Is someone saved by faith alone? The Bible forbids idolatry, veneration of icons, worship of objects even dedicated to God Place of Scripture where.

24.12.2019

Answer by Vasily Yunak, 11.06.2007

502.sveta azeez ( [email protected]???. net) writes: "Be so kind as to write the passages from the scriptures where it is said that Jesus is God."

Here are some texts. Hope this is enough:

"For a baby was born to us - a Son was given to us; dominion on His shoulders, and they will call His name: Wonderful, Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, FATHER OF ETERNITY, Prince of Peace" (Is 9: 6) -
This evidence Old Testament, a prophecy about the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1: 1) - The context shows that by "Word" is meant Jesus Christ.

"No one has seen God at any time; the Only Begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed" () - EXISTING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FATHER literally means "eternally existing within
God ", which directly speaks of the belonging of Jesus Christ to the Divine.

"Then they said to Him: Who are you? Jesus said to them: from the beginning I am, just as I say to you" () - Again Jesus calls Himself I AM, which is literally in Hebrew
means YHWH or Jehovah.

"I and the Father are one" (); "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" () - Jesus equates Himself with the Heavenly Father.

"The Spirit of God (and the spirit of error) recognize this: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ who came in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ who came in the flesh is not from God, but it is the spirit of Antichrist. , about which you heard that he will come and now is already in the world "() - Although this text does not speak specifically about the divinity of Christ, it indirectly shows that Jesus Christ," who came in the flesh ", was naturally" outside the flesh " before His coming.

"And unquestioningly - the great mystery of piety: God appeared in the flesh, justified Himself in the Spirit, showed Himself to the Angels, preached among the nations, accepted by faith in the world, ascended in glory" () - This text is a good commentary on the previous one.

"We also know that the Son of God came and gave us light and reason, that we may know the true God and that we may be in His true Son Jesus Christ. This is true god and eternal life "() - John clearly calls Jesus Christ the True God.

"theirs are the fathers, and of them Christ according to the flesh, who art over all God, blessed forever, amen" () - Not only the Apostle John recognizes Jesus Christ as God.
The Apostle Paul agrees with him.

"for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" () - In Christ there was all the FULLY of the Godhead, that is, he was completely God, although at the same time he was completely Man.

"Thomas answered and said to him: My Lord and my God! Jesus saith to him: you believed because you saw Me; blessed are those who have not seen and have believed" () - Christ had the opportunity to correct Thomas if he was wrong. But Thomas expressed the understanding that all of Christ's disciples had.

So anyone who recognizes the truth of the Bible must also acknowledge the deity of Jesus Christ.

Read more on the topic "Trinity in Christianity":

01 June

Emil, Novorossiysk

Emil asks

This theme you can talk for a very long time. And we, of course, plan to devote one of the conversations in the club to her. Here we will try to answer Emil's question in a nutshell. We advise you to carefully study the 12, 13 and 14 chapters of 1 Corinthians. As you read them, pay particular attention to the following things:

1. Other languages \u200b\u200bare the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The main thing to understand about other languages \u200b\u200bis that other languages \u200b\u200bare the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is written in 1 Corinthians 12: 4-10 “The gifts are different, but the Spirit is the same; and the offices are different, but the Lord is the same; and actions are different, but God is one and the same, working everything in everyone. But everyone is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the benefit. One given by the Spirit a word of wisdom, another word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; faith to another, by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; to another miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different languages, a different interpretation of languages \u200b\u200b".
Note that the gift of tongues is not the only gift of the Holy Ghost. In this list of gifts, in addition to the gift of tongues, other gifts are mentioned, such as the gift of the word of wisdom, the gift of the word of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gifts of healings, the gifts of miracles, the gift of prophecy, the gift of discerning of spirits, and the gift of the interpretation of tongues.

