearly.”
In fact, the early church writers write in unanimity about the importance of baptism in the salvation process. True, the early Christians believed that infants were ’saved’ without baptism because they had no way to repent or even understand sin. And many early Christians believed there was a ‘baptism in blood’ that saved those who came to faith and were quickly martyred before having a chance of being baptized, but the normal path to conversion in the early church included being buried with Christ in the waters of baptism to arise to a new life. Please show me from the Bible and Early Church record if this is not the case.
I know this is an unpopular view in our ‘modern times’ but this is the teaching of the first, second, and third century church i.e. there needs to be an inner and outer conversion.
July 24th, 2009 at 2:25 am
Hi Dean,
Will we all like to quite the early church fathers when they support our view we will all have to admit there are a number of teachings that the early church fathers teach that we don’t hold to. This is the case as many of the early church fathers of the first three centuries teach different things. Therefore we can only conclude that what the early church teaches is not binding. If it was we would have to accept all that they teach and that is not even dealing with the issue of their differences.
Therefore we much go to the scriptures.
I would hold that if we can find examples in the Bible of those that were saved without water baptism that we must conclude that it is possible also now to be saved with out baptism.
I do hold that if you know that you need to be baptized and you refuse to obey that that is sin and if you don’t repent of that disobedience and walk in the light you will be lost. Also I would hold that when a person is saved they need to be baptized right away. The congregation I currently attend just two a few weeks ago held a baptism at the river the same day the man got saved.
So when we look to the scriptures we find the man or the cross got saved with out baptism (Lk 23″42-43) and also those of Cornelius were saved, and had the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on them, and they spake by the gift of languages (Act 10:45-47).
July 24th, 2009 at 3:44 am
Hi Bob,
I agree–we must always go to the Scriptures first. The early church fathers are helpful with some of the more ambiguous issues of the Bible, in seeing how they understood these very issues.
With all due Christian love and respect I don’t think the examples you bring up in Scripture are examples of being saved outside of New Testament baptism. Let me explain:
1. Thief on the cross–Jesus did forgive this man’s sins and said he would be with Him in paradise. I have no disagreement here. But, this man lived and died under the Old Testament. There was no New Testament in existence because Jesus had not died yet. A testament or will only goes into effect upon the death the the person it is from. Also Jesus is God, while he was on the earth he forgave sin as he saw fit. He instituted baptism as a way to enter into Him after his death. So this scenario does not truly count as a person who should have been baptized into Christ.
2. Cornelius and his household. This event did happen under the New Testament. I don’t think they were saved when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them, Here’s why: In Acts 11 Peter recounts the Cornelius event in Jerusalem. Verses 14 and 15 tell a key fact: ‘and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all of your household. And as I BEGAN TO SPEAK, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as he did upon us at the beginning.’ Peter hadn’t finished his message of salvation, he had just begun when Cornelius’ household received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Verse 14 makes it clear that salvation would come through the words of Peter not on some other event.
It needs to be understood also that Cornelius and his household signify the ‘ushering in’ of the Kingdom for gentiles. Up to this point the church was composed of Jews and Jewish converts. God allowed the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the speaking in tongues for Cornelius’ household to show Peter the Gospel is for all. This was the same baptism of the Holy Spirit found among the apostles in Acts 2 when the Jesus Kingdom was first ushered in.
Interestingly, Peter gives the message of salvation in both Acts 2 and Acts 10. Jesus did tell Peter that he would have the keys to the Kingdom. We see it fulfilled for Jews and for gentiles in these two Chapters. Acts 2:38 makes it clear ‘Repent (inner conversion) and each of you be baptized (outer conversion) in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness of sins is normally through both of these conversions occurring.
With that said I refuse to put God in a box. God is God and can still choose to save anyone he desires. I gave a couple of examples of people that the early Christians believed could be saved without baptism. But the two examples I cited were people who could not experience both the inner and outer conversion.
I post this because it is not right to label ‘baptismal regeneration’ as an unbiblical teaching. It is the teaching of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Century church. It is part of the conversion process. It is not just something you do out of obedience. It is being baptized into Christ (Romans 6:1-4).
Your statement:
‘Baptismal Regeneration — teaches you are saved when you are baptized and you can’t be saved without water baptism. This teaching can cause people to trust in baptism as proof of salvation, and can leave those that have been converted – but not baptized – doubting their conversion.’
I ask what’s wrong with trusting in baptism as proof of salvation? If you have godly sorrow, have repented and have been baptized you have followed the course of conversion in the New Testament. And if a person has been ‘converted’ (inner conversion) but not baptized(outer conversion) they should be doubtful of their salvation unless they have had no opportunity to get baptized e.g. martyred for their faith upon repentance with no chance of getting baptized.
