SOME THINGS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER - 1
False Gospels. Was The Thief On The Cross Saved Without Baptism? Let’s Preach Christ But Not The Church." Our Teaching Must Be Loving. Who Wrote The Book Of Hebrews? Will There Be Signs Heralding The Return Of Christ? To Whom And Through Whom Must We Pray?
“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” (2 Timothy 2:7, KJV).
Loved ones, in the below seven short analyses of several Bible topics, we want to offer some obvious points that would help us to draw obvious conclusions.
1. What about the "Gospels" that tell of Jesus performing miracles as a child?
Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 12:22-32 that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven. What prompted that warning? The accusations of the Pharisees that He was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. His warning identified the Power by which He did His miracles, by the Holy Spirit who came to Him "without measure" (cf. Luke 11:20; John 3:34) at the time of His baptism.
John 14:24 teaches “the word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers who sent me." It was at Jesus' baptism that God spoke from Heaven and that the Holy Spirit descended on Christ (Matthew 3:16-17). Before His baptism, there is no biblical record of any inspired teaching or of any miracle. Jesus Himself attributed His words and His works to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, not to the use of His own power. Philippians 2:5-7 and Hebrews 2:17 show that in the flesh He was dependent on God, just as we are.
2. Was the thief on the cross saved without baptism?
The assumption is often made that the thief was saved without baptism, and so that should be possible today. Such an assumption misses two important factors: (1) the thief lived and died before the New Covenant came into effect and being sealed by the blood of Christ. As is shown repeatedly through the Gospel accounts, Jesus—as God—had the authority to heal and forgive sins while on the earth (Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2:3-12).
(2) Did you notice what the thief said? Even hanging there, dying on a cross and knowing that Jesus was also dying, he addressed Him as "Lord" (Luke 23:42). Obviously, this was not the thief's first encounter with Jesus and His claims to be the Son of God! Though most of the apostles seemingly had lost sight of everything Jesus had taught about establishing His kingdom, the thief asked Him to remember him when He came into His kingdom! This shows that he not only knew about Jesus' message, but that he understood that the promised kingdom was a spiritual one which would not be destroyed by the death of its founder! What knowledge and what faith!
3. Some say, “Let’s Preach Christ but not the Church."
The church, of course, is the promised kingdom, as identified in Matthew 16:18-19. Matthew 3:2 says that John came preaching, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Matthew 4:17 gives the subject of Jesus sermons: "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" If one takes the time to read through the Gospel accounts and to underline each passage where Jesus preached about Himself and Who He is, and the passages where He preached about the kingdom, the message is clear. The church was founded on the bedrock fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, as Peter confessed in Matthew 16:16. Jesus' focus, however, in His teaching was the new spiritual life He was bringing to the world in establishing the kingdom, the church, so that all who will hear can leave the world and be born into the family of God. We cannot preach Christ without preaching His church!
4. Our teaching must be loving, as Jesus always showed love.
Yes, always our message must be permeated with the love that brought Jesus to the world and that took Him to the cross. We must exercise patience and compassion as we share that Truth with those who have not heard and understood. Yet, have you noticed how little patience Jesus had with false teachers and hypocrites? Go through the Gospel accounts and number the many times He responded to some statement with, "Woe unto you, Pharisees, hypocrites... Woe unto you, blind guides... Fools and blind..." (Matthew 23).
5. Who wrote the book of Hebrews?
Often it is surmised that Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews, even though it lacks the identification he gave in the epistles he did write. However, the one who wrote the book made a revealing statement in 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him?" Obviously, the one who did the writing was not an apostle, and his understanding about the teachings of Christ were confirmed to him "by those who heard Him."
Yet, in Galatians 1:12 Paul declared, "...the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. Verses 15-18 inform us that after Paul's baptism, he spent the same length of time in isolation in Arabia and Damascus as the other apostles had spent with Jesus during His earthly ministry (three years). It was only at the end of that time that Paul went to Jerusalem and met with Peter. These passages reveal that someone other than Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Since Hebrews is a careful study of the contrast between the Old law and the New, maybe Apollos was the author, since he was "mighty in the Scriptures" (Acts 18:24).
6. Will there be signs heralding the return of Christ?
Many false teachers identify signs and set dates, declaring that they know when Christ will return. In essence, they are boldly claiming to know more than Jesus knew, for He said in Matthew 24:36, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." He went on to make two descriptions of what it will be like "in the last days:" People will be marrying, and eating and drinking — seeming normalcy about the things of daily life. Even more, there is a further intensity in His description. He said it will be like it was in the days of Noah! In what kind of world did Noah live? "...the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). How long did Noah preach without one convert? It seems that the Lord will return when there is evil everywhere, to such an extent that the saved will be few, and no soul is still looking for the truth.
7. To Whom and through Whom must we pray?
We hear experienced Christians praying, "Our Father, we thank you for your body that was broken for us… for your blood that was shed for us…." Or, they pray "Our Father" and then close, "In Your holy name." The Scriptures clearly show the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). In the Spirit (Romans 8:26) we pray to the Father, through the mediation of the Son (John 16:23). God the Father did not die for us; His Son, Jesus Christ gave His body, and we pray to the Father in the name of the Lord (Matthew 6:9; Colossians 3:17). Please, let us be scriptural in our prayers!
The God of Heaven and Earth is so good, and His love reaches all. Through the free gift of God’s grace by Jesus’ blood (Ephesians 2:8; Revelation 1:5) and your obedient faith (Romans 1:5; 10:17; 16:26; John 3:16; Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30; Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 2:38; 22:16), salvation is offered. If you have Bible questions or wish to comment on this post, please do so. Lord willing, a Bible answer will be provided for every Bible question.
The churches of Christ are neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jew (Romans 16:16; Matthew 16:18-19). We are the loving suffering ONE body of Christ (Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:4-6) – CHRISTIANS: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16; cf. Acts 11:26; 26:28).
We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35). Samuel A. Matthews, preaching with the Liberty NW church of Christ, meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA – 27 July 2026.