The Apostle Paul, in very strong language, bids Timothy to “charge some (tell them) that they teach no other doctrine”; no other doctrine, obviously, than that which Paul had taught them. In 1 Tim. 6:3-5 he closes his epistle by saying: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ (to Paul)… from such withdraw thyself.”

In these passages the Apostle emphasizes the importance of fidelity to that heaven-sent message committed to Paul by multiple revelations; that message which he says in Titus 1:2-3 was “promised before the ages began” but "kept secret" (Rom 16:25) until it was made known “in due time… through preaching which is committed unto me (Paul)…”

Paul also plainly says what should be done in the case of one preaching another gospel in the Church, one that is at odds with Paul’s “the gospel of the grace of God” and full sufficiency of Christ as all IN the believer.

Galatians 1:8-9 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel (i.e. the Law, in any degree) unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

“Accursed” here above is the Greek ‘anathema,’ meaning ‘excommunicated.’ I’ve had occasion to reason with those of the Law-keeping persuasion still, and some saw the truth from the Scripture when pointed out to them in such abundance. Yet sadly there are those who “will” not to see. They do this for various self-interested reasons and they doom themselves to a fruitless Christian life. Paul saw fit to keep the word pure in the Churches he established. Paul knew that these two gospels cannot co-exist, since grace is diametrically opposed to the Law. Jesus told us of the power of a little leaven that corrupts the whole loaf.

Remember, Paul’s words are the commandments of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

There was a distinction between Jews and Gentiles at that time of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth in the matter of the preaching of "the gospel of the Kingdom." The "kingdom" had been long promised to Israel, not the Gentiles. This means the so-called 'great commission' with "the gospel of the Kingdom” is a Jewish commission and not a church commission for us today.

Yet, Paul gives "the church, which is the body of Christ," a different commission as seen in 2Cor 5:20. Today we are ‘Christ's ambassadors’ while on earth. We of the "body of Christ" are Christ's ambassadors on earth because our home and citizenship is "in heaven" (cf. Philippians 3:20-21).

Now, as ever since Paul’s day religious leaders have substituted other messages for that committed by the glorified Lord to Paul. They promote the Law of Moses, Jesus of Nazareth’s instruction to “the lost sheep of the House of Israel, the Sermon on the Mount, the so-called “great commission,” and Pentecost; all then being confused with God’s message and program for the dispensation of grace that was committed to Paul for us today. This is what has bewildered and divided the Church and ripened it for the apostasy we see today.

With all this confused thinking about the place of Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount (that belong to Israel) it was little wonder that about 75 years ago modernism swept so many off their feet with its false teachings about Jesus of Nazareth, the Man of Galilee, following his footsteps, social betterment, political reform, etc. When we miss the real “gospel of the grace of God” (Act 20:24) for ‘social gospel’ of today, we can be caught up in the great error that pervades the church today. Multitudes of real Christians have been so taken up with the social gospel, so eager to help make the world a better place to live in, that they did not even notice or believe that the modernists denied the very fundamentals of the Christian faith.

But not only so, the present ‘neo-evangelicalism’ of our day is even more dangerous than the social gospel. It is big. It is well financed. It is popular. It is a money making machine for those who misuse and misinterpret the Scripture. Perhaps its greatest danger lies in the fact that while claiming to be “conservative,” it minimizes the importance of ‘the fundamentals’ of “the faith” that we get only from Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and thus the danger of apostatizing from the truth is seen. Paul foresaw this danger and thus was bold in his instruction to Timothy with the Holy Spirit inspired words of the Apostle Paul: “Charge some that they teach no other doctrine,” are more urgently needed in our day than they were in his.

The church has suffered the great loss of Paul’s grace gospel and its associated truths by which Christ is not only Savior from judgment but also He is ALL to the believer the moment one receives not only Christ’s salvation but simultaneously the fullness of the Godhead in Christ as the resurrected “Spirit of life” to make that believer complete. Today a believer has need of nothing except the knowledge of the truth of the gospel for today.

Let’s now consider Paul’s words concerning the one and only Christian baptism for today.

1 Cor. 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Ephesians 4:4-5 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5  One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

When John the Baptist appeared as Christ’s forerunner, God’s still chosen people at that time, Israel, had lived "the law of Moses" for fifteen hundred years but had not kept it; they actually killed God's prophets. Hence, John’s call to Israel was to "repent and be baptized (in water) for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4). This was the initial requirement for salvation of Israelites. For Israel "faith without works is dead." Jesus preached saying;

Matthew 5:20 I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (< This is a law of works!)