2. The Holy Spirit decides who to bestow what gift.

For some reason, some Christians believe that every believer in Jesus Christ should have the gift of tongues. But from the above passage, it is clear that the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people. Pay attention to what is said in 1 Corinthians 12:11 "All these things are done by one and the same Spirit, distributing to each separately, as He pleases."... In other words, the Lord God dispenses spiritual gifts as He sees fit.
A gift is a gift. It cannot be earned or earned. It is given free of charge, which is why it is called "gift". Thus, the Lord God, first, decides who is to be endowed with a spiritual gift and who is not. And, secondly, He decides whom to give with what gift.

3. The Bible does not teach that every Christian should have the gift of tongues.

The Word of God compares the Christian church to a body that has many members. Each member of the body is endowed with a specific function. It's the same in the Body of Christ: 1 Corinthians 12: 27-30 “And you are the body of Christ, and individually you are members. And God put others in the Church, firstly, Apostles, secondly, prophets, thirdly, teachers; further, to others he gave miraculous powers, also gifts of healings, help, management, different languages. Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers? Do All Have Gifts of Healing? Does everyone speak in tongues? Are all interpreters? "
Why do you think the apostle Paul asked this rhetorical question: "Does everyone speak with tongues?" Because every Christian has his own function in the Body of Christ. God's Word emphasizes that not all Christians are apostles, not all Christians are prophets, not all Christians are teachers, not all are healers and prophets ... Including, not everyone speaks other tongues!

4. The purpose of spiritual gifts is the edification and building up of the Church.

In addition to all that has been said above, one must not forget about the purpose of spiritual gifts. The Lord endows Christians with spiritual gifts not in order to emphasize the spirituality of some in front of others, and not in order to exalt some believers in the eyes of others or in their own own eyes, and for the building up of the Church - the Body of Christ.

The Lord endows believers with spiritual gifts for mutual edification. If all Christians have the same gift, how will they edify one another? The following is said about the gift of tongues: 1 Corinthians 14: 1-5 “Reach for love; zeal for spiritual gifts, especially for prophesying. For whoever speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to people, but to God; because no one understands him, he speaks secrets with the spirit; and he who prophesies speaks people for edification, admonition and consolation... He who speaks an unknown language is builds himself up; and he who prophesies builds up the church... I wish you all speak in tongues; but it is better that you prophesy; for he who prophesies is superior to the one who speaks in tongues, unless he also expound, for the church to be edified» .

1 Corinthians 14: 6-11 “Now, if I come to you, brethren, and begin to speak in unknown tongues, then how will I benefit youwhen I will not explain myself to you either by revelation, or knowledge, or prophecy, or teaching? And soulless things that make a sound, a flute or a harp, if they do not produce separate tones, how to recognize that they are playing the flute or the harp? And if the trumpet makes a vague sound, who will prepare for battle? So if you also pronounce unintelligible words with your tongue, then how do they know what you say? You will speak to the wind... How many, for example, there are different words in the world, and not one of them is meaningless. But if I do not understand the meaning of words, then I am a stranger for the speaker, and the speaker is a stranger for me ".

Paul's advice: 1 Corinthians 14:12 “Likewise, being jealous of spiritual gifts, try to enrich yourself with them. to the edification of the church» .
Paul backs up his words with deeds. Pay attention to his attitude to other languages \u200b\u200band to the behavior resulting from this attitude: 1 Corinthians 14: 15-19 "What to do? I will pray with the spirit, I will also pray with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, I will also sing with the mind. For if you bless with the spirit, how will the commoner who stands in the place of the commoner say: "Amen" with your thanksgiving? For he does not understand what you are saying. You thank well, but the other is not edified... I thank my God: i speak tongues more than all of you; but in church I would rather say five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than the darkness of words in an unknown language» .

5. The Word of God does not prohibit Christians from praying in other tongues.

1 Corinthians 14: 5 “I wish you all speak in tongues; but it is better that you prophesy ... "
1 Corinthians 14: 39-40 “Therefore, brethren, be zealous to prophesy, but do not forbid speaking in tongues; only everything should be decent and decorous ".
What does "decent and decorous" mean? Read about this in the next paragraph.

