By David J. Stewart | Updated September 2012
Matthew
Henry was a doctrinally corrupt modernist (1662-1714). A modernist is a
person who falsely thinks they are a Christian. It is tragic that a man
who's been dead for 300 years is still corrupting millions of people, just
like The heretic
Martin Luther.
Christians all around the world look to Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible for insight into the Scriptures; yet they are being woefully deceived if they think for one moment that Henry was a true believer. Henry's commentary is freely available online, for all to read. However, many believers don't know is that Matthew Henry was a heretic who taught Baptismal Regeneration (i.e., the damnable heresy that a person MUST be baptized in order to go to Heaven).
The internet is a spiritually dangerous place. I'd guesstimate that about 95% of everything spiritual on the internet is of the Devil, literally. It's getting difficult to find truly Christian web-masters who rightly divide the Word of truth and publish reliable information on the internet. Heresy abounds on the internet and it's only becoming worse. The need for more Bible-believing, Christ-honoring websites is great.
Matthew Henry is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) commentaries online. Henry is popular because he goes into depth, speaking at length concerning each Scripture. This gives the false impression that Henry's is educated and actually might know what he's talking about. Unfortunately, anyone can write a commentary, then and now. Here is Henry's heresy on John 3:5, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Below Matthew Henry teaches that water baptism is required for salvation, which is a lie of Satan...
“It is probable that Christ had an eye to the ordinance of baptism, which John had used and he himself had begun to use, "You must be born again of the Spirit,’’ which regeneration by the Spirit should be signified by washing with water, as the visible sign of that spiritual grace: not that all they, and they only, that are baptized, are saved; but without that new birth which is wrought by the Spirit, and signified by baptism, none shall be looked upon as the protected privileged subjects of the kingdom of heaven.” [emphasis added]
SOURCE: John 3 - Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible
In other words, if you don't get water baptized you cannot be assured of going to Heaven. That's heresy! Matthew Henry was a fool. Water Baptism does not signify anything. Baptism is not a form of affirmation of salvation. Faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation. Christ died, was buried and resurrected three days later. If you receive Christ's sacrifice as payment for your sins, then you are saved. It's that simple. Water baptism has absolutely NOTHING to do with getting saved. Baptism comes AFTER a person is saved, simply as one's public profession.
Water baptism does NOT prove, evidence, seal, confirm, signify, nor complete a person's salvation. Your faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ signifies your salvation, nothing else.
Here is Henry's own words in his commentary concerning 1st Peter 3:21 in the Scriptures...
Christian Baptism. (a. d. 66.)
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Noah's salvation in the ark upon the water prefigured the salvation of all good Christians in the church by baptism; that temporal salvation by the ark was a type, the antitype whereunto is the eternal salvation of believers by baptism, to prevent mistakes about which the apostle,
I. Declares what he means by saving baptism; not the outward ceremony of washing with water, which, in itself, does no more than put away the filth of the flesh, but it is that baptism wherein there is a faithful answer or restipulation of a resolved good conscience, engaging to believe in, and be entirely devoted to, God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, renouncing at the same time the flesh, the world, and the devil. The baptismal covenant, made and kept, will certainly save us. Washing is the visible sign; this is the thing signified.
II. The apostle shows that the efficacy of baptism to salvation depends not upon the work done, but upon the resurrection of Christ, which supposes his death, and is the foundation of our faith and hope, to which we are rendered conformable by dying to sin, and rising again to holiness and newness of life. Learn, 1. The sacrament of baptism, rightly received, is a means and a pledge of salvation. Baptism now saveth us. God is pleased to convey his blessings to us in and by his ordinances, Acts ii. 38; xxii. 16. 2. The external participation of baptism will save no man without an answerable good conscience and conversation. There must be the answer of a good conscience towards God.—Obj. Infants cannot make such an answer, and therefore ought not to be baptized.—Answer, the true circumcision was that of the heart and of the spirit (Rom. ii. 29), which children were no more capable of then than our infants are capable of making this answer now; yet they were allowed circumcision at eight days old. The infants of the Christian church therefore may be admitted to the ordinance with as much reason as the infants of the Jewish, unless they are barred from it by some express prohibition of Christ. [emphasis added]
Clearly, Matthew Henry taught the same damnable Protestant heresies as Martin Luther and others ... Henry states above, "The sacrament of baptism, rightly received, is a means and a pledge of salvation." A "means" of salvation? There's no such teaching in the Word of God. If you'd like to know the Biblical truth about Baptism, please read What Is Baptism? Also, for an accurate exegesis of 1st Peter 3:21, please read 1st Peter 3:21 Explained.
