The baptism of the Holy Spirit has been a subject of debate and much discussion among Christians over the years. What exactly does it mean to be baptized in the Spirit? Is it a distinct event that occurs after conversion, as some maintain, or an...
Most everyone knows the Great Commission by heart: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). But why make disciples, and why baptize using that...
Virtually all Christians practice some form of baptism. In fact, Paul mentions our universally experienced baptism among those things that demonstrate our unity as believers: “one body and one Spirit … one hope … one Lord, one faith, one baptism...
Peter J. Leithart explores the meaning of baptism and how those baptized form a beautiful picture of Jesus and a “present-tense” sign of the gospel.
1. Ezekiel 36:25–26 And I will sprinkle on you pure water, and you will be clean from all of your uncleanness, and I will cleanse you from all of your idols. And I will give a new heart to you, and a new spirit I will give into your inner parts, and...
The pastor had been preaching a series of messages through 1 Peter. When it was time for 1 Peter 3:14–22, he sincerely announced, “We’re going to skip this section since it’s just too strange.” He was right and wrong that day. As odd as it is, this...
Question: what theological issue has been debated amongst Christians for millennia without a clear winner? Of course, there are many. But one in particular has caused such heated disagreement throughout Church history that people have died for their...
No matter your denomination, you’ve probably asked (or have been asked) what baptism is. It’s been a point of controversy for centuries. Why do we baptize? When do we baptize? How should we baptize? What is baptism anyway? One really awesome thing...
The accusation that Calvinism leads to anti-mission sentiments has sometimes been leveled, but as Michael Horton shows in his recent book For Calvinism, nothing could be further from the truth. Horton observes, in the section titled “Calvinism and...
Baptist Roots Where did Baptists come from and, historically, what are their beliefs? The majority of historians agree that today’s Baptists were derived from three major sixteenth-century streams: Particular Baptists, General Baptists, and...
I’ve been reading about baptism lately and came across this comment by John Calvin (Institutes IV, xv, 19) on the issue of mode. Whether the person baptised is to be wholly immersed, and that whether once or thrice, or whether he is only to be...