Controversies Concerning Baptism

Transcript

GRM 962
6/11/2006
Controversies Concerning Baptism
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh


We’ve been doing a miniseries on the subject of water baptism. We talked about the water baptism practiced by John the Baptizer, John the Baptist, the uniqueness of the water baptism of Jesus Christ at the hands of John the Baptist. And we talked about Christian baptism—baptism as we observe and practice it as believers in Jesus Christ today, as members of the church of Jesus Christ, as people give public testimony to their faith in Him. We’ve noted that water baptism is not a part of salvation but is a testimony to our salvation and it is a way of publicly declaring our allegiance to Jesus Christ, of making open before the world that we are followers of Christ and we are identified with Him.

I want to just look at some of the passages that are sometimes considered problem passages. There are certain groups that teach that baptism is necessary for salvation, and there are some verses that seem to support that teaching. I just want to look at those and see how they might fit in the overall teaching of scripture. We have to be careful that we don’t go to one verse and take it as though it stood on its own. We want to interpret each verse in its context and then we have to be sure that the conclusions we have come to with that verse are indeed consistent with what the Bible teaches.

We need to start in Romans 4 again as a way of review, in case some of you were not here when we looked into this. What Romans 4 establishes is that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. Now it’s not the only place, but what Romans 4 does is illustrate it for us. In Romans 3:30, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. The point there is there is one God, He is the God of the Jews, He is the God of the Gentiles; the God of the circumcised, the God of the uncircumcised. There is only one God. In Paul’s day the basic issue was, is it necessary to practice circumcision for salvation. The book of Galatians deals with this matter. The Jews and the Judaizers taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. And if you were not circumcised, you were not really saved. They would have not denied faith, but they would have said faith alone is not sufficient. Remember that was the issue at the Jerusalem Conference in Acts 15. The Judaizers said yes, Jesus is the Messiah; yes, He was raised from the dead; yes, you must believe in Him. And no, that is not enough, you must also be circumcised. Galatians 1 Paul says anyone who teaches that is anethama, cursed to hell.

Since there is only one God, there can only be one way of salvation, remember. In Romans 4 Paul goes back to Abraham and says let’s find out how Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, was saved. All the Jews would respect Abraham, he’s the father of the Jewish race. They would all acknowledge that Abraham was a saved man. In fact, Genesis 15:6 says Abraham believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness. That’s quoted in Romans 4:9. In verse 10, how then was it credited? While he was circumcised or uncircumcised? Remember we considered Genesis 15. Had Abraham been circumcised yet? And the answer is no. Verse 10 gives it, not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. He’s not going to be circumcised for another 20 years, Genesis 17. Yet God declares him righteous on the basis of his faith in Genesis 15.
Then in verse 11, and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised. So that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them. And he goes on to develop that.

The point being since there is only one God, there is only one way of salvation. He saved Abraham by faith alone in the revelation God had given. Therefore, that’s the way He will save anyone who is ever saved—by faith alone. That settles the issue of baptism as well. Because was Abraham baptized when God declared him righteous in Genesis 15? As far as we know, Abraham was never baptized. Well there is only one God, there can only be one way of salvation. So there is not a God who saved Abraham by faith alone, a God who would save other people by faith plus circumcision, and another God who would save people by faith plus baptism. We say well wait, baptism wasn’t given then. Well circumcision wasn’t given then either, in Genesis 15. That’s the whole point of Romans 4. God declared him righteous by faith, circumcision isn’t necessary. And Abraham is the standard, the end of verse 11, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, just by their faith in what God has revealed. Baptism hadn’t been given then. That’s the whole point. Abraham is the father of those who receive righteousness by faith, and it’s the only way to get God’s righteousness because there is only one God.

All right, we have that as the foundation. Quite frankly when I’ve dealt with members of groups and cults that have wanted to say baptism is necessary for salvation, they want to start out with their verses. I say, well let’s start out with the foundation, let’s start out in Romans 3 and 4. You believe that’s biblical, too, right? Yes. All right let’s start out there and move from there to the other passages.

