"What Baptists Generally Teach" (Part 1)

A large portion of the religious world sprinkles or pours water on babies; they call the practice baptism. Others believe that baptism involves immersion. Who is correct? Does it really matter? That question will be a part of the material presented in this series, but first we should point out that some denominations and cults do practice immersion.

Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, immerse—but not for the reason that the Scriptures give. They do it annually, which shows they do not think it is vital to salvation. In fact, in their book, The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, they say that "baptism is not a washing away of one's sins" (183), thus contradicting Acts 22:16, in which Saul of Tarsus was told: "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

It would be difficult for anyone to contradict the Scriptures more plainly. According to the Watch Tower Society, by 1992 this publication had "reached 107,553,888 copies in 117 languages." Imagine that many copies of a work containing error being distributed throughout the world!

The Mormons also immerse people, and they say they do so for the forgiveness of sins, but do they really? Various Pentecostal groups also immerse people—but not necessarily for the forgiveness of sins. Of course, we in the churches of Christ do precisely what was taught in Acts 22:16; however, Baptists do not.

Most of the material examined in this discussion comes from the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia, copyrighted 1975-76, 1980 edition, pages 466-67. But before we get to that, here is a quote from The Standard Manual For Baptist Churches by Edward T. Hiscox (1951):

Baptism is not essential to salvation, for our churches utterly repudiate the dogma of "baptismal regeneration"; but it is essential to obedience, since Christ commanded it. It is also essential to a public confession of Christ before the world, and to membership in the church which is his body. And no true lover of his Lord will refuse these acts of obedience and tokens of affection (page 20, note 8).

Regardless of what modifications they try to attach, what they actually believe is found in the first six words: "Baptism is not essential to salvation…." Their church utterly repudiates the idea. While this sentence may not contradict the Scriptures as plainly and clearly as Jehovah's Witnesses do, they too are contradicting Acts 22:16. Paul was told to be baptized, and his sins would be washed away, which makes baptism essential, yet the Baptist Manual says it is not. Who are people to believe—the Scriptures or the Baptist Manual?

They say they reject the doctrine of "baptismal regeneration," a phrase not found in the Bible. They would need to define what they mean by that in order for anyone to agree or disagree with them. The phrase, the washing of regeneration, however, appears in Titus 3:5 as something approved by God. Will they affirm that they utterly repudiate the dogma of "the washing of regeneration"? Hmm.

Zondervan's Analysis

This material was sent to your congenial columnist and editor by one referred to as Preaching Brother from Another State (P.B. for short). (Yes, he has an actual name; P.B. was used a number of years ago to protect his anonymity, and it just stuck.) Zondervan's comments appear to be accurate and free of bias; so they are a worthy source of information as they describe what Baptists generally believe. They teach:

Baptism is a proclamation on God's part, signifying by the outward sign, to those who believe, that their sins are washed away by the blood of Christ…. (467).

The above statement does reflect Baptist doctrine—but not the teachings of the New Testament. The following questions should be asked.

Where do the Scriptures teach that baptism is a proclamation on God's part?

Where is baptism called an outward sign?

Where is baptism said to be a sign to believers?

The last clause above would have been more accurately stated "that their sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ." Why? If baptism is not essential to salvation (and we know that washing away sins is), then their sins have already been washed away before they are baptized, which is what makes baptism a sign for them.

In other words, since Baptists generally do not think that baptism has anything to do with salvation, then they must believe that they are saved before baptism and without it. Therefore, they conclude that baptism is only an outward sign to believers.

But what does the Bible say? First, it does not call baptism a rite (ritual), an ordinance, a sign, or a sacrament. Read Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16, or any other passage and try to find these words in relation to being baptized. So, what are we saying? The point is that man has invented terminology to try and take away the force of the teaching on baptism found in the Scriptures. What does the Bible teach on the subject?

The Scriptures

The earliest passage in Mark on this subject is Mark 1:4: "John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." John taught the people what? A baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. In other words, they needed to repent of the sins they had committed and be baptized for the forgiveness of those sins. No one needs a degree in theology to understand such simple words. Such a degree is helpful, however, in order to misunderstand them.