6. God's order of prayer in other tongues.

1 Corinthians 14: 26-28 “So what then, brothers? When you come together, and each of you has a psalm, there is a lesson, there is a language, there is a revelation, there is an interpretation - all this will be for edification. If someone speaks in an unfamiliar language, speak two, or many three, and then separately, and one explain. If there is no interpreter, then be quiet in church, but tell yourself and God ".
This Bible verse makes it clear that if there is no person in the church with the gift of interpreting another language, then speakers in other tongues should refrain from publicly praying in other tongues.

7. The gift of tongues is a sign for unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 14: 21-23 “The law says: With other tongues and with other lips I will speak to this people; but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord. So languages \u200b\u200bare a sign not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy is not for unbelievers, but for believers. If the whole church comes together, and everyone begins to speak in unfamiliar tongues, and those who do not know or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are mad? "
For this purpose, the Lord established a strict order of prayer in other tongues, so that Christians would observe it. So that it does not happen that the whole church began to pray in other languages, and unbelievers, coming to the church, would be tempted by this and think that the whole church is raging.
The task of the church on earth is to bear witness to those who perish about Christ, to save souls, and not to push them away from God and the church. That is why the Lord gave the command through the Apostle Paul that during prayer in other languages: without an interpreter, do not pray aloud, and if there is an interpreter, pray one or two, no more. And then everything in the church will be decent and dignified. And unbelievers will not be alienated from Christians and from God.

8. Is speaking in tongues a sign of spirituality?

It is not written anywhere in the Bible that the true spirituality of a Christian is confirmed by the gift of tongues. You may have heard statements of this kind in some churches:
- speaking in other tongues is a sign that a person has received salvation;
- a person does not have the Holy Spirit in him, unless he prays in other languages,
- those who do not pray in other tongues have not yet achieved true spirituality ...

Such a plan of declaration is nothing more than a lie of Satan, the purpose of which is to sow in your heart the seed of doubt and unbelief. Spiritual gifts are not indicative of an individual's spirituality or salvation. Remember that the Bible tells us that both demons and the devil have miraculous gifts, but no one calls demons spiritual or saved. The Revelation of John the Theologian says that in the last days The Antichrist will amaze the whole world with miracles. But these miracles are called false, because these miracles will not be bestowed on the Antichrist by the Holy Spirit, but by the unclean spirit of Satan. Finally, remember the words Jesus said in Matthew 7: 22-23 « Many will say to Me on that day: Lord! Lord! are we not in your name prophesied? and is it not in your name demons drove out? and is it not in your name many miracles worked? And then I will declare to them: I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity».

The indicator of spirituality is not gifts, but the Fruit of the Holy Spirit described in Galatians 5: 22-23 "The fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness, temperance".

The 13th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians is devoted to the same idea. She emphasizes that love (and this is the fruit of the Holy Spirit) is the first and main indicator of true spirituality and evidence of being born again. 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 “If I speak with human and angelic tongues, but have no love, then I - tinkling copper or tinkling cymbal... If I have the gift of prophecy, and I know all the secrets, and I have all knowledge and all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing. And if I distribute all my possessions and give my body to be burned, but I have no love, it doesn't do me any good» .

A large number of Scriptures say that we are saved by faith; however, none of them teach that we are saved "by faith alone."

There is only one Scripture that has the phrase “by faith only,” and it says:

"Do you see that a person is justified by works, and not by faith only?"
(James 2:24).

Thus, the Bible teaches very clearly that no one is saved by faith alone.

Despite the above truth, many denominational groups insist that salvation is "by faith alone."

“The fact that we are saved by faith alone is the most complete and most comforting doctrine,” their creeds say. “Just believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” they tell people.

THE BIBLE TEACHES

The Bible teaches that faith that saves is faith that obeys God's will.

In every age people were blessed according to the measure of the faith they possessed, if this faith led them to the fulfillment of what God commanded them, but this never happened before their obedience.

Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab and others are examples of those who were blessed by faith, but not “by faith only” (Heb. 11).