All right, so let’s go to Mark 16, the last chapter of the book of Mark and the ending of that chapter. And there is some discussion about this section of Mark and whether it should be a true part of the text or not, beginning with verse 9 and following. It doesn’t change anything for us, what is said here can be handled and so we won’t get into the textual issues. We’re looking at verse 16. We have a form of the great commission here as we’ve looked at in Matthew 28, which is foundational. The instruction is given to go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them. Verse 15, He said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved. There it is. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved. There are two things necessary for salvation—faith and baptism. That those who believe and are baptized will be saved. But we already note we have a problem if that is what is being said here, because Abraham wasn’t baptized. That whole argument is predicated on there is only one God, there can only be one way of salvation—the way Abraham was saved, by faith alone. You’ll note the last part of verse 16, but he who has disbelief shall be condemned. The one who doesn’t believe is condemned. And we’re going to find in the passage that we looked at that baptism is expected and required of those who have trusted Christ. And for a person to claim to have trusted Christ as their Savior and not be baptized is not an issued dealt with in the New Testament. It’s assumed that those who refuse to be baptized are those who have truly not trusted Christ. They are unwilling to be identified with Him as He has required. Why we would think they have trusted Him? By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. And if you love Me, you’ll keep My commandments. So love is not just left out here in a realm. Those who love Christ keep His commandments. They do what He has said.

So I take it here very simply the testimony of their faith in Christ is their baptism. So he who believes and is baptized, which is a public declaration, and the one who doesn’t believe is condemned. And that will be consistent with the rest of the emphasis of scripture as we will see. We noted in Matthew 28, and as Matthew gives the Great Commission, that you make disciples as you are going. And those disciples are being baptized and being taught, the command there to make disciples.

Come to John 3. This doesn’t mention baptism, but it mentions water, and for some people everytime they see water they see baptism. And this verse is often taken to indicate you must be baptized to be saved. In verse 3 Jesus said to Nicodemus, truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said, how can you be born again, I don’t understand a second birth. Jesus answered, in verse 5, truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, He cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t be amazed I said to you, you must be born again. Nicodemus’ question is, how can these things be? Jesus’ question to him is, how can you be the teacher in Israel and not know these things? Now we’re talking about Christian baptism here. How was Nicodemus supposed to know about it? As we have observed in our studies of the baptism of John and the baptism of Christ, Christian baptism hasn’t even begun yet. And we noted when we studied the baptism of John, John separated that clearly from salvation, and only those who gave evidence of having trusted Christ would he baptize. He told the religious leaders coming out to be baptized by him, stop it. What are you doing here? First bring forth fruits fitting for repentance. There is no indication that you truly turned from your sin to believe my message and to believe in the coming Messiah. Why would I baptize you? But here Nicodemus is rebuked for not knowing that you have to be born of water and the Spirit to be saved.

A couple of possibilities. Perhaps the simplest view in light of the context of the gospel of John is, water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit here. And the conjunction in verse 5, water and the Spirit, is a conjunction that can also be translated even. Water, even the Spirit. And water may be a symbol here of the Spirit, because he doesn’t go on to talk about the water, he goes on just to talk about the Spirit. And he could be using the water as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. You say, well why would you pull that into here? Because over in John 7 Jesus uses water as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. And He tells us that is the symbol, what it indicates. Verse 38, he who believes in Me as the scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive. For the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. So here he uses water as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. This He spoke of the Holy Spirit that believers would receive. So it would be consistent within the context of John to say water is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and so in John 3 we’re told you must be born of water, even the Spirit.

That would fit Isaiah 44. Why don’t you go back to Isaiah, because then I want to take you to Ezekiel. Remember Nicodemus is supposed to understand this, Jesus refers to him as the teacher in Israel, evidently a prominent, very influential teacher in Israel. Isaiah 44:3, for I will pour out water on the thirsty and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, my blessings on your descendants. And there he closely connects the water and the Spirit that is to be poured out in coming Messianic days.

Turn over to Ezekiel 36, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. Remember with the death of Christ He established what is known as the new covenant. It brings an end to the mosaic covenant, the law of Moses. The new covenant is established, and in Ezekiel 36, Ezekiel writes about that coming new covenant. Jeremiah 31 talks extensively of it and calls it the new covenant. God speaks about the time He’ll redeem Israel. Verse 24, I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the land and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover I will give you a new heart, put a new spirit within you, remove the heart of stone from your flesh, give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues. You will be careful to observe my ordinances, you will live in the land and so on. Verse 29, I will save you from your uncleanness, and the blessings He will bring. So in this context, the cleansing that will come, and sprinkling clean water. Remember the provision under the mosaic law for the ceremonial cleansing, represented by the water. So that can be involved when Nicodemus is told you must be born of water and the Spirit, that cleansing from defilement that takes place in the new birth. And the work of the Spirit to make you new.

