1. Do the Scriptures teach that baptism is only a spiritual action? Answer: 1 Peter 3:21 is yet another explicit statement showing the need for baptism, therefore, to refute it, one must turn to the manipulation of the text. While there is nothing particularly wrong with baptizing in this way, the Scriptures nowhere demand it. It is not meant to deal with an unusual situation in which one believes and is not baptized. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many. Answer: Romans 10:9-10 does indeed say that belief and confession are necessary: Because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-baptism-700654 (accessed March 4, 2023). This evidence allows us to reach two possible conclusions: Either option demonstrates that the inference made concerning these two texts is not valid: just because a household is baptized does not mean that any and all children present are baptized. After being born again, we must confess our sins, and by doing so, we are forgiven, as John says in 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He said believe. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. The resurrection, therefore, is as important as the cross in our salvation, and no change in covenant occurred before that point. It is a kind of Americanized short-hand for the fifth of the core theological principles of Calvinist theology (perseverance of the saints) articulated by the Synod of Dort (1618-1619). Furthermore, the idea that the Apostles were baptized is rendered more plausible by the evidence in John 4:1-2: When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples). The above is highly unlikely, especially in view of Matthew 26:28: For this is my blood of the covenant, which is shed for many unto remission of sins.. Presbyterian churches follow some common practices for baptism, including the belief that baptism by immersion is not necessary. People taking the stance that baptism is necessary for salvation will say, "See, look here! An appropriate parallel is the Lords Supper: the bread and the fruit of the vine represent the body and blood of our Lord, but no one would say that we are not to physically partake of these emblems because they have symbolic value. Furthermore, according to the Gospels, Christ never baptized people. There are denominations that believe baptism is necessary for salvation. 6 Though others use the word sacrament, the RCC and Eastern Orthodox (EO) perspective is different in that they believe the sacraments are effective simply by the completion of the sacrament (known as ex opere operato ). Answer: Let us consider 1 Corinthians 12:13: For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. Learn Religions, Sep. 3, 2021, learnreligions.com/what-is-baptism-700654. Those passages are difficult to understand if water baptism is necessary for salvation. If the Word is spread through the preaching of men, then there is no problem with men baptizing others so that they can be saved. Psalm 51 represents a psalm, a form of poetry, and a psalm which was written by David after his sin with Bathsheba had been made known (cf. Advocates of baptismal regeneration typically have a four-part formula for how salvation is received. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, The Bible Teachers Guide, Ecclesiology: Understanding Gods Church. Argument: The thief on the cross was saved, and he was not baptized. All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added. Argument: Jesus did not baptize anyone; therefore, why dont we follow His example? Answer: Much has been said regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit in The prevailing Protestant belief is that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion. Answer: This is one of many kinds of such arguments: it may involve different details, but the idea is the same: a person is hindered from being baptized and dies. Seventh-day Adventists believe and practice the biblical custom of baptism by immersion, in a similar way that Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. Baptism is part of God's Plan of Salvation. This is the immersion that saves. 1 Peter 3:21). The Scriptures give no reason for confidence for anyone who would rely on their baptism as an infant. Furthermore, it is likely that the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36-39 was baptized in some pool of water in the desert that would not really be running water. The Reformed tradition believes that Scripture teaches that baptism has replaced circumcision, a Hebrew rite that marked the covenant between God and God's people. According to Bruce Gourley, who served as executive director of the Baptist History & Heritage Society, there are four prominent opinions on how Baptists originated. fully wet) (Strongs Dictionary of Hebrew/Greek Words). The feeling that it should be omitted comes, on admission, only on doctrinal evidence from scholars, that, well, baptism for salvation is not spelled out anywhere else, hence, this is a later addition. In the end, all New Testament textual critics will be forced to admit that the argument against the text is without sufficient evidence, and that there is little reason to believe that the text is false. Likewise, Paul establishes that if the resurrection is not true, then our faith in Christ is in vain, and we are still in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:12-18). "The Purpose of Baptism in the Christian Life." The arguments used, on the surface, seem to be powerful. Do these verses teach that children are sinners? It is also seen that the usual means of receiving the Holy Spirit was to have the laying on of hands from an Apostle (Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-6). The washing through the water of baptism symbolizes the believer's cleansing from the stain and filth of sin through God's grace. It should be manifest, then, that God can provide the Holy Spirit to a person, even if not saved, to fulfill His purposes. