{"id":1365,"date":"2022-11-07T15:05:17","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T15:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/?p=1365"},"modified":"2024-01-16T20:26:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T20:26:30","slug":"is-the-doctrine-of-baptismal-regeneration-the-road-to-hell-post-15-saved-by-faith-alone-1-john-51","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/?p=1365","title":{"rendered":"Is the Doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration the Road to Hell? \u2013 Post 15 (Saved by Faith Alone \u2013 1 John 5:1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

INTRODUCTION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post 15 looks at a second passage that teaches salvation is by faith alone; namely, 1 John 5:1 (NASB95), which reads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1<\/sup> Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child<\/em> born of Him. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As is readily apparent from a plain and simple reading of the text, water baptism is not a requirement to be \u201cborn of God,\u201d i.e., attain salvation.  A more detailed analysis confirms 1 John 5:1 teaches that salvation is NOT dependent upon water baptism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BACKGROUND<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 John 5:1 must be read in light of the purpose statement of 1 John 5:13 (NASB95), which reads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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13<\/sup> These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

John\u2019s audience had been attacked by false teachers, causing them to question their salvation.  Kruse [Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John (p. 188). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos] presents a brief commentary in reference to the relevant circumstances:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The author\u2019s purpose in writing, he says, is that \u2018you may know that you have eternal life\u2019. His readers had been disturbed by the denials and claims of the secessionists. These people denied important elements of the message the readers had embraced at the beginning. They also claimed to be recipients of special revelation through the Spirit to which the readers were not privy. The readers\u2019 assurance had been shaken by these denials and claims, and the author\u2019s primary reason for writing the letter was to bolster their assurance by counteracting the false teaching of the secessionists.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In verse 13a, John defined a Christian as \u201cyou who believe in the name of the Son of God.\u201d  The NASB95 translates the Greek verb pisteu\u014d<\/em> as \u201cbelieve.\u201d  Arndt et al. [Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 817). University of Chicago Press] defines pisteu\u014d<\/em> in this context:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2461 to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence, believe (in), trust, w. implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted. In our lit. God and Christ are objects of this type of faith that relies on their power and nearness to help, in addition to being convinced that their revelations or disclosures are true.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Louw et al. [Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 375). United Bible Societies] defines pisteu\u014d<\/em> to mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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31.85 \u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03cd\u03c9b; \u03c0\u03af\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2b, \u03b5\u03c9\u03c2 f: to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance\u2014\u2018to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The grammatical attributes of pisteu\u014d<\/em> reveal that John intended to convey to his audience that a believer\u2019s trust \u201cin the name of the Son of God\u201d was an ongoing attribute with no assessment of completion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kruse [Kruse, supra<\/em>] explains the expression \u201cin the name:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To believe \u2018in the name\u2019 (an expression found also in 3:23) means the same as believing \u2018in the person\u2019 who bears the name. Texts from the Fourth Gospel, such as John 1:12 (\u2018Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God\u2019) and John 3:18 (\u2018Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God\u2019s one and only Son\u2019), confirm this by placing the idea of believing in his name and believing in his person in parallel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The term \u201cSon of God\u201d refers to Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Per verse 13, John intended to convey to his audience with clarity that his purpose in writing his first epistle was to give Christians assurance of their salvation.   Akin [Akin, D. L. (2001). 1, 2, 3 John (Vol. 38, p. 204). Broadman & Holman Publishers] writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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John writes to those \u201cwho believe in the name of the Son of God\u201d and not to the heretics who were deceiving God\u2019s people. This fact indicates that \u201cJohn was therefore writing not to persuade unbelievers of the truth of the Christian faith but rather to strengthen Christian believers who might be tempted to doubt the reality of their Christian experience and to give up their faith in Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