Thankfully, we today are "saved by grace alone, though faith alone (in Christ alone), NOT of works" (Eph. 2:8-9), and "we are not under the law but under grace" (Rom 6:14). Under grace, our good works are simply the fruit of our having received salvation from judgment and Christ’s life “by grace through faith” alone. Our good works are not the root of our salvation, but rather the fruit of our new relationship with the Lord’s life. If our salvation was of 'our works' then it could NOT be called 'grace' since grace means ‘a free gift.’

6And if By Grace, then is it NO More of Works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Romans 11:6

John was so serious that when the thoughtless multitude came to him to be baptized, he sent them back, saying: “Bring forth fruits (your works) worthy of (deserving to be counted as) repentance” (Luke 3:7-8). These Jews had to show forth the product of their commitment to establish their repentance. Their lives had to change and they were to show it. This repentance standard of having to provide "fruits first" was a high bar that nobody but the Lord really could keep. When the people asked: “What shall we do, then?” John told them to live for others rather than for themselves (Luke 3:10-11). When the tax collectors asked: “What shall we do?” he demanded that they stop cheating the tax-payers and live honestly (Luke 3:12-13). When the soldiers asked: “What shall we do?” he told them to refrain from violence, false accusation and bribery (v14).

Clearly, under John’s “kingdom gospel” message, righteousness was demanded first. John's hearers were to "repent, be baptized, and bring forth the fruits (as evidence of) of true repentance".

When our Lord Jesus appeared, He proclaimed the very same message as John (Matt. 3:1, 2; 4:17). A lawyer asked Jesus: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” and He replied: “What is written in the law?” When the lawyer recited the basic commands of the Law, our Lord answered: “This do and (then) thou shalt live” (Luke 10:25-28). Under Jesus’s “gospel of the kingdom,” He was still demanding righteousness... FIRST. So Israel was still then under "the Law" (Gal. 4:4, 5; Matt. 23:1-2; etc.).

Let’s one compare the Pauline “one baptism” with what we see has developed over the past 75 years of Christianity in the world has moved from Pauline truth toward Apostasy.

Yes, some folks would rightly say that water baptism is not required for salvation in this day of “the dispensation of the grace of God.” And Paul makes clear that Christ alone is our sufficiency and there is nothing we can add to His life and death given for us for our salvation - we are saved by grace through faith. So there is nothing we can do to earn His salvation and loving care.

Yet most Christians today cling to a false reasoning of continuing a water baptism. They say it’s a testimony of what occurred when they received Christ. I believed this myself for many years. Today I realize that water baptism for me would be an offence to the salvation I received in Christ. Let’s suppose that you have been saved, but live a care-less life and bear a poor testimony before the world. Would your water baptism change this? What would it be worth? Now suppose you have been saved and live a godly consistent life before the world, and you were not baptized in water. Might that be the better testimony?

Is a water-confession necessary? How much is it worth?

Don’t be afraid to answer these questions honestly. How many "water baptized converts" there are who cannot even give a word of testimony for their Lord among the lost!

Actually, the water baptism of believers in this age is a testimony – it is a bad testimony. Consider that when the Galatian believers submitted to Israel’s circumcision it was a bad testimony (Gal. 5:2,-3).

Galatians 5:2-3 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Water baptism fails to acknowledge the reality of 100% grace economy under which we are to live today during the “dispensation of the grace of God.” Circumcision, while a part of Peter’s "gospel of the circumcision" (to the Jews) has no place in "the gospel of the uncircumcision" committed to Paul (Gal. 2:7) for the members of “the body of Christ.”

Just as circumcision was connected with "the gospel of the circumcision" so water baptism was connected with "the gospel of the kingdom" to come that was long promised to Israel (cf. Matt. 3:2, 6; Matt. 10:5-7; cf. John 1:31; Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:36-38; Acts 3:19-21). John’s water Baptism was for Israel and a baptism unto repentance; certainly a regenerated Christian has no need of repentance since Christ has done it all and Christ’s offering is counted 100% for the recipient of salvation in Christ.

The present day practice of water baptism is a bad reflection on the 100% pure grace of God and a confession of a lack of appreciation of the finished work of Christ, and the believer’s completeness in Him (cf. Eph. 1:6; Col. 2:10). Furthermore, it demonstrates a poor understanding of the heavenly character and position of the Church of this age (cf. Eph. 2:6; Eph. 1:3; Col. 3:1-3).y

Now let’s be as the Berean who searched the Scriptures daily and see whether these things are so. So then, what is the real baptism in which Christians partake in this age of God’s pure grace? Many baptisms in the Bible are dry – waterless. Paul answers this for plainly. It is a baptism by the Spirit placing us not into water, but into “the body of Christ.”

1 Cor. 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.