Many Christian Churches ~ One Christian Faith! - Revisited

In July 2010, an e-mail exchange with a Christian brother and Friend caused me to pause and think about the many differences in theology we find in Christian church fellowships today.  Is that a problem?  Does that mean that those who believe as I do are Christian, and all the others not Christian?  No.

We do not need to have the exact same Biblical theology to be Christian brethren.  So, how do we determine which Christians and which Christian fellowships we can, and should, join for worship and fellowship?  And, which ones we should avoid?

Well, some wise person, long before I became a Christian, has given us a guideline, a way that we can weigh the teachings of any given church or Christian group or ministry to test if it is a fellowship or group we should join - or one we should avoid.  It is similar thinking to Acts 17:11.  This wise person laid out a set of Essential Biblical Christian Doctrines which are a must if we are to be Christ Followers.  In other words, these are the Biblical/Christian Doctrines which we must believe, practice, and teach - if we are to be Christians, and if we are to be certain of our eternal salvation.

And, all other Biblical Christian doctrines, teachings, etc., fall into the category of Non-Essential Biblical Christian Doctrines - for they do not affect our eternal salvation.  These do not affect our salvation, but they do help us to better understand God's Word and why the Essentials - are Essential. 

So, what are the Essential Biblical Christian Doctrines, without which we cannot call ourselves Christian?  Glad you asked.    

The Essential Biblical Christian Doctrines are:

1. The Deity of Jesus Christ:  Preexisting deity, God incarnate - fully man; yet, fully God.  (John 1:1, 1:14, 4:26, 8:58)

2. The Trinity:  God eternally existing; one God manifested (revealed) in three distinct persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1-2, 1:26, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:1)

3.  The Bible:  Is the inspired Written Word of God and is the sole authority for Christian faith, salvation, and to guide our Christian life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21)

4. Salvation & Eternal Life by Grace Through Faith:  By grace you are saved through faith in Jesus Christ - plus nothing else. (Isaiah 51:6, John 3:16, 6:47, 10:27-29, John 11:25-26, Romans 6:23, 10:9, 10:13, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16, Hebrews 9:15)

5. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ:  He rose from the dead, that we may also be resurrected into eternal life.  (Matthew 28:1-8, Acts 2:24, 2:32, Acts 10:39-43, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 1 Peter 1:3)

6. The Gospel:  The birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and imminent return of Jesus Christ according to Scripture.  (Matthew 1:20-25, Luke 1:26-38, Acts 2:24, 2:32, Romans 8:33-34, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

7.  Heaven and Hell:  Both are real places and are the only two eternal destinations available to all mankind. (Psalm 139:7-8, Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:43-48, Luke 16:19-31, Acts 1:9-11, Hebrews 9:24)

All true Christian fellowships will teach these doctrines as necessary to be a Christian believer.  To the extent that you, or your church fellowship, teaches something different - to that extent you have distanced yourself from the teachings of God's Word.  And, personally, I want to draw closer to God and His Word, rather than drawing away from Him.

With that foundation laid, some may ask, "But, Bill, how about all those other theologies?   Are they Christian?"   True, we see many theologies today - Calvinism, Arminianism, the Free Grace Movement, and literally dozens, maybe hundreds, of variations somewhere in between or in the same neighborhood.   And, yes, if they believe and teach those Essential Biblical Christian Doctrines as being necessary to have eternal life in Christ - they are Christian.

That said, let's look at just the first three as a test bed for Christian fellowship.  Where do I personally stand with Calvinism, Arminianism, and the Free Grace Movement?   Please keep in mind that I have many Christian brethren who are pastors and/or members in church fellowships which teach these three theologies.  And I am quite sure that they are just as saved, just as much a Christian, as you and I.

Since I became a born-again Christian believer in 1987, I have had the pleasure of personally knowing many devout pastors, hearing Biblical messages from many, and studying God's Word under many.   With probably 99% of them, I have disagreed with them on some Biblical issue or some theological point.  Does that mean that I am right and they are wrong?  No.  But, it also does not mean that I am wrong.

"Okay, Bill, how can both of you be right?"

Good question!  You see, we are all flawed, imperfect humans - and, believe it or not, even Bill Gray can make a mistake!  Okay, enough humor; let's get back to being serious.

The point I am trying to make is that God gave us His Bible as our guide to eternal life and His guide for our daily Christian walk.  As we mature, we should become more knowledgeable of His Word and how to interpret the messages and teachings He has given us in His Bible.  Properly interpreting the Bible uses a process called hermeneutics:

Biblical hermeneutics is perhaps summarized best by 2 Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  Biblical hermeneutics is the science of properly interpreting the various types of literature found in the Bible.  For example, a psalm should often be interpreted differently from a prophecy.  A proverb should be understood and applied differently from a law.  This is the purpose of biblical hermeneutics - to help us to know how to interpret, understand, and apply the Bible.  (http://www.gotquestions.org/Biblical-hermeneutics.html)

Proper hermeneutics is often synonymous with "exegesis" and the opposite of "eisegesis."

Exegesis and eisegesis are two conflicting approaches in Bible study.  Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a text based upon a careful, objective analysis.  The word exegesis literally means “to lead out of.”  That means that the interpreter is led to his conclusions by following the text (of the Bible).

The opposite approach to Scripture is eisegesis, which is the interpretation of a passage based upon a subjective, non-analytical reading.  The word eisegesis literally means “to lead into,” which means the interpreter injects his own ideas into the text, making it mean whatever he wants. (http://www.gotquestions.org/exegesis-eisegesis.html)

What it all boils down is:  Exegesis is the practice of reading FROM the Bible the message God inspired to be written there.    Eisegesis is the practice of reading INTO the Bible our own personal biases and preconceived theologies.   Reading FROM the Bible tells us what God wants.   Reading INTO the Bible tells us what man wants.

Why am I spending so much time on this discussion of Exegesis and Eisegesis?  Because very often truly devout Bible teachers, pastors, theologians, scholars, and just plain old Christian believers like you and me - can easily slip from Exegesis into Eisegesis without even knowing it.

And, that is where I believe many of our differences occur.   We are all reading the same Bible, why can't we all have the same understanding of the Bible?  Because of our preconceived biases which creep into our study of God's Word.

The most important law of biblical hermeneutics is that the Bible should be interpreted literally.  Literal Bible interpretation means we understand the Bible in its normal or plain meaning.  The Bible says what it means and means what it says.

A second crucial law of biblical hermeneutics is that a verse or passage must be interpreted historically, grammatically, and contextually. 

Historical interpretation refers to understanding the culture, background, and situation which prompted the text. 

Grammatical interpretation is recognizing the rules of grammar and nuances of the Hebrew and Greek languages and applying those principles to the understanding of a passage. 

