My dear readers,

Answering Remaining Questions from Calvary Pandan Church Camp 2023 (13)

Question 1: Could you explain why tattoos are prohibited?

Answer 1: Leviticus 19:28: “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:28 is one of many laws given by the LORD to His people Israel to separate themselves from the Gentiles. As children of the living God, they bore the holy witness of Christ, and so do we as New Testament church witnesses. As believers, we are redeemed by God in Christ. We do not have the liberty to do whatever we desire any more. All things must be done to the glory of God, including no markings on our body. 1 Corinthians 10:32-33: “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

If the new believer had tattoos before
salvation, it would be good if possible that he has them removed. However, when the tattoos are too many and cover a large portion of the body, then it would not be possible to remove them. The believer will have to live with them as a reminder of his old ways and to never go back to sin.

Question 2: For a believer struggling with sin, how should he understand Romans 7? On the one hand, if we accept that we are not perfect, we risk accepting sin as a part of our life. On the other hand, if we fight against sin but despite our best efforts we fail, we end up hating ourselves, we will be miserable.

Answer 2: The Book of Romans is divided into three main portions. The first eight chapters explain salvation from sin to assurance of salvation. Chapters nine to eleven explain the importance of living in holiness for Christ as God’s witnesses. The remaining chapters (twelve to sixteen) conclude with how God’s command for holiness should be obeyed. Romans 7 describes the believer's struggle against sin in his life now that he has been delivered from the bondage, dominion and penalty of sin. There is the desire in his heart to be holy and not sin at all. Yet the reality is that the flesh causes him to sin. This tension between the desire not to sin and reality of sin is evidence of salvation. The sinner in total depravity does not have this struggle against sin in his heart, for the bondage to sin enslaves him to sin and the sinful nature characterises his soul. A born-again believer is delivered from this bondage and the sinful nature will be replaced with Christ’s nature, for the Holy Spirit dwells in him.

Every time the believer falls into sin, he should hate it and be angry with himself for failing his Lord. He will repent immediately and experience forgiveness in Christ. The guilt of sin is also removed so that he will not hate himself like an unsaved sinner. He knows the struggle in his soul against sin will end when the Lord returns. The hope of the return of Christ strengthens his resolve to keep on striving toward holiness such that the moment sin rears its ugly head within him, he repents immediately. Thus, his holy witness for Christ remains intact as the sins were dealt with in his heart before they were allowed to be expressed.

Question 3: In a situation where a Christian (person A) rebukes another brother (person B) for his sin, and person B is now upset with person A because of the rebuke, does Matthew 5:23-24 apply to person A?

Answer 3: Matthew 5:23-24: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” The context of Matthew 5:23-24 is of a Christian who forgot that a brother was offended by him. He remembers while on his way to worship God. Jesus says he must hold off his worship because he knows a brother is angry with him. His brother’s worship of God is compromised, and it is still within his ability to help him. He must go and reconcile with his brother before he worships God.

In your scenario, person A did the right thing by rebuking person B his brother. If A keeps silent and B continues in sin, B’s blood would be on the head of person A. Proverbs 27:6: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” It would be sad if person B is upset and decides to remain in sin rather than to repent and be thankful to have a brother in person A who cares enough to watch over his spiritual well-being.

Question 4: Can we have more frequent Q&As?

Answer 4: “Questions and Answers” is always welcome. Every pastor should have an open-door policy where members can ask questions. The pastor is a shepherd who should provide biblical answers to all queries from God's children for their edification and spiritual well-being.

Question 5: 1 Corinthians 7:19 says circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. Regarding whether it is ok to re-baptise someone who said he wasn’t saved when he was last baptised, is this not acceptable since the emphasis of baptism is the significance in obedience to God, not the administration? Immersion, sprinkling and pouring are administration, so is re-baptism.

Answer 5: 1 Corinthians 7:17-19: “But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” Circumcision was a sacrament given by God to His faithful servant Abraham in Genesis 17. It was not meaningless. It was of great significance because of the penalty God would impose on the son if the father did not circumcise him. He would be cut off, i.e. die.

Genesis 17:12-14: “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” That was why one of Moses’ two sons became very sick to the point of death when God called Moses to confront Pharaoh to bring Israel out of Egypt. If Moses’ wife had not circumcised the son, he would have died (cf. Exod 4:24-26). Circumcision was to be the first act of obedience that every Gentile believer must obey if they wished to be part of Israel, and be seen as the people of God and to participate in their spiritual way of life.

The context of 1 Corinthians 7 is marriage and singlehood. In the early church days, when the national witness had just been replaced, God taught believers on the doctrines of marriage, remarriage and singlehood. Whether a believer was a Jew or a Gentile, both must obey the Word of God. The believing Jews who were circumcised as the people of God in both the Old and New Testaments must abide by the teaching of God according to their Jewish culture. Gentile believers were to do the same and did not need to follow the God-ordained culture of the Jews. Circumcision in the New Testament was no longer the prerequisite for Gentile believers to be visible witnesses, which was necessary in Old Testament times. In this context, Paul wrote that circumcision and uncircumcision were nothing, i.e. Gentile believers needed not to be circumcised.

Water baptism has replaced circumcision as the New Testament sacrament. Like circumcision, water baptism is to be experienced by a believer once only. Baptism, for the believer, is a public testimony that he is now a disciple of his new Master, Jesus Christ. If he was not born again when he was baptised, it does not negate the witness of his testimony by water baptism. If water baptism is necessary for salvation, which it is not, he will need to be baptised again after he is truly born again. It is not about the different modes of baptism but the doctrinal significance of water baptism.

According to our understanding of the Holy Scriptures, unacceptable baptisms include baptismal regeneration (one needs to be baptised to be saved), baptism without using water, and baptism by non-ordained male pastors.