The Baptismal Formula: Difference between revisions

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#water baptism is not the means of salvation.  The basis of condemnation is unbelief only.
#water baptism is not the means of salvation.  The basis of condemnation is unbelief only.
#While baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (or a similar variant) is the preferred method of baptism, it is also true that someone that comes to faith in Christ, publicly declares that faith and is then baptized in the Trinitarian formula, cannot be excluded from the church on any reasonable grounds.  ''"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.''<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 16:7.</ref>
#Both the Acts 2:38 forumula and the Matthew 28:19 formula are acceptable because they are both based in scripture.
#While baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (or a similar variant) may be the preferred method of baptism for some, those espousing the Acts 2:38 formula cannnot exclude those baptized in accordance with Matthew 28:19.  If someone comes to faith in Christ, publicly declares that faith, and is then baptized in the Matthew 28:19 formula as shown in example #2 above, there is no basis to excluded from the church on any reasonable grounds.  ''"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.''<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Sa 16:7.</ref>


We deal with this in more detail below.
We deal with this in more detail below.