Dr Paul Allen

There are several ways we could divide the different positions various churches and denominations hold for baptism. To keep things brief and simple, we’ll break this exercise up into the six major views of baptism that exist in the church today to discover the recipients, mode, and meaning of baptism for each one. Cripplegate The first view of baptism is the Roman Catholic Church. In Roman Catholicism, the recipients of baptism are new converts and their children. Roman Catholicism predominantly practices infant baptism, sometimes called paedobaptism, from the Greek word for infant. The mode of baptism is typically pouring water on the head of the one being baptized. The meaning of baptism in the Roman Catholic Church is complex. In summary, though, we can say it teaches that baptism washes away a person’s sins and includes that person as a member of the church. A sinner, therefore, cannot be saved under Roman Catholicism without receiving water baptism. According to this view, regener...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) As we mature in Christ we will find ourselves more sensitive to the presence of sin in our lives, noticing “minor” transgressions that were once easily overlooked.  This in turn should make us more vigilant to do what is necessary to prevent bitterness and other invisible sins from welling up within us.  Let not your growing awareness of your own sinfulness discourage you. Instead, arm yourself to fight your flesh more effectively with such knowledge. Ephesians 2:1-10 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,     in which you used to live  when you followed the ways of this world  and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,  the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.   All of us also lived among them at one time,  gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we ...

Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane), oil painting by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (Heinrich Hofmann). The original is at the Riverside Church (Riverside Church, New York City). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) What Scripture teaches concerning our associations with other people both inside and outside the visible church . With whom can we unite ecclesiastically and theologically?  Where do we draw the line? Does endorsement of a book entail endorsement of everything an author believes? How do we interact with those who are under church discipline?  How do we relate to their families? When should we break fellowship with a professing Christian ? If we broke fellowship with someone and another person fellowships with them, should we break fellowship with the second person? Don’t we simply need to recognize that within the church there are just different strokes for different folks? But as long as those strokes are biblical.We must pursue right association for the sa...

English: An image of Psalm 23 (King James' Version), frontispiece to the 1880 omnibus printing of The Sunday at Home. Scanned at 800 dpi. Français : Illustration du Psaume 23 (version autorisée par le roi Jacques), en frontispice de l'édition omnibus du Sunday at home. Version numérisée à 800 dpi. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) ATTRIBUTES OF GOD Because  God is a personal Spirit… I will seek intimate fellowship with Him. “I reach out for You. I thirst for You as parched land thirsts for rain.” ( Psalm 143.6) Because God is all-powerful… He can help me with anything. “O Sovereign LORD! You have made the heavens and earth by Your great power . Nothing is too hard for You!” (Jeremiah 32:17) ·        God has the power to create anything from nothing (Ps. 33:6-9) ·        God has power to deliver ( Exod. 13:3) ·        God’s creative power is beyond our ...