A biblical study of the Church of Christ teaching that
salvation occurs in the act of water baptism

There is indeed a true regeneration by baptism into the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. This baptism is spoken of by Paul in Romans 6:3-4

The word "baptize" (greek "baptidzo") was commonly used in the Koine Greek (the entire New Testament was written in this language) as a euphemism or figure of speech to mean the same thing as our english word, "overwhelm" which when taken literally means to submerge or thoroughly wet. It (overwhelm) no longer is used this way. It now means to be "deluged" (another formerly "wet" word) by intolerable or unbearable circumstances. The same is true for the greek word "baptidzo" which in our english bibles is translated "Baptize".

The bible which Christ and His Apostles used in the first century was called the Septuagint. This was the greek translation of the hebrew Old Testament text translated 300 years before by the 70 elders of the Jewish faith (hence the name "Septuagint"). It is a wonderful resource to help to find how greek words were used in the New Testament books. In the Septuagint passage, Isaiah 21:4, the passage says, "Hanomia Me Baptidzei", or "Lawlessness Overwhelms (Baptizes) me."

The classical greek scholar Plato has many writings which have come down to us. One of these is "Euthydemus" in which he employed the word "baptidzo" to describe his being "deluged" with questions. (Euthydemus, 277 D)

As you can see, when the idea of being baptized into the faith occurs, it does not mean dipped into water, but into the faith, that is, the Person and Work on the cross of Jesus Christ.

One does not become a christian when one is dipped into water. As a matter of fact, Peter called the act of baptism the proof that a miraculous change has occurred in the heart. Paul wrote of unbelievers in Romans 3:12

So, if wet baptism were the instrument through which we were saved, a depraved UNgood person would go beneath the surface and a Good regenerated new creation would come up. But as Peter said, that is NOT what happens:

"There is also an antitype which now delivers us, namely Baptism (NOT the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the ANSWER of a GOOD conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

This "Good conscience" is there BEFORE baptism. Baptism is not the vehicle of salvation, but the FIRST ACT OF OBEDIENCE of a New Creation created by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ!

"Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" ACTS 10:47

Note in this verse that the Holy Spirit was not given DURING the act of baptism, but the presence of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer PRECEDED baptism by water!

"Baptism" is the greek metaphor which speaks of being immersed into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It means to completely submerge yourself into Him. The act of water baptism is a symbol of your acceptance of these facts. The thief on the cross next to Jesus professed faith in Jesus. He was never baptized, yet Jesus said to Him, "This day, you will be with me in Paradise." If the thief were to survive, certainly in obedience to his new Lord, he would have been immersed in water as a symbol of his acceptance of the terms of salvation, but instead, he shared in the death of Christ, dying right next to the Lord he had come to love, and who was dying for Him and countless billions of others.

Jesus used the word baptism as a metaphor also when the mother of John asked Jesus if her sons might sit one on the left and the other on the right of Jesus when His kingdom were come. Jesus looked at the two young men and asked,

"Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and to be BAPTIZED with the BAPTISM with which I am BAPTIZED?" MATTHEW 20:22

Jesus had already been baptized by John the Baptist several years before this. He was not speaking of water baptism, but the "overwhelming" horrors he was about to face in his impending death just a few days hence.

Paul, the apostle used the word Baptism to describe his many trials taking the gospel to the "Dead" ("and you He made alive who were DEAD in trespasses and sins" Ephesians 2:1) He was trying to show to those who denied there would be a resurrection, that enduring all of these trials to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the dead would be futile and stupid if there indeed were no resurrection.

"Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized on behalf of the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized on behalf of the dead. And why do WE stand in jeopardy every hour?" 1 CORINTHIANS 15:29-30

Paul asks why those who are taking the gospel to the dead would put their lives through this "deluge" of suffering if indeed there is to be no resurrection. He then moves to himself and his entourage when he says, "And why do WE stand in jeopardy every hour." The phrase "baptized on behalf of the dead" is analogous to "stand in jeopardy on behalf of the dead."

The Church of Christ teaches that one is saved in the act of water baptism, by the ritual of being immersed in water. Peter says on the contrary that water baptism is the answer of an already good conscience. If the conscience were good previous to baptism, then there would be no need for baptism since Paul, quoting the prophet Isaiah said

"There is NONE who seeks after God." "They are ALL gone out of the way." "There is NONE who his good, NO NOT ONE!"

