1. Reasoning Is A Good Thing!  Isaiah 1:18: “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.’”  Acts 17:2: “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.”

2. Martin’s Unanswerable Questions  If a "Church of Christ" elder refuses to baptize me, will I be lost until I can find one who will? Do I need Jesus AND a Campbellite "preacher" in order to be saved? If I do, then Jesus Christ is not the only Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Holy Spirit is not the only Administrator (1 Cor. 12:13) of salvation - the "Church of Christ" preacher is necessary to salvation for he is performing a saving act on me when he baptizes me! Is this not blasphemy against Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost?

3. Answer:  Is “preaching” essential to faith? “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:13, 14) The call saves…  But, belief is before the call, hearing is before believing, preaching is before hearing

4. The Knife Cuts Both Ways!  If charging that “teaching baptism saves” denies the mediatory office of Christ and replaces it with a man, then would teaching that “preaching saves” not also deny His mediatory office and replace it with a man? then would teaching that “man must believe” not also deny His mediatory office and replace it with a man (Jn. 8:24) “if, then” reasoning

5.  ON THE OTHER HAND, If a person can preach to save others without usurping the mediatory office of Christ, then he can also baptize! Mark 16:15, 16  who is preaching?  who is believing?  who is baptizing and being baptized? “if, then” reasoning

6. Martin’s Unanswerable Questions  If a "Church of Christ" elder refuses to baptize me, will I be lost until I can find one who will? Do I need Jesus AND a Campbellite "preacher" in order to be saved? If I do, then Jesus Christ is not the only Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Holy Spirit is not the only Administrator (1 Cor. 12:13) of salvation - the "Church of Christ" preacher is necessary to salvation for he is performing a saving act on me when he baptizes me! Is this not blasphemy against Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost?

7. Answer:  The Holy Spirit never has been and never will be the administrator of water baptism! authorizes administer He authorizes but He does not administer water baptism

8. Matthew 28:18, 19  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you...” who is to go? who is to make disciples? who is to teach? who is to baptize? who authorizes such? God Or Man

9. Acts 8:38  “So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him” who baptized him? The spirit of the Lord was there (8:39), but why did the Spirit not baptize him? was Philip negating the mediatory office of Christ?

10. 1 Corinthians 12:13  “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body––whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free––and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” this baptism is “into one body” (the church, see Eph. 1:22, 23)  compare Acts 2:38, 40, 41, 47 is “into Christ” and is attached to faith (Gal. 3:26, 27)

11. 1 Corinthians 12:13  “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body––whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free––and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” is not “Holy Spirit Baptism” because “all” are not baptized that way  the Samaritans were never baptized in the Spirit (Acts 8:12-17)  Paul was baptized with a burial and raising which does not take place in Holy Spirit baptism (Rom. 6:3, 4; cf. Col. 2:12)

12. 1 Corinthians 12:13  “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body––whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free––and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” is not “Holy Spirit Baptism” because “all” are not baptized that way  The Corinthians were baptized after hearing and believing (Acts 18:8) The pattern of “hearing” and “believing” is associated with acts prior to water baptism, not Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 8:26-38, esp. 35-37) Water baptism!

13. 1 Corinthians 12:13  “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body––whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free––and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” is not “Holy Spirit Baptism” because “all” are not baptized that way  the first Gentiles were baptized in the Spirit…still commanded to be baptized in water (10:44-48) Holy Spirit baptism rare—astonished (10:45) Holy Spirit baptism rare—“at the beginning” (11:15) Water baptism!

14. “TWO” many baptisms  Baptists admit that there is a baptism in water into the church and yet assert there is another baptism administered by the Holy Spirit which saves men

15. “TWO” many baptisms  “TWO” baptisms has “ONE” baptism too many AD 64 “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5) Either “water baptism in the name of Christ” remained (Acts 2:38; 8:12, 16, 36, 38; 9:18; 10:47, 48; 16:15, 33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16; Eph. 5:26; etc.)  or Baptists need to prove that “Holy Spirit Baptism” remained and water baptism was taken away Two baptisms cannot remain with Ephesians 4:5 be true today!

16. 1 Peter 3:20, 21 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

17. Questions Needing Answered  How does the WATER in Noah’s salvation parallel to Holy Spirit baptism which has no such element?  If Holy Spirit baptism is in view, why would the apostle have to clarify “NOT THE REMOVAL OF THE FILTH OF THE FLESH”? o How would one confuse Spirit baptism with the washing away of filth from the human body?

18. Have You Obeyed The Gospel As It Was Preached in the First Century? 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord… 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9