Contextual interpretation involves always taking the surrounding context of a verse or passage (i.e., does that interpretation conflict with other parts of Scripture?) into consideration when trying to determine the meaning.

Some mistakenly view biblical hermeneutics as limiting our ability to learn new truths from God's Word or stifling the Holy Spirit's ability to reveal to us the meaning of God's Word.  This is not the case.  The goal of biblical hermeneutics is to point us to the correct interpretation which the Holy Spirit has already inspired into the text.   (http://www.gotquestions.org/Biblical-hermeneutics.html)

So, where do we often go wrong?  I believe that often happens when a theology is based upon topical verses or passages of the Bible - instead of being based upon the full 66 books of Scripture.  In other words, if you have a doctrine or teaching which is based upon a particular Bible verse or passage - and there are other parts of Scripture which contradict that doctrine or teaching - you need to, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, dig deeper into Scripture.  Again, think Acts 17:11.

I suppose an analogy could be:  You are wearing a sweater which you and several other friends believe is brown; yet, another group of friends tell you that sweater is actually purple.  You need to take a close personal look in the mirror, maybe expose the sweater to more light.   Side note:  My wife, Dory, did buy me a "brown" sweater - which, when seen in the sunlight, did indeed turn out to be a shade of purple.  Moral of that short story:  View Scripture, and your theology, only in strong Sonlight!

Back to the analogy:  The same is true when a group of friends assure you that a Bible verse is teaching one thing - and another group of friends is telling that it teaches something different.  You need to take a closer look in your spiritual mirror under greater Sonlight, the Bible.  Once again, think Acts 17:11.

Now, back to my three test theologies: Calvinism, Arminianism, and Free Grace.

Calvinism tells me that before the Creation God "Predestined" one group of people, the Elect (yet to be born) to be saved and spend eternity in heaven.  And, before the Creation He "Predestined" another group of people, the Reprobates (yet to be born) to be lost and spend eternity in hell - with no possible opportunity to be saved.

Even with a cursory reading of Scripture - that is not my God, not the God I find in my Bible, the sovereign God whose attributes of Love and Justice are equally balanced.

Five-point Calvinism (i.e. TULIP) also denies that we have the God-given gift of "Free Will" - the free will to choose to follow or to deny Jesus Christ.   

Arminianism tells me that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that all people will be given the opportunity to choose (free will) to follow Him or to deny Him.  Those who choose to follow Him, according to the Bible, have ETERNAL (never ending) life in Christ.   Yet, my Arminian friends tell me that the person who has made the commitment to follow Christ - can then lose that gift of eternal life.   If it is eternal, how can it end, how can you lose it?  Eternal means "never ending."

First, eternal life is a gift from God.  Would the God you worship give a gift of eternal life - and then take it back?  Of course not.  Second, even though the Arminians agree that belief in the finished work of Jesus Christ gives us ETERNAL life - they believe there is a sin which can make "eternal" no longer mean "eternal."  That does not make sense.  Once God has declared something to be eternal, that cannot be changed (Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19,1 Samuel 15:29, and Ezekiel 24:14).    Why would God give us the gift of eternal life - and then make us continually spend our lives looking over our shoulders, afraid He will take that gift away from us?

The Free Grace Movement tells me that repentance plays no part in our salvation.  Of course, they are defining "repentance" as a work - and I agree with them that we cannot "work" our way into heaven.  They tell us that we are saved solely by believing in Jesus Christ.  That I agree with also.

But, where we part way is when they define "repentance" as a work - but, they do not define "believing" as a work.  To me, these are two inseparable bedfellows, both attitudes of the heart.  Believing in Jesus Christ is an attitude situation.  Before, I did not believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  But then I heard the true Gospel, began to believe, and was saved.  In other words, I changed, or reversed, my heart position in regard to Jesus Christ.  

In the Bible, the English word "repent" is from the Greek word "metanoeó" which in Strong's Concordance means:  to change one's mind or purpose.  In other words, to change one's heart or attitude regarding Jesus Christ, who He is, what He has done, and what He offers us.

Repentance is a spiritual change of attitude.  Before, I was a lost "sinner" who followed the world and the world's corrupt society.   Then, I believed and in my heart I did a 180 degree spiritual turn from following the world - and began to follow Jesus Christ.   Now I am a forgiven "sinner" - saved by the grace of God.

How can those two - "repentance" and "believing" - be divorced?   That makes as much sense as saying that two women can be married and have a baby - or that two men can be married and have a baby.  No, my Friends, that does not happen!  It takes the relationship between a man and a woman to make a baby.  And, it takes repenting and believing to make a Christian believer.

I believe we can see that, in all three of those theologies, the people who established them were not taking all 66 books of the Bible into account.  They went into Scripture with a preconceived theology - and found Scripture verses and passages to support that theology.  And, that is why I believe so strongly in "expositional" teaching of the Bible instead of "topical" teaching.

When a church fellowship teaches expositionally through the Bible - starting with Genesis 1:1 and teaching, verse by verse, all the way to Revelation 22:21 - there is less chance that a "topically" determined theology can creep into that church's teachings.

That said, are all the churches which teach a Calvinist theology, an Arminian theology, the Free Grace Movement theology, and other theologies - Christian?  If what they teach is based upon the "Essential Biblical Christian Doctrines" - then, "Yes.  Absolutely!  They are Christian."   Saved is saved, regardless of the name above the door of your church.

The only problem is that they add layers of confusion on top of the simple Gospel of Salvation given us by Jesus Christ.  They take a 3rd grade math type theology - and turn it into an advanced calculus theology.  And, there is no need to do that. 

Ephesians 1:13, 2:8-9, 4:30, "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise . .  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. . . Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

This combined Scripture passage says it all.   When we heard and believed the Gospel of our salvation (believed and turned in our hearts toward Him, i.e., repented) - we were saved through that faith, sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit - and that sealing, i.e., indwelling, will stay until the day of our redemption, the day we die or are raptured from this mortal body (John 10:27-29).  In other words, once the Holy Spirit has taken up residence within a believer - NO ONE, in heaven or on earth, can evict Him.

That is a promise given to all people (not just the predestined elect) who will believe and receive Him.  And, when the Holy Spirit seals us - no one can break that Holy Spirit seal, not even the believer, and cause us to lose our salvation.  And, all this happened the moment we spiritually turned from following the world and turned to follow Him (repented). 

Praise God for the simple avenue of salvation He has made available to all people.   Let's not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by cluttering up the Gospel of Salvation with man-generated confusion and definitions.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Let's Talk About The End Times Prophecies

Recently on the "Rapture Discussion: Pretribulation, Posttribulation, or Prewrath?" Facebook Group page, someone posted the discussion question, "Dispensation teaching says we are separate from the Jews.   Where is this verse?"

