Do babies who die unbaptised go to heaven?

Babies, just like all other people, are born in sin (Psalm 51:5: “I have been evil from the day I was born; from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful” – Good News Translation).

We do understand that babies are still without the power to choose to commit sin or not to commit sin. They haven’t got the choice to do right or wrong which adults have. The Bible teaches us, on the other hand, that we are saved from eternal death only by faith in Jesus Christ. Babies are not able to exercise that faith. But if we believe in the Covenant of grace, we know that the Word of God teaches clearly that the children of Covenant parents are saved by the faith of their parents. In other words babies of Christian parents are saved by the faith of their parents. So we have Scriptural ground to believe that when babies of Christians die, they go to the abode of glory where the Lord is (See Matthew 19:14; Acts 2:39; 1 Corinthians 7:14). Other babies, those of non-Christian parents do not have the privileges of Christian children ö they are not in the Covenant of Grace.

All we can do is to leave this matter in the hands of God, who can never be unjust. We do not know what happens to them when they die. We must trust Him, their Creator to be just in His dealings with them. His thoughts are not our thoughts. To try to answer a question that only He can answer, is impossible.

On the other hand, there are many things that we know and can do something about. We as Christian parents can lead our children to Christ through our words and example. We can pray for them and guide them. And if you are not yet sure whether you are a Christian, you can do something ab

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Will Jesus come again in the year 2 000 and will the year 2 000 be the end of the world?

The Lord Jesus taught clearly that nobody, except God the Father, knows the date and hour of Christ’s Second coming to judge the world. Mark 13:32: “No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come ö neither the angels, nor the Son; only the Father knows”. It is not the will of God that we must know that day and hour.

But He gave us certain information by which we may be able to know that the time of His coming is near. The signs of the times must warn and encourage Christians to be wide awake and alert so that they won’t be caught by surprize, like when a thief overpowers them in the night. It must also be a grave warning to unbelievers. The signs are:

1. False teachers will be seen on earth: 1 John 2:22; Matthew 24:5; Matthew 24:11.

2. Wars and rumours of war: Matthew 24:6-7. This is a daily news item in the modern media.

3. Starvation: (Famine): Matthew 24:7. We are aware of the plight of the people of Ethiopia, Mozambique, North Korea and elsewhere.

4. Earthquakes: Earthquakes are regular experiences of the people of Japan, Mexico, Turkey and elsewhere. In the year 1755 60,000 people lost their lives in an earthquake in Portugal. The last earthquake and catastrophe is prophesied in Revelation 6:12-17. All the previous ones point to that last terrible destruction.

5. The persecution of true believers: Matthew 24:9. More Christians die for their faith in this century than in the previous 19 centuries together! Even today, Christians are being persecuted and killed on a scale never seen before. Jesus’ coming is near!

6. Great unfaithfulness and the increase of evil: Matthew 24:12. Take note how television and other mass media is being used to mislead people into a godless lifestyle.

7. The love of many will grow cold: Matthew 24:12; 2 Timothy 3:1- See how few people still practice true worship during the week.

8. The Gospel will be preached through all the world: Matthew 24:14. This is done also by radio and TV. Do not believe the people who say that Jesus will come in the year 2 000 or on any other date. They don’t know what they are talking about. But please note the signs of the times prophesied by Christ. They will precede His second coming. Be spiritually wide awake and ready to welcome Him!

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Baptism according to the Bible

Different kinds of baptism

Many thick books have been written on the subject of baptism. And they do not all agree. One of the reasons why it is difficult to agree is that not everybody noticed that there are different kinds of baptism mentioned in the Bible.

We read for instance of the baptism by John the Baptist. This baptism was called the baptism of repentance. Before he baptised people, they had to confess their sins (Mark 1:4). This baptism is not the same as the Christian baptism.

Christians are baptised in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit according to the command of Jesus after his resur~rection (Matthew 28:19). The Christian baptism is meant for those people who trust in Christ Jesus as their Saviour (Mark 16:15-16). Therefore people who were baptised with the baptism of repentance had to be baptised again with the Christian baptism when they became Christians (Acts 19:3-5). The baptism of John the Baptist is therefore not an example of Christian baptism. The Christian baptism is sometimes called baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus to differentiate it from the other kinds of baptism which were known at that time (Acts 19:3).