“Abel offered a sacrifice”, “Enoch walked with God”, “Noah prepared the ark”, “Abraham obeyed”, “Moses… rejected… chose”; "Rahab ... received the scouts."
Everyone's faith helped them fulfill God's commands.

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had walked around them for seven days” (Heb. 11:30). Point out that the walls fell by faith “after,” not before; faith contributed to the obedience of God (Joshua 6: 1-21).

Faith itself is declared by Jesus as a work.

28 So they said to him, What must we do to do the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you should believe in Him whom He sent.
(John 6: 28,29)

This is not a matter of merit, i.e. works of the law, but it is a work of righteousness that is required by God.

8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from you, it is God's gift:
9 not from works, so that no one boasts.
(Eph. 2: 8.9)

28 For we acknowledge that man is justified by faith, apart from the works of the law.
(Rom. 3:28)

34 Peter opened his mouth and said: Truly I know that God is impartial,
35 but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is pleasing to him.
(Acts 10: 34,35)

24 Do you see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only?
(James 2:24)

When someone hears the Gospel and believes it, he is commanded to repent of his sins, and on the basis of his confession of faith, this person immerses himself in water to receive salvation or forgiveness of sins.

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of God.
(Rom. 10:17)

10 because with the heart they believe for righteousness, but with the mouth they confess for salvation.
(Rom. 10:10)

30 So, leaving the times of ignorance, God now commands people everywhere to repent,
(Acts 17:30)

38 Peter said to them: Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 2:38)

15 And he said to them: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
(Mar.16: 15.16)

This is the kind of faith that saves. "Faith alone," without works of obedience, is dead.

17 So also faith, if it has no works, is dead of itself.
18 But someone will say: "You have faith, and I have works": show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works.
19 You believe that God is one: you do well; and demons believe and tremble.
20 But do you want to know, you foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not our father Abraham justified by works, when he laid his son Isaac on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith worked together in his works, and in works faith was made perfect?
23 And the word of Scripture was fulfilled: "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, and he was called a friend of God."
24 Do you see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only?
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, receiving the spies and sending them away in another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
(James 2: 17-26)

Every morning we wake up and hear the world screaming about its problems. We open our laptops, our front doors and our newspapers, and the burden of tragedy and evil falls heavily on us. Will anyone be able not to be frightened by this?

Living in fear limits us. Instead of achieving goals, we invest our energy in protecting ourselves from every threat, real or perceived. With this mindset, it is simply impossible to show the unselfish, selfless love of Jesus as an example for us.

When you feel overwhelmed by fear, read these ten Scriptures - and remember the promises God makes - to help you live free from all fear:

1. Psalm 117: 6

The Lord is for me - I will not be afraid: what will man do to me?

Promise: God is consistent. The most important part of ourselves, that which no one is able to threaten, is our soul. In Christ our souls are safe. Nothing can separate us from this love.

2. Hebrews 13: 6

So we boldly say: "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear: what will man do to me?"

Promise: God helps His people. This passage is repeated three times in the Psalms and is repeated in the Letter to the Hebrews. We will not be afraid, because God is consistent and promises us His help. His all-embracing love will always be greater than the evil that can be found throughout the face of the earth.

photo - Ray Wewerka

3. Deuteronomy 1: 29-30

Don't be afraid of them. The Lord your God will fight for you.

Promise: God is partial. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, God is enough to let us know that He is not some distant deity, but a caring and personal God. This means that we do not need to live as if all our decisions and disappointments lie on our shoulders alone. God fights for us even when (and especially when) we are in His presence.

4. Romans 8:15

Because you did not receive the spirit of slavery in order to live in fear again, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry: "Abba, Father!"

Promise: God sends us His indwelling Spirit. Our personalities as sons and daughters of God are much stronger than our former fearful nature. We have access to a daily and dedicated relationship with the living God through this gift.

5. Proverbs 3:21, 23-24

My son! Don't let them out of your eyes; keep your sanity and prudence. Then you will walk safely in your path, and your foot will not stumble. When you go to bed, you will not be afraid; and when you fall asleep, your dream will be pleasant.

