Answers To Some Common Objections
Objection 1: “What about the thief on the cross? He was saved without being baptized.” (Luke 23:39-43)
Soul Winner: “We learned that the gospel is the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
(1Cor. 15:1-4). How can the thief on the cross be baptized into a death, burial and
resurrection that had not yet occurred? In Romans 6:3-4, it says we are baptized into
Christ's death, burial and resurrection. The thief died before the burial and resurrection of
Jesus. A person obeys the gospel in baptism. After His resurrection, Jesus told his disciples
to go and preach the gospel (good news) to all creatures. He who believes and is baptized
will be saved (Mark 16:15-16). Every example in Acts shows people hearing the gospel,
believing it and immediately responding in baptism (Acts 2:41; 8:12; 8:35-38; 16:13-15;
16:30-33; 18:8).”
Objection 2: “Well, I was baptized by immersion. Therefore, I’m saved.”
Soul Winner: “Consider this: You believed you were forgiven of your sins after you prayed the sinner's
prayer, right?”
“Since you believed that your sins were forgiven before you were baptized, then
apparently, your baptism was not for the forgiveness of your sins. Acts 2:38 says baptism is
for the forgiveness of sins. In Acts 22:16, it says our sins are washed away at baptism. Yet,
you were taught that your sins were forgiven and washed before you were baptized. You
see the problem here?”
“Let’s read Acts 19:1-5. In this passage, these men were baptized into the wrong baptism.
After Paul explained the truth, they got baptized into the right baptism. Therefore,
according to Acts 19:1-5, it does make a difference what baptism one receives, right?”
“And now that you learned of Biblical baptism
and how it differs from the baptism you
were taught and received, you ought to consider being baptized for the right reasons.”
Objection 3: “Romans 10:9 says confess and believe and you shall be saved.”
Soul Winner: “Amen! We must confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him
from the dead! If a person does not believe Christ rose from the dead and if they do not
confess Him as Lord, they certainly will not be saved! Now, let me ask you this: According
to Jesus in Luke 13:3, must a person repent to be saved?”
“Romans 10:9 says nothing about repentance, yet we know that a person must repent to be
saved. We must take into consideration all passages that deal with salvation. Passages like
John 3:16, Mark 16:16, Matthew 10:32-33 and Mark 13:13.”
“This is why I went over Matthew 4:6-7 with you. We should never set Scripture against
Scripture, as Satan tried to do with Jesus. Rather, as Jesus did, we must say: “It is also
written…”
Objection 4: “John 3:16 says those who believe will not perish. Baptism is not mentioned.”
Soul Winner: “Amen! We must believe in Him! Now, keep in mind, John 3:16 is part of a conversation
that starts at verse 2. In verse 5, Jesus describes a true believer as one being born of water
and Spirit.”
“Also, in John 3:21, Jesus describes a true believers as one who lives by the truth.”
“In John 17:17, Jesus defines God’s Word as Truth. Therefore, John 3:16 is those who accept, believe and apply everything God’s Word says has to say.”
Objection 5: “It’s the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins, not water!”
Soul Winner: “Yes, it is the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins! We already established that fact
in Ephesians 1:7, where it says the blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. And we
already established the fact that Christ shed His blood at His death. Let me remind you,
according to Romans 6:3, how does one get INTO Christ and INTO His death?”
“We also covered Colossians 2:11-12. According to verse 12, at what point does Jesus
circumcise our sins? When we are buried with Him through what?”
Objection 6: “You are insinuating that water washes away sins!”
Soul Winner: “No, it’s the blood of Christ that washes away sins. The reason Acts 22:16 says ‘arise
and be baptized and wash away your sins’ is because Jesus circumcises our sins, through
His blood, at baptism (Colossians 2:11-12).”
Objection 7: “Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved by grace alone.”
Soul Winner: “I agree that we are saved by God's wonderful grace! The Greek the word for "grace" is
"charis," which means "unmerited gift." Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved by grace through
faith.”
“Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing the word of God. According to Acts 2:38,
how does one receive God’s gift of salvation?”
Objection 8: “Baptism is a work. Ephesians 2:8 says we aren’t saved
by works.”
Soul Winner: “I agree that we are not saved by our own works. And I agree, baptism is a work.
