June 20, 2004

Cawson St. Church of Christ

Mural Worthey

Hopewell, Virginia

Introduction

Last Sunday night, Jeremy presented some background information on the ordinance of baptism. Tonight, my presentation is concerning the abuses and errors association with the practice of baptism. Over the centuries, there have been many. Evidences of controversy over this subject abound. There have been many religious debates on this subject. Perhaps, most of the early debates in the Restoration Movement were about baptism. The fact that the Greek word was not even translated in most English translations indicates how strongly people have felt over this subject. Our word, baptism, is transliterated from the Greek word. One religious body even named themselves after this practice, even though they do not value the practice very highly. They argue that baptism is not connected to salvation in any way, but they maintain that it must be done by immersion and not by sprinkling or moistening the forehead.

#1: Command is just an arbitrary matter.

Among some of the restoration preachers, some contended that the command to be baptized was just to test the faith of the one coming to Christ. They say that God could have commanded the believer to do anything so that there could be some visible demonstration of faith. For example, Naaman was told to go dip in the Jordan River seven times and his leprosy would be healed. (2 Kings 5.) The command was arbitrary; he could have been told to walk around a town seven times and the leprosy would have been healed if he did it.

In like manner, sinners could have been commanded to do any number of things in order to test their faith. If they were obedient, then they would be forgiven of their sins.

I believe that this is a serious misunderstanding of faith, baptism, forgiveness and the nature of God. We can always be assured that there is a reason for the commands of God. They are not arbitrary; neither is God capricious. Naaman needed humility; the rich young ruler was covetous. The command to go and sell all that he had and give it to the poor revealed it clearly. The view that the command to be baptized is arbitrary undermines the beauty and the meaning of the act. There are many reasons why baptism was chosen instead of other acts. Paul explained that it represented the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. It parallels our spiritual death, burial and resurrection with him. Nothing could be more fitting and meaningful. It expresses faith in Christ, unites us with him, symbolizes by the water a cleansing.

All of the symbols that we use in our faith are meaningful and carefully chosen. Think about how fitting unleavened bread and wine are to represent the body and blood of Jesus. There is nothing arbitrary about it.

#2: Applying a small amount of water to the forehead.

One of the most heated disagreements over baptism is over how should it be performed. Yet, it seems obvious by both definition and practice in Scripture that baptism is immersion. Most admit that this is true, but allow for exceptions for the elderly, sick and infants. Some churches that practice sprinkling will allow you to choose between sprinkling and immersion.

A practice, like sprinkling, is better understood when the reasons for it are known. The two most foundational reasons for the practice of sprinkling infants are 1) infant circumcision under the first covenant, and 2) the doctrine of hereditary total depravity; that is, children are born in sin and will be lost unless "baptized." Yet, there is not one example of infant baptism in the New Testament or a command to baptize infants. Circumcision was done on the eighth day; should baptism be performed then? What if they died on the second day? If infants are born in sin, then they are lost between the first day and the eighth.

#3: No connection between baptism and salvation.

This issue has been at the heart of the debate over baptism. Is it necessary for salvation? There are many passages that connect the two. Here are a few: 1) Wash away your sins (Acts 22:16). 2) He that believes and is baptized shall be saved (Acts 2:38). 3) Baptism does also now save us (1 Peter 3:21). 4) You must be born again (John 3:3-5). 5) John’s baptism and Christian baptism is a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (Mark 1:4, Acts 2:38.)

Candidates for baptism are often told just before their baptism that they are already saved. This is not for salvation. This is a grievous doctrinal error concerning baptism.

#4: It washes away past sins.

There is no passage in the New Testament that indicates that baptism washes away just past sins. It is true, of course, that at the moment of baptism the only sins that you have are past sins. But the problem is that you will have some future ones as well. The issue is if baptism washes away only past sins, what cleanses future sins?

This error has led to a lack of assurance for many Christians. They have been told that they must now maintain their state of non-alienation with God. They must live a faithful life. If they commit some sins, then they must repent and pray for forgiveness. Yet, baptism unites the believer to Christ. In Christ, as long as the believer does not reject his faith in the Savior, he is secure in his salvation. The blood of Christ keeps us clean as long as we maintain faith in his blood. (Rom. 3:25.) I had the sad experience of an elderly man, in his eighties, wanting to be rebaptized after living for years as a Christian. He felt lost because he had sinned after baptism (probably sixty years ago for him). On his way to the hospital and final days of his life, he wanted me to baptize him again. How sad that he did not understand the value of faith in Christ. He saw baptism as washing away one’s past sins. We must not leave that impression with believers. Just as Jesus died for our sins once, so also are we baptized into Christ only once.

