Product Description
The book Heaven Only for the Baptized? is a comprehensive and powerful refutation of the heresy of baptismal regeneration from a historic Baptist perspective. The contents of the book are:
1.) Introduction
2.) Who Believes in Baptismal Regeneration?
3.) The Gospel of Jesus Christ
4.) The Biblical Purpose for Baptism
5.) Scriptural Arguments Against Baptismal Regeneration
i. The Old Testament Teaches Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
ii. The New Testament Teaches Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
1. New Testament Promises Teach Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
2. New Testament Examples Teach Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
iii. Other Reasons to Believe in Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
6.) “Proof-texts” for Baptismal Regeneration Examined
a. Mark 16:16a
b. John 3:5
c. Acts 2:38
d. Acts 22:16
e. Romans 6:3-4
f. Galatians 3:27
g. Ephesians 5:26
h. Colossians 2:12
i. Titus 3:5
j. 1 Peter 3:21
7.) Miscellaneous Arguments Against Justification by Faith Alone Refuted
a. “James 2 teaches salvation by faith and works.”
b. “The verses that say we are not saved by works only refer to Moses’ law. We are saved by works, but not by the works of the law of Moses.”
c. “Jesus said, ‘If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments’ (Matthew 19:17), so we are saved by works, not by faith alone.”
d. “The Bible mentions people who believed, but were still lost.”
8.) Conclusion
9.) Appendix #1—Miscellaneous Further Arguments Against Justification by Faith Refuted
a. Salvation by hope proves justification is not by faith alone.
b. Justification by faith alone means God’s grace and Christ’s blood are unnecessary.
c. Justification by faith alone means baptism is not important.
d. The gospel must be “obeyed,” so baptism is essential for salvation.
e. Faith is a work.
f. The Greek continuous tense is used for salvation by faith.
g. Just like repentance is implied in all verses promising salvation to faith, so baptism is implied.
h. Jericho and Naaman refute justification by faith.
The author of the book, Thomas Ross, after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley (B. A. 1999), earned a Master of Arts degree (2001) in Bible from Fairhaven Baptist College, a Master of Divinity degree (2007) from Great Plains Baptist Divinity School, and a Master of Theology degree (2009) from Anchor Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently working on a Doctor of Philosophy degree. In conjunction with the church-run schools he has worked with for his degree programs, he has studied at Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit, PA, Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary in Lansdale, PA, Emmanuel Baptist Theological Seminary in Newington, CT, Lehigh Valley Baptist Bible Institute in Emmaus, PA, the Institute for Theological Studies in Grand Rapids, MI, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI, and Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.
After ministering at Bethel Baptist Church in El Sobrante, California, for a number of years, he currently serves the Lord with his wife Heather at Mukwonago Baptist Church in Mukwonago, Wisconsin, and teaches Hebrew and Greek as an adjunct professor for Baptist College of Ministry and Theological Seminary.
Mr. Ross has read through the Greek New Testament, the Torah in Hebrew, and the Aramaic portions of Scripture, and he continues to regularly read both Testaments in their original languages. In addition to this work, he has edited the books Thou Shalt Keep Them: A Biblical Theology of the Perfect Preservation of Scripture, and Fashion Statement: The Biblical Issue of Appearance or Dress by Kent Brandenburg, and composed a variety of scholarly essays and reviews, some of which are available at http://sites.google.com/site/thross7.
1.) Introduction
2.) Who Believes in Baptismal Regeneration?
3.) The Gospel of Jesus Christ
4.) The Biblical Purpose for Baptism
5.) Scriptural Arguments Against Baptismal Regeneration
i. The Old Testament Teaches Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
ii. The New Testament Teaches Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
1. New Testament Promises Teach Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
2. New Testament Examples Teach Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
iii. Other Reasons to Believe in Justification by Faith Alone, not by Baptism
6.) “Proof-texts” for Baptismal Regeneration Examined
a. Mark 16:16a
b. John 3:5
c. Acts 2:38
d. Acts 22:16
e. Romans 6:3-4
f. Galatians 3:27
g. Ephesians 5:26
h. Colossians 2:12
i. Titus 3:5
j. 1 Peter 3:21
7.) Miscellaneous Arguments Against Justification by Faith Alone Refuted
a. “James 2 teaches salvation by faith and works.”
b. “The verses that say we are not saved by works only refer to Moses’ law. We are saved by works, but not by the works of the law of Moses.”
c. “Jesus said, ‘If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments’ (Matthew 19:17), so we are saved by works, not by faith alone.”
d. “The Bible mentions people who believed, but were still lost.”
8.) Conclusion
9.) Appendix #1—Miscellaneous Further Arguments Against Justification by Faith Refuted
a. Salvation by hope proves justification is not by faith alone.
b. Justification by faith alone means God’s grace and Christ’s blood are unnecessary.
c. Justification by faith alone means baptism is not important.
d. The gospel must be “obeyed,” so baptism is essential for salvation.
e. Faith is a work.
f. The Greek continuous tense is used for salvation by faith.
g. Just like repentance is implied in all verses promising salvation to faith, so baptism is implied.
h. Jericho and Naaman refute justification by faith.
The author of the book, Thomas Ross, after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley (B. A. 1999), earned a Master of Arts degree (2001) in Bible from Fairhaven Baptist College, a Master of Divinity degree (2007) from Great Plains Baptist Divinity School, and a Master of Theology degree (2009) from Anchor Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently working on a Doctor of Philosophy degree. In conjunction with the church-run schools he has worked with for his degree programs, he has studied at Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit, PA, Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary in Lansdale, PA, Emmanuel Baptist Theological Seminary in Newington, CT, Lehigh Valley Baptist Bible Institute in Emmaus, PA, the Institute for Theological Studies in Grand Rapids, MI, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI, and Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.
After ministering at Bethel Baptist Church in El Sobrante, California, for a number of years, he currently serves the Lord with his wife Heather at Mukwonago Baptist Church in Mukwonago, Wisconsin, and teaches Hebrew and Greek as an adjunct professor for Baptist College of Ministry and Theological Seminary.
Mr. Ross has read through the Greek New Testament, the Torah in Hebrew, and the Aramaic portions of Scripture, and he continues to regularly read both Testaments in their original languages. In addition to this work, he has edited the books Thou Shalt Keep Them: A Biblical Theology of the Perfect Preservation of Scripture, and Fashion Statement: The Biblical Issue of Appearance or Dress by Kent Brandenburg, and composed a variety of scholarly essays and reviews, some of which are available at http://sites.google.com/site/thross7.