According to the purpose statement, those \u201cwho believe\u201d in Jesus Christ alone are Christians. 1 John 5:13 does not teach that water baptism is a requirement to be a Christian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 JOHN 5:1<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple straightforward reading of 1 John 5:1 teaches that salvation depends upon pisteu\u014d<\/em> alone in Jesus Christ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This verse begins with the adjective pas,<\/em> which, along with the article ho<\/em>, the NASB95 translates as \u201cwhoever.\u201d   Louw et al. [Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 596). United Bible Societies] defines it to have a sense of completeness: \u201c59.24 \u03c0\u1fb6\u03c2b, \u03c0\u1fb6\u03c3\u03b1, \u03c0\u1fb6\u03bd: any one of a totality\u2014\u2018any, anyone, anything.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next word is the Greek verb pisteu\u014d<\/em> which possesses a very similar, but not exactly the same, meaning as the usage in 1 John 5:13.  Here, Louw et al. [Louw et al., supra<\/em> at p.369] defines pisteu\u014d<\/em> to mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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31.35 \u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03cd\u03c9a: to believe something to be true and, hence, worthy of being trusted\u2014\u2018to believe, to think to be true, to regard as trustworthy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Arndt et al. [Arndt et al., supra at p. 816] defines pisteu\u014d<\/em> to mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2460 to consider someth. to be true and therefore worthy of one\u2019s trust, believe \u24d0 believe (in) someth., be convinced of someth., w. that which one believes (in) indicated<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The grammar shows that John intended to convey to his audience that a believer\u2019s pisteu\u014d<\/em> was an ongoing attribute with no assessment of completion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The object of belief is \u201cJesus is the Son of God.\u201d  Wuest [Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest\u2019s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 13, p. 172). Eerdmans] explains the expression \u201cSon of God\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(5:1) The Cerinthian Gnostics denied the identity of Jesus and the Christ. That is, they denied that the individual whom the Christian Church knew by the name \u201cJesus\u201d was also the Christ. The word \u201cChrist\u201d is the English spelling of the Greek word christos (\u03c7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2) which means \u201cthe anointed one.\u201d But the predicted Anointed One was to be God-incarnate, virgin-born into the human race. Thus, the incarnation is in view here. But this belief is not a mere intellectual assent to the fact of the incarnation, but a heart acceptance of all that it implied in its purpose, the substitutionary death of the Incarnate One for sinners, thus making a way of salvation in which God could bestow mercy on the basis of justice satisfied<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Matthew Henry [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry\u2019s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2452). Hendrickson] describes the expression \u201cJesus is the Son of God.\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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v. 1. Here the Christian brother is, 1. Described by his faith; he that believeth that Jesus is the Christ\u2014that he is Messiah the prince, that he is the Son of God by nature and office, that he is the chief of all the anointed world, chief of all the priests, prophets, or kings, who were ever anointed by God or for him, that he is perfectly prepared and furnished for the whole work of the eternal salvation-accordingly yields himself up to his care and direction; and then he is,<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The text goes on to say that the result of a person\u2019s belief that Jesus is the Christ \u201cis born of God.\u201d  The NASB95 translates the Greek verb genna\u014d <\/em>as \u201cis born,\u201d and it means, \u201c23.58 \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03bd\u03ac\u03c9a: the male role in causing the conception and birth of a child\u2014\u2018to be the father of, to procreate, to beget.\u201d  See Louw et al., supra<\/em> at Vo. 1, p. 256.  In this context, it is a birth from above, i.e., \u201cborn again\u201d indicating salvation.  Little Kittel [Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (p. 115). W.B. Eerdmans] reads [emphasis added]:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. genn\u0113th\u1e17nai in John. John always gives the point of origin of genn\u0113th\u1e17nai God in 1 Jn. 2:29; Jn. 1:13, the Spirit in Jn. 3:5, water in Jn. 3:5, the flesh in Jn. 3:6, the will in Jn. 1:13. The seed of 1 Jn. 3:9 is the Spirit rather than the word. Birth from God or the Spirit is a reality but also a mystery. Statements about it are not based on experience but are made in faith and are true in virtue of the believer\u2019s fellowship with God (1 Jn. 1:3, 6ff.; 3:9). This birth results in doing righteousness (1 Jn. 2:29), in not sinning (3:7ff.), in love (4:7), in overcoming the world (5:4), in faith in Jesus as the Christ (5:1). Birth from above belongs first to Jesus himself (5:18) and then to believers who, as members of the new aeon, have a share in the Spirit and are thus united to Christ, passing from death to life (3:14; 5:24).<\/u><\/strong> This concept of divine genn\u00e1n has little in common with what may be found in the mysteries; the view of piety is totally different.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The rest of verse 13 (NASB95), which is not particularly relevant to this discussion, reads, \u201cand whoever loves the Father loves the child<\/em> born of Him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, by writing 1 John 5:1, John intended to convey to his audience that salvation was through believing alone in Jesus Christ.  1 John 5:1 contains no mention of any other requirement (e.g., water baptism) to possess salvation other than pisteu\u014d <\/em>in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONCLUSION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The purpose statement in 1 John 5:13 and what John wrote in 1 John 5:1 make it clear that salvation occurs through pisteu\u014d<\/em> alone and nothing else.  1 John 5:1 and 13 teach that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pisteu\u014d<\/em> + nothing = salvation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Water baptism is not a requirement for salvation per 1 John 5:1, 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT YOUR SALVATION<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are unsure about your salvation, you need to check out my book The Salvation Meter: Biblical Self-Diagnostic Tests to Examine Your Salvation and Spiritual Growth<\/strong><\/em> (book link at Xulon Press: https:\/\/www.xulonpress.com\/bookstore\/bookdetail.php?PB_ISBN=9781662828638<\/a> ).  At Amazon the book link is  https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Salavation-Meter-Biblical-Self-Diagnostic-Spiritual\/dp\/1662828632<\/a> .  I also have a website in which I am updating the content in the book.  The link to my website for the book is https:\/\/thesalvationmeter.