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void. We believe something very profound and tangible happens during Baptism. Nothing is said about those who believe yet are not baptized. By all accounts, baptism was a singular immersion done in the name of (or by the authority of) the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). Romans 10:9. The example of Peter in Acts 10:47-48 is also telling: For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Baptismal regeneration is the name given to doctrines held by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican churches, and other Protestant denominations which maintain that salvation is intimately linked to the act of baptism, without necessarily holding that salvation is impossible apart from it. 4. This verse says that 'unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" And I must agree that is does say that. Essentially, the Church of Christ believes that in addition to faith, baptism is required for a person to be saved. Notice, for instance, that the exile of Israel and Judah are carried out not under faithful kings like Hezekiah or Josiah, but unfaithful kings, Hoshea and Zedekiah (2 Kings 17-18, 25). Required fields are marked *. General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center, Some faith groups believe baptism accomplishes the washing away of. 5. Baptists do not consider water baptism essential to salvation. In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul states that "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel," thus clearly differentiating the gospel from baptism.. In addition, if baptism is necessary for salvation, then it would seem strange for Paul to boast about not baptizing people and to declare Christ did not send him to baptize. In 1 Corinthians 1:14-17, he said: I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name! The passages likewise do not state that they were baptized in the Spirit, either. Many denominations today teach that children and even infants must be baptized in order to be cleansed of sin. Used by permission. Furthermore, the idea that baptism was required for Jews but not for Gentiles is at odds with Acts 10:47-48, Acts 16:31-33, and 1 Corinthians 1:14-16, all of which show that Gentiles also were baptized. The 144,000 most faithful Christians will go to heaven; the rest will live on earth. While we realize that Paul is using the metaphor baptism as burial, the metaphor only makes sense if we realize that baptism is immersion. Those principles are often summarized in English under the . Answer: While it is true that Jews are the direct audience of Peter in Acts 2, the conclusion is not valid. Related Topics: Ecclesiology (The Church), Greg Brown earned his MA in religion and MA in teaching from Trinity International University, a MRE from Liberty University, and a PhD in theology from Louisiana Baptist University. Thus, baptism ensures entrance into the church community. Answer: We recognize that the power in baptism is not in the water, but in the appeal in faith to God for the cleansing from sin (cf. When a person "asks Jesus into their heart," to use a colloquialism, the Holy Spirit indwells that. To insist on baptism as necessary for salvation would be to impinge on the limitless sovereignty of God, one of the essentials of the Reformed theological tradition. All rights reserved worldwide. Baptize infants because they believe when an infant is baptized, God creates faith in the heart of the infant. Since salvation is a matter of individual choice, and since a baby cannot confess its belief in Christ, cannot repent of its sins if it had any and cannot choose or express a choice to be baptized, even if it wanted to, we can conclude that a baby is not lost to begin with. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are traditionally listed as charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. The Scriptures say that baptism is a commandment of God: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned (Mark 16:16). Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9, and Acts 2:38), and that one is baptized for the remission of ones sin (Acts 2:38). According to their historic confessions and modern-day teachings, Baptist traditions believe that baptism is important to be like Christ, obey his instructions, and to mature as a disciple. What verses are commonly used to support the necessity of baptism for salvation? With all that said, as with any verse, we must compare it to what the rest of Scripture teaches on the subject. Baptism is not a means of channeling saving grace but rather is a way of testifying that saving grace has been experienced. After the first and second great awakening, Baptist set to emerge during the 18 th century and started spreading across the world. Although he spoke of baptism, he said: 'I thank God that I baptized none of you lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name' (1 Corinthians 1:14-15)." "Baptism is a conclusive act of obedience and witness to the world that we are Christ's. I believe in it wholeheartedly. And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house. The question we must ask is whether Paul is trying to show that our baptism was in the Spirit or whether our baptism in water was done in accordance with the one Spirit. Luke expects his audience to understand that his use of the term all involves some hyperbole: he is not trying to say that literally every member of the house of Cornelius and/or the jailer believed and were baptized, but that everyone in those houses who were of sufficient age to understand the Gospel believed in it and were baptized. Cornelius and his men, in truth, show that we do require immersion in water! Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Christian denominations differ widely in their teachings about the purpose of baptism. Therefore, the absence of the term baptism in Romans 10:9-10 does not negate the need for baptism. And how shall they hear without a preacher? The Scriptures do not require continual baptism for remission of continual sin. Argument: The Apostles were not baptized, yet they were certainly saved. 6:3-4), Christian identity (Gal. It happens by grace through faith (cf. We could say in response, If Christ comes down and says to you that He will see you in Paradise today, then good, you do not need to be baptized. With both verses, after closer inspection, it is clear that neither teaches baptismal regeneration. "Baptism is the outward expression of calling on the name of the Lord in faith." Here's the second thing I would say: Paul treats baptism as an expression of faith so that the decisive act that unites us to Christ is faith, and it is expressed outwardly in baptism. In many passages it is clear that baptism in the Spirit is not under consideration. John 1:30-34, John 4:1-2). Surely baptism is one of the most well-known of all the Christian "sacraments." One major church takes it's name from John the Baptist. We see that the disciples of John were baptized again, this time in the name of Jesus, and then they had hands laid on them and received the Spirit.