Tackling Tradition 82: Acts 19:1 - 7

Those who make much of New Testament baptism have been known to assert that one must be baptized in the name of Christ in order to have received the Holy Spirit.       Some go so far to say that one must be baptized in order to do so.   One of their major prooftexts is Acts 19: 1 - 7. 19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spiritwhen you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophe...
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Dialogue With Skeptic (Part 6) God’s Alleged Narcissism

From time to time, the Village Skeptic/Atheist Collaborative, in their seemingly endless project to discredit the Bible, Christians & Christianity, thinking they clever & discerning throw their judgment pearls toward us swine thinking they have gained the upper hand when in truth their just advertising their (self/reinforcing ignorance with respect to what the Bible teaches.  

For example…

Skeptic:  The Bible teaches that God is a jealous God who cares for Himself first, above all others.   If true, God is a hypocritical, narcissistic oppressor who doesn’t follow his own rules. According to Matthew 22, the First Table of the Law is summarized as exhaustive, perfect love for God first.  The 2nd Table is like it: love everyone & everything else 2nd, & then love yourself. 

Apologist:  Do you hear yourself?  You’re accusing God of being an narcissistic, omnipotent bully who love Himself first & arguing God is hypocrite who doesn’t play by His own rules while citing a text that teaches we love God first & foremost & then all others.  

How that hypocritical?  God loves Himself first then everyone & everything else, & then yourself.   According to your own assertion/argument, God loves Himself first.   That’s not hypocrisy.  God loves Himself first just like His Law mandates,   




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