However, let me ask you this: Where did baptism come from? Did it come from the mind of
God or from the mind of man?”
“If baptism comes from the mind of God, then whose work is it? Colossians 2:11-12 says God is the One circumcising our sins at baptism. He is at work, not us. God is the Surgeon, we are merely the patient.”
Objection 9: “Acts 2:21 (Romans 10:13) says those who call on His name will be saved.”
Soul Winner: “Amen! According to Acts 22:16, at what point does a person call on His name?”
Objection 10: “I know I’m saved! I felt the Holy Spirit and started to speak in tongues!”
Soul Winner: “Read Matthew 7:21-23. At Judgment Day, there will be many who will claim to be saved because of the ‘miracles’ they’ve experienced. According to verse 23, what will Jesus tell these people?”
“What matters to God is that we hear and live by His words (Matthew 7:24-25). In
2Corinthians 5:7, we are told to walk by faith and not by sight. Faith comes from hearing
the word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore, we must walk according to God’s Word, and
not by what we see, feel or experience (Proverbs 16:25).”
Objection 11: “What about the person on their death bed or in a desert?”
Soul Winner: “Well, let me respond to that question with this question: In John 14:6, Jesus says He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that NO person can come to God except through Him. Is
that always true?”
“Now, since John 14:6 says what it says, what about the millions of people who die without
ever knowing Jesus. What will happen to them?”
“2Thessalonians 1:8 says that Jesus will punish those who do not know God, along with
those who do not obey the Gospel. Psalm 119:89 says the Word of God is forever settled in
Heaven. Therefore, what the Bible says is unchangeable. John 14:6 is a permanent truth.”
“Since Mark and Acts are part of God's Word, Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38 are permanent
truths.”
“By the way, the Bible tells us of a ‘desert’ conversion: In Acts 8:26-39, Philip, the
preacher, met an Ethiopian man traveling on a desert road. After Philip preached the
gospel to him, they came to an oasis and Philip baptized the man! With God, all things are
possible! I know of people who were very sick who, with God’s grace, were able to be
baptized. As the old saying goes, ‘where there is a will, there is a way.’”
Objection 12: “Revelation 3:20 says that Jesus stands at the door, waiting to come into a person’s heart.”
Soul Winner: “Revelation 3:20 does not say, ‘Ask Jesus to come into your heart.’ In fact, the word ‘heart’
is not even mentioned there. The context shows Jesus addressing the lukewarm disciples of
the Laodicean church (see verse 14-21). History tells us that the city of Laodecia had
water problems. By the time the water reached the city, it was lukewarm, thus
undesirable for satisfying thirst (COLD) or for bathing (HOT). Jesus was comparing these
disciples to their city’s water – lukewarm and nauseating. He was telling them to turn from
their wickedness and be useful for God!
“In addition, if Revelation 3:20 was referring to the “sinners' prayer,” you would see the sinner’s prayer being taught throughout the book of Acts. (read Finney’s quote again)”
Objection 13: “We are saved by faith alone.”
Soul Winner: “James 2:24 says that a person is not justified by faith alone. James 2:26 says faith without
works is dead. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing the word of God. Since faith comes from hearing the Word of God, and since faith without works is dead, according to Acts 2:38, how does one receive God’s gift of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit?”
“Also, keep the following in mind: faith is a work (John 6:28-29). If you say that there is nothing we can do to be saved, then faith is unnecessary for salvation.”
Objection 14: “The word ‘for’ in Acts 2:38 means ‘because of’ therefore, we are baptized because our sins
are already forgiven.”
Soul Winner: “Well, this raises at least two problems: (1) Matthew 26:28 and Acts 2:38
both say ‘for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.’ If “for” means “because of,” then that
means Jesus died in vain. The passage would then be interpreted as saying this: His blood
was poured out for many BECAUSE OF the forgiveness of sins. (2) Not one Bible
translation reads ‘because of’ in Acts 2:38.”
Objection 15: “Do you get baptized every time you sin?”
Soul Winner: “In Acts 8:22, Simon, a baptized believer who sinned, was told to repent and pray. When
a baptized believer sins, he is to repent and pray to God for forgiveness. Also, in 1John 1:9,
John, speaking to the Christian, tells them that if they confess their sins, God will forgive
them.”