Promise: God gives us His guidance. He does not leave us alone in this world, so that we ourselves can deal with our problems. He gives us His Word and His Son as an example and gives us the instructions we need to live free from fear. When we know His Word, we know His world.

6. Isaiah 12: 2

“Behold, God is my salvation: I trust in Him and am not afraid; for the Lord is my strength, and my singing is the Lord; and He was for my salvation. "

Promise: God is supremely powerful. Because God saved me from death, because He gives me strength and I can choose to trust. In times of fear, I can repeat these promises as a prayer and ask God to help me sing about salvation rather than reflect on troubles.

7. Matthew 10: 29-31

Are not two small birds being sold for an assarius? And not one of them will fall to the ground without the will of your Father; Your hairs on your head are all numbered; Do not be afraid: you are better than many small birds.

Promise: God calls us worthy. Through His grace to us - in our daily provision and in the promises of His Son - God says that we matter to Him. Jesus came and called us worthy, so important to the Father that Jesus sacrificed His life for our sins. The living God of the universe is on our side! How can we be afraid of anything when we know this truth?

8. Isaiah 8: 11-12

For thus spoke the Lord to me, holding a strong hand on me and telling me not to walk in the way of this people, and said: “Do not call a conspiracy of all that this people calls a conspiracy; and do not be afraid of what he fears, and do not be afraid ... "

Promise: God gives us a different path. Long before the advent of modern news agencies, God knew that we would live in fear, like those people who do not know Him at all. We should be aware of this tendency and pray that God will give us a spirit of courage, not terror.

Don't miss the fun!

9. Matthew 14:27

But Jesus immediately spoke to them and said: be of good cheer; it is I, do not be afraid.

Promise: Jesus gives us courage. Our courage in the face of fear does not come from within us; it is something that we have access to because Jesus is present in our lives.

10. John 14:27

Peace I leave to you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Yes not embarrassed a heart your and yes not afraid.

Promise: Jesus gives us His peace. As a result, we are not obliged to rely only on our circumstances, since we are free from fear. Even in the most difficult situations, Jesus promises to give us supernatural peace that allows us to remain strong despite trials.

Hebrews 8: 8 ... behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will conclude
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah the new covenant ...
Ex.4: 20 My son! Listen to my words, and incline your ear to my words.

W O D N O E K R E N I E

1Pet.3: 21 Likewise, baptism similar to this image now also saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ ...
Output:
- baptism is a covenant with God (a promise to Him of a good conscience);
- baptism saves ... (by the resurrection of Christ, although most of the evangelicals do not notice this aspect of these words of Scripture)

Rom. 6: 2-8 We died to sin: how can we live in it? Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? So, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also can walk in a renewed life. For if we are united with Him in the likeness of His death, we must also be united in the likeness of resurrection, knowing that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be abolished, so that we no longer be slaves to sin; for he who is dead is freed from sin. If we died with Christ, then we believe that we will also live with Him ...

Conclusion - in baptism a person:
- dies with Christ for sin;
- unites with Him in the likeness of His death;
- our old man dies in baptism ... (already crucified with Him);
- ceases to be a slave to sin, freed from sin;
- grounds for believing that we will live with Him.

Col. 2: 12,13 ... being buried with Him in baptism, in Him you were also resurrected by faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead and you, who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, revived together with him, forgiving all our sins.

Conclusion - baptism is also associated with the forgiveness (washing away) of our sins. The baby is not able to believe - then see Mark 16:16 ... From here and from previous places it can be seen that baptism is a grave, where we die with Christ, and then we are resurrected (It can be seen from what is written that if a person is not baptized, the work of forgiving his sins is not completed! This should, at least, make us think ... Our feelings may not be into account, "for we walk by faith and not by sight.").

D.Ap.16: 33 And, taking them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds and immediately baptized himself and all his household ...

