By Louis Rushmore
It is important to emphasize biblical fundamentals, especially when they differ from contemporary religion. The churches of Christ belong to Jesus Christ, and consequently, they are obligated to conduct themselves according to what Jesus authorizes (Romans 16:16; Colossians 3:17). People living in the Gospel Age must heed the words of Jesus Christ rather than Moses or the Old Testament prophets (Matthew 17:1-5; John 12:48). Jesus Christ is the Lawgiver and Mediator of the New Testament, to which people living today must turn for religious instruction (James 4:12; Hebrews 9:15). Jesus Christ condemns alteration of the Gospel with “the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9), and the apostle Paul condemned false Gospels and the human will when substituted for the divine will (Galatians 1:6-9; Colossians 2:23). One must turn exclusively to the New Testament to learn what God has authorized respecting Christianity.
The churches of Christ are obligated to emphasize exactly what the New Testament teaches. The churches of Christ are obligated to adhere to what the New Testament teaches regarding every divine doctrine. Consequently, the churches of Christ teach what the New Testament teaches about Christian worship. The churches of Christ teach what the New Testament teaches about Christian living. The churches of Christ teach what the New Testament teaches about Christian service. Therefore, the churches of Christ teach what the New Testament teaches about salvation.
The New Testament consistently teaches that baptism is the point at which one’s sins are removed. Jesus taught the faith and baptism results in salvation (Mark 16:16). The apostle Peter taught that through repentance and baptism one’s sins are remitted (Acts 2:38). The apostle Paul observed regarding his own salvation that his sins were washed away in baptism (Acts 22:16). The apostle Peter wrote that baptism saves (1 Peter 3:21).
Of course, though baptism is the point at which one’s sins are taken away, other things also affect one’s salvation. God’s grace and mercy toward obedient souls affect salvation (Ephesians 2:8; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 5:8-9). The blood of Jesus makes salvation possible (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Revelation 1:5). Preceding baptism, a person must have Bible faith, repent of sins and acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God (Hebrews 11:6; Luke 13:3; Acts 8:37).
Part of emphasizing baptism has to do with identifying biblically what it is, as well as showing what it is not. The world around us has taken upon itself the redefinition of baptism. Some denominations dispense with baptism altogether. Some denominations relegate baptism to an optional activity, except that something called baptism may be required to join some denominations. Many religious people have decided that any of a number of different actions constitute baptism (e.g., sprinkling or pouring water or being immersed in water).
However, the churches of Christ are obligated to define baptism the way in which the New Testament defines baptism. Not only does Bible baptism save one’s soul (1 Peter 3:21), the Greek words for baptism and baptize mean to dip, immerse or plunge (any Greek lexicon [dictionary] will so indicate). Biblically, baptism is called a burial or a planting (Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12). Consequently, biblical baptism involves going down into and coming up out of a water source (Acts 8:38-39), hardly something that corresponds to pouring or sprinkling water. Therefore, when John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan River, he did so at a location where there was “much water” (John 3:23).
In conclusion, the churches of Christ emphasize baptism because the New Testament emphasizes baptism. The churches of Christ emphasize baptism because the New Testament teaches that baptism is the point at which (after faith, repentance and acknowledging Jesus Christ) that one’s sins are taken away. The churches of Christ emphasize that Bible baptism is immersion because many denominations either have dispensed with baptism or changed it into sprinkling or pouring water over a person. The churches of Christ emphasize baptism because rather than being an optional activity or the way one joins a denomination, Bible baptism is the point at which one’s sins are taken away.
The churches of Christ realize that they are duty bound to preach and teach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). Baptism of penitent souls is merely a part of the whole counsel of God (Mark 16:16). Erring Christians must repent and pray (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9). “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of [by the authority of] the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).

