Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Here's the second in this Cu series By Edward Fudge.  It's interesting to
note that the Church of Christ, of which Fudge is a member, traditionally
holds that no one is saved until baptized under the water.  Here, Fudge
stresses salvation only by faith in Christ showing how far he's come in
accepting other Christians.  I also know he teaches that at least some form
of baptism is Biblically required, but not necesarily a legalistic
requirement for salvation, per se.  He also teaches that those who do,
officially require some form of baptism for salvation as they understand it,
such as Catholics (and a lot of the Churches of Christ), are certainly saved
Christians, because they do believe.

The important thing, imo, is that either way, no Christian group teaches
that the outward work of the water on a person compares to the inward
baptism of the Spirit, and the "circumcision of the heart", through
believing to repentance in Jesus of the Bible.  On that basis of heart
transformation, in holiness and love, then we believers all should be able
to accept each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, loving and forgiving
one another on the technicality of physical water, since Jesus loved us with
his own life laid down, and bought forgiveness for us all with his own
blood, when we were yet in our sins.

Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us.  9  Much more then, being now justified by
his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  10  For if, when we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more,
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

It'd be a shame if he could reconcile us to God, but not to each other.  Our
shame, not His.  What hard hearts we are.

1 John 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his
life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

That's why He kept saying "as I have loved you", thinking we might see a
good example to follow, since that's what disciples do.

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as
I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35  By this shall all men
know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have
loved you.

Love in Jesus,
Tim


----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Fudge" <Edward@...>
To: <cuprayer@...>
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2002 5:30 PM
Subject: gracEmail (churches, changes and controversies - 2)




~ gracEmail ~
Edward Fudge
___________________________________________

CHURCHES, CHANGES AND CONTROVERSIES
(Part 2 of 3)



The Jerusalem church had a uniform look (Acts 21:20). Everyone there was
Jewish. All males were circumcised. Everyone kept the Sabbath. All
households were kosher. These first believers in Jesus had heard about
Gentiles and their pagan ways, but there were no Gentiles in their church.
Then the gospel spread northward to Antioch in Syria. These people were
largely Gentiles. They had never kept the Sabbath, observed Passover,
circumcised their baby boys, eaten kosher foods or kept the Law of Moses.
Yet the first Christian church of Antioch was growing, gifted, grace-based,
evangelistic and generous (Acts 11:19-30). Its leaders were prayerful,
Spirit-led and obedient to God (Acts 13:1-3). But trouble was on the
horizon.



*          *          *

One day some men came to Antioch from the mother church in Jerusalem,
insisting that circumcision was necessary for salvation, as was keeping the
Law of Moses (Acts 15:1-2, 5). After some controversy, Paul and Barnabas led
a delegation to Jerusalem to discuss this matter with the apostles and
elders. The assembled leaders did three things which are worthy of our
imitation today. First, they refused to compromise the gospel. Salvation
comes through trusting in Jesus Christ, they said, and on no other basis.
God had demonstrated that at Cornelius' house in Caesarea when he gave the
Holy Spirit to Gentiles who believed (Acts 10-11; 15:7-9). No one can obtain
God's approval by his or her own performance -- not in the past, not now,
not in the future (Acts 15:10). All who are saved are saved through the
grace of the Lord Jesus (Acts 15:11).

Second, these early Christian leaders sought out common areas of practical
fellowship (Acts 15:22-29). The Jews had long associated with honorable
Gentiles who maintained basic standards of morality and decency -- standards
which the Jews believed God had revealed to Noah long before there were Jews
or Gentiles. This Noahic covenant, they believed, prohibited idolatry,
sexual impurity and eating blood. These restrictions were acceptable to the
Gentile Christians (who were not required to become Jews) and they enabled
even the strictest Jewish believers to join with Gentile Christians in table
fellowship.

Third, these leaders acknowledged that diversity was acceptable, useful and
good. There was no reason for the Jerusalem church to cease its "Jewishness"
or to change its distinctive practices and observances. But there was no
reason for the Antioch church to adopt Jewish customs or to imitate the ways
things were done in Jerusalem. So long as one put no trust in the ordinance
itself, circumcision and uncircumcision occupied equal ground (Gal. 5:6). So
long as one trusted in Jesus as Savior and sought to please him, one could
eat kosher food or eat anything else. The same was true for observing
traditional Jewish religious holy days (Rom. 14:1-13). There is enormous
room for diversity among churches today, consistent with the gospel and the
broad teaching of Scripture. Within those parameters, we should do whatever
best advances God's kingdom, leads others to faith in Christ and builds
Christian character and maturity (1 Cor. 8:19-23).

____________________

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