The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1955-05-05
YES, Baptism IS Essential
TO SoIvotion!
by BILL HETNSELMAN


A column appears regularly in
this newspaper entitled, BIBLE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS"
written by a Mr.. Albert F. Ran
dolph. I do not doubt that the
questions asked in this column
are Bible" questions-but I GER
tainly doubt that all of the an
swers are "Bible" answers! Now,
| do not say this to be rude or
unkind to Mr.. Randolph, but
say it because it is the truth!
Recently the question was ask
ed: rs baptism essential to sal
Vation?" I intend to show you in
this column that there is a vital
difference in the teaching of
Jesus Christ and the teaching of
Mr.. Randolph on this important
subject. First, Mr.. Randolph
says, "To say that baptism is
essential to salvation would be
to say something that the Bible
does not say" This, of course,
is not so! Acts l0:48 "and He
commanded them to be baptised
in the name of the Lord" If
any man doubts this is water
baptism, let him turn to this pas
sage and read few verses be-
fore this one. But, someone may
say, This does not say baptism
is Essential to salvation" MY
friend, this passage says baptism
is a COMMAND of God! Now,
just find where the Bible says
we must obey God (Rev. 22:f4,
2 Thess. 1873, Heb. $500 to be
saved and THERE you have the
scriptures that say that BAP-
TISM is ESSENTIAL TO SAL
VATION Now, friends either
one of two things is true Either
Mr.. Randolph does not believe
baptism is a command (it is, Acts
10:48) or else Mr. Randolph does
not believe we must obey the
commands to be saved eve must,
Heb. $3.50 BUT you dear reader
can clearly see that in either
case, Mr. Randolph is WRONG
and the BIBLE is RIGHTi
Mr., Randolph says a believer is
saved and SHOULD be baptised.
(see his article) But Jesus
CHRIST said in the New Testa-
ment, HE that believeth AND is
BAPTISED shall be saved"
Mark 1915. Somebody is wrong,
the reader may draw his own
conclusions as to whom it may
bel
"On the other hand, Continues
Mr.. Randolph) the thief on the
cross was not baptised in water,
and yet Jesus said that he would
be with Him in paradise" Mr..
Randolph, to say that the thief
was not baptised lis to say
something that the Bible does
not say!" Read Nix. 1:5 where
we are told John baptised ''all
the land of Judea and they of
Jerusalem, in the river of Jor-
dan" And, read John Al where
we are told that Jesus baptised
even more than John (TIis dis
ciples baptiSed for Him. NOW,
who can say with authority that
the thief on the cross was not
baptised in water. ."???
May we remind the readers
that Peter did not say anything
about the water washing away
the sins of Noah. Peter does
teach in I Pet 3:20-21, that saliva
ton by baptism is a figure of
Noah and his house being liter
ally saved by water a long time
agoi
Mr.. Randolph is not only
against Jesus Christ and the
apostle Peter, but he is also
against Ananias. Listen to what
Mr.. Randolph says: Baptism is
not saving ordinance. Water
cannot wash away the guilt of
sin" Ananias said to the pray
ing, penitent soul of Tarsus:
Nov, why tarriest thou? arise,
and be baptised, and wash away
thy sins, calling on the name of
the Lord" Acts 22:16. Friends, I
know not what your conclusion
may be, but, my conclusion is
that the writer of BIBLE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS"
either does not KNOW what the
Bible says, or he does not BE-
LIEVE what the Bible says!
Mr.. Randolph thinks Jno. 1:12
proves that one is saved and be-
comes aa child of God upon faith
alone But / can show him more
than one case in the New Testa-
ment where a believer was NOT
saved! Now, can he show me
one case in the New Testament
that clearly teaches a believer
was saved before and without
baptism? If he thinks he can, let
him print it! We are willing to
discuss these things in this paper
or on the public platform in de-
bate. I can be contacted thru the
members of the Main Street
Church of Christ in Caldwell,
Ohio. Pd. Adv.