And, as you can imagine that set off a storm of posts ranging from Israel as the chosen people of God and the erroneous Replacement Theology teachings - to the Rapture, the Tribulation, and on, and on, and on.   I jump in once in a while just to see where we are today - but avoid getting totally caught up in such a never ending discussion.

First, let me clarify one possible misconception in the question above.  Yes, the church is separate from Israel in God's plan.  But the church has not replaced Israel in God's divine plan.   Dispensationalists, which includes Conservative Christians, teach that the Church has NOT replaced Israel in God’s plan - and that the Old Testament promises to Israel have not been transferred to the Church.   Yet, that said, the ONLY way to eternal life in the presence of God has always been and still is - through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

The Covenant which God made with Abraham, found in Genesis 12, is an Unconditional Covenant, a Unilateral Covenant - meaning that it was not dependent upon the actions of Abraham or of the Israelites for its validity:

Genesis 12:1-3, "Now the LORD had said to Abram:  'Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"

That said, let us continue.   From the gleanings of my posts inthe "Rapture Discussion: Pretribulation, Posttribulation, or Prewrath?" discussion, I would like to present what I see in Biblical End Times prophecies.  And, I suppose the biggest debate is about the Rapture.  Will there be a Rapture of the church?  Will it happen Pre-Tribulation (before the Tribulation begins) - Mid-Tribulation (after 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation) - PreWrath (after 5:1/4 years of the Tribulation) - Post-Tribulation (after 7 years of the Tribulation) - or not at all?

If there is a Rapture - does that mean there will be TWO Second Comings of Jesus Christ, i.e., a "secret coming" (the Rapture) - and then His final Second Coming for all the world to see?

There are a thousand and one differing interpretations of Scripture regarding just this one aspect of Eschatology, i.e., the End Times.  Why?  Well, I believe the problem is two-fold:  First, we have to look at Topical Bible teaching versus Expository Bible teaching.  What's the difference?  Glad you asked.

To stay as close as possible to the literal teaching of God's Word, one will choose Expository Bible teaching, i..e, teaching through the Bible verse by verse.  Does that mean we have to start at Genesis 1:1 and teach through to Revelation 22:21 - in that order?  No, of course not.  Matter of fact if I were leading a new Bible study I would probably start with the book of John.  But we would study from John 1:1, verse by verse, all the way to John 21:25.  And, then we would select another book and study through that book, verse by verse.

What is the value of Expository teaching/study of the Bible?  It prevents us from skipping over a verse, verses, or passages - which we might not understand so well.  Solution: to better understand that less understood passage, discuss it as a group, refer to commentaries, etc., written by trusted theologians and Bible scholars - but most importantly we must take the knowledge gained from those discussions and commentaries - and test them against the actual Scripture passage.  In other words, test the teaching and the teacher against Scripture (Acts 17:11).

But, most importantly, Expository Bible teaching/study prevents us from skipping a verse, verses, or passages which disagree with a predetermined theology.  In other words, if I wanted to have a theology which supports Same-Sex Marriage - I would skip over the verses which tell us that the homosexual lifestyle is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22), a detestable act (Leviticus 20:13), a degrading passion and unnatural (Romans 1:26), an indecent act (Romans 1:27), contrary to sound teaching (1 Timothy 1:10), and those living that lifestyle will not enter the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).  Heaven forbid!  Don't teach those verses.  Those verses teach that God is against the LGBTQ lifestyles and would destroy our Liberal theology.  Skip those!

And that is where Topical Bible teaching enters the picture.  How do we avoid teaching those passages which are forbidden in our predetermined theology?  We teach all around them.  We cherry-pick preferred topics and Scripture verses/passages which support the theology we want to follow - and we avoid all which negate our chosen theology.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I am not saying there is no place for Topical Bible teaching.  Most definitely at Christmas, Easter, for special events such as weddings, baptism, baby dedications, etc. - a well chosen Topical message is very appropriate.  However, to be in a church fellowship where 70, 80, 90 percent of the Sunday messages and Bible studies are Topical teachings - I believe is treading on very dangerous spiritual ground.

Second, a wrong understanding of the Bible can be laid at the doorstep of erroneous Hermeneutics (Bible interpretation).  Some folks practice Exegesis interpretation -  while others practice Eisegesis interpretation.   Exegesis and Eisegesis are two conflicting approaches in Bible study. 

To make it simple:  Exegesis is to read FROM the Bible what God intended us to learn ~ AND ~  Eisegesis is to read INTO the Bible what a person, church, denomination "wants" it to say to support their man-chosen theology. 

In other words, using Exegesis we let God's Word, the Bible, tell us the teachings and doctrines, i.e., the theology God wants us to follow.  And, using Eisegesis some folks have already predetermined the theology they want to follow, for whatever reason - and they are determined to make the Bible fit, or adapt to, the theology they have chosen to follow.

Now, please do not get me wrong.  I am not saying that all folks who disagree with our theology are all bad people, bad Christians.  Not at all.  I just believe that those who practice eisegesis style hermeneutics are confused - most likely from growing up in a church which follows an erroneous theology.  We have the same problems in our public schools.  Many of the teachers - from kindergarten to Ph.d. level colleges and universities - are totally indoctrinated in liberal thinking, liberal secular world views, or even liberal Christian theologies.  Young children who learn from such liberal teachers through all their years of education - most likely will be liberal in their thinking and theologies.

In the same way, folks who from childhood grew up in a liberal theology church - will most likely follow that path in adulthood.  All we, as conservative Christians, can do is to share the true meaning of God's Word with them - and hope that some small seed of literal Bible understanding will find fertile soil in their hearts and minds, and will begin to grow.  That is why I will, to some degree, continue to be involved in discussions such as the one which prompted this writing - but I will stop short of allowing it to dominate all my time.

Let's take a moment to look at, and compare, the different Scripture verses/passages which describe the Rapture vs the Second Coming?   You will notice that the two events differ in virtually every aspect - the Rapture being an exclusive "For Members Only" or "For Our Eyes Only" event  ~  AND ~  His Second Coming will be a very public, worldwide event that every person on earth will see and experience.

Those of us who read Matthew 24:29-31 with an Exegetic eye - will clearly see that this Scripture passage is referring to the Second Coming of Christ.  While those who are looking through the rose-colored Eisegesis eye will view that same passage as referring to the "Secret Rapture"  - or even worse, as do the folks who follow Preterist teachings (liberal churches, i.e. Presbyterian, etc.), they will believe that the book of Revelation is a post-history record of the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.  To them, Revelation is only symbolically describing what has already happened long ago in the past.

