Part 4 of Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #095. |
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JESUS calls US to be |
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The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide. |
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More About Baptism (Part 4)
A question & comments from a Christian brother2/15/99 -- I now host a Viewpoint discussion group, where the following recently was exchanged --
To: @GROUPD.PML
Subject: Baptized INTO Christ (5)
Date sent: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 -- I asked the group --A brother would like your opinion on the need to "rebaptize" folks
who come to our congregations having already been baptized, but unsure whether it was "into" Christ. He writes --From: "B. Keith Brumley" <BKBrumley@compuserve.com>
Subject: Re-immersion?
To: Ray Downen <outreach@sofnet.com>Ray, Greetings in Christ! -- My question involves the "Who IS a Christian?" topic but goes beyond it a bit. It concerns accepting into our fellowship (I refer here to Restoration Movement churches) those who have been immersed based on their trusting faith in the crucified and risen Christ.
The people I refer to are those whose leaders may say "baptism has nothing to do with one's salvation," but by and large, they themselves don't see it that way. The people to whom I refer are people who, based on their faith in Christ, and willingness to follow him in obedience, are immersed out of this position of faith and obedience. True, they may have laboured under a theological conception of baptism that we would find less than adequate (i.e., some feel that they are saved at the point of faith and baptism testifies to this salvation).
But I have come across many who very simply believed in the crucified and risen Christ and were immersed based on a desire to obey him. The question is ... are these folk Christians? Are they to be accepted into our local congregations as brethren. Is re-immersion necessary?
I ask because I have come to the conclusion that I am not in the business of reimmersing the immersed. However, I have reimmersed a few. I had one girl tell me that she was baptized at a Pentecostal revival only to please the pastor (who was a number hunter). I've had a fellow tell me that he was immersed as a child with the wrong motivation and really felt the need to be reimmersed out of a position of faith and obedience.
But at the same time, we've recently accepted into our local congregation a person who was immersed into Christ by a Wesleyan preacher, a couple immersed into Christ while worshipping with a Messianic Jewish group, and a couple who were immersed into Christ while with the Baptists. All of these people affirmed to me that they did so from a penitent, believing position out of a desire to be obedient to Christ. I saw no need for reimmersion and offered them the "right hand of fellowship."
It seems to me that this is not only biblically correct, but historically correct from our RM heritage (yes, I know that our history can't overide scripture, but we have a heritage of which we can be rightfully proud as well!).
A. Campbell and W. Scott used to preach the "ONE FACT & ONE ACT" of Christian unity. i.e., all who believe and confess the "One Fact" (Jesus is the Christ, Son of God), and penitently submit to the "One Act" of Christian immersion are added to the Church by God himself. I believe this. Am I off base?
<<What do you think? I first told Keith there was no need to ask, that all on this discussion list would agree that he's fully correct in what he says he does. But he'd like reassurance. >>
Several replied, including --
> To: outreach@sofnet.com
> Date sent: Thu, 11 Feb 1999
> Subject: Re: Baptized INTO Christ (5)> Hi: My thoughts on to "rebaptize." I would say if there is a
doubt, take the sure road! If they didn't know that it was 'into Christ for the remission of sins' I would suggest that they would make sure and be baptized.> Acts19:1-2 Paul found disciples that believed. Apollos taught diligently the things of the Lord, with one exception. He knew only the baptism of John. When these disciples heard about Jesus, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
> When some say they were baptized to obey Jesus, but not for the reason the scripture says (for the remission of sins), I can't see where that is obeying Jesus!
<<It may be that Acts 19 is less helpful in answering THIS question than it might at first appear. What Paul asked these brethren was concerning their receipt of the Holy Spirit. Luke doesn't say Paul asked them if they had been baptized for the remission of sins, which is what this brother suggests may be the primary reason for baptism into Christ. So it became evident that they had NOT experienced Christian baptism but rather the baptism of John the Baptist which WAS for repentance unto remission of sins, but for the Jews only, and not into Christ.
<<But the ones spoken of in our note to which this replies were people who were not Jews but who thought they HAD been baptized because baptism was taught by Jesus and they sought to honor Him.
<<Acts 19:1,2 is a clear example of the need to baptize into Christ those who have never been baptized in His name, but does not say much on the subject of rebaptizing persons who HAVE been baptized in Christ's name, but by persons who misunderstand the Bible purpose of Christian baptism.
<<It's frequently pointed out in the Acts accounts of conversion that each convert was baptized in the name of Christ. But how often does Luke mention that the PURPOSE for the baptism was remission of sins? Every time? I think not. I'm not sure that not knowing baptism's true purposes negates the response of a trusting heart which causes the person TO be baptized.