Also, the Bible does NOT teach
Protestantism. There's not one Protestant church that doesn't teach water baptism as a
"sacrament" (i.e., that the act of water baptism bestows some special grace
upon the believer). Some Protestants require baptism for salvation,
others do not; but they all teach baptism as a "sacrament" (a term not found
in the Bible).
Baptism Is NOT A Sacrament!
In his book, A Concise Guide to Bible Christianity and Romanism, Ian R.K. Paisley makes the following statement concerning baptism...
48. What is Baptism?
'Baptism is a Sacrament wherein the washing with water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our engrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace and our engagement to be the Lord's.' —
SOURCE
Show me that in the Bible! Show me where water baptism is a sacrament! The word "sacrament" is NOT even found in the Bible. The dictionary defines sacrament as, "a formal religious act conferring a specific grace on those who receive it." What "grace" is conferred upon us by being baptized? Clearly, the word "sacrament" is a dangerous and unscriptural word. There is NO grace bestowed upon anyone by being baptized. Getting baptized will just get you wet!
I cringe when I hear people saying that they got baptized, “just in case.” JUST IN CASE? That's not salvation my friend. If you trust anyone or anything, “just in case,” then you are not saved. People claim to trust the Lord, but then say they are trying to live a good life, keep the sacraments, confess their sins to a Catholic priest or Lutheran minister... JUST IN CASE! In other words they're scared to trust on the name of Jesus alone to be saved. They have heard the Gospel and believe that Jesus died, was buried and rose up from the dead.
They believe all that, but they're also doing everything that anyone sets before them as being allegedly necessary to get to Heaven, and they're adding it all to their faith... JUST IN CASE they die! They are afraid that trusting Jesus won't be enough to save them from Hell. They are afraid that perhaps the Catholic priest is correct. Do you know who the first group of people going to Hell are in Revelation 21:8? ... THE FEARFUL!!!
My friend, if you cannot live by faith due to fear, then you cannot go to Heaven. You cannot be saved by sight, that is, by trusting the arm of man, the church. Jeremiah 17:5, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” The just shall live by faith. If you cannot trust the Gospel alone for salvation, and have to add good works and water baptism to make yourself feel better, then you are trusting in a corrupt plan of salvation that leads to damnation. Galatians 1:9, “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” I am 100% trusting upon the precious name of Jesus Christ, because of what He did for me on the cross to pay for my sins. Let the world know that Christ Who was crucified and buried for our sins has risen triumphant (Romans 8:34)!
It's high-time for Christians to become CHRISTIANS and stop hobnobbing with the "harlots" of Catholicism. The Protestants are those who's forefathers separated from the Roman Catholic Religion. Protestants may have come out of Catholicism; but Catholicism certainly didn't come out of them. If you don't believe me, then read about Martin Loser (Martin Luther) who idolized Mary, taught the Immaculate Conception, and believed that Mary is the mother of all believers.
Also, please read, Lutheran Lies and The Damnable Martin Luther Deception. As a Christian, I am glad to say that I am NOT a Protestant. I never came out of the Great Whore of Catholicism (Revelation 17:5,19:2). Baptists are not Protestants and never were. The Bible speaks of John the Baptist, amen! Truthfully, Jesus never started any religion. The Lord doesn't honor any specific denomination. Galatians 3:26-29 plainly teaches that in Christ there is neither Gentile nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female, rich nor poor; but rather, we are all one in Christ Jesus!!! What a precious Biblical truth!
Wolves In Sheep's Clothing | Lutheranism Exposed!