The term “preterism” is based on the Latin preter, which means “past.”  Preterism refers to that understanding of certain eschatological passages which holds that they have already come to fulfillment. . . . The preterist approach teaches, for instance, that many of the prophecies of Revelation and the first portion of the Olivet Discourse have already been fulfilled.   (They teach that) Matthew 24:1-34, and parallel (Scripture passages), in the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in the events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  (To them) In Revelation, most of the prophecies before Revelation 20 find fulfillment in the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70). (Dr. Kenneth Gentry, "He Shall Have Dominion," p. 159)

Fellow preterist, Gary DeMar says, “A preterist is someone who believes that certain prophecies have been fulfilled, that is, their fulfillment is in the past.”  (Gary DeMar, "Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church," American Vision, 1999, p. viii.)  Thus, a preterist interpretation of a given prophecy would attempt to explain it as an event that has already taken place in the past.  Preterists are those who believe that the future is in the past.  As noted above, Dr. Gentry (along with all preterists) believes that Christ’s Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21), and virtually the entire Book of Revelation, were fulfilled through events leading up to and including the destruction by the Romans of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.

Let's just take a moment and look at some of the key Scripture passages which relate to the Rapture and to the Second Coming:

Since a misinterpretation of a portion of Christ's Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, 25) led to this writing, I suppose I should start there:

Matthew 24:29-31 (nkjv), "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds ("in the clouds" in the KJV) of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

In Matthew 24:15-28, Jesus Christ talks about the Great Tribulation, i.e., the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation.  In the first half of the Tribulation, first 3 1/2 years, there is relative peace since the Jews still believe the lies of the Antichrist - and his persecution of the church is more stealth, not really affecting the Jews as much.  Most of the people of Israel believe they have signed a seven year Peace Accord with the Antichrist.  And he will make it possible for them to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount, i.e., all is well as far as most Israelis are concerned.  Yet they do not see that he already has his hands around their throats.

Daniel 9:27, "Then he (Antichrist) shall confirm a covenant with many (Israel) for one week; But in the middle of the week (3 1/2 years) He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.  And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

In the middle of the Tribulation (3 1/2 years), the Antichrist, empowered and led by Satan, will enter the Jewish temple, sit on the throne, and declare himself to be God.  That is called the "Abomination of Desolation" (Matthew 24:15).  And that starts the second half of the Tribulation which Jesus Christ calls the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) - and marks the time when the full wrath of God is poured out on the earth.

And, that is what Christ is referring to when He says,"Immediately after the tribulation of those days. . . "  That is referring to the Great Tribulation, the last 3 1/2 years - and marks the time when Jesus Christ will return, His Glorious Second Coming as the Lion of Judah to establish His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom from the throne of David in Jerusalem.

But, before the seven year Tribulation begins, Jesus Christ has promised to protect His church, His worldwide body of believers:

1Thessalonians 5:9, "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10, "For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.  For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

Let's look at the Rapture.  Is it even in the Bible?  In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the English phrase "caught up" is the Greek word "harpazo."    In 405 AD, in the Latin Vulgate Bible, commissioned by the Roman Catholic Pope Damasus, Jerome translated the Greek word "harpazo" to be the Latin word "rapiemur."   And the Latin word "rapiemur" has been transliterated into our English word "Rapture."   So, the word Rapture (rapiemur) IS in the Bible.  

Which Scripture passages tell us about the PreTribulation Rapture?

1 Corinthians 15:51-53, "Behold, I tell you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (given our immortal, glorified bodies - 1 John 3:2).  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up (raptured) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words."

What about His Glorious Second Coming as the Lion of Judah?

Revelation 1:7, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him.  And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.  Even so, Amen."

Revelation 19:11-14, "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war (battle of Armageddon where He will destroy the armies of the Antichrist at the close of the seven year Tribulation).  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.  He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God (the Living Word, i.e., Logos, of God).  And the armies in heaven (OT saints, NT saints , i.e., the Bride of Christ, and the martyred Tribulation saints), clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses."    

So, in conclusion when studying Scripture in an exegetical, expository style of study - the only Biblical view I see that can be valid is a PreTribulational Rapture of the church and a PreMillennial Second Coming of Christ to establish His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom on earth, from the throne of David in Jerusalem.  And the earth will experience true peace and joy for 1000 years because we will be governed by Jesus Christ Himself, the ONLY true legitimate Theocracy.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

What Is Your Testimony, Bill Gray?

A couple of weeks ago, we had a Soul Winning Seminar in our church and one thing that the speaker emphasized is to know and be able to share your own testimony.  So, I began to think about it, "Bill Gray, when and how did you become a Christian believer?"   And, the answer is rather sad.  I did not become a Christian believer until I was fifty years old.

As a young boy growing up in Alabama, which I have always smilingly referred to as the "Belt Buckle of the Bible Belt" - I had plenty of opportunities.  So, why not?  What prevented me from becoming a Christian believer?  Well, there is not just one reason, but a chain of reasons:

1.  First, there was a Pentecostal Revival Preacher who drove me away from God,

2.  Then, I had a false understanding of hell - mixed with a desire for the secular world,

3.  None of the churches I attended during those young years - ever mentioned or invited me to a Bible study,

4.  My lack of knowledge of God's Word and His love for me, kept me in the world.

I suppose all of those combined is why I was not a Christian believer until I was fifty years old.  My wife, Dory, was a Christian when we married, and many times I have told her that the biggest mistake she ever made was to marry me, a non-believer.   Yet, in a sense, I was a believer - and not a believer.  All my life I have believed that God and Jesus Christ are real.  But, I always kept them at a distance, never really allowing them into my life.

So, let's look at those four reasons:

1.  A Pentecostal Revival Preacher who drove me away from God: 

When my brother, Bob, and I were young boys my mother wanted us to attend church.  Because of her lack of education she was not comfortable attending herself, but she wanted her boys in church.   So, she sent us to the nearest one, a Nazarene church two blocks from home.  We would go there for Sunday School, then take off.  When I was twelve years old, my mom and step-dad were attending a Wednesday Night Revival Meeting at that Nazarene church and she begged me to go with her.

During the Revival Meeting, the traveling Revival Preacher told everyone to stand.  Then he said, "All who have been saved sit down."  I may have been only twelve, but I was not going to lie about it - so I remained standing.  Then he said, "Just keep standing until you come to the altar to be saved."  My Friends, if I had been an adult at that time - I would have just walked out.  But as a young boy, I could not.  So, my only choice was to go forward and "be saved"- whatever that meant.

When I went forward the Preacher and his associates begin to shout "Hallelujahs" and "Praise the Lords" over me, while getting all worked into a feeding frenzy - and I will admit that I got caught up in the emotions of the moment.  What happened?  Well this young twelve year old boy went home believing he had been save - but still with no idea what that meant.  But with all that Hallelujahs and Praise the Lords - I must be saved - and it had to be very special, didn't it?  I didn't know.

