Unity & Diversity - Howard Goss

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>>>Actually, there are some important interpretive issues involving the Greek
construction of the verse. One of them is the whether the preposition *eis*
here means "in order to obtain" or "because of" remission of sins. Using an
analogy based, like yours, on our common English usage of the word, some
would argue that one is baptized for ("because of") remission of sins, just
as one is imprisoned for ("because of") committing a crime.<<<


This interpretation is spurious at best.  It is a common evangelical argument
based on Arminian tradition.  In order to uphold the "grace alone by faith
alone" aphorism, some find it necessary to undermine the efficacy of baptism.
Why is that?  Baptism DOES have a salvific quality...it is just not salvific as
a result of what we do, but as a result of what God does by His Grace.  It is a
divine rendezvous of sorts.  The whole debate stems from a fallacious view of
faith being simple mental assent, when in reality OBEDIENCE is an integral part
of faith.  Without obedience (including to the command to be baptized) one does
not have real faith and cannot be saved.  Faith and belief are usually the same
concept in the Greek (pistis) and used interchangeably.

For a better treatment of the above...I wrote and essay called "The Obedience of
Faith" at http://bsuvc.bsu.edu/~00kmvanooteg/obedience.html


>>>But, I'm digressing. I'm not trying to defend this interpretation, or to
debate the proper exegesis of the passage at all. I'm simply establishing
that there have always been differing views among Apostolics on the exact
salvational significance of baptism, yet always with the common ground of
emphasizing Acts 2:38 as the only full and proper response to the gospel.<<<


Ok...I am getting a little fed up with this Bro. Goss thing.  So what if he did
or did not believe that baptism was the instance in which sins were remitted.
Show me where our good elder wrote that baptism is not essential for salvation
(full or otherwise).  Just because one's sins are remitted does not mean that
said person is saved.  Does he still not need to be filled with the Holy Ghost
in order to be saved?  I think that too much is being made of Bro. Goss'
statement and it is being made to imply something that was not intended.  For
that matter, I think that some have portrayed diversity in Pentecostal belief on
a much wider spectrum than actually exists (both 50 years ago and today).  It is
nearly impossible to determine  what exactly the debate between "full salvation"
and "salvation" may have meant when the UPC articles of faith were being written
and adopted.  Perhaps the objector(s) had in mind what someone just wrote on one
of today's posts--namely that the New Birth is not full salvation because we are
not saved until final judgment has been passed.  Perhaps the objector(s) to the
phrase "full salvation" just wanted to safeguard against "eternal security" or
"annihilation of the wicked" (both of which are covered in the UPC manual).  A
wide range of other possibilities exist.  The bottom line is we cannot assume
that the objector(s) to the phrase "full salvation" did not believe that baptism
was essential.  Even if this were the case, it was obviously not believed by
many because the phrase was kept intact.

We must do more than preach that baptism is the "appropriate response" to the
gospel.  We must, as the Apostles did, present it as essential to salvation.  As
for Bro. Goss...do you know how many times he was baptized in Jesus name?
Twice.  The first time it neither he nor Bro. Parham (the administrator of the
baptism) had received the revelation of God's oneness but were simply led by the
desire to administer baptism "in Jesus' name" in obedient response to the Bible.
 Presumably, his reason for being baptized the second time was because he had
received the oneness revelation.  Does this sound like a man that didn't believe
in the essentiality of baptism?

God speed,
Kirk Van Ooteghem
  

***********************
 Kirk Van Ooteghem  
 00kmvanooteg@bsu.edu
 University Libraries
 Ball State University
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