8. Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? - Paul M. Williams

Part 9 For Jesus Name Pentecostals, except that a person is baptised in water, they cannot have their sins forgiven, since they believe that it is at baptism that God washes away the sins of the believer.  Oneness Pentecostals are not alone in this; other cults, including the Church of Christ, believe the same, as also do the Roman Catholic Church.  What distinguishes Jesus Name Pentecostals from other groups is their belief that baptism is effective only when it is performed in the name of Jesus.  What evidence is there in the Word of God for such a belief?  What about the Great Commission, where Jesus commanded the disciples to baptise in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?   Consideration shall be given in this ninth teaching part, and the evidence put forward by the Oneness Pentecostals shall be weighed in the balance.      Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/9_Baptism_in_Jesus_Name.pdf

Colossians 3:12-13 A series of expository sermons, walking through the Book of Colossians.  Preached in the Sanctuary of Bethesda Shalom, England, Sunday 8th March 2026. 

Part 8 The doctrine of justification by faith is one of the great pillars of the Christian Church.  Justification by faith explains the means by which God not only remits sins but credits to the bankrupt account of man His perfect righteousness on the grounds of faith alone, apart from any works, including water baptism.  Oneness Pentecostals, on the other hand, maintain that water baptism is a necessary component for salvation and that without it, one cannot be born again.  Jesus Name Pentecostals teach that it is through water baptism that a man's sins are forgiven.  Is this what the New Testament epistles teach?  What about those few verses in the Gospels and the Book of Acts which seem to teach that water baptism is necessary for salvation?   All of these questions and more shall be addressed in this teaching, and in conclusion, it shall be shown that while water baptism should always follow salvation, it does not contribute to it. Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/8_Is_Baptism_Necessary_for_Salvation.pdf

Colossians 3:5-11 A series of expository sermons, walking through the Book of Colossians.  Preached in the Sanctuary of Bethesda Shalom, England, Sunday 1st March 2026. 

Part 7 When one encounters a suspected cult member, one of the surest ways to ascertain whether they are sound in faith is to ask a simple but effective question: What must I do to be saved?  If the answer to this question is not that of Paul and Silas, then one can be almost certain that one is speaking to a cult member.  How did Paul and Silas answer the Philippian jailer?  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).  No matter the cult, every last one will deny that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  When one asks a Jesus Name Pentecostal, "What must I do to be saved?" It should come as no surprise that they cannot answer as Paul and Silas since they are a cult. For Oneness Pentecostals, salvation is not as simple as placing faith in Jesus Christ.  Other components are also required, including repentance, baptism in Jesus name, receiving the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of speaking in tongues and holiness of life. Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/7_What_Must_I_Do_to_Be_Saved.pdf

Colossians 3:1-4 A series of expository sermons, walking through the Book of Colossians. Preached in the Sanctuary of Bethesda Shalom, England, Sunday 22nd February 2026. 

6. Shadows of the Trinity in the Old - Paul M. Williams Part 6 The charge is often put to Christians that the doctrine of the Trinity is a New Testament perversion that is nowhere present in the pages of the Old Testament.  This claim, however, is false and does not stand up to the biblical standards of scrutiny.  Christians concede that the doctrine of the Trinity is brought into full light only in the New Testament dispensation of the gospel.  However, one would be terribly mistaken to think that there are no foreshadowings of this doctrine in the Old Testament Scriptures.  What has been revealed in the New was concealed in the Old, and what was concealed in the Old has been revealed in the New. This sixth teaching shall aim to provide evidence to show that the doctrine of the Trinity is present in type within the pages of the Old Testament Scriptures.   Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/6_Shadows_of_the_Trinity_in_the_Old.pdf

Colossians 2:16-23 A series of expository sermons, walking through the Book of Colossians.  Preached in the Sanctuary of Bethesda Shalom, England, Sunday 15th February 2026. 

Part 5 When engaging with an Oneness Pentecostal, as with all cults, they have their favourite go-to passages that they hope will prove their case for the particular doctrine they are seeking to substantiate.  Admittedly, as one gives ear to their arguments, they appear at first to be convincing.  Obscure texts and isolated verses are lifted out of context; difficult verses to understand are presented as though they support the erroneous heresies being propagated.   The man standing on the Word of God ought never to be afraid of the cultist.  No matter how convincing his opponents' arguments may be against the historical position of orthodoxy, the man standing opposite has been labelled a heretic for a reason.  He is a heretic because he has deviated from the straight path and turned aside to damnable doctrines against the clear testimony of Holy Scripture.   When dealing with the nature of God, Oneness Pentecostals have several passages that they hope to use for their own advantage.  This fifth teaching aims to discover what these are and to offer a sound exegesis of the passages to refute the error of the Oneness understanding.   Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/4_The_Doctrine_of_the_Trinity_Pt._2.pdf

Colossians 2:10-15 A series of expository sermons, walking through the Book of Colossians.  Preached in the Sanctuary of Bethesda Shalom, England, Sunday 8th February 2026.