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BY WAYNE JACKSON
During the days of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split. The northern section, under the rebellious Jeroboam, retained the name “Israel,” while the southern kingdom became known as “Judah.” The northern faction, with its capital at Samaria, lasted about 210 years. It fell to the Assyrians in 722/21 B.C. According to Assyrian records, 27,290 Hebrews were taken into that captivity. Many of the northern Jews, however, were left in the land — so the expression “ten lost tribes” is not accurate.
The Assyrian empire was conquered by the neo-Babylonian regime in about 612-09 B.C., and the Hebrews who were in that captivity came under the control of the Babylonians.
Beginning around 606 B.C., and continuing through 586 B.C., in a series of three invasions, the Babylonians came against the kingdom of Judah. It has been estimated that some 70,000 Jews were taken to Babylon during these campaigns (and this doubtless included some of those of the northern kingdom who had remained in Canaan). The Babylonian captivity lasted for 70 years (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:21; Jeremiah 25:12).
In about 538 B.C., Cyrus, a Persian king, overthrew the Babylonian regime. Presently, he initiated a policy by which the Hebrews were permitted to return to their homeland in Palestine. In three movements westward, the Jews migrated back to the land. It is estimated that approximately 125,000 people returned (Nehemiah 7:5-73). Some, however, chose to remain in the land of the captivity (see the book of Esther).
Tribal Distinctions
That tribal distinctions had not disappeared is evident from the following facts.
When the Jews settled in their own land, they began to rebuild the temple — which project took about six years. When completed, it was formally dedicated. At the dedication, sacrifices were offered “according to the number of the [twelve] tribes of Israel” (Ezra 6:17). It thus is clear that the ten tribes were never lost; some of these either remained in Babylon, or else returned with their kinsmen of the southern kingdom. As with many other Jews, eventually they were scattered far and wide (see: Deuteronomy 28:64ff).
When Christ was born, and was brought to Jerusalem to fulfill certain requirements of the law, there was a Hebrew woman, a prophetess of the tribe of Asher (one of the supposedly “lost” tribes), who was praising God in the temple. See also James 1:1.
Armstrongism
In c. A.D. 1649, John Sadler advanced the theory that the Anglo-Saxons of Great Britain were the descendants of the “ten lost tribes.” This theory later was developed by Richard Brothers (1757-1824). In our day it was popularized to some extent by Herbert W. Armstrong, of the World-Wide Church of God. Armstrong contended that the modern throne of England was an extension of David’s throne, and that the “Stone of Scone,” upon which the queen was crowned, actually was the pillar of Jacob (Genesis 28:11), though the stone appears to have come from Scotland!
Mormonism
The Mormons teach a similarly absurd doctrine. In Mormon lore it is alleged that in 600 B.C., during the reign of King Zedekiah, a man named Lehi, together with a companion, Ishmael, left Jerusalem and sailed to America. It is argued that Mulek, Zedekiah’s son, joined Lehi, and the two groups combined to form a great nation. Mormons claim these people were ancestors of the American Indians. In Joseph Smith’s “Articles of Faith,” it is stated:
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built on the American continent; that Christ will reign personally on the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory (Article 10).
So much error, packed into such a brief sentence!
Neither of these speculative theories is supported by a shred of historical truth. They originated in the minds of those who, though perhaps sincere, had little understanding of, or regard for, biblical truth.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
1 Chronicles 29:21; Jeremiah 25:12; Nehemiah 7:5-73; Ezra 6:17; Deuteronomy 28:64; James 1:1; Genesis 28:11

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By Steve Preston
The story of Adam and Eve is one that even most non-Christians know. God formed man out of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7) and woman from a rib of the man (vs. 22). God also gave them a garden to live in and commanded them that, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (vss. 16-17). However, the serpent deceived the woman by telling her that she would not die but that she would be like God (Genesis 3:1-5). Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge and also gave to Adam to eat (vs. 6). Thus the fall of man had begun. This might well be the end of the story of Adam and Eve except a letter the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy.
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul is giving instructions to Timothy about how Christian men and women should conduct themselves. Part of those instructions were that women were “not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (1 Timothy 2:12). One of the reasons for this was that “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (vs. 14). Both Adam and Eve were punished for their transgression. Since the Bible tells us that Adam’s sin was not about being deceived, what exactly was Adam’s sin?
Adam, as well as Eve, knew the commandment of God not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. He knew the penalty was death, which is separation from God. Yet he chose to eat the fruit anyway. Perhaps he just decided that just eating one piece of the fruit would be okay. Perhaps he decided that his wife knew something he didn’t. Whatever his original reason for eating the fruit was, Adam deliberately disregarded the command of God, ate of the fruit, and made the situation worse by trying to hide his sin: “If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom…” (Job 31:33). In pronouncing judgment against the man, God said, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake” (Genesis 3:17). Adam sinned because he listened to his wife instead of God.
Jesus knew this problem (listening to the world instead of God) when He said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). Certainly our Heavenly Father expects us to take care of our families (1 Timothy 5:8) yet in doing so we are not to put them above our obligations to God (Matthew 6:33). In similar fashion, the apostles knew their responsibility towards God: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Do not let the world deceive you into disobeying God. Study His word and do what it says.

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