Birth Announcement
"It's A BOY! What could be more fun than telling you we have a Son. Weight: 176 lbs. Length: 69 inches. Eyes: Blue. Hair: Gray, crew cut. Education: BA. Work Experience: 24 years." NO! We did not receive, nor send out such a birth announcement. If you were to receive a birth announcement with the above information you would know, as would we, that such could not be. No man, nor any other creature, is born fully grown.
As ridiculous as the above is in the physical world it is a fair representation of what some members of the church expect of new arrivals in the family of God. Conversion is, in the word of God, likened unto a birth (John 3:3-7; I Pet. 1: 23), and the new convert is presented as a babe (I Cor. 3:1; I Pet. 2:2). Knowing this, (at least it should be known), some of my brethren expect the new arrival to have a mature (perfect) knowledge in all things.
No Questions Please
If a babe in Christ should dare to ask, "Why do we not have a piano? Can we not afford it?" Or if he should wonder aloud about celebrating December 25th or Easter as religious holy days, it is a sure sign that something is drastically wrong. Either the preacher has not done his job properly (he should have taught the truth on these and all other questions before taking their confession and baptizing them into Christ), or the questioner was not, in fact, truly converted and should be rebaptized!!
Some say the only way to convert people today is to find out all that they believe, and then convert them to the truth on each and every point of error before baptizing them. Such a person should see nothing wrong with the birth announcement with which this article began. No, brethren, maturity is not necessary before birth.
How Much Knowledge?
How much knowledge (faith) is necessary for one to be converted to Jesus Christ, and to become a New Testament Christian? I am not asking how much it will take to convert the individual. This will differ from person to person, but how much knowledge does God require of those who would obey Him? "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:15-16.) The good news was to be preached, believed, and acted upon for salvation from past sins. The word "gospel" is used in a limited sense, that is, the good news concerning Jesus Christ. (John 8:24; I Cor. 15:1-4.) Those who heard Jesus realized, of course, that baptism was in order to be saved.
On the day of Pentecost the Jews learned enough in one teaching session to be born into the family of God, added to the saved (Acts 2:47). There is no indication that they had a mature knowledge of the nature of the kingdom, worship (Lord's Supper, a cappela singing, giving as prospered, prayer through the name of Jesus Christ), and it is evident to all that they did not know for some time that Gentiles were accepted on equal terms with the Jews.
Can we not be saved as they were saved? If they were saved with limited knowledge, can we not be saved with the same limited knowledge? If not, why not?
The Second Teaching
Jesus in giving the great commission, as recorded by Matthew, said, "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations (this is the first teaching), baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (this is the new birth): teaching them to observe all things (this is the second teaching that leads to maturity, to perfection as a child of God) whatsoever I commanded you. . ." (Matt. 28:19-20).
Those converted on the day of Pentecost had advantage of this second teaching (Acts 2:42). I wonder if any of them dared to say, "It sure would be pretty to have a lyre to accompany our singing. David used one." Some of our brethren today would have taken the apostles aside and taught them about teaching, and perhaps, even rebaptized the unconverted user of mechanical instruments of music.
Clarification
I am not saying that it is not good for a new convert to have more than just the bare essentials when he is baptized unto remission of sins. Nor am I dealing with what is required to convert this individual or that individual. With some it is necessary, because of previous religious training, to go rather deep into the scriptures, and actually let them partake of the meat (Heb. 5:14) before they are converted. But this does not constitute a God given requirement for one to enjoy the new birth.
Brethren, just as our children are born needing much care and teaching, let us realize that this is true also of God's children, the church.
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