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 please (1) read through \u201cGod\u2019s Plan of Salvation\u201d so you can understand what God did for you through His only unique Son, Jesus Christ, and (2), from the bottom of your heart, pray the \u201cSinner\u2019s Prayer\u201d meaning every word.  If you do, you will be reconciled to God \u2013 saved – through Jesus Christ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God\u2019s Plan of Salvation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the beginning, God, who is holy, created the entire universe.  As a part of His creative actions, He made humans in His image to know Him.  For a while, everything was right between God and our ancestors, Adam and Eve.    But Adam sinned, and his sin was passed down to all of humankind whereby we became separated from God.  Nothing we could do on our own could bridge that separation so that without God\u2019s intervention, hell would be our eternal destination.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately for us, in His great love and mercy God provided humankind with the only means of salvation, which is through Jesus Christ who is God\u2019s only unique Son.  While retaining His deity, God the Son became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law Himself and taking on Himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever repent and trust in Him for their salvation.  Jesus rose from the dead, showing that God the Father accepted Christ\u2019s sacrifice and that God\u2019s wrath against us has been exhausted.  He now calls us to repent of our sins and trust alone in what Christ did to save us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we repent of our sins and completely trust in Christ alone that He died for our sins and rose to life from the dead, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture References: Genesis 1:1, 27, 31; Habakkuk 1:13; Genesis 2:7, 18, 21-25;  Genesis 3:1-7, 23-24; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:19-20, 23; 5:17-19; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 4:10; John 3:16-18; Mark 1:15; Romans 1:4; 4:25; John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cSinner\u2019s Prayer\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, Jesus Christ, the only unique Son of God, thank You for Your free gift of eternal life.  I know I\u2019m a sinner who cannot save myself no matter what I do, and I deserve to spend eternity in hell.  But, I know that because You loved me so much, You voluntarily died on the cross for me taking my sins upon Yourself, and You physically bodily rose from the grave showing that Your sacrificial death was sufficient payment to give me eternal life in Heaven.  I now repent of my sins and trust alone in what You did for my eternal salvation.  Please take control of my life as I now receive You as my Lord and Savior.  Thank You so much for saving me.  I am now Yours forever!<\/em> (Scripture references: John 1:1-4, 11-14; John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:21-26; Isaiah 53:4-6; Mark 1:15; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10, 13; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 10:27-29).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon your salvation, you must find a spiritually solid Bible-believing church that (1) teaches that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, (2) believes in the doctrine of the Trinity, which means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons \u2014 the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit \u2013 and each Person is fully God, and (3) teaches that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works (e.g., water baptism by immersion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ONE CAUTIONARY POINT.  Please do not make the mistake of thinking that once you become a Christian, your life will become easy.  Most likely, it will become more difficult.  God\u2019s blessing of salvation and life’s difficulties are not mutually exclusive.  Jesus told His disciples, \u201cIf the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.\u201d John 15:18 (NLT).  Always keep in mind that you have an eternal home in heaven waiting for you per John 14:2\u20134 (NLT):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2<\/sup> There is more than enough room in my Father\u2019s home.  If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  3<\/sup> When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.  4<\/sup> And you know the way to where I am going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOTICE OF PERMISSIONS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am mindful of and respect the rights other authors and\/or publishers possess in their works.  I thus try my best to not violate any copyright rights other authors and\/or publishers possess in their works.  The below copyright permission statement is the result of my best efforts to understand that limited usage or “fair use” is available and\/or to secure direct permission for specific works.  The quotations from commentaries are considered to be “fair use.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are from the ESV\u00ae Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture marked \u201cNASB95\u201d are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE\u00ae, Copyright \u00a9 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture marked “NCV” is taken from the New Century Version.  Copyright \u00a9 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.  All rights reserved.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Scriptures marked “NET” are quoted are from the NET Bible\u00ae  http:\/\/netbible.com copyright \u00a91996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright \u00a9 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scripture marked “GW” is taken from the God’s Word Bible that is a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations.  Quotations are used by permission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

INTRODUCTION Post 15 looks at a second passage that teaches salvation is by faith alone; namely, 1 John 5:1 (NASB95), which reads: 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.  As is readily apparent from a plain and simple reading […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[320],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-baptism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1365"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2084,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1365\/revisions\/2084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebelsheim.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}