Changes

[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3%3A21&version=KJV 1 Peter 3:21] in the King James Version states that baptism is "the answer of a good conscience toward God". The Greek word here translated as "answer" is  '''έπερώτημα''' ''eperotema'' <ref>[http://biblehub.com/greek/1906.htm Strong's number 1906 '''έπερώτημα''' ''eperotema'']</ref>, which means much more than a mere answer to a question. It means primarily [https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/enquire-or-inquire “question,” “enquiry,” “inquiry”] as in a probing investigation or hearing and a trial by law before the examiners, the judge and the court. A true understanding according to ''[[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)#The literal sense of scripture|the literal sense of scripture]]'' is found partly in the [[Forensics|forensic]] use of the Greek word for '''question''', '''έπερώτημα''' ''eperotema'', as including, like our word “examination,” both question and answer. Substantive evidence as an "exhibit" brought before the court is presented to the judge as an answer to the charge of the guilt or innocence of the accused. In a medical examination of the patient who has been healed the doctor can see for himself that the disease is cured, and the evidence is presented to the chief medical examiner at the head of a medical panel of judges to answer the question of the possibility of any remaining [[pathology]] which could pose a risk to the health of the patient and to the community as a whole. The "answer of a good conscience" by baptism in 1 Peter 3:21 is the New Testament [[Typology|antitype]] to the Old Testament type in the book of [[Leviticus]], the examination by the Levitical priests of an Israelite healed of [[leprosy]] to establish proof of having been cleansed by God, after which the ritual of cleansing was performed.<ref>See [https://biblehub.com/leviticus/14-34.htm Leviticus 14:34 "''I put a leprous disease on...''"] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/14-34.htm multiple commentaries on Leviticus 14:34]. <br>See also [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+24%3A8&version=NRSVCE Deuteronomy 24:8] as a parallel to [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12%3A15&version=NRSVCE Hebrews 12:15], [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A17&version=NRSVCE 13:17] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+20%3A23&version=NRSVCE John 20:23], <br>also the whole context of [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+13-14&version=NRSVCE Leviticus 13–14.]</ref>

[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+3%3A21&version=KJV 1 Peter 3:21] in the King James Version states that baptism is "the answer of a good conscience toward God". The Greek word here translated as "answer" is  '''έπερώτημα''' ''eperotema'' <ref>[http://biblehub.com/greek/1906.htm Strong's number 1906 '''έπερώτημα''' ''eperotema'']</ref>, which means much more than a mere answer to a question. It means primarily [https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/enquire-or-inquire “question,” “enquiry,” “inquiry”] as in a probing investigation or hearing and a trial by law before the examiners, the judge and the court. A true understanding according to ''[[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)#The literal sense of scripture|the literal sense of scripture]]'' is found partly in the [[Forensics|forensic]] use of the Greek word for '''question''', '''έπερώτημα''' ''eperotema'', as including, like our word “examination,” both question and answer. Substantive evidence as an "exhibit" brought before the court is presented to the judge as an answer to the charge of the guilt or innocence of the accused. In a medical examination of the patient who has been healed the doctor can see for himself that the disease is cured, and the evidence is presented to the chief medical examiner at the head of a medical panel of judges to answer the question of the possibility of any remaining [[pathology]] which could pose a risk to the health of the patient and to the community as a whole. The "answer of a good conscience" by baptism in 1 Peter 3:21 is the New Testament [[Typology|antitype]] to the Old Testament type in the book of [[Leviticus]], the examination by the Levitical priests of an Israelite healed of [[leprosy]] to establish proof of having been cleansed by God, after which the ritual of cleansing was performed.<ref>See [https://biblehub.com/leviticus/14-34.htm Leviticus 14:34 "''I put a leprous disease on...''"] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/14-34.htm multiple commentaries on Leviticus 14:34]. <br>See also [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+24%3A8&version=NRSVCE Deuteronomy 24:8] as a parallel to [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12%3A15&version=NRSVCE Hebrews 12:15], [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A17&version=NRSVCE 13:17] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+20%3A23&version=NRSVCE John 20:23], <br>also the whole context of [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+13-14&version=NRSVCE Leviticus 13–14.]</ref>

The tragic case of "crack babies" formed in the womb and born of mothers already [[Addiction|addicted]] to "crack [[cocaine]]" is a very strong [[analogy]] to the doctrine of inherited sin. Just as these innocently addicted babies need curative medical treatment for a defect not chosen by themselves as individuals, so every individual human soul at the moment of conception is afflicted with the deadly terminal defect of original sin for which they are not personally responsible, already in "lifelong bondage" to the [[devil]].<ref>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+2%3A14-15&version=NRSVCE Hebrews 2:14-15]; see [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4%3A5-6&version=NRSVCE Luke 4:5-6]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A6-19&version=NRSVCE Romans 5:6-19].</ref> They are innocent, but they need salvation from the collective death of sin inherited from their parents descended in the direct lineage of Adam and Eve.<ref>See Luke 1:46-47 "''God my Savior''", and the articles [[Immaculate Conception]] and [[Theotokos]]. <br>According to Catholic doctrine''':''' from all eternity the merit of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ alone was applied solely for his sake alone to the soul of her whom he had destined to be his mother, that the incarnation of the Word made flesh in her womb might not be taken from flesh defiled by sin but be taken from the sinless flesh of the body of his mother Mary whom God had prepared for the sake of Christ himself alone, in accordance with what is said in [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/10-5.htm Hebrews 10:5 "a body hast thou prepared for me"] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Wisdom+8%3A19-20&version=NRSVCE Wisdom 8:19-20 "being good, I entered an undefiled body."]</ref>

