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Greg Thomas

United Church of God Pastor

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  • Greg Thomas
    Thank you Jennifer. It was a difficult Sermon to give but I felt some things needed to be shared in the congregation. It was intended to be heard as the second part of a message given two weeks earlier entitled, "What is Mature Christian Manhood?"
  • Greg Thomas
    Hi Sarah: Thank you for allowing me to bring some levity into the start of the Sermon with your tempting offer. I was visiting the brethren in Ft Myers, FL last Sabbath and a female member told me she appreciated the sermon... but that the "men need ANOTHER one!"
  • Greg Thomas
    Hi Robert: Thank you for the kind an encouraging words. I am glad to hear that you found the topic and message helpful.
  • Greg Thomas

    Hi Nick: Appreciate your reply. Actually, there are dozens of examples but for the sake of brevity... let's just focus on the actual scripture we are discussing. Does not Peter precede the act of baptism with the statement, "repent!" How does an infant or small child understand sin, forgiveness, the need for a Savior, grace, a relationship with Jesus... etc? These are only possible with a mind that has grown in cognitive maturity.

  • Greg Thomas

    Thanks for your reply Nick: You stated, "The easy response would be “Can you prove there “would not” have been infants and toddlers?” But that gets us nowhere." Actually, if we believe what the scripture states it does get us somewhere... to the answer. In chapter 2 it states in Acts 2:5 (KJV) " And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." The Greek word for men is "aner" which in context means an adult male, husband or someone called "sir." How else is "aner" used? How about Matthew 14:21 (NKJV) "Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men (ANER), besides women and children." So here you see that "aner" is specifically talking about adult men... not including woman and children. In Acts 2 these individuals came from all over the Roman Empire. Traveling was very long, extremely dangerous and expensive. This was a pilgrimage journey to Jerusalem. I will respond to your other comments as I get some time.

  • Greg Thomas

    Part 3 - When you state, “So when it says Children, Household or Family there would have been infants and toddlers.” Can you prove there “would” have been infants and toddlers? Do I believe that 3000 were baptized on that day, and it didn’t include children? Yes, because most people present had travelled to Jerusalem to observe the High Day of Pentecost. There were many thousands, upon thousands of adult Jews there on pilgrimage from all over the Roman Empire.

    Baptism is not about an “Age of Accountably” it is about having cognitive maturity, and being responsible enough to understand what sin is… what repentance is… what baptism means and represents…what a lifetime commitment is. To expect this of an infant or child is to demean the biblical meaning of baptism into a token ritual. Again, thank you Nick for your comments and for the scriptures to review. If you find any other scriptures in the New Testament that you believe supports infant, or child baptism please pass them on to me.

  • Greg Thomas

    Part 2 - The scripture you quote in Acts 16:15 is regarding the household of Lydia being baptized along with her. This is from the Greek word “oikos” meaning dwelling or home. It doesn’t say children, it says household. My household is composed of two adults. It may have been her servants, or parents or siblings. You are simply assuming it also included children. It does not say children, and also does not use the same Greek word we read earlier in Acts 2:38 for children which is (Greek “teknon”). The word “family” can include many variations with or without children. In the Roman Empire many family’s existed that did not have infants or children just like today in our modern world.
    The scripture in Acts 16:32 is the same as we have just discussed. Yes, the entire family of the jailer was baptized. You are implying that this would have included children. The scripture does not say children, the Greek word used does not say children, it states “family.”

  • Greg Thomas

    Thank you Nick for your comments and perspective. I appreciate you expressing your views and taking the time to respond. I would like to respond to your comments. Since there is a word limitation on each response, I may need to respond in a few separate messages.
    Your first reference in Acts 2:38 is taking the scripture out of context. The “promise” to you and your children (Greek “teknon”) is not baptism, it is the divine announcement (Greek- “epaggelia”) of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32. Notice that he does not say "this promise" but "the promise." If Peter was referring to baptism as the promise, he would have said "this promise." To imply that this scripture is encouraging baptism for children is to misapply the promise made by the prophet Joel that had just been fulfilled.