Written in Christian love and with deep respect for your walk in the Lord,
July 24th, 2009 at 4:08 am
Hi Dean,
I would hold that the law and the prophets were until John and then the kingdom of God was preached and men pressed into it. But so that we don’t digress on that point I am willing to move from the thief on the cross to Cornelius. You state that “this event did happen under the New Testament”. I am not sure if I understand you on this point. You do believe the new covenant started with the death of Christ don’t you? (Heb 9:16-17). So if the New covenant started with the death of Christ than clearly the event of Cornelius happened under the new covenant time?
The next issue I would disagree with is that Peter had to finish preaching before Cornelius could be saved. I think you are stretching there. Next the idea that when Cornelius had the Holy Spirit come on him and he spoke with the gift of languages but he was still not saved is a long stretch also.
Do you believe that people can receive the gifts of the Spirit and still be unregenerate?
Also the idea of not “put[ting] God in a box” becomes a cure all for every thing. You can use this to take care of any thing you want. You can have God making exceptions where ever you want him to and I don’t agree with that.
If there is an example of some one being born again with out baptism then all can be born again with out baptism.
I think it is clear to all unbiased people that Cornelius was saved post-baptism.
Seeing how Cornelius was saved post-baptism then baptism is not a requirement for salvation but an answer of a good conscience toward God (1Pe 3:21).
As far as your language “outer conversation” and “inner conversation” these are terms that we don’t find in the new testament and I don’t see any scripture to support such a teaching.
You ask what is wrong with teaching that baptism is proof of salvation. That should be very clear. Anybody without godly sorrow or repentance can get baptized (and for some that would be seen as salvation). But no one can get saved with out godly sorrow and repentance. Hence the true proof is godly sorrow and repentance.
July 25th, 2009 at 1:47 am
Hi Bob,
Yes, I do believe the New Covenant started with the death of Christ. Therefore the event of Cornelius began under the new covenant. I don’t see the stretch you are referring to. The Scriptures are quite clear.
As for my statement about not putting God in a box. I was simply stating what the early Christians believed about one martyred for Christ who had NO opportunity for baptism. This primarily happened with Roman soldiers who were commanded to kill Christians and upon seeing the Christians unwavering faith in Christ, refused to kill them. This meant their death on the spot as well. True, this is not found in Scripture.
I agree that the terms ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ conversion are not found in the Bible. I use these only to show good people like yourself that godly sorrow and repentance is not the complete picture of salvation.
[Edited by Bob Mutch]
July 26th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Hi Dean,
I edited your last post and removed content that was not new but a repeat of what ever you had already said. I feel like I have make all points that the Lord wants me to make and I think we should close our discussion with the points in your last point. I don’t feel like it with benefit either of use to discuss this point further. Thank you for bringing up your points.
July 27th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Hi Bob,
Although I do believe I brought up some additional points in my last post that are important to understand, I am powerless to do anything on this blog since you are the final editor. I felt our discussion was civil and I thank you for it.
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 am
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:12-14) Probably the clearest verses in the New Testament concerning Christians that PRACTICE sin.
September 23rd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Hi John,
I think the following scriptures are even clearer but the one you posted was a good scripture also.
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
–1Joh 2:3-4
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
–1Joh 3:6-8
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
–1Joh 3:10
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
–1Joh 3:14-15
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
–1Joh 4:20
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
–1Joh 5:18
Thanks!
Bob.
November 30th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
The way you have described this is very thorough. I will link your blog page to mine.
[Editor: link removed for comment spam.]
December 1st, 2009 at 9:34 am
Hi firstbathrooms.co.uk,
Some one is posting comment spam to my blog and linking to your site.
Bob.
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:07 am
About Baptismal regeneration I am of the firm opinion that water baptism is important and when we are baptized into the Lord the old self dies and we put on the new likeness of Christ. However, we will continue to face the temptations to sin but the extent of sinnning will depend on our prayer life and our spiritual life. The more we pray and the more we are involved with the church (the bride of Christ) the lesser we sin and we should repent of any shortcomings as a daily practise. We will not have time to think of sin if we keep ourselves busy with reading the word of God, praying, interceeding, fasting, winning souls and being faithful in meeting our brothers and sisters. But water baptism should not be taken as a guarantee of entry to heaven all the same it is required by a believer if he or she has accepted the Lord as personal Saviour. The Lord has stressed emphasis on the inner heart. For example my dad accepted the Lord just two days before he died and he was on bed so there was no way he could be baptized and no one expected him to pass away immediately after that conversion. Though he was sick as he was looking much healthier after his conversion. But I know that he is with the Lord now.