What happened next?  Well, that night laying in bed - my twelve year old male mind began to have thoughts about some of my female classmates.  Whoa!  How could that happen?  That Revival Preacher just told me I was saved, that I belonged to Jesus Christ - and here I was having carnal, very fleshly thoughts about girls.  Something must be really be wrong with me!  And, so, my self-image went down the toilet.

Because of that incident and the negative affect it had upon my life - to this day I cannot call anyone I respect "Preacher" - and I ran from God until I was fifty years old.

2.  A false understanding of hell - mixed with a desire for the secular world:

There was never a time in my life that I can remember when I did not believe that God and Jesus Christ are real.  But, how could a guy like me who loved girls and loved to party, a guy who supposedly had been saved - and then immediately jumped right back into sin - how could that guy have a relationship with God?

I could feel the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart, but I did not know how to respond.  Once when I was in the Air Force, I was in the hospital for a short period.  In the hospital a friend and I started reading the New Testament.  We decided that it would be good if we got baptized, so we went to the hospital chaplain, who was Methodist. 

When we told him we wanted to be baptized, he did not ask us a single question, i.e., Do you understand the meaning of baptism?  Do you understand what it means to be saved?  Are you currently attending worship services? Do you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?  Not one single question.  Just, "Okay, come into my office" where he sprinkled water on our heads, told us to have a good day, and showed us out. Who knows, maybe he was late for a golf date.  But, that was it - sprinkle, sprinkle, and have a good day!

Because I did know that God was real, in my teen years and young adult years I visited a lot of churches ~ Baptist, Methodist, Nazarene, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, etc., you name it, I tried it ~ searching.  Searching for what?   Well, because I was so much into the world, I was searching for a church that would tell me that hell is not real. 

Yes, I was in that stage of my life when I wanted my worldly secular fun - and yet sensed that I needed God, also.  But, at that time of my life, having to choose between the two, I chose the world.  Lo and behold, I did find a Chaplain in the Air Force from a large Protestant denomination (later I learned that it was a liberal denomination which has today accepted gay and women pastors - and performs same-sex marriages) who told me that hell is not real, hell is only a myth.  

Wow!  Praise God!  Now I could party all week and go to church on Sundays (well, at least some Sundays, when not hung over) - and not have to worry about going to hell.  That really did sound great!  But, the problem is - that Chaplain was very wrong.  Hell is very real - but God has given us an escape clause, we can escape hell by having a saving relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

3.  None of the churches I attended during those young years - ever mentioned or invited me to a Bible study:

In 1987, for the first time I attended the Fil-Am Church of Irvine (CA), where Pastor Sam Lacanienta was pastor.  That Friday Dory asked if I wanted to go to Bible study.  I had to ask her what that was - for until I was fifty years old - no church I had ever attended had Bible studies. 

Or if they did, they kept it a close secret - for I had never heard of a Bible study until that day when Dory asked if I wanted to attend one.  Since I had experienced such love at their Sunday worship service, I was eager to see what they did at a Bible study - and I was not disappointed.  That same love was there among the fellowship - and that love kept me coming back until, after six months, I became a believer.

But, why had no church ever told me about Family Home Bible Studies before?  Did the not have them?  Or did they think that those Bible studies should be for their members only?  Whatever the reason - they were so wrong.  Family Home Bible studies are the best way for the whole family to learn about God's Word, and grow in it, together.

In the thirty years I have been a Christian believer I have always been in a churches which were Bible-teaching, Christ-centered fellowships.   And, if I came to a new fellowship which did not have a Bible study, I would insist that we start a Family Home Bible Study. 

Why? Because it was the six months I spent in Bible study at the Fil-Am Church of Irvine (CA) which the Holy Spirit used to bring me into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Yes, I enjoyed the Sunday Sermons - but it was sitting with believers in a Bible study and actively discussing God's Word with them - which helped me become a believer.

Yet, in all the churches I attended over the years between that disastrous Revival Preacher episode when I was twelve - and finding the right Christian fellowship at age fifty - NONE of them ever mentioned Bible study or ever invited me to one.

I still believe Dory was wrong for marrying me, a non-believer.  But, praise God, He took this old sow's ear and made a silk purse!  He made a Christian believer out of me.  It took Dory ten years of praying for me - but eventually God led us to a pastor, Sam Lacanienta, and to a church, Fil-Am Church of Irvine (CA), which was so full of love that I wanted to attend.  After attending their worship services, Sunday School classes, and Bible studies for six month - I became a believer.

I was a non-believer saved in a Family Home Bible Study.  But, I do have to admit that I have often wondered over the years - why do we have so few visitors in our Bible studies?  Many folks who are hesitant about attending "Sunday Worship Service" very likely would be more inclined to attend a Bible study in a friend's home.  I have seen many wonderful things happen at Family Home Bible Studies.  But, let me just mention one. 

Circa 2000, a mother and her two young boys were attending our weekly Bible studies but not our worship services because the father was a "I was born a Roman Catholic and I will die a Roman Catholic" kind of Roman Catholic.  Yet, every Friday evening the mother and two boys were faithfully attending our Bible studies.

One evening our pastor did something a bit different - he gave an altar call at our Bible study.  And, as I recall, six or eight people stood to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.  Three of them were the mother and her two young sons.  The next week the dad came and received the Lord.  He later told me that he came because his two young sons came home from Bible study and began to witness to him.  That family is a strong Christian family today.  Those two young boys are now young adults - and the oldest is in seminary while serving as an associate pastor at one of our local churches.  That is the power of a Family Home Bible Study.

By the way, the Fil-Am Church of Corona where they were saved in a Bible study - was not having Bible study when Dory and I came to Riverside County in 1998.  I told our pastor that our church had to have a Family Home Bible Study and offered to start one in our apartment home.  For about three months it was only the pastor's wife and two young boys, a Christian sister, Myra, and Dory and me.  And, when his schedule allowed, the pastor would attend. 

After about three months our Bible study outgrew our apartment home and had to be moved into a larger home.  After that, we began to rotate between homes.  It was at a Family Home Bible Study at our pastor's home that he gave that momentous, life changing altar call - which changed a loving family, into a loving Christian family.

4.  My lack of knowledge of God's Word and His love for me kept me in the world:

I suppose that, in 1987 when I discovered the Fil-Am Church of Irvine, I was like the person Pastor Greg Laurie (Harvest Crusades) was thinking of when he said, "I would rather a person come into our church, sit in the back, listen to and think about the messages from the Bible for six months ~ and then come forward to receive Jesus Christ - rather than hearing the message once and coming forward on emotion instead of true understanding."   

When I went forward at age twelve, it was for two reasons:  Fear of the Revival Preacher's spiritual wrath - and emotion.  Both wrong reasons and both self-defeating.