Can baptism wash away my sins?

Some Christians think that you are born again by being baptised. They think that the “water” of John 3:5 refers to baptism. But John 3:6 explains what Jesus meant. He was referring to a baby’s natural birth to explain that natural birth is not enough. You also need a spiritual birth. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart. When you are born the first time, you are the child of your parents. When you are born again, you become a child of God (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26).

The water of baptism reminds us of the blood of Jesus Christ which is the only thing that can wash away sins (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:22).

But what about Mark 16:16?

Mark 16:15-16 does not say that baptism by itself can save you. These verses make clear that faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that can save you. So we read of the murderer on the cross who was saved without baptism (Luke 23:43), while Judas Iscariot was lost even though he was baptised (Matthew 26:24).

How much water must be used when a person is baptised?

Since it is not the water that washes away our sins, but only the blood of Jesus, the amount of water is not important. The water with which we are baptised, only serves as a symbol of what Jesus did for us with his blood. Baptism through sprinkling of drops of water is just as effective as baptism by immersion under water. So we read in the Bible that some people were baptised in a river (Acts 8:38), while others were baptised in a building (Acts 10:48; 16:33).

It is, however, useful to remember that Christ did not give his blood in a river or a bath, but drop by drop. Baptism by sprinkling with water may therefore be a better reminder of what Jesus did for us.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit also helps us to find the best way. The disciples were not immersed into the Spirit, but the Holy Spirit came onto each one individually from above in the form of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3).

Why do some churches also baptise small children?

To understand why some churches also baptise the small children of believers, we need to read the whole Bible. In Genesis 15 we find that God chose one believer, Abraham, to become the father of the people of God. God made a covenant (contract) with Abraham and his descendants to be their God, and they had to obey God and be His people on earth (Genesis 17:7). The sign of this covenant was circumcision of all the males (Genesis 17:11-14). Abraham was ninety nine years old when he was circumcised and his son Ishmael was thirteen (Genesis 17:23-27). All boys born after that time were circumcised when they were eight days old (Genesis 17:11; 21:4).

The New Testament explains to us that this covenant was not only with the Jews, but in actual fact it is with all true believers. Anyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ becomes a partaker of this covenant and a child of Abraham (Galatians 3:29). Therefore the apostle Peter said on the day of Pentecost that the promise of God is not only for believers but also for their children (Acts 2:39).

An important change came at this time. The sign of the covenant changed from circumcision to baptism. The blood of the circum~cision pointed forward to the blood of Christ that had to flow in order to make us children of God. Jesus was the final sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19). When false teachers tried to convince the believers in Colossae that they also had to be circumcised, otherwise they could not be saved, the apostle Paul explained to them that they had already received the sign of the covenant when they were baptised (Colossians 2:11-12). The sign of baptism therefore means that this person belongs to the people of God. Only those who put their trust in Jesus have the right to be baptised, together with their children (Acts 16:30-34).

Do I have to be baptised again and again?

No. If my sheep which I have marked with my sign, gets lost and I find it back, there is no need to mark it again. It still bears my mark. If a person who is baptised goes astray and returns to God afterwards, there is no need to baptise him again. He still bears the “mark” of the Living God.

One is baptised only once. The other sacrament, the Holy Communion, is celebrated again and again as a witness to all.

If you have been baptised already, rejoice in your baptism. It reminds you of what Jesus did for you on the cross, and that you belong to Him. If you have not yet been baptised, seek a local pastor and ask him to help you.

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What must I do to be a happy Christian who is not ashamed of the people of God?

All people are a little shy in the beginning when they have to stand up before others to preach or testify or pray. Remember what the Lord said in Mark 8:38, that if a person is ashamed of Him and His teaching, he will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father.

Paul said: I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16). That is why we all must confess with our mouths that we belong to the Lord (Romans 10:9-10). If you give yourself totally to the Lord in full confidence that your sins are forgiven, the Holy Spirit will come and dwell in you (Romans 8:10). He will give you courage to witness about what the Lord has done for you (Acts 1:8; Acts 4:29, 31). Pray for the boldness to witness without fear, as the first apostles did (Acts 4:24-31). God loves to hear this prayer.