D.Ap.10: 47,48 ... who can forbid those who, like us, have received the Holy Spirit from being baptized with water? And he told them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for several days. (Also see D. Ap. 2:41, 8:12, 9:18, 22:16)

Conclusion - these passages speak of the understanding and desire of the first believers not to hesitate with baptism.

Gal.3: 27… all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Conclusion - baptism is a necessary factor for joining the Church of Christ.

D.Ap.16: 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she asked us, saying: If you have recognized me as faithful to the Lord, then come into my house and live with me. And she convinced us.

Conclusion - baptism is a sign of fidelity to the Lord and therefore, obviously, should be done of the free will of the baptized person upon reaching the state when he realizes in himself the desire for fidelity ... In principle, a baptized infant cannot have this. He is not aware of what is being done to him ...

From D.Ap.10: 2,6,30 (centurion Cornelius) it is seen in general that a person can know about the existence of God, pray earnestly, fast, be pious, do a lot of charity and still not be saved (i.e. , with many of their good deeds, perish forever with their sins in hell ...). Scripture says that in order to receive the remission of sins and salvation, something else is needed ... namely, to tremblingly observe the order and way of salvation proposed by the Lord (to hear and fulfill the Word of God).

D.Ap.2: 37,38 ... and they said to Peter and the other Apostles: what should we do, brothers and sisters? Peter said to them: Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
D.Ap.22: 16 So, why are you delaying? Rise, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus.

Thus, according to Scripture, during water baptism occurs:

Conclusion of a new covenant of man with God;
- we die to sin;
- deliverance from the bondage of sin;
- union with Christ by the likeness of His death;
- the death of our old man ... (our old man no longer exists);
- our putting on Christ ... (now He is our shield. We are clothed in Him and are hidden in Him);
- the foundation is laid for the belief that we will live with Christ;
- baptism is a necessary factor for joining the Church of Christ (to the Body of Christ);
- as it were, the forgiveness of sins is completed (accomplished) (this is not entirely clear, and, nevertheless, it can be seen from D.An2: 37,38 and partly D.AP.22: 16);
- baptism - saves ... (by the resurrection of Christ. We can assume that it also protects us by Him)

What Scripture Says About Approaching Baptism

D.Ap.2: 38 Peter said to them: Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

D.Ap.2: 41 So those who willingly received his word were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added.

D.Ap.8: 12 ... But when they believed Philip, preaching about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

D.Ap.8: 13 Simon himself believed, and when he was baptized, he did not leave Philip and, seeing the great powers and signs taking place, he was amazed ...

D.Ap.16: 14,15 And one woman from the city of Thyatira, named Lydia, who traded in purple, worshiping God, listened; and the Lord opened her heart to listen to what Paul was saying. When she and her household were baptized, she asked us, saying: If you have recognized me as faithful to the Lord, then enter into my house and live with me. And she convinced us.

D.Ap.9: 5-7, 18 He said: Who are you, Lord? The Lord said: I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. It's hard for you to go against the prick. He in awe and horror said: Lord, what will you command me to do? (this is Paul's repentance) ... ... And immediately, as if scales fell from his eyes, and suddenly he received his sight: and, getting up, was baptized.

(From the cited Scriptures it is clear that all these people, before baptism, received the word about Christ, believed and repented).

D.Ap.8: 36,37 Meanwhile, continuing on their way, they came to the water; and the eunuch said: Here is water; what prevents me from being baptized? Philip said to him: if you believe with all your heart, you can. He answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

(The Scriptures cited show us that first comes faith, and only then baptism? !! It is written: "... if you believe ... you can."

And in Orthodoxy, if someone is baptized at a conscious age, as a rule, only after he believes. Otherwise, you cannot force him ... Without believing, you can baptize, perhaps, only an irresponsible baby. By the way, there is not a single place in Scripture that directly speaks of the baptism of irresponsible babies. Do you think this is an accident?).

D.Ap.13: 38 So, let it be known to you, brethren, that for His sake the forgiveness of sins is announced to you ... (The people to whom these words were addressed have not yet been baptized ... This means that the forgiveness of sins is announced before baptism).