Pastor Greg was alluding to the fact that he and Billy Graham do not call a person who comes forward at a Crusade a believer, a convert.  Instead they call that person an "inquirer" - a person who may be beginning to seek the Lord.   At the Crusades they counsel each Inquirer and try to connect him/her with a local church fellowship.  Too often, folks come forward on emotion only, or because the person they rode with went forward - and the next week, they are back in sync with the world and the secular society.

Billy Graham has always said that when that person who came forward has been connected with and involved in a local church fellowship, in worship service, Sunday School, and Bible study - for a year or so, and come to truly understand why he/she came forward at the altar call - then that person can be called a convert, a Christian believer. 

That works for me, for that is basically what I did.  I attended church, Sunday School, and weekly Bible study for six months at the Fil-Am Church of Irvine (FACI) - and then realized that I truly did believe and wanted to be a Christ Follower.

My Friends, please forgive me for getting carried away and rambling on.  But, my faith is my passion.   And it truly is important to me that folks understand that we do not have to be perfect to come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.  For, one day I want to meet and fellowship with YOU and your family in heaven. 

Nothing is more important than sharing God's Word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with those who do not yet believe.  Imagine one day when you are in heaven and another saint approaches you and tells you, "Thank you for telling me about Jesus Christ."  Can there be a greater blessing than that?

I will close with a story I read some years ago and to the best of my knowledge, it is a true story.   A pastor was visiting patients in a hospital when a lady approached him and said, "Thank you for leading me to the Lord." 

The pastor was embarrassed and told the lady, "I am sorry, but I do not remember you."

She smiled and said, "We never met.  But several years ago you were visiting your mother in the hospital and I was a patient on the other side of the privacy curtain.  As you read the Bible, shared with your mom, and prayed with her - I could hear you.  That day, as you prayed with your mom, I prayed to ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.  That may never have happened if I had not been in that patient bed, behind the privacy curtain, and heard your words and your prayers that day.  Thank you."

We never know which words, which actions, or which prayers we share will be the one which brings another soul to Jesus Christ.  So, keep sharing!

Okay, I am fudging.  There is one more short story I want to share about being a witness for the Lord.  In her book "Out Of The Salt Shaker & Into The World" Rebecca Manley Pippert wrote about her friendship with an atheist lady, Stephanie, who had become a believer.  After Stephanie became a believer, she made this confession to Becky Pippert (page 29):

“At first I thought, fine, let Becky have her religion – that’s her bag.  I’m not the least bit interested, but if that’s her thing then it’s all right with me.  Then you invited me to dinner and before you ate you asked if we could thank God for the food.  I thought, ‘Oh, how quaint.’  

Only you didn’t just thank Him for the food - you thanked Him for me and our friendship!  It made me feel good inside.  I never thought you felt our relationship had anything to do with God.  But then I thought, ‘That’s ridiculous - thanking someone who doesn’t exist for me.’

“Another day you invited me to an objective, no-strings-attached study of the person of Jesus in the Bible.  Fine.  Only trouble was - I really liked the guy!  He seemed so real as we would read about Him each week.

“But you know what affected me the most?  All my life I used to think, ‘How arrogant for someone to call himself a Christian, to think he’s that good’   But then I got to know you - and Becky, you are far from perfect, yet you call yourself a Christian.  So my first shock was to discover you ‘blow it’ like I do. 

But the biggest shock was that you admitted it, where I couldn’t.  Suddenly I saw that being a Christian didn’t mean never failing, but admitting when you’ve failed.  I wanted to keep Christ in a box and let you be religious during Bible studies.  But the more you let me inside your life, the more impossible it became to keep the lid on Christianity.  Even your admission of weaknesses drove me to Him!"

Can you use your testimony, your strengths AND your weaknesses - to be His witness to non-believers?  Think about it!

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

  

Who Are God's Chosen People ~ And How Are We Saved

Several weeks ago,  I posted a blog titled "The Dangers Of Liberal Theology In America Today" - and I received an e-mail response from a long time Christian Friend, Norma, who has several very important questions for me, and for all Christians:

Very well written Bill, I agree with conservative Christianity - but did not understand the word "fundamentalism."  You are a very good writer.  I would like to ask you what I believe is a very important question.  "What do you, or the church you go to which is Baptist-based, believe is the outcome of the Jews?" 

As you know I am a very firm believer in Israel and that it is God's land, that the Jews are the apple of His eye.  Although, I do believe that each Jew will be judged individually just as Gentiles are to be judged.   Also the Bible says the scales in their eyes will come off in the end times.  Many churches (people) believe the Christian church has taken the place of Israel and the Jews. 

Also, there was a pastor I came across with the most ridiculous ideology I've ever heard.  He was claiming that you must be baptized in water to be saved.  Otherwise you are not saved.  But the most ridiculous part was it HAD to be done in his little church in Seattle.  I told him, "How can you even believe that so many people will come to your church?  That is making you the high priest and Savior!!"  He answered (with) the verse, "The road is narrow and the pathway slim and God will lead them there."  Oh my!

PS:  This is a pastor that someone had brought to the Senior Apartment where I was staying in for a short time.  My friend invited me to his service.  Needless to say, I walked out.

Wow, Norma, you have touched on several really important and major points of our Christian faith: 

(1) Is Israel still the chosen people of God? 

(2) Did God really give the Promised Land to the Israelites, perpetually?  

(3) Is salvation dependent upon Baptismal Regeneration, i.e., is salvation accomplished through baptism?   

(4) Is Baptism valid only in "my" local church - or even in "my" denomination?

So, let me take them one at a time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First, are the Jews, Israel, still the "chosen people of God" - or has the Christian church replaced Israel in the eternal plan of God?  By the way, the name for that erroneous teaching is "Replacement Theology" which teaches that Israel was initially the "physical" chosen people of God - but since they rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah - God has made the Christian church the "spiritual" chosen people of God. 

A number of Liberal churches, including several major denominations, believe and teach that erroneous theology.   To the best of my knowledge, and I feel comfortable saying, that the only Baptist associated denomination, or movement, which believes and teaches Replacement Theology is Jimmy Carter's Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (Movement) based in Decatur, Georgia.   About 20 years ago, Jimmy Carter left the Southern Baptist Convention and joined the Cooperative Baptists because he thought the Southern Baptists were too conservative.  I believe he was also influenced by his daughter, then a product of a liberal college education, who has since been active in pushing a Liberal Theology within their movement.

The Cooperative Baptist not only support Replacement Theology - they also ordain women pastors.  And, I believe they also will ordain gay and lesbian pastors.  On this latter point I may be wrong, but that is my understanding.

According to this web site:  https://www.christiantoday.com/article/lesbian.couple.to.lead.historic.us.baptist.church/103736.htm  -  Calvary Baptist Church of Washington DC is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship - and has recently ordained two married lesbians to be their co-pastors.  This presents several problems:  Women pastors - Lesbian pastors - Same-Sex couple as co-pastors.