Objection 16: “I believe the term ‘born of water’ in John 3:5 means ‘physical birth’. I believe it is the water
that comes our of a woman’s womb before she gives birth.”
Soul Winner: “Your reason for believing that comes from verse 6, where it mentions how flesh gives birth
to flesh and Spirit gives birth to spirit, correct?”
“Well, if ‘born of water’ meant ‘physical birth,’ then this raises some problems: (1) Why didn’t Jesus simply say ‘unless one is born of the Spirit?’ Why did He bother listing the physical birth as a requirement to enter the kingdom of Heaven? If someone asked me: ‘What must I do to get into Princeton University?’ it would be pointless for me to say to him: ‘ Well, first, you need to be physically born…’ So why would Jesus make a pointless statement by saying a man must be ‘physically born’ and ‘spiritually born’ to enter the kingdom? (2) If ‘born of water’ meant ‘flesh,’ then why didn’t Jesus use the same phrase he did in verse 6 and simply say, ‘unless a man is born of flesh and Spirit…’? (3) Since Jesus mentions both water and Spirit as requirements for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and since you say ‘born of water’ means ‘physical birth,’ then that would mean all babies that died before birth are in hell. Acts 2:38 clearly interprets John 3:5 for us: ‘be baptized…’ (born of water)… ‘and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…’ (born of Spirit). By the way, John 1:12-13 is clear regarding natural birth. Why didn’t he use the term ‘born of water’ there? I believe God knows how to communicate clearly.”
“Also, keep this in mind: all the early Christian apologists of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, some whom even sat at the feet of the apostles, unanimously taught that born of water meant baptism.”
Objection 17: “I was baptized as a baby”
Soul Winner: “We learned that in Romans 6:4, baptism is a burial, not a sprinkling. We are to be buried
with Christ through baptism. Other passages, such as Colossians 2:12, refer to baptism as a
burial as well.”
“Also, we learned in Acts 2:38 that a person must first repent and be baptized. Acts 2:41
says those who accepted the message were baptized.”
Objection 18: “It says in the Bible that households were baptized. Households include children.”
Soul Winner: “In Matthew 19:14, Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the children. An
adult, on the other hand, must be become as a little child and converted to enter the
kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:1-3). A person enters the kingdom of God through baptism. In Acts 8:12, we read of adult believers being baptized upon hearing the good news of the kingdom and of Christ, not children.”
“Another point to consider is this: In Acts 16:31-33, it says that Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to the jailer and his household. Mark 16:15 causes us to believe that the word of the Lord that was being spoken was the gospel. Paul and Silas were sharing the
good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to those who were capable of
hearing and understanding what was being preached. Can a baby hear, understand and respond to the gospel in baptism? (cf. Mark 16:15-16). Can a baby change its mind in repentance and respond in baptism (cf. Acts 2:37-41)? What sin did a baby commit? Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. It is for those who desire to be in the kingdom of heaven, not for those who already are in the kingdom.”
“A third point to consider is this: In Acts 8:5-12, Philip preached to a whole city there.
Obviously, there were adults and children present in the audience. In verse 12, it says the
men and women who believed Philip’s message were baptized.”
Objection 19: “How do I know if the Bible is true?”
Soul Winner: “There is a great deal of scientific evidence that supports the Bible. In ancient times, people
thought the earth was held up by some legendary being. The Bible spoke of the earth
hanging on nothing (Job 26:7). Also, in ancient times, people thought the world was flat.
However, the Bible spoke of the circle of the earth in Isaiah 40:22. In Hebrews 1:10-11, the
Bible speaks of the universe wearing away (the Law of Entropy). Also, the Bible speaks of
hundreds of predictions that took place centuries later. For example, predictions regarding
Jesus Christ: He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25); He would be
born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4-7); He would die for our sins (Isaiah 53:5-9;
Romans 5:8); He would rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27). Other predictions
include Daniel chapter 2, where Daniel spoke of God establishing His Church during the
times of a future ‘fourth kingdom.’ Historically, this came true: The Babylonian Kingdom
fell to the Medo-Persians. The Medo-Persian Kingdom fell to Greece. The Grecian
Kingdom fell to Rome. During the times of the Roman Kingdom, the Church was
established (33AD). Daniel’s prediction was accurate!”