D.Ap.26: 18… open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and by faith in Me they receive the remission of sins.

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him: Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise (this means that the remission of sins took place here, although there was no baptism).

Mark 2: 5 Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic: child! your sins are forgiven you (sins are forgiven, also without water baptism).

From the above texts, first, the Biblical order is clearly visible:

HEAR - BELIEVE - REPENT - BAPTIZE

Secondly, we can see that the forgiveness of sins is an ambiguous process and it begins (as it were, begins), to a certain extent, with believing in Christ. So, if we talk about Protestants, then in this respect, they go to the Lord in the correct order, but some incompleteness must be filled. More specifically, it is necessary to accept that baptism, in a certain way, is "tied" to the forgiveness of sins (D.Ap.2: 38, D.Ap.22: 16). If the Scriptures tell us: "... that each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins ..." - these words cannot be neglected. They need to be properly "digested" and applied.

"... But to whom I will look: ... on him that trembles before My Word ..." (Is 66: 2)

It is noteworthy that the Scripture does not convey to us a single fact of water baptism "in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt 28:19). In all the Scriptures that speak of water baptism, the Apostles and early believers baptized those who believed in water “in the name of Jesus Christ” (“in the name of the Lord Jesus”).

We know the commandment of Christ to baptize "in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." At the same time, we understand that the Apostles could not be mistaken, baptizing in water "in the name of Jesus Christ" ... The Apostles did everything right; otherwise, we will have to doubt the truth of the Word of God, and this is our only firm support ... Most likely, there is some peculiarity here that we, so far, cannot understand. It is clear that in the Word of Scripture there are no "flaws" and no "confusion" ... Most likely, the problem is in our misunderstanding of what to pray for ... and comprehensively research Scripture.

Passages from Scripture about how the Apostles and other believers in Christ baptized:

D.Ap.2: 38 Peter said to them: Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

D.Ap.10: 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for several days.

D.Ap.19: 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus ...

D.Ap.8: 16 For He has not yet descended on any of them, but only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Rom. 6: 2-8 Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

EPIPHANY.

1. D. Ap.2: 37,38 ... Peter said to them: repent and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit;

2. Matthew 3: 14-16 But John kept Him and said: I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? But Jesus answered him: Leave it now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then John allows Him. And being baptized, John immediately came out of the water - and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and John saw the Spirit of God, who descended like a dove and descended on Him.

3. 1Pet.3: 21,22 ... Likewise, baptism is now similar to this image, not washing of carnal impurity, but the promise of a good conscience to God, is saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who, ascended into heaven, is at the right hand of God, and to whom we have submitted Angels and powers and powers.

4. Rom. 6: 2-5. We died to sin: how can we live in it? Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death? So, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also can walk in a renewed life.

For if we are united with Him in the likeness of His death, we must be united in the likeness of resurrection, knowing that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin may be abolished, so that we no longer be slaves to sin.

4. Colos. 2:12. ... Having been buried with Him in baptism, in Him you were also resurrected by faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead ...

5. Gal. 3:27. All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

6. Ex. 14:28. ... And the water returned, and covered the chariots and horsemen of all the army of Pharaoh, who followed them into the sea; not one of them remained.

7. Ps.77: 53 He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but the sea covered their enemies.

8.Jap. 8: 36.37 ... here is the water; what prevents me from being baptized? Phillip said to him: if you believe with all your heart, you can. He answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

9.Ap.8: 12 ... But when they believed Phillip, preaching about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

10. D.Ap.16: 15 When she and her household were baptized, she asked us, saying: If you have recognized me as faithful to the Lord, then enter my house and live with me. And she convinced us.

11. Mark 16:16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

12. Phil.3: 37 ... circumcision - we who serve God in the Spirit, and who boast in Christ Jesus, and trust not in the flesh.

HEAR - BELIEVE - REPENT (BORN FROM ABOVE) - BAPTIZED:

Thus, the Bible says, one can approach water baptism.