<<I am sure that a person who has genuinely experienced new birth into Christ (which includes immersion in water in the name of Christ) does not need to again be baptized (to be born again again). Peter's advice to a previously-baptized person who realized that he had sinned was not to repent and again be baptized, but rather to repent and pray (Acts 8:18-24). What would you say?
Date sent: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 12:50:25 -0500
From: "B. Keith Brumley" <BKBrumley@compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: Baptized INTO Christ (6)
To: Ray Downen <outreach@sofnet.com>I believe you are exactly correct, here, brother Ray. In my studies on this topic of reimmersion, this text has, of course, come up. It appears that these twelve in Acts 19 did, indeed, receive a baptism that was "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Luke 3:3). What was at issue was these twelve's understanding of the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus. They had not, apparently, understood Jesus of Nazareth as the "One coming after" John (Acts 19:4; cf., Luke 3:16), i.e., as the crucified and risen Messiah. This was the issue at Ephesus. They hadn't obeyed the GOSPEL (which means responding with FAITH in the crucified and risen Christ, trusting His sacrifice on the cross for your salvation, turning from self and sin to Him and His Lordship, confessing Him as Savior and Lord, and obediently being immersed into union with Him).
This obedience to the gospel results in blessings and benefits. Some of these are the forgiveness of sins and the receipt of the indwelling Holy Spirit (there is a question as to whether v.2 of our text refers to the ordinary measure of the indwelling Holy Spirit all baptized believers receive as a gift [Acts 2:38], or if it refers to one of the manifestation gifts, i.e. tongues, prophecy, etc.).
Jimmy Allen has written a book called "Rebaptism: What Must One Know to be Born Again?" In it, Dr. Allen lists 24 biblical blessings/benefits/promises associated with baptism. He asks the question, must every one of the blessings, benefits and promises be understood perfectly in order for the baptism to be "valid?" If so, we would have to be rebaptized everytime we come to a new or richer understanding of baptism. If not, why not? Allen shows that the key to biblical baptism is FAITH in the crucified and risen Messiah and a willingness to OBEY Him in all things (Matt. 28:20). Dr. Allen makes the statement that there can be no higher motive to be immersed than the motive of Christ himself -- "to fulfill all righteousness" (Mat. 3:15). I find this hard to argue with.
Of course it is best to have a full understanding of baptism, which includes that baptism is an integral part of our accepting the salvation offered graciously to us by God via Christ Jesus. I teach and preach this!
I do not believe that baptism is a nice afterthought or a mere formality. Something happens at our baptism! It is an integral faith response to the Gospel which God asks us to make (along with repentence and confession). However, I do not believe that someone who HAS been immersed based on their FAITH in the crucified and risen Lord and a desire to OBEY Him "in everything [he] has commanded" (Mat. 28:20) needs to be reimmersed. They have been born again of "water and spirit" (Jn. 3:5ff). They have been saved "through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3;5).
True, their understanding of baptism may be fuller now than at that moment, but who can't say that? How can one already "born again" be born again ... again? I have concluded that I must take each person's baptismal experience case by case. If they have never been immersed into Christ based on faith in Him and a desire to obey (e.g.., those who've received infant baptism), I will certainly insist on immersion (for the 'right' reasons!). If they have been immersed based on merely a desire to "join a group" (whether it be Baptists, etc.), I will explain the significance of biblical baptism and nudge them towards reimmersion (actually, their first true immersion aimed at bringing them into Christ).
If they come to us from a group (like the Mormons, or Jehovah's Witnesses) who, in my understanding of their doctrine, have a very faulty Christolgy (which, incidently is closer to the problem here in Acts 19), I will start all over in my teaching with them and teach JESUS (incarnation, life, death, resurrection ...) and show why immersion based on this faith is a necessity. On the other hand, if someone comes to me who, based on a real and trusting faith in the crucified and risen Lord, has been immersed into Him on the basis of their desire to "obey him in all things" ... I can't see reimmersing this person.
This would make the mistake that the International Churches of Christ (Boston Movement) make. i.e., they believe that only those with their nuanced understanding of baptism have been validly baptized. All (even "us") outside of their sect require rebaptism. Wonder where they got that idea??
Anyway, I appreciate the dialogue generated on this topic. This is really helping me to clarify my thinking on this topic, despite the rambling approach I take above (HA!). Grace & Peace to you all!
Keith Brumley -- Halifax, Nova Scotia
Brief Bible Study #95-C from Ray Downen. Click to return to Study #95. Or for Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.
