Baptism 6

I mentioned in my first post on baptism, that CARM had used verses in Romans 10 to allow for differing views on baptism.

Romans 10:14-15 is not speaking about baptism, period.  CARM says "Notice how Paul allows us to have differences of opinions on various issues? His goal was to have unity in the body of Christ and at the same time to allow for differences on debatable issues."

The issues Paul was discussing in this passage were not various, they were specific...food/dietary rules and what days should we worship.

Is there a principle being taught here of allowing Christian Liberty ( liberty of conscious ) in other issues?  Yes. Especially when considering the baggage that new believers brought with them regarding dietary laws.  It was discussed a few different times:

"Acts 10, 14. 15, nor worrying about the fact that the meat was taken from animals sacrificed to idols, 1 Cor. 10, 25, he makes use of the liberty which he has in Christ, thus honoring his Lord and Savior, as appears also from the fact that he returns thanks to God for the food, 1 Cor. 10, 30; 1 Tim. 4, 4."

Again, it's the food thing.  Romans 10, NOT ABOUT BAPTISM.

Baptism is a BIG DEAL in God's economy. Paul had quite a bit to say about baptism in other letters and other verses ( so did Jesus ), but he was not talking about baptism here in verse 10 of Romans.  He was not saying about baptism "I'm ok, your ok, you believe that about baptism, I'll believe this"  I've heard folks use the Romans 10 verse in many ways to defend their drinking, smoking, eating, etc. etc., but never have I heard it used to say "think what you want about baptism".

Baptism does not appear to be an optional in the NT.  Yes, the thief on the cross, folks love to pull that out of their back pocket, but it is the exception to the rule.  As I said before, faith is what saves and God can choose how/who/what/when/where He wants.  But the ordinary means God has given us are Baptism, the Lord's Supper and the Scriptures. In the NT, God has given us baptism for a reason.  Not so we can say "we don't need it look at the thief", but rather a physical representation of God's means of grace.

In fact, the great commission " And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. "

The order of the great commission is interesting, baptize, then teach. Might be something to that.

Christianity is a very physical religion unlike any other religion. Christ was born a human, a real, living, bleeding human.  Christ is reigning in bodily/human/man form in heaven.  Paul made a big deal about the resurrection, not heaven.  Getting our bodies back and the new heavens and new earth.  Not us floating around on a cloud playing a harp, but a real, physical, recreated creation.

So much of what Christianity believes, teaches, and confesses has to do with the physicalness of our religion, the realness of it.  Why do we work so hard to undo this and spiritualize everything and say "well, it can't mean that"?