So to read baptism into this, Nicodemus, how is he going to understand Christian baptism. Would that be a problem if you said Jesus said baptism is necessary for salvation. What about Abraham who wasn’t baptized. So that wouldn’t go. You know we get to some passages and say, well if we just had this passage. I remember being in extensive discussions with some Church of Christ pastors, and we met several times over this issue. They kept want to come back and say let’s just deal with this verse and they wanted to act like this is the only verse there is to deal with. I’d say I want to give you the point, if that is the only verse there was you might have a case to say. But you understand there is another way to interpret this verse. So out of the two options, only one of them is consistent with what the Bible teaches in other places. So that rules out the other possibility. Because now we’re not limited to one verse. If all we had was John 3, you must be born of water and the Spirit. We say well can water mean baptism? Well I guess it could, if that would be the only verse we had. But it’s not the only verse we have. And the other verses we have indicate that it can’t refer to that. In fact when I move away from that one verse I find out that Nicodemus couldn’t be expected to even have understood that concept. But he could understand the cleansing that was necessary and the work of the Holy Spirit to make a person new. Because he is teaching people the Old Testament. Didn’t he teach them about the days of the Messiah and that God was going to cause them to be born again, give them a new heart, really make them a new person because He is going to cleanse them from all their defilement and change their heart and put His Spirit within them. What’s the problem, Nicodemus? I mean I’m using the same terminology, the water and the work of Spirit, being made new. And you’re saying I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Here can be a man who teaches the Old Testament and he had no idea what he was talking about.

Come over to Acts 2. Peter preaching on the Day of Pentecost, and he quotes from the Old Testament in Acts 2. He’s declared in verse 21, it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. He tells them in the next verses about Jesus Christ, His life as the Messiah of Israel was attested by signs, wonders and miracles. Yet according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God they crucified Him. But God raised Him from the dead. Verse 36, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. When they heard this they were pierced to the heart and the people cried out, what shall we do? I mean the Spirit of God has brought them under conviction through the hearing of the Word of God. That’s a supernatural work. Peter said to them, repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Remember Ezekiel promised the Holy Spirit, God did through Ezekiel. Part of the new covenant work of Israel’s Messiah.

But what about this, then? Peter said, repent and each of you be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the Holy Spirit. You say, oh Lord, I wouldn’t have ordered it this way. Why do you put this verse in here Lord? Why did you say, repent and be baptized? Why didn’t you have Peter just not say it that way, then we wouldn't have people running around thinking you have to be baptized to be saved. Quite honestly, I think the Spirit of God put some things in here to be confusing to the unbeliever. Why did Jesus teach in parables? To hide truth from unbelievers. Why are some verses here that when an unbeliever reads it, don’t you just sort of cringe if you’re talking to someone who believes that baptism is necessary? They say, let’s go to Acts 2:38. Your thought is, let’s not. Because it says repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. But again I take it Peter is addressing these Jews, declaring to them that they must repent, place their faith in the Messiah that they crucified as their Savior. And they must step forward and be identified with Him in baptism. Cuts out the false profession, oh yeah I believe in that. Then they go back home. You know what happens to a Jew who gets baptized—they can’t go back home. Now they’ve put themselves in the public forum as followers of Jesus Christ. ????????basically calling them to genuine faith and letting them know at the beginning. If they truly believe in the Messiah and understand the horrible sin of which they are guilty—you crucified Him. The end of verse 36, this Jesus whom you crucified. If you truly are repenting of your sin and trusting in Him, then you’ll be willing to evidence that by stepping forward to be identified with Him in water baptism.
Peter will give the same sermon, all of us preachers repeat our sermons. Turn over to Acts 3. Here he is, his second sermon, the first one in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost. Now here he is, and what’s his message. He’s talking about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, verse 13, and so on. Has glorified His servant, Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release Him. Puts the guilt on them for their actions. Verse 14, but you disowned the holy and righteous one and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. You put to death the prince, or author, of life, the one whom God raised from the dead. He emphasizes that God did this and you were opposing the work of God. God is opposed to you, you are the enemies of God. You crucified Him, God raised Him from the dead. Come down to verse 19, therefore repent and return so that your sins may be wiped away. He doesn’t mention baptism here, but he does mention the necessary repentance, turning from your sin.