Calvary Baptist Church is a diverse and historic Baptist church in the Chinatown neighborhood in Washington, D.C. affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, the Alliance of Baptists, the District of Columbia Baptist Convention, and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists.  It severed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention in July 2012.   Since 2017, Calvary's Senior Co-Pastors have been Rev. Sally Sarratt and Rev. Maria Swearingen.

Let's talk more about Replacement Theology:  According to the Bible God made a covenant with Abraham.   In the Bible, there are two basic types of a covenants between God and man.

• A Conditional Covenant is based upon certain obligations and prerequisites binding between and on two parties.  If the requirements are not fulfilled by both parties, the covenant is broken.  In other words, it is basically, "If you do what you promised me - then I will keep my promise to you."

• An Unconditional Covenant is made with no strings attached and will be kept regardless of the other party's fidelity or infidelity.  Basically one party promises to do something for the other party, regardless.  In other words, "I WILL do this for you."

The Abrahamic Covenant found in Genesis 12 is an Unconditional Covenant:

Genesis 12:1-3, "Now the LORD had said to Abram:  'Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"

Notice that God said to Abram (Abraham), "I will make you a great nation;.  .  ."    God did not say, "I will make you a great nation - IF you do this."

Then, God promised Abraham, "And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"  That is an Unconditional Covenant, not only with Abraham but with all people.  The blessing He is promising Abraham is that He will send His Son into the world as Lord and Savior - through the seed of Abraham.  Notice that there are no conditions - just His "I will. . . " covenant.

Both statements are Unconditional Covenants made by God - with no conditions upon Abraham, nor upon mankind.   So, when the Israelites sinned against God (which they did often) - when they rejected their Messiah - none of that could break the Unconditional Covenant God had made with Abraham.  That is why the nation of Israel is still the Chosen People of God today and eternally.   And, that is why all the people on earth can have eternal life through Jesus Christ.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next,God has given the Promised Land to the Israelites - Why is the Holy Land being disputed today and who are the Palestinians?   There is no doubt from the Bible that God gave the land which is now Israel, plus a lot more, to the Jews:

According to Genesis 15:18 and Joshua 1:4, the land God gave to Israel included everything from the Nile River in Egypt to Lebanon (south to north) and everything from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (west to east).  So, what land has God stated belongs to Israel?  All of the land modern Israel currently possesses, plus all of the land of the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Israel currently possesses only a fraction of the land God has promised.   (https://www.gotquestions.org/Israel-land.html)

Who are the Palestinians?  The best guess is that it refers to the extinct Philistinian people.  The name Palestine was given to the land comprised of Judea and Syria in the second century by the Romans - most likely to suppress any national patriotism among the Jews:

After crushing the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian applied the name Syria Palestina to the entire region, that had formerly included Judea province.  Hadrian probably chose a name that revived the ancient name of Philistia (Palestine), combining it with that of the neighboring province of Syria, in an attempt to suppress Jewish connection to the land, although the actual Philistines from which the name derives had disappeared from history.  .  .  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria_Palaestina)

After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, the Balfour Declaration defined the land of Israel (then called Palestine from the Roman heritage) as including all of current Israel plus the land which is now Jordan - which more closely reflects the larger land God actually promised to the Israelites.   God never promised any land to the Palestinians (extinct Philistines).  That is an act of man.   Israel, plus the land of Jordan and parts of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, etc. are His Promised Lands - and God does not break a covenant.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, what about Baptismal Regeneration, i.e., salvation through baptism - true or false?  -  If baptism were a condition of salvation, then Jesus Christ would be a liar.  For He told the unbaptized thief on the cross, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise"  (Luke 23:43).  The thief was not baptized - yet Jesus Christ promised him eternal life.

One of the favorite proof texts for those who teach Baptismal Regeneration, i.e., salvation through baptism, is Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Ephesians 1:13 tells us, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."               

So, the moment we believe the Gospel and receive Christ (John 1:12) we are sealed, i.e., indwelled, by the Holy Spirit.  At that very moment, we are saved, we have eternal life in Christ.  That is what Peter meant when he told the people to "repent." 

"But, Bill, Acts 2:38 tells us we are 'baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.'  That means we are saved when we are baptized."

Not really.  Pastor Chuck Smith tells us in his commentary on Acts 2:

Literally in the Greek he (Peter) said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you into the name of Jesus Christ," which is an interesting point to make - into a relationship with Jesus Christ. .  .  . But it's not actually in Jesus' name, but into Jesus' name; into the very relationship with Him, into the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. "And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Also we should look at Ephesians 2:8-9, which tells us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

This tells us that we are NOT saved by works.  To add to the confusion, our Christian churches seem to go from one extreme to another.  Some Christian churches tell us we are saved through baptism, i.e, baptismal regeneration - not saved unless baptized.   And others, such as our Christian brethren in the Free Grace Movement tell us that repentance is not a part of our salvation.  According to them, repentance plays no part in our salvation - for they view repentance as works. 

How should we look at repentance and baptism relating to works?   Repentance is an internal spiritual change, a change within your heart toward Jesus Christ.  It is not a physical action which one does.  On the other hand, Baptism is a physical action we must do - and according to Ephesians 2:8-9 it does not effect salvation.

Repentance is part of the spiritual change within us when we believe, receive Christ, and are indwelled with the Holy Spirit.  This is all Holy Spirit inspired and accomplished.

Baptism is the physical action which we must take to show, or evidence, that we have trusted Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins.  In other words, we believe that His death and resurrection offers eternal life to all who will believe and receive Him.  Our act of obedience is to step forward and through our act of being physically baptized - tell all the world that we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  That is our physical, visible act of obedience.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Then, how are people saved?  -  Now we are getting down to the real meat and potatoes of our Christian faith.  How are we saved and how can we be assured that we are saved?   How were the people of the Old Testament saved?

Is Jesus Christ really the only Way to eternal life?  YES!  For all people.  Starting from the Creation, until today, through the 1000 year Millennial Kingdom, and into the day Christ takes us into eternity ~ the ONLY Way for anyone to have eternal life is through Jesus Christ:

 "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

From Adam to Abraham, Abraham to Moses, Moses to John the Baptist, from John the Baptist to us today, and throughout the Millennial Kingdom  -  NO ONE enters heaven except through believing and receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

"But, Bill, Jesus Christ was not born in the Old Testament - how could those people be saved through Him?"    Great question.  But, you are looking at only the human nature of Jesus Christ.  His divine nature, His deity, has always existed.

John 1:1-2. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God."

There was never a moment in eternity when He did not exist.  "In the beginning" is referring to the beginning of the creation, the beginning of our linear time which is a part of the creation - not the beginning of eternity.  For eternity had no beginning - and it will have no ending.