#5: Must experience a perfect baptism.

Due to the importance and significance of baptism, some have gone too far in thinking that somehow we must experience a perfect baptism. If not, then we must be re-immersed. Yes, it is true that we should properly value baptism and not deny its significance. But our confidence should be in the perfect Savior and not in a perfect book, baptism, or church.

Dr. John Thomas of Virginia, during the days of the restoration movement, caused problems for many churches in our area. He went around pointing out problems with the baptism of those who had already obeyed the Gospel. He rebaptized many elders, deacons, men and women. He taught that unless you see, with the eye of faith, the dye in the water you could not have been baptized properly. He was referring to the blood of Jesus which cleanses us of sin. Alexander Campbell met with John Thomas trying to reason with him about his extreme views. He left the church and established a new religious body called the Christadelphians.

Others want to be rebaptized after learning so much more about salvation and Christianity, particularly students in Bible Colleges and Universities. Some think that one should be rebaptized if a finger or long hair on women do not go completely under. All such contentions miss the point. No one understands everything about baptism before they are baptized. Paul wrote much about baptism to instruct those who had already been baptized. There is nothing wrong with learning some things about baptism after obeying the Gospel.

#6: Righteous robe of Jesus rejected.

Paul wrote, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Gal. 3:27.) The imagery here is one putting on a garment. The garment is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Some deny that the believer is clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. They believe that baptism simply washes away any sins, but future sins are accounted to the Christian. Paul and David described a blessed man to whom the Lord does not impute sins. (Psalm 32:2, Rom. 4:8.)

The Bible teaches that our sins were accounted upon the Lord on the cross and his righteousness is reckoned to our account. Those two imputations are the basis for our salvation.

#7: Must say the right words.

Some contend that baptism should be performed in the name of Jesus only. They say that your baptism is invalid if done in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Yet, we have both statements in Scripture. It is done in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is also done in the name of Jesus. (Acts 8:16, Matt. 28:19.) Yet, there is no record of anything being said when believers were immersed into Christ. There is no set formula that we must use. Using the right words do not magically bring out forgiveness. It is not wrong to say that the person is baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

We ought not to think that there is some demand in Scripture to repeat that "baptism is for the remission of sins." So also is repentance, the blood of Jesus, etc. (Acts 2:38, Matt. 26:28.) We should not tell candidates that they are already saved and now they are simply being baptized to follow Jesus in the act. Jesus needed not to be baptized for salvation. Jesus was baptized to identify with us. Our baptism and his are not exactly the same.

#8: Saved by the act of obedience, not by faith.

One writer said that faith is only a principle of action, but faith does not save us. It is the act that saves, they say. But being immersed in water has no meaning without faith. Faith is the underlying power and reason for our response to God and to his will. Faith should never be separated from our acts of obedience. Faith should never be minimized. It has great power and is the basis for our justification before God. We should not trust in what we do, even when God commands it, but we should trust in the One who told us to do it.

Paul wrote, "It is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." (Rom. 4:16.)

#9: Holy Spirit baptism is more significant.

Some minimize the significance of water baptism by teaching that Holy Spirit baptism is the real one that believers should seek after. Instead of teaching the "one baptism" that applies to all believers, they teach that there are two baptisms that every believer must experience. But what does Ephesians 4:5 mean if there are two baptisms for every believer??

#10: One can be baptized for the dead.

This is based upon Paul’s statement to the Corinthians: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Cor. 15:29.)

There is no basis in the New Testament for someone being immersed for another. Here are some reasons: 1) Why is just baptism for them needed? Why not faith, repentance, confession and other things? 2) What if the person did not want you being baptized for them? Atheists would not appreciate you doing that, at least, while they live on earth. 3) Could one not purposefully live sinfully and then have a friend be immersed for him after his death? Shall we continue in sin that another might be baptized for us?

1. Placing too much into one ordinance of God. Too much of the Gospel is placed into this one act.
2. Making of it a "nice ceremony" to which you invite family and friends. Baptism is not a bar-mitzvah or bat-mitzvah.
3. No real commitment for life to Christ.