[Argh, can't resist desire to answer... must keep... hands... away... keyboard... too late.]
Originally posted by hblair
A few points to ponder...
the original christian church didn't have any central gov't.
Hblair, this is only partially true. During the Apostolic age, particular churches where governed by Ruling and Teaching Elders (1 Tim. 5:17, etc.) and served by Deacons (Greek:
Presbuteros & Diakonos). The Apostles had authority to plant new churches (Titus 1:5), and they were primarily responsible for writing the authoratative books that closed the canon of scripture (a few non-apostles also wrote NT books, Luke and Mark for instance). In turn, however all of these elders assembled together to definitively decide matters of faith and practice as was the case with the Jerusalem Assembly of Acts 15, this would be the first Synod, Council, or Assembly of the church. So churches were not entirely independent, there was connectionalism.
But admittedly not the kind we see in the episcopal (hierarchical) kind of church gov't in Episcopacy or Roman Catholicism. This developed later and resembled the Roman system of civil gov't more than system of church government laid down in the Pastoral Epistles and Acts.
In the bible the term "saint" describes all christians.
True, for instance, Paul's letter to the church at Phillippi begins
"To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:" It comes from the Greek
Hagioi meaning set apart, sacred.
the only water baptism in the bible is an immersion. it's purpose according to the bible is for remission of sins. Do babies sin? why would we want to sprinkle a baby then? where's the biblical authority?
Most Christians would grant that the sign of Baptism is intended to be an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible change, for instance this ceremonial "washing" with water points to the real saving "washing" of regeneration that can only occur via the Spirit (Titus 3:4) it also is intended to be the sign and seal of the New Covenant as Circumcision was in the Old Covenant , hence when the call to repent and be Baptized is given in Acts 2, the promises are explicitly said to be for you and "your children." This follows the covenantal model the Jews would have already been familiar with (Gen. 17:7)
The practice of sprinkling refers to the biblical statements about how God cleanses the heart from sin (Ezek. 36:25, Heb. 10:22, 1 Peter 1:22). As you know, biblically speaking all people are born fallen and sinful, (Psalm 51:5) "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." but it is not the Baptism itself that grants remission, it is the heart cleansing that baptism
symbolizes that grants remission and that change of heart only comes via Regeneration and Justifying Faith. For a more detailed biblical defense of Infant Baptism from an Evangelical Perspective.
click here
most religious organizations that call themselves christian today would hardly be recognized by the apostles. 1 corinthians chapter 1
However, the fact is that Jesus said that the gates of hell would never prevail against his church and that he would be with them to the end of the age (i.e. this present evil age as opposed to the age to come inaugurated by his return). God has always preserved a faithful remnant in every age, wheat amongst the chaff, and this faithfulness is measured in the degree of their faithfulness to his Word, something that all mortals fall short of (including even the Apostles at times - see Gal. 2:11-21 for instance).
So while there are indeed many false churches around and a lot of tares growing up amongst the wheat, there are still true and faithful churches out there struggling to be salt and light in the world, to love Christ and one another, to follow his commands, to do good works, and to be conformed to the image of Christ in all of their faith, life, and practice.
- SEAGOON