In Acts 5:30, the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a prince and a Savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Turn over to Acts 10. Peter is giving the same message, we talked about in our study in Corinthians, that there is no flexibility, there is no adjustment in the message, there is one message—the proclamation of a crucified Savior, of a resurrected Savior. And that’s true whether you’re preaching to Jews or Gentiles, and in Acts 10 Peter is preaching to Gentiles. What does he say at the end of verse 39? They put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day. Verse 42, He ordered us to preach to the people and to solemnly testify that this is the one who has been appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. And of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. You believe in Him, you receive forgiveness of sins. How did Abraham receive righteousness? By faith. What does Peter say? By faith you receive forgiveness of sins. While Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell on those who were listening to the message. And the Jews are amazed the Gentiles can be saved. So they’re still growing. Here we are in the 10th chapter of the book of Acts and the Jewish believers………. Remember the first part of Acts 10 Peter didn’t even want to go and preach the gospel to dirty old Gentiles. It was overwhelming to the Jews that God would save Gentiles in any kind of number. Jews always believed that Gentiles who converted to Judaism could be saved, but that God would just save Gentiles……. Amazing. Now what does he say in verse 47? They’ve received the Holy Spirit. Verse 47, surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he? And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Why could they be baptized? Because they had believed the message, they had received the Holy Spirit. Now they can be baptized as a testimony of their faith in Him. So when he goes back to Jerusalem and tells the leaders at Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders, in Acts 11:15-18 he talks about their faith and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Now I think if you look at what Peter declared, repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and look at the pattern of Peter’s ministry through those first 11 chapters of the book of Acts, you’ll see the pattern is a preaching of the gospel and the call to faith. And then those who have declared their faith in Christ publicly acknowledge it by water baptism. There are no secret disciples in the book of Acts. And for those who claim to have believed in Him, there are no options. Of course you will step forward to be identified with Him, and if you don’t you won’t be accepted as one who has truly believed in Him. Because you don’t think you were saved you weren’t baptized? No. But if you are truly saved you won’t be ashamed to be identified with Him. Well I think I can be identified with Him in other ways than baptism. But you’re not the Lord, He is, and He’s the one who gave the instructions, make disciples and baptize them. So we do it His way, and that’s just the pattern of the book of Acts as we have noticed.

In Acts 22:16, this is the conversion of the Apostle Paul. And this is Ananias who has been sent to Paul after he’s been struck blind on the Damascus Road. Verse 14 God has told Ananias to come and here is the message that Ananias is giving to Paul, the God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. You will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name. In the context here I take it he washes away his sin by calling on His name. But Paul is to step up and be baptized. God has already told Ananias that Paul is a chosen instrument of His, that He will bear His name before the Gentiles. So there is no question about Paul’s salvation. He told Paul you are saved by calling on His name, your sins are washed away. We take it that in baptism we identify in His death, burial and resurrection and portrayed. We have been cleansed, our sins have been washed away. Baptism doesn’t wash away the sins, but it portrays that event along with the identification. Saved by calling on His name, is the point.

Okay let’s go to Titus 3. We’re not taking these in any order, except we’re just moving through the New Testament in the order they come. Titus 3:5, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy. By the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Well there’s the word washing. If you read some writers they say well there’s an evidence of baptismal regeneration. It’s the washing of regeneration. Well that washing, that cleansing, that removing of the defilement comes in regeneration. So regeneration is what washes away our sin, we are made new as part of the package. We saw that in Ezekiel. All that God would do—sprinkle clean water on you to wash away their defilement, to give them a new heart, to place the Spirit within them. All these things come as the package. Nobody has their sins washed away…….. Though your sins be as scarlet they will be white as snow. Nobody has their sins washed away who isn’t reborn, born again, regenerated. Nobody is born again who doesn’t also receive the Holy Spirit. I mean all these things are together what make up salvation. So the washing is regeneration, the washing of regeneration, the renewing by the Holy Spirit. Renewing is not separate from the Holy Spirit, it’s the renewing by the Holy Spirit. So regeneration brings the cleansing from sin, the work of the Holy Spirit to make you new. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things have passed away, new things have come. God had promised in the Old Testament prophets that He would provide a fountain for the cleansing of Israel, symbolizing that washing away the defilement.
We were at one of our kids’ homes, one of the kids went in to get his bath and came out. The mother said, you get back in there and get back in the shower. You’re not clean. You know kids have a way of just passing through the mist in the bathroom. Went there in a hurry and that counts as a shower, but it didn’t clean him. You have to get in and get cleaned. Regeneration cleanses you, there is nothing external that can cleanse you. That’s a work of God. That’s why God said He has to give you a new heart. That’s why here he said you have to be made new by the Holy Spirit, you have to be born again, regenerated. That’s what washes you clean.

