William H. Smith April 22, 2001

1204 Christmas Tree Lane about 580 words

Pearce, Az. 85625

303-36-7671

(520) 826-1029

Heart Pang

By

William H. Smith

I received this pang in my heart when I heard my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ called a liar. These words were spoken, baptism wasn't needed to enter into the Kingdom of God, and that this was proved by the thief on the cross being saved and not being baptized. I don't understand why this minister didn't know that the thief on the cross was saved by the word of God through Jesus Christ, not by grace as we are today.

The only Gospel having a reference to one of the two criminals hanging by Christ and asking to be remembered is found in Luke, the other three Gospels have no reference to either of the two malefactors asking to be remembered.

Matthew was a Publican (a collector of taxes) and accustomed to keeping records, he

wrote his Gospel about 60AD.

Mark was the son of a woman called Mary (not the mother of Jesus). The Disciples

met many times in their home, and Mark was a companion of Paul's. Mark listened and wrote of the stories told to him by the Apostles concerning Jesus, he wrote his Gospel about 65AD.

Luke wrote his Gospel and the book of Acts about 60AD, he was also a companion of

Paul's and was recognized as being a humanitarian. This would explain why he wrote about the malefactor (thief) asking for forgiveness. Luke was the only Gospel writer to refer to the two hanging with Jesus as thieves. The other Gospel writers must not have felt this was an important event.

John wrote his Gospel toward the end on the first century. Regarding to the two

hanging on crosses beside Jesus, John wrote (John 19:18), “where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.” Here John didn’t offer any judgment whatsoever upon the two.

In Mark 16:16, it is written that Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be

saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Here Jesus is saying you must believe and be baptized to be saved, therefore there can be no other way in which to be saved.

John wrote in John 3:3-5, and Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto

thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” and “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Here we discover two statements from Jesus, one you cannot see, nor can you enter into the kingdom of God without being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38, Then Peter said unto them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the

name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

To say that baptism isn’t needed to enter into God's kingdom is a lie, and to deceive parishioners is probably a greater sin..

May you be exonerated by this dispatch. I pray that it will put you on a solid Christian path toward Christ because in the near future he will call his Church up to him, then the Great Tribulation era begins.

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