If one has a good conscience, it is evidence of his already having been born of God.

All believers are to be baptized. If one refuses to be baptized, it is the proof that regeneration has not occurred, since the New Creation dwelling in each believer desires to obey the Lord, and this is His first command.

Note even the Gospel of Mark makes this fact plain:

"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" MARK 16:16

Note the conspicuous absence of the word "baptized" from the second part of this warning. There is no reason to suppose that water baptism is being referred to here, since the Baptism with which Paul was concerned in his great exposition of the mechanics of the gospel, Romans, was the baptism into his death, burial, and resurrection. (See ROMANS 6:4)

Paul even downplayed the importance of water baptism in his own ministry in 1 CORINTHIANS 1:14-17

"I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. FOR CHRIST DID NOT SEND ME TO BAPTIZE, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect."

What must the Church of Christ think of this verse. My Goodness, doesn't Paul realize that he is downplaying the importance of the very ritual by which the Corinthians could be saved? How could Paul preach the gospel and then forbear to perform the action which would save them!!!!!

Paul knew, as the bible teaches plainly, we are saved by faith in Christ. That is, by making a personal choice to rely EXCLUSIVELY upon Christ's FINISHED work on the cross to be TOTALLY SUFFICIENT to pay for my sins.

The following verse is the hinge upon which the erroneous teaching of the Church of Christ turns.

"Then Peter said to them, "Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." ACTS 2:38

What does Peter mean here when he uses the word baptized? Does he mean the "wet" baptism, that answer of a good conscience to which he referred in the letter he wrote many years later, or is he referring to the baptism about which Paul spoke when he described the new birth in Romans chapter six? Note that they are to be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ, just as Paul spoke about in Romans 6. To be baptized into His name means to be immersed in His Person, and His work on the cross, that is, His death, burial, and resurrection! The following verses should serve to illuminate this issue for us.

"Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." ACTS 3:19

Note the absence of the word "baptized" from Peter's message here. Is he failing to inform them of the need for this instrument without which they cannot be saved, or is the same concept presented here which before was presented by the word "baptized"? Yes, the words "be converted" are analogous to being baptized into the name, person, and work of Jesus Christ. When you are baptized into His death, burial and resurrection, you are converted by reason of the New Birth!

"To Him all the prophets witness that through His Name whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." ACTS 10:43

Note the reference to the term "remission of sins", "that your sins may be blotted out" in these verses. Note that in the previous verse used by the Church of Christ above, that it is through this baptism that we receive "remission of sins". Yet here in this verse and in the one previous, our sins are remitted, not by water baptism, but by "repentance", "being converted" and "believing in Him through His Name". The reason there seems to be an apparent discrepancy is that the word Baptism is not implicative of water! It is being used by Peter in its common euphemistic form as an analogy for being submerged in Christ, His Name, His Person, His Death, Burial, and Resurrection, having "repented" and being thus "converted".

Why is the doctrine of "Baptismal Regeneration" so dangerous? What is the harm of holding to this belief? The harm is answered in the question to which all of our beliefs must be subjected. "How does this belief affect the Glory of God, and does it conform to His Word?"

The belief that salvation is imparted during the act of water immersion is a symptom of our carnal desire to participate in our salvation. We could make the claim that there were some good in us that made us desire to come to Christ. We know that there were "NONE good". We are not saved on the basis of our being good enough to desire to come to Him. We were saved on the basis solely of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. The Corinthian assembly had perverted baptism to the point that they were exalting themselves in the assembly on the basis of what great teacher baptized them. Paul said he thanked God that he baptized few.

How will this affect the Glory of God? It will give you a wrong understanding of what you are in Christ. What you believe the Bible says about you is the engine of your sanctification. James said that we come to the mirror of the word to find out what we are in Christ. The one who is successful in living a Godly life is the one who doesn't forget what the Bible tells him about himself. (JAMES 1:22-25) The same sentiments are expressed by Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian assembly.

"But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18

To the extent that what you view in the mirror is perceived through myopic eyes, you will fail to reach the fullness of Christ. You will walk away from the mirror of the word as James said, and "immediately forget what kind of man you are." JAMES 1:24

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if these things are in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." 2 PETER 1:5-9

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