What is a Happening Church to you? What is a Dead church?

[SDG]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

I will answer this one, and then I am gone for now.


It is not up to me to judge whether a trinitarian has received the Holy Ghost, or a false spirit. My personal view is that most do receive the real deal (There are goof balls in ALL of Pentecost that didn't get the real).

My issue is that at some point the Holy Ghost that is leading them forward into a relationship with God will show them that to be water baptized in Jesus name is the biblical way. It is where they are buried with him, and baptized into his death. At the point that the Holy Ghost brings this to them, if they reject it, then they have rejected Gods word, and the leading of Gods Spirit.

Now as to whether of not they are part of the body prior to water baptism, I will leave that debate to you good people. My only issue is that they WILL be led by the Holy Ghost to the water to be baptized again in Jesus name. A "Paul" will find them and ask them:

Act 19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
Act 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Act 19:5 When they heard [this], they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

I think you need to examine the passage you posted carefully.

One Paul's question to John's was not unto what proper name were you baptized? ... but rather unto what were you baptized? Who had they identified with when they were baptized. There baptism was not in obedience to Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, Jesus had been baptize under John's baptism also. Does this invalidate his baptism?

The key to Paul's message is telling these disciples that they were believe on Him ... the possesor of the Name ... and come after Him ... Christ Jesus.

They had identified in their baptism unto the repentance that John preached but had not believed on the death and resurrection Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins.

When they believed they then identified themselves with name/person of Jesus Christ, our Savior.