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The Gospel of Barnabas

The book has been claimed to have been written by the apostle Barnabas. It is said that he walked with Jesus in his earthly ministry and was a disciple of Jesus at that time. The writing suggests that he was taught by Jesus and then later on, in the light of this teaching, disagreed with many of the teachings of Paul and refuted them. It suggests that Paul was deceived.

If this book is true, then most of the New Testament is false and this is what is claimed by many Muslims. They say that the Gospel of Barnabas is the “original testament” and that the Christians have substituted it with the New Testament.

The truth is that the New Testament has much of secular history to prove its historical facts, whereas many of the claims of this “Gospel” are glaringly incorrect. The writer did not have any real knowledge of the country of Palestine in the time of Jesus. Many historical and geographical facts are wrong. A close study of the work shows that whoever the writer was, he knew far more about Europe in the Middle Ages. Some references show that it was written in the fourteenth century.

The Apostle Barnabas as we know him in the New Testament was a close friend and co-worker with Paul who had one disagreement with Paul on the matter of another young missionary, John Mark. There were no disagreements on points of doctrine as suggested by this writing.

Another point we can make is that in certain places, the writer of this “gospel” contradicts even the Quran. Even today most Muslims reject the “Gospel of Barnabas”.

We cannot go into any more detail than this, but these are just some of the reasons why this book can definitely be regarded as a complete forgery which was written in the 14th century by someone who wished to discredit Christianity and encourage faith in Islam.

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Bahai: What is the Bahai faith?

The Bahai faith originated in Iran (Persia) in 1844 when a Moslem, Mirza ‘Ali Muhammed, announced that he was the forerunner of the World Teacher, who would appear to unite mankind and bring a new era of peace. He assumed the title of “Bab” (the Persian word for “Gate”). He was prosecuted and executed by the Moslems and the Persian Government for forming a new Moslem sect.

One of his disciples, Mirza Husayn ‘Ali, when an exile in Baghdad, proclaimed himself the prophesied World Teacher and took the name Baha’u’llah which means “The Glory of God”. The name Bahai faith is derived from that title. The world headquarters of the Bahai faith is in Haifa, Israel.

If we condense the teachings of this faith, we find that they revolve around three basic principles:

1. The oneness of God.
2. The oneness of religion.
3. The oneness of mankind.

The “Bab” taught that he replaced Muhammed as God’s prophet and that he formed a new universal religion based on a new book, Kitab-Akdas. This “new religion” means according to the Baha’u’llah:

1. The independent search after truth, unhindered by superstition or tradition.
2. The oneness of the entire human race.
3. The basic unity of all religions.
4. The condemnation of all forms of prejudice whether religious, racial, class or national.
5. Harmony must exist between religion and science.
6. The equality of men and women.
7. The introduction of compulsory education.
8. The adoption of a universal auxiliary language.
9. The abolition of extremes of wealth and poverty.
10. The institution of work to the rank of worship.
11. The glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society and religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations.

This sounds good and few people will object to some of these principles. But the crux of the problem is that in its basic beliefs Bahai collides head-on with Biblical Christianity. It rejects the cardinal doctrines of the Bible such as: The Trinity of God (which Islam also rejects), the Deity of Christ as one of the Persons in the Godhead, the virgin birth of Jesus; the bodily resurrection of Christ; the fact that Jesus died as the Lamb of God for the sins of all men and women; salvation by faith in Jesus alone, the final authority of the Bible and the Second Coming of Christ.

A Bible-believing Christian cannot believe that Jesus Christ is given a place in Bahai as only one of the prophets. He is the Divine Son of God. Read John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 3:11; 1￿20Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 13:8.

Furthermore, Bahai’s teaching of the oneness of religion is not Biblical. Christianity cannot compromise its teachings to accommodate the doctrines of the Hindu religion, Islam, or any other religion. None of them, including Bahai, accepts the teaching of the Bible concerning the lost state of man because of sin, and that the work of Christ in the redemption of lost sinners is directly related to this sinful nature (Isaiah 64:6; John 1:29; 3:14-17; Romans 3:23).

