By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) It is no secret that oftentimes, members of the churches of Christ are looked down upon for teaching that baptism is part of God’s plan of salvation. Although Jesus and His Apostles clearly taught this (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4, etc.), the vast majority of Protestantism rejects... Continue Reading →
Is John 3:5 Referring To Baptism Or To Physical Birth?
By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) One of the most powerful passages about the essentiality of baptism for salvation is found in the Gospel of John. In a conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus says: John 3:5-Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of... Continue Reading →
Objections To Baptism # 2: “The Thief On The Cross Was Not Baptized And Was Saved, So That Should Work For Me Too!”
By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) While the Bible is very clear that baptism precedes the salvation of the repentant sinner (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews 10:22; 1 Peter 3:20-21), many in the religious world refuse to accept this. Sometimes this is due to the fact that... Continue Reading →
Objections To Baptism: The Bible Says That We Are Saved By Believing And This Excludes Baptism!
By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) In every New Testament passage which specifically mentions baptism and salvation, we read that baptism always precedes salvation. Matthew 28:19-20-Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to... Continue Reading →
The Judgment Of God Upon Nations Of Man And Heavenly Signs
By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) Throughout time, God has often forecast His punishments upon sinful nations of humanity through heavenly signs and portents. Throughout Hs inspired Word, the Lord has demonstrated this time after time. Sometimes "Heavenly Signs" Can Be A Reference To Literal Phenomenon In The Heavens When the Jews killed the Messiah of... Continue Reading →
The Redeemer Of Job: Part One-The Identity Of The Redeemer
By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) Quotation For Contemplation "The most significant question, however, is the third one: what kind of Savior do we need? Or to put it another way, what kind of man does the universe need? The more I have bashed my head against the text of Job year after year, the more deeply... Continue Reading →
Interesting Facts From The Temple Of Serapis
In the writings of Socrates, there is found a very interesting passage about the temple of Serapis. We read: "When the Temple of Serapis was torn down and laid bare, there were found in it, engraven on stones, certain characters which they call hieroglyphics, having the forms of crosses. Both the Christians and... Continue Reading →
What Are The Facts About 1 John 5:7?
By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) Near the end of the Apostle John's First Epistle, he makes a powerful statement about the Godhead: 1 John 5:7-For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. What is tragic is that many versions of... Continue Reading →
Job And The Afterlife: The Descent Of Christ Into Hades #1 Ephesians 4:8-10 (Part One)
By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) Quotation For Contemplation "The most significant interpretational difficulty in this verse is in deciding what “the lower parts of the earth” refers to. The view of the early church fathers and the consensus view through the centuries has been that it refers to a descent of Christ to the underworld (or,... Continue Reading →
Teetotaler Timothy
By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist) In our world, many teach that is acceptable for children of God to socially drink. One good friend of mine had told me that for years he had a problem with the Bible because he did not see how Jesus could truly be God and teach (by example) that it... Continue Reading →