  • Greg Thomas
    Thank you for your comments Lisa! Yes, we all have an enemy that will do everything he can to diminish our joy. He knows every weak spot we have, and his goal is to create frustration in our lives. This is in contrast to Jesus Christ who stated, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
  • Greg Thomas
    Hello Danny: I am glad to hear you found the Sermon series to be helpful. Regarding recent history... I am afraid my remarks would be too biased. Having lived through the last quarter of the 20th century in the Church of God and into the 21st, I believe either more time needs to go by for a better perspective, or someone with less bias and emotion than myself do it.
  • Greg Thomas
    Thank you for your comments. Feedback is always important. I am sorry to hear that you were nonplussed by the Sermon. As Groucho Marx once said, “They can’t all be gems! You correctly mention the relationship between Melchizedek and Abraham. Yes, the one who later because Jesus Christ Himself loved and worked with Abraham, just like he does with all of His children. Sometimes with His physical presence, yet more often with His Spiritual presence. This meeting does not imply that Abraham was super-righteous or near-sinless. Abraham was a flawed human being loved by God, a part of His plan, saved by His Grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) , not by Abraham's conduct. The purpose of the Sermon was to demonstrate Abraham's “growth” in faith and obedience, just like we should demonstrate. As to God not giving a special reward to "wrong-doing... "Christ died for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8).
  • Greg Thomas
    There is a word limit on posts so I would like to post another regarding Lot. Again, thanks for your comments. Yes, in 2 Peter 2:7 Lot is called "righteous" or "just. I agree wholeheartedly! Like all humans who have been saved, Lot is righteous because someone else (Christ) paid for his sins, not because of his conduct. Lot is just because he is forgiven, not because of what he did or didn't do. Certainly qualities like suggested rape of innocent daughters, drunkenness and incest are not Godly qualities or conduct. Like all of us he is "saved by grace through faith" and that is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8)... not a result of our own conduct. It is important to appreciate that there is a vast difference between what God's Will is, and what he allows. God allows his servants to make mistakes and those mistakes may result in nations being formed, or even some good things to happen. It still wasn't according to God's Will. But he works with those whom He calls, and their "mistakes" to achieve His plans and goals anyway. He does the same with us. The story of Abraham and Lot is one of change and growth toward obedience and faith. That was the message of the sermon.
  • Greg Thomas
    Thank you very much for your comments. They are appreciated and all are welcome. I can't agree with your statement that in prohibiting family "Sarai" would have been included in the command for Abram to leave his "family." In the original command to leave Haran in Genesis 12, Abram is told "I will make of you a great nation" and "in you all the nations of the earth will be blessed." This was intended to be through his wife Sarai, the progenitor of these descendants as clearly indicated later in the story. She was his wife by a marriage covenant, while Lot was from Abram's "Fathers house." Genesis is primarily written in chronological order. Since Sarah died in Chapter 23 and Abraham marries Keturah later in Chapter 25, there is a high probability that Keturah and their children were after the death of his beloved Sarah. It states Abraham married "again." You make a comment that "I don't judge or condemn Abraham like that." Neither do I. The purpose of the Sermon was to show that the patriarchs were human. Like us they had strengths and weaknesses. Their struggles are our struggles. There is no judgement in showing their strengths and weaknesses as the Scriptures reveal them.
  • Greg Thomas
    Hi Jen: Thanks for your comments. Maintaining healthy relationships is the hardest thing we will ever do! There is a good reason the first [greatest] commandment and the second [Mark 12:28-31] are both about relationships. As I mentioned in a Sermon given a few weeks before this one, “The Real Opioid Crisis: Majoring in the Minors” creating and sustaining Godly positive relationships requires a lot of work and effort. Many are not willing to put forth the effort simply because it is so hard. It is easier to place blame on others, or withdraw from them, than it is to build a relationship. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7… Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; {5} does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; {6} does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; {7} bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Thanks again for your insightful comments.
  • Greg Thomas
    Ray: Thank you for your comments and I am very sorry to hear about your experience. I don’t know you or the specifics of your story so I will not judge you, or the minister involved. I will however apologize to you for your experience and pray that the peace of God will guard your heart (Phil 4:7). Even though I have been in the ministry since 1981, I did not become a Pastor until January 2011 due to a church disturbance. The very first thing I did as a new Pastor was to write a personal letter of apology to a former member of our congregation who had left. I felt he had been abused by my predecessors and deserved to know how sorry I was about his experience and treatment. He began attending the following Sabbath and has attended every Sabbath since. He also serves the church internationally by a specific gift he has been given. Indeed, we are all imperfect human “earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7) who have been given God’s Holy Spirit. As mentioned in the Sermon, the 2000 year history of the church reveals that we struggle with maintaining healthy relationships. I encourage you to continue to do your part, and I will pray that you receive a kind and caring response.