Dr Walter Martin, who studied Bahaism, came to the following conclusion in his book “The Kingdom of the Cults”: “There is very little indeed that a true Christian can have in common with the faith of Bahai. There is simply no common ground on which to meet … The Bahai faith is at its very core anti-Christian theology.”

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The Bible – What is it? Who wrote it?

The Bible – What is it? Who wrote it?

The Bible, from the Greek word Biblia, which means “Books”, is a collection of many writings in many forms, from the hands of many people. It was written over a period of many years, and is a wonderful and unique Book. The period in which it was written, was from about 1500 before Christ to +100 years after Christ.

Its composition is, without faith, utterly inexplicable to the human mind. But we must understand that it is in truth the Word of God (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). God is eternal, and through those years that it was written, He used different people to bring ONE MESSAGE to the people of all times and generations (Read Hebrews 1:1).

If we wish to condense the message of the whole Bible into one verse, we can do so by memorizing John 3:16. “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The Bible consists of 66 books, 39 of which were originally written in the Hebrew language with certain portions in Aramaic. This is the Old Testament. The rest, namely 27, which form the New Testament, were written in Greek. The Bible has been translated into many languages and is still being translated into more and more languages.

Other names of the Bible are: The Scriptures, Holy Scripture, the Word of God and was also called “The Divine Library.”

If we examine the question: What is the Bible? a little closer we can say: It is God’s Word to everyone. It is God’s letter for you and me in which He tells us the best news on earth. It tells us that God loves us, that although all are born sinners, because we inherited the sinful nature as children of Adam who fell into sin, God provided a way ö an only way ö whereby we can be saved. When Jesus hung on Calvary’s cross, he paid the full price for our redemption. No sinner need die if he will accept the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour.

The real answer to the question: Who wrote the Bible? can be condensed in one short answer: The Holy Spirit, the Third Person in the Trinity of God (2 Peter 1:21).

How did He do it? By revealing to the different writers the words that they should write. Just think of it: He did that, as we stated above, over about 1500-1700 years. Some of the inspired writers were Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Asaph, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul and many others.

Conclusion: The Bible is the Book of books. And although there are other ancient religious books, the Bible is (so says someone) the sun in the centre of all other religious records. It is and will always be the Word of Almighty God to every human being (Psalm 119:105). It is God’s love letter to you. Read it, enjoy it, and allow it to change your life.

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How can I study the Bible effectively?

Without effective Bible study one’s spiritual life will not show any growth. If one does not give the word of God the chance to speak to you, you will not get spiritual food, and therefore there will not be any growth.

Here are a number of hints for fruitful Bible studies:

1. Work according to a plan. Decide on a fixed time to do your Bible studies every day.

2. Do not read just anywhere, jumping from one part of the Bible to another, without any plan. You can study through one Bible book at a time; you can study different themes, like faith, love, and so forth; you can do character studies of people in the Bible, like David, or the apostle Peter.

3. Make notes. Keep a pencil and notebook with your Bible. Ask yourself the following questions and write down short answers:

What is the background of this Scripture passage (who are the people, what is happening to them, what happened before this, why were these words spoken and to whom)?

What was the message of these words to the people who read these words the first time, long ago, or to whom they were spoken?

What is the main thought of the text?

What does God want to tell me in this Scripture passage?

What answer do I give Him? How should I obey Him?

Also remember to read other passages about the same subject. A Bible with references will help you to find the other passages.

If you do Bible study in this way, it will become a special experience that you will not want to miss again. God gave the Holy Spirit to help and guide you in this.

It is also very helpful to do Bible study with other Christians. Try to find a group in your church or among your Christian friends who will want to do this with you. Use a course book, like those of Biblecor, or use the questions that we gave you in this letter.

If you have problems with certain verses or passages, feel free to ask us to help you understand them better.

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In which languages was the Bible originally written?

The Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi, was written in Hebrew, with certain small portions under the influence of Aramaic, an old language in the ancient Assyrian world.

The New Testament was written in Greek. But not the Greek you will hear today in a cafe when a modern Greek speaks.

The translations which we have in the different languages, were mostly done by people who worked from the original languages.

Now we can read the Bible in our own mother tongue. Look for a Bible in any language you understand well, and start reading it. It will change your life!

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