We have all had the experience of learning something and then later forgetting what we thought we had learned.  It is easy to do!  Think back to all the things that you learned in school or in college.  If you haven’t refreshed yourself and reviewed many of those subjects regularly (if you’re like me), you’ve forgotten more than you knew!  For this reason, God has left us with His inspired Word to study and refresh ourselves often, so we don’t forget (Rom. 12:1,2; 1 Tim. 4:13).  A lack of knowledge has been a problem for God’s people before which led to their punishment (Hos. 4:6).  We don’t want that to happen today, so here are some fundamentals to review and know:

There is only one church.  The church of Christ was built by Jesus Himself (Mat. 16:18) and began on the Day of Pentecost AD 33 (Acts 2).  No other church was formed until hundreds of years later.  That means the church that you read about in the Bible is the only one that can save us (Acts 4:12; Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18). 

God does not approve of denominationalism.  Because Jesus built one church, there should be no division into multiple churches, called by different names, with different doctrines.  This is clearly seen from the problem at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10-13).  If we show our support to various churches by commending them or by attending their worship/events, we are going beyond what God allows (2 John 9-11; Eph. 5:11; 1 Tim. 4:1-8).

Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.  Many teach that a person is saved by their faith and then they are baptized as the first step of obedience.  However, this is not what Jesus taught nor the apostles and inspired preachers.  They taught that a person must believe, repent, confess that Jesus is the Christ and then be baptized in order to be saved (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:36-38).  Baptism is only for those who are old enough and competent enough to understand the fullness of the Gospel and the importance of the church knowing they stand condemned without washing away their sins (Acts 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Attending worship is not an option.  The early church met every first day of the week being careful not to willfully choose to forsake the assembly (Heb. 10:25; 1 Cor. 16:1,2). Remembering Christ’s death on that day through the observance of the Lord’s Supper was their purpose, in addition to praise in song, prayer, giving, and teaching (Acts 20:7; Eph. 5:19; 1 Tim. 2).  It has become popular with the onset of live streaming to neglect the worship assembly in favor of “watching later” or “watching while driving” to pursue other interests before the Lord.  However, there is no substitute for “true worshippers” (John 4:23).

No doubt, in a society of “tolerance” and “acceptance” it is easy to be influenced by the world around us.  But, we can’t forget and neglect the principles that God has put into place for our own good.  God wants His laws in our minds (Heb. 8:10).  This will allow us to save ourselves and save others (1 Tim. 4:16). 

​~Derrick Coble

​Jesus has all authority in Heaven and on earth (Mat. 28:18).  Therefore, we are baptized in His name (Acts 10:48; Mat. 28:19,20), we are justified in His name (1 Cor. 6:11) and whatever we do in word or deed must be done in His name (Col. 3:17).  Jesus is our mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) and He is sympathetic (Heb. 4:15).  This may be one reason why it was important for Him to ascend bodily into Heaven—there will always be a part of Jesus that is man (Acts 17:31).  Even though He is in Heaven, He has not forgotten how weak the flesh can be or who we often struggle in our physical bodies—He understands and sympathizes with us as an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1).  For over 3 years while Jesus was with His disciples, they took all their problems to Him and it was distressing that He would soon be gone from the earth.  Therefore, He said, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23).   Jesus reassured the disciples that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 16:13) and that He would still be listening as a mediator in prayer.  For us, it is a comfort to know that Jesus has promised to be with us unto the end of the world (Mat. 28:20) and we can talk to God in prayer in His name.  We do have to ask in faith (James 1:5) and we do have to ask according to God’s will (1 John 5:14,15).  Remember that, “God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth” (John 9:31).
 ~Derrick Coble

​The necessity of baptism for salvation is clearly taught in the Scriptures. Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).  Paul told the Romans that baptism gives “newness of life” and allows a person to be “freed from sin” (Rom. 6:4-7).  Add to that, how Peter even said that “baptism doth also now save us” (1 Pet. 3:21).  So, it is unmistakable just with these few verses how a person must be baptized to receive cleansing from sin (Acts 22:16).  Yet, the early church was familiar with two baptisms—baptism of the Holy Spirit and water baptism.  This has caused some to wonder is there only one baptism or are there two baptisms to be received?
Baptism of the Holy Spirit was a special immersion that only occurred three times.  First, the twelve apostles received this baptism on the Day of Pentecost when the church began in AD 33 (Acts 2:1-4).  Jesus had promised that they would receive this baptism and instructed them to wait for it In Jerusalem (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5).  This baptism empowered them with miraculous abilities (including inspired preaching and the ability to pass miraculous abilities along) to allow the church to take root and spread. Second, the apostle Paul received this baptism possibly when he went to Arabia (Gal. 1:17).  Even though this baptism it is not recorded, it is clear he received it because he had the same advantages and abilities as the other apostles (2 Cor. 11:5; Acts 19:6).  Third, the household of Cornelius also received this baptism around AD 41 (Acts 10:44-48).  Peter said it was a gift just like what they had received at the beginning of the church (Acts 11:15-17).  However, the purpose was a bit different.  Instead of empowering them to do the work of the Lord like the apostles, it simply showed the Jews that the Gentiles had a right to salvation just like they did (Acts 11:12; 15-18).
All of these individuals received two baptisms; but, there is only one today.  Around AD 62-64 Paul said, “there is one baptism” (Eph. 4:5).  He was not referring to Holy Spirit baptism, but water baptism.  This is easily seen for two reasons:  Holy Spirit baptism was promised and not commanded (Acts 1:4) and Jesus was the only one who could administer it (Mat. 3:11).  Therefore, as Jesus commanded the apostles and us to go into all the world preaching and baptizing people for the remission of sins (Mat. 28:19; Acts 2:38), He was speaking of water baptism only.  Holy Spirit baptism was never for salvation, but water baptism is.  It is where a person makes the decision to “put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27), to “wash away sins” (Acts 22:16), being “buried” with Christ to be made spiritually alive (Col. 2:12,13).  No one was ever commanded to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and no one will ever be.  No one was ever saved by being baptized with the Holy Spirit and none will ever be baptized in this way again.  The Lord fulfilled His purpose with the final instance of this baptism in AD 41.  Yet, the “one baptism” in water for salvation continues until the end of time (Mat. 28:20). 
~Derrick Coble