I Peter, this is the last verse we’ll look at. There is another one we could look at but it’s coming up in Corinthians some day, so we’ll leave it for that. I Peter 3:20, this is a challenging section. Some of you have studied I Peter, some of you have taught it. Talks about Christ going and making proclamation to the spirits in prison, verses 18-19. These are the spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah while God patiently waited and Noah was a preacher of righteousness according to what we’re told in II Peter 2. And only 8 people were saved after 120 years of preaching, his own family. They were brought safely through the water, they were saved through the water. Corresponding to that, verse 21, baptism now saves you. The symbol, the antitype that corresponding means a symbol and antitype. He said they were saved through water, at the end of verse 20, Noah, his family, eight persons were saved through water and corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. And he clarifies, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of God. And as work through it this is a challenging passage, but baptism saves you in the way that the water saved Noah and his family. I didn’t know Noah and his family were saved by the water, I thought they were saved by the ark. But the end of verse 20 says eight persons were saved through water. We have it, brought safely through. But they were saved, literally, through water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. So just like Noah and his family were saved through the water, so you are saved through the water of baptism.

How did the water save Noah? Well it cut them off from the unbelieving, unregenerate people who came under the judgment of God. In that way, when we are identified with Christ in baptism, we are cut off from the unbelieving world. So in that sense it’s not the water that saves us, but it’s that indication that we are followers of Christ and have experienced the power of His resurrection in our lives. Baptism here is identified as a symbol, a symbol of which baptism now saves you, the way that the water saved Noah. And it’s not the physical water that we’re talking about here. So there is a representation. When these were baptized tonight, that was a public declaration separating them from the world. They had been separated in Christ when they believed, but this public stand in scripture is viewed now as cutting you off in a public way from the world. I mean there are people who have claimed to have believed in Christ but they haven’t told anybody yet. I haven’t told my family yet. What happens? These things have a way of cutting us off. Many people like to look for ways not to bring baptism into it. I can trust Christ and not be baptized, because then it doesn’t become an issue. If I’m going to be baptized now, am I denying my Roman Catholic faith, am I denying my Lutheran faith, am I denying the faith of my parents? They’re not going to understand. Well this is a public way we are cut off, separated from the realm of the unbeliever, from the unbelieving world. In that way it’s like the waters of the flood. God intends a line to be drawn. That doesn’t mean, as we’ve talked about, that we don’t become all things to all men to save some and Jesus was a friend of sinners. But there is a separation as well that is to be true among us.

There are a couple of things I want to say and I don’t know that I can get it all in. The baptism of infants. As far as I can tell this is a non-issue biblically, a non-issue from the standpoint the Bible doesn’t support it. Some of the things I’ve read, even those who practice it acknowledge that it’s not a doctrine you get from the scripture. I was reading a Lutheran pastor who was writing on the subject, and he acknowledged, he said, this is not a doctrine that you can develop from scripture. Nonetheless I think it is a practice that we should practice. I can’t find any support for infant baptism in scripture. Go back to Acts 10. I don’t know how many of these we’ll get in because I do want to say something about the age of baptism. Acts 10:27, they found many people assembled. Peter had brought together family and friends and some would say there had to be children and infants. I mean these kind of inferences…………. Then you would have to say those children had received the Holy Spirit and were speaking in tongues down in verses 44-45, because that’s what Peter said they were doing when you get to chapter 11, and he tells them in Jerusalem. So it just is not an issue. The Phlippian jailer, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your household. Well, that’s true. I tell you that you and your whole family can be saved if they will believe in Jesus Christ and believe the gospel. To say there were children involved in that, I think that’s a stretch.