If we look in the Old Testament we will find Jesus Christ, the Messiah, all through those pages - starting in Genesis.  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"  (Genesis 1:1).  God in Genesis 1:1 is the Triune God - Father, Son, Holy Spirit.  See John 1:3, "All things came into being by Him (Jesus Christ)"   Then look at, "The Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the Waters" (Genesis 1:2).   Always it was the Triune God.  So, from the very first verse of the Bible - Jesus Christ, the Word, was there. 

And, in His omniscience, His omniscient knowledge that man would fall into sin, He was already laying the plan of salvation for all mankind, for all who "by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8)  will "believe and receive" (John 1:12) His "paid in full" gift of eternal salvation.

In Hebrews 11, we read: By faith Abel, By faith Enoch, By faith Noah, By faith Abraham, By faith Sarah, By faith Isaac, By faith Jacob, By faith Joseph, By faith Moses, etc.  This was sort of the "Hall of Fame of Believers" in the Old Testament - representing the many Israelites who "by grace through faith" in the Word of God, in their coming Messiah - followed those steps of faith and were believers. 

After death, all those people were residing in Hades/Paradise (Luke 16:19-31) until their Messiah was born incarnate, was crucified, and came into Hades/Paradise to personally lead them into heaven.  At Jesus' resurrection, Hades/Paradise was closed and moved to a new eternal location, i.e., it became Heaven/Paradise.   Jesus Christ and the thief on the cross (Luke 23:43) joined them in Hades/Paradise - and Jesus Christ led them into Heaven/Paradise (Ephesians 4:8).

Jesus Christ has been saving His faithful believers since Adam's disobedience brought sin and death into the creation.

If you will Google the phrase "Angel of the LORD" - you will find Him throughout the Old Testament.  These were theophanies, temporary appearances of Christ before His incarnation, i.e., His birth in His human body.  After His birth, we find the phrase  "Angel of the LORD" used only once in the New Testament.  It is found In Stephen's great sermon before the Sanhedrin, when he gave his history lesson of God's working in mankind - for which Stephen was put to death, the first Christian martyr.  In Acts 7:30, Stephen tells of how the Angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in the flaming bush.

All other mentions in the New Testament refer to the "angel of the Lord" - not the "Angel of the LORD."  These instances are showing the workings of the archangels Gabriel and Michael as they interact with mankind to bring God's messages.

For the thirty-three years He was actively living among mankind - there was no need for a theophany.  He was already there in human form for all to see and believe.  He will appear again, when He comes in the air and we will be "caught up, i.e., snatched out"  (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  In the English transliteration, He will Rapture His followers, the worldwide church.  

Seven years later, He will return to earth, His Second Coming In Glory to establish His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom on the throne of David in Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:7) - where He will rule all the nations of the world, the perfect theocracy, for 1000 years of peace on earth.

So, how are we saved today?  These two passages explain it well:

Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, .  .  . by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Jesus summarizes salvation this way:

John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."

Okay, that is it for salvation - but what about the Jews, what about the nation Israel?  Are they still the chosen peopleof God?

Short answer:  YES!  But, just as not all Gentiles will be saved - Matthew 7:13-14 tells us that the gate, i.e., path, to eternal life is narrow and few will enter - not all Jews will be saved.  Only a remnant of Israel will be saved.  We read about God saving the remnant of Israel in Isaiah 10: 20-21.

In God's eternal plan, Israel is His main purpose for the seven year Tribulation.  That is His time set aside to bring the remnant of Israel into the fold, into God's family.   God's plan is always perfect.  In His omniscience, He knew that the nation of Israel would reject their Messiah.  And that rejection provided the avenue through which He would establish the Christian church and bring the Gentiles (everyone who is not Jewish) into His family.   That was the apostle Paul's main ministry - the Gentile nations.  But, keep in mind that almost all of the early Christian believers were Jews - as were all the apostles.  Of the forty Bible writers, the only Gentile is Luke.

But, today that leaves a large number of God's chosen people, Israel, standing outside.  How to bring them into the family of God?  First, God will take His church (all Gentile and Jewish believers), all who have by grace through faith have believed and received Christ as Lord and Savior - out of this fallen, mortal world.  That event is called the Rapture.  Then, He will allow Satan to appoint his messiah, the Antichrist, as the world leader aided by the Antichrist's number two man, the False Prophet, who will head up the apostate One World Church.

God will allow Satan to pour out his wrath upon the world, specifically on the people of Israel, for seven years.  And God will add His own wrath and punishment to all who follow this Antichrist during the Tribulation.  But, praise God, the folks who were left behind at the Rapture for not truly believing - will have 144,000 Jewish Billy Graham styled evangelists, appointed and protected by God, to share the true Word of God with them.  And, praise God, a great number of people, a number too great to count (Revelation 7:9), will be saved during the Tribulation.

Rev 7:9-10, 13-15, "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!' .  .  .  Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, 'Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?'  And I said to him, 'Sir, you know.'  So he said to me, 'These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.'"

God will protect His remnant of Israel throughout the horrible seven year Tribulation - and when Christ returns (His Glorious Second Coming) after the Tribulation, He will convene a judgment seat, the Sheep and Goat Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), to address all mortals who have survived the Tribulation.  The Sheep, Jewish and Gentile surviving believers, will be on His right and will go into His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom in their mortal bodies - where they will continue to live in their mortal bodies, marrying and having children for 1000 years.

The Goats, Jewish and Gentile non-believers who survive the Tribulation, those who continue to reject Jesus Christ, those who take the Mark of the Beast - will be sent into the lake of fire, hell.

Jesus Christ will reign, the perfect theocracy, over all the nations of the earth for 1000 years,

Isaiah 9:6-7, "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

"And the government will be upon His shoulder"  -  This will be fulfilled in the Millennium, when Jesus Christ will rule the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 20:4-6, Psalm 72, Isaiah 2:1-4, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 65:17-25, Zechariah 14:6-21).

"Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end"  -   The reign of the Messiah will not last just the 1000 years of the millennium.  There will be no end to the reign of the Messiah.  He will rule for all eternity.

"Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom"  -   Jesus will rule on David's throne, ruling over His Millennial Kingdom.  This is a fulfillment of God's covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:18-29.

Many thanks to my Christian sister and Friend, Norma, for raising these very important questions.  These questions have been debated for many years, and will continue to be debated until we believers rest in peace in His Millennial Kingdom. 

However, I believe that if we take His Bible as the Holy Spirit INSPIRED, Holy Spirit INERRANT, Holy Spirit LITERAL Written Word of God - if we take the Bible as His full revelation to mankind and as our full authority on God's Word to man - and if we do as the apostle Paul teaches us in Acts 17:11, testing all teachings and teachers against Scripture ~ we will not go wrong.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill