I'm dreaming of a white christmas ...
Yes, I know it has been awhile since my last post. With the onset of the holidays it has been very busy. I just got back from a quick trip to DC where we gave a quick seminar on some of the technology that we are using which was very successful. I didn't sleep very well while I was there though so I am very happy to be back.
Among other things that have been going on I have been racing to complete a rather troublesome API for the customer that is supposed to be delivered next week. I have also been working on a paper about baptism. I wanted to address the issue of whether or not baptism saves. Several people very close to me believe that it does, I believe that they are misguided and wanted an opportunity to articulate my reasons for that. I think I am going to basically discuss the arguments that I have heard for it and then present 3 arguments against it. I'll probably post the paper here but just as a quick preview the major arguments I hope to present against the belief that baptism saves are:
- The thief on the cross was not baptized, yet Jesus said he would be in paradise.
- The idea that baptism saves conflicts with many passages in the New Testament which state that it is by faith through grace alone that we are saved. Those who profess the salvation through baptism belief bear a concerning resembalance to the judiazers who claimed believers must be circumsized.
- There are no passages that clearly support salvation through baptism, the two that propoents of the belief usually use are easily shown to not support it.