Notice what is absent. Nothing is said about baptism being a ritual, a sacrament, a proclamation, or a sign of something that had already taken place. They understood that their sins would be forgiven when they were baptized.

The same thing is true at the end of Mark's gospel. After Jesus' resurrection, He gave His apostles the Great Commission: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16). If we attach Baptist teaching to the passage, it would read, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but baptism is not essential to salvation" (these last six words are from the Baptist Manual). If baptism is not essential to salvation, how are we to understand the words Jesus spoke?

Jesus did not say, "He who believes is saved and should be baptized as a sign that he was saved." No, Jesus gave two prerequisites for salvation—faith and baptism. Both are necessary; no person can be saved without being baptized any more than he could by lacking faith. These facts are the same anywhere one looks in the New Testament.

Acts 2:38 & 1 Peter 3:21

Peter preached on the day of Pentecost a message very similar to John the Baptizer's. When people asked what they should do about their sins—particularly the one in which they killed the Messiah, Peter told them to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). He told them to do so "in the name of Christ," which John had not done. This was the major difference, however, because Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins—the same phrase used in Mark 1:4—both in the Greek and in the English. If they wanted their sins forgiven, they needed to repent and be baptized.

This same apostle later writes, toward the end of his life that there is something that now saves us—baptism. Of course, he does not mean by itself—without faith or repentance, but it is the last act we do, and forgiveness takes place at that moment. Notice that Peter did not say, "Faith alone now saves us" (as a Baptist would). He did not write, "Baptism is an outward sign that you have been saved." And how would it have looked if he had said, "There is something that does now save us—baptism, but it's not essential"?

No, he said that there is something that now saves us—baptism. A Bible student soon discovers that the spin Baptists put on baptism (being a sign, etc.) is not the same emphasis that is found in the Scriptures on the subject.

Acts 22:16

In this same vein, Ananias did not tell Saul of Tarsus, "Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized to show believers that your sins have already been washed away." No, read the verse carefully. It says he was to be baptized in order to wash away his sins. Most of the time, if a Baptist is asked to pinpoint at what moment Saul was saved, he will answer, "On the road to Damascus." Is there a verse that teaches that notion?

One may search, but he will not find one. "But Jesus appeared to him, and he knew he was wrong for having persecuted the church. So, he believed and was saved." Is that what Jesus said in Mark 16:16: "Believe and be saved"? No, the Savior taught, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." Saul did come to a knowledge of the truth that day. But he fasted and prayed for three days (Acts 9:9). Undoubtedly, he repented and grieved over his persecution of Christians—and therefore, Jesus Himself (Acts 9:1-5).

Does the text indicate when he was saved? Nothing is said about him being saved when He saw Jesus. Even though he prayed and fasted for three days, the text does not indicate that he was saved then. Nor is he said to have salvation after repenting during this time period. "Oh, but he must have been saved somewhere in there because he was so sincere and earnest." Yet if he was saved any time during those three days, then why does he still have sins that need to be removed?

When Ananias came and spoke to him, he asked, "And now why are you waiting?" Something had yet to be done. Whatever it was, there should be no further delay. Ananias added these important words: "Arise and be baptized…" (Acts 22:16). Paul already had faith; he had repented; he had been praying. Some further action on his part was required: baptism. But for what purpose would it be—as a sign for others that he was already saved? No. He needed to be baptized to "wash away his sins…."

In spite of his faith, repentance, fasting, and prayers, his sins remained upon him. There was but one way to remove them, and that was to be baptized. In the action of baptism, God would remove his sins. "Well, what other verse teaches such an idea. Mark 1:4. Mark 16:15-16. Acts 2:38. 1 Peter 3:21. "So, you're saying that water cleanses us?" No, it's not the water—at least not by itself.

It's the fact that a person is obeying what God teaches in the Word. Isn't that what caused Naaman's leprosy to disappear in the water of the Jordan River (2 Kings 5)? It is actually the blood of Christ that washes away our sins (Rev. 1:5) WHEN we are baptized. Saul was washed from his sins in Jesus' own blood—when he arose and was baptized. This is what the Scriptures teach.