Expert: Hoyt Roberson - 7/27/2008

Question
QUESTION: What does the church of Christ believe on baptism?? I want to know their whole doctrine. Is it true that they believe you must be baptized in their church alone? Why do they believe that you have to be baptized in order to be saved?? what verses do they have to back up that belief? what are some counter verses i can use to prove that we are only saved by faith??

ANSWER: Well, you don't ask questions that require short answers do you? ;)

Let's take your questions one at a time....

1. What does the church of Christ believe on baptism? The answer that would enjoy the broadest application and be supported by the history of churches of Christ would be that baptism is necessary for salvation. Churches of Christ generally teach that belief, repentance, and baptism are essential parts of salvation. Just as one can be expected to believe and decide to follow God (repentance), one can be expected to be baptized.

In holding this view, churches of Christ are joined by most of Christendom, although churches of Christ do not baptize small children preferring to baptize those that can make some sort of cognitive decision to surrender to God. Much of Christendom that require baptism baptize babies as well as adults.

Scripture references churches of Christ might use would include:

--Acts 2.38 "repent and be baptized....for the forgiveness of your sins."
--Rom 6 "if we have been buried with him in the likeness of his death, we will be raised with him to newness of life." The context indicates that Paul is referring to the act of baptism as a burial with Jesus.
--Gal 3.26-29 "all of you who were baptized have..." The idea is that Paul assumes baptism and here says that the baptized folks have put on Christ.
--Mark 16.16 "he who believes and is baptized..." The word "and" is critical in that it combines and requires both belief and baptism for salvation.

2. Is it true that they believe you must be baptized in their church alone?
Churches of Christ believe that salvation and being a member of the church are synonymous and therefore they may say that baptism is what ushers someone into the church. Many congregations teach that churches of Christ are The Church and therefore it would be reasonable to argue that you must be baptized in a church of Christ.

However, this view is quickly dying out. Many if not most congregations will accept any baptism as long as it was immersion and done when the person was older than say, oh, nine years old.

3. Why do they believe that you must be baptized to be saved?
I think the answer to Number 1 above addresses this question as well.

4. What verses do they have to back up that belief?
Ditto.

5. What are some counter verses I can use to prove that we are only saved by faith?
I'm not much into debate servicing since it tends to get us distracted from what we are really called to be, and unfortunately we normally argue over specific words rather than concepts that have been appropriately set in their larger contexts. Having said that, the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3.16 which does not mention baptism at all, and yet indicates that those who believe will be saved. Paul's argument that Abraham was saved by faith before doing anything is another good foil.

However, both arguing for baptism with the use of proof texts, and arguing against anything other than faith using proof texts is an exercise in frustration. It is clear in Scripture that both baptism and faith are said to save people. The question then becomes, how do we reconcile the two concepts?

But you didn't ask me that question ;)

Did any of that help?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: can you answer the last question you gave???? lol.

i was shocked that you didnt when i read it. lol. now i wanna know :)

Answer
This is not a question, the answer to which, is easy for science-minded folks, those that like to have a definite black or white answer, to grasp.

It is clear that in John's Gospel the word belief does not mean simple acknowledgment. It can mean that, but the kind of belief that saves is something that speaks more directly to the kind of person we are.

In the first two or three chapters of John, we are given some parallel kinds of people. On one side are those that recognize God when they seem Him - not wholly an objective realization, those that live in the light, and those who believe. On the other side are those who love darkness, who do not recognize God when they see Him, and those who don't believe.

The result is that belief, or faith, takes on a more varied texture, and can be seen as a process perhaps that reveals the leaning of the person involved. I believe it is clear that faith, in the sense of acknowledging God and following Him is an absolute requirement for returning to God.

Does that turning to God involve anything other than objective faith? I believe it does. One of those things is repentance, or a decision to move away from a me-centered life, and toward an other-centered life. And so we have repentance added to faith, but not really. Not really because the kind of faith of which we speak must incorporate a change in focus. This is why we are told that he who says he loves God and hates his brother is a liar. It is simply impossible to continue to live for me, and at the same time claim to be transformed back into the likeness of God.

Baptism is similar, at least it was in John's day. Baptism is not an alternative to faith any more than repentance is. All three go hand in hand. Baptism is the outward expression of a decision to follow God and die to self. This is in part the parallel that Paul seeks to make when he argues that those who have been buried with Jesus will rise like Jesus. Simply put, Jesus died to Himself and did the will of God even when He didn't want to. Just as Jesus lived in full submission to God, when we die to ourselves, as is illustrated by baptism, and elect to follow God, we will live with Him.

So the question remains, must one be baptized before one can return to God. The answer is no - unless you think you need to be. Salvation it seems is a process. A process of unfolding realization of God and an on-going realization of just how far we are from God's character and desires.

When someone hears the Gospel and is touched by it, when the realization of God resonates within them and they move toward the Light, they have begun a journey back into God. There must be some minimal amount of belief, some small determination to live as God would have us live, and some incorporation of that determination in our lives.

For the Jews of John's day, for the world of Paul's day, for communities of faith today, baptism offers a vivid objective point in time that says, essentially, "I renounce the world, I renounce living for myself, I die to myself, and I submit to God's leading, His will, to His desires." For a member of a faith community that understands baptism as such as expression to refuse to be baptized is to insult the community and to mock the history of Christendom.

On the other hand, for those who's faith communities don't baptize, or for those that haven't heard the purpose of baptism, lack of baptism will not condemn them. Our following God remains contingent on our desire to follow Him, to correctly identify His moving in the world, and our submission to His will.

None of us will believe, will repent, will live perfectly, and perfection is not required. Who we are; what are characters are, these are important.

So, is baptism necessary? You tell me ;)