The tragic case of "crack babies"<ref>[https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/crackcocaine/children-the-most-innocent-victims-of-crack-cocaine.html Children: the most innocent victims of crack cocaine (drugfreeworld.org)]</ref> formed in the womb and born of mothers already [[Addiction|addicted]] to "crack [[cocaine]]" is a very strong [[analogy]] to the doctrine of inherited sin. Just as these innocently addicted babies need curative medical treatment for a defect not chosen by themselves as individuals, so every individual human soul at the moment of conception is afflicted with the deadly terminal defect of original sin for which they are not personally responsible, already in "lifelong bondage" to the [[devil]].<ref>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+2%3A14-15&version=NRSVCE Hebrews 2:14-15]; see [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4%3A5-6&version=NRSVCE Luke 4:5-6]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A6-19&version=NRSVCE Romans 5:6-19].</ref> They are innocent, but they need salvation from the collective death of sin inherited from their parents descended in the direct lineage of Adam and Eve.<ref>See Luke 1:46-47 "''God my Savior''", and the articles [[Immaculate Conception]] and [[Theotokos]]. <br>According to Catholic doctrine''':''' from all eternity the merit of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ alone was applied solely for his sake alone to the soul of her whom he had destined to be his mother, that the incarnation of the Word made flesh in her womb might not be taken from flesh defiled by sin but be taken from the sinless flesh of the body of his mother Mary whom God had prepared for the sake of Christ himself alone, in accordance with what is said in [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/10-5.htm Hebrews 10:5 "a body hast thou prepared for me"] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Wisdom+8%3A19-20&version=NRSVCE Wisdom 8:19-20 "being good, I entered an undefiled body."]</ref>

[[Calvinism|Calvinist]] and [[Anabaptist]] doctrines of [[predestination]] and credobaptism alone are represented by their opponents as holding a doctrine of "monstrous evil" which arbitrarily and without mercy condemns to an [[Eternity|eternal]] [[hell]] all who by default do not believe, simply because they are too young to understand or, because of the accidental circumstance of a lack of any kind of opportunity to hear it, have never heard about [[the Gospel]] of salvation, and do not believe. This includes all [[Paganism|pagans]] and babies, infants, all those whom Luke 18:15 calls '''βρέφη''' ''brephe'', "an unborn or a newborn child, infant, babe, child in arms", not yet able to walk. Apologists for this view respond that this is because their opponents do not grasp the fact that because of the fall of man, the whole human race became totally depraved, and as a consequence of their totally depraved nature are deprived of the power of [[free will]], and are "by nature the children of wrath",<ref>Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:10-18.</ref>. According to this doctrine, the Sovereign God, just and compassionate and merciful, is in his justice under no obligation to save creatures who by nature have no love for him and are by their very nature destined for hell because of their depravity. But to manifest absolutely his goodness before all creation, the Sovereign Lord God has predestined for glory all those chosen souls whom he has sovereignly elected to receive the unmerited grace of salvation for the praise of his glory and honor as the absolute Lord of all creation in heaven and on earth.  

[[Calvinism|Calvinist]] and [[Anabaptist]] doctrines of [[predestination]] and credobaptism alone are represented by their opponents as holding a doctrine of "monstrous evil" which arbitrarily and without mercy condemns to an [[Eternity|eternal]] [[hell]] all who by default do not believe, simply because they are too young to understand or, because of the accidental circumstance of a lack of any kind of opportunity to hear it, have never heard about [[the Gospel]] of salvation, and do not believe. This includes all [[Paganism|pagans]] and babies, infants, all those whom Luke 18:15 calls '''βρέφη''' ''brephe'', "an unborn or a newborn child, infant, babe, child in arms", not yet able to walk. Apologists for this view respond that this is because their opponents do not grasp the fact that because of the fall of man, the whole human race became totally depraved, and as a consequence of their totally depraved nature are deprived of the power of [[free will]], and are "by nature the children of wrath",<ref>Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:10-18.</ref>. According to this doctrine, the Sovereign God, just and compassionate and merciful, is in his justice under no obligation to save creatures who by nature have no love for him and are by their very nature destined for hell because of their depravity. But to manifest absolutely his goodness before all creation, the Sovereign Lord God has predestined for glory all those chosen souls whom he has sovereignly elected to receive the unmerited grace of salvation for the praise of his glory and honor as the absolute Lord of all creation in heaven and on earth.