Jesus never accused anyone, nor did He ever predict that the Bible would be corrupted. In fact, He promised just the opposite (Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:23-25). 2. If books had been removed from the Old Testament, why didn’t Jesus correct the translation He used when upon the face of the earth? Rather, He viewed the translation then in existence as the inspired word of God (Matthew 5:17-18). 3. The Dead Sea Scrolls prove that the text of the Old Testament hasn’t been corrupted. 4. The New Testament is backed up by more manuscript evidence than any other book of antiquity. If we can’t trust the textual accuracy of the New Testament, then we can trust the text of any ancient document, including the writings of Shakespeare or the Declaration of Independence. 5. Since man cannot know spiritual truth by intuition (Isaiah 55:8-9; Proverbs 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:9-13). All would stand helpless before a corrupted Bible, being unable to distinguish between what part had been corrupted and what hadn’t. If our only link with God has been hopelessly tainted, then we are all doomed to fail.

Why would God speak, if not to be understood? If God created us (James 3:9), then He knows the range of our mental capacities. 2. Salvation is inherently tied to understanding the gospel message (Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:16; 10:17; Matthew 13:19,23). If one can’t understand, then they can’t believe and be saved. 3. We are commanded to acquire the correct understanding (Eph. 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:15). 4. Paul said that when we read we could understand it just like he understood it (Ephesians 3:3-5). 5. Jesus rebuked people for not understanding God’s will (Matthew 22:29). 6. God can create the world out of nothing (Psalm 33:6), but He can’t author a book that all can understand? 7. God commands us to be united, but then gave us a revelation which is impossible to reach agreement upon? (John 17:20-21)

The baptism commanded is water baptism (Acts 10:47-48). Baptism in water is inherently linked with preaching Jesus (Acts 8:35-38). 2. Holy baptism was a promise to a selected group of individuals (John 14:26; Acts 1:4-5), and is recorded as only happening twice (Acts 2:1-4; 11:15-17). 3. The baptism linked with salvation is water baptism (1 Peter 3:20-21). It is a baptism that requires the individual to arise (Acts 22:16). 4. Therefore, the one essential baptism of Ephesians 4:5, the baptism commanded of every person, is water baptism, for it is the salvation associated with salvation. Telling people they are saved prior to being baptized in water is failing to tell them the truth (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38).