One example on this household thing and then we have to move on. I Corinthians 1. We’ll use I Corinthians 1 since we’ve been doing I Corinthians. We already know the first 9 chapters inside and out, backwards and forwards. And in I Corinthians 1:14 Paul says, I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius. And verse 16, now I did baptize the household of Stephanas. ????the household of Stephanas. Well if he baptized the household, wouldn’t you assume there were probably babies in that? You understand a household in those days was comprised of not only the parents and the children, but the servants and so on. I don’t think he’s including babies or infants or young children here. You say, well you think that, I think differently. Well while you’re here before we go to show that the household wouldn’t be focusing on young children, you’ll note verse 17, Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel. If baptism were a necessary part of salvation, you can be sure Paul would have been doing it, because his whole goal was to win men to Christ, to win people to Christ. We just did that in I Corinthians 9. If baptism is necessary for their salvation, why would Paul say I didn’t baptize people. I was happy to have them partially saved? It would be a foolish argument.

But note the household of Stephanas that he baptized—household of Staphanas, verse 16. All right come over to I Corinthians 16:15, now I urge you brethren, you know the household of Stephanas, and he baptized the household of Stephanas in I Corinthians 1:16. You know the household of Stephanas. They were the firstfruits of Achaia, the first people to believe in the province of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints. The household has devoted themselves to ministry to the saints. Does that mean the 2-year-olds were ministering to the saints? If you say household has to include babies and infants and young children, you have to say they were doing a ministry. The New Testament talks about adults primarily. Not saying children can’t be saved, Jesus did say allow the children to come to me. We don’t want to read more than we should, we want to encourage. We teach our children the gospel, we encourage them to believe in Christ. I find no place that baptism does anything for infants. Removing original sin is a Roman Catholic doctrine. They are so concerned to baptize a baby, especially if there is a chance it may die, because if you don’t baptize it before it dies, it won’t wash away sin. That doesn’t come from the scripture. Remember Roman Catholicism has two lines of authority—it has the scripture and it has the church. And what the church says is just as authoritative as what the scripture says. In fact the church is the only authoritative interpreter of the scripture, so for Roman Catholics you really end up with one authority—the church. So if you are from a Roman Catholic family, a Lutheran family, they probably express concern if you are not getting your infant and new baby baptized. All we can do is explain to them what the scripture says is salvation.

Let me just wrap up by a couple of comments about our practice of baptism. A number of years ago we went into a more thorough study than we had done on the whole issue of baptism and is there an age, perhaps, that we should baptize. Is it good to be baptizing young children, is there a line here. In fact I was back reading some papers that some of you had written on that, in conjunction the elders were studying it, some of you were studying it, some of you wrote some papers on studies and submitted them to us. And I was rereading those here this past week, and it was excellent work you did, and it was fun to reread some of that. We came to the conclusion that we would limit our baptisms to those 18 and older. And that’s not because there is any verse that says 18 as an age, so that was an arbitrary decision.

Why did we come to that? Several reasons. We’re not saying that children can’t be saved, but it seemed to us in the context of the New Testament and the calling of people to discipleship and their public testimony in water baptism, it required a person to be of age to be able to make such an independent decision and be held accountable for it. So those are the kinds of issues that become involved. Can this person, not can they be saved, but are they in a place to make an independent stand on their own? Some of you raised the issue then, we think the parents ought to make that decision with the child, and they’re probably the best able. And that may well be, although I have to admit as a parent, now as a grandparent, they’re not always the best able to make that decision because we all have a heart of wanting our children to be saved so badly. We heard a couple testimonies tonight of those who made professions early, but now as they look, their genuine salvation didn’t occur until later. So sorting things out.

What concerned me and me personally as I got to look, I noticed the only children who ever got baptized at Indian Hills were children of Indian Hills parents. Because we didn’t tell 6-year-olds who may make a profession of faith when they came to our Bible School or something like that, now you have to come and get baptized. Well my parents don’t want me to get baptized, they said I’m not allowed. That doesn’t matter, you believe in Jesus Christ, you have to publicly identify with Him. You sneak out tonight after they put to bed and you come over here and get baptized. We say, well that would be terrible to do. So what we end up with only children of Christian parents were getting baptized, because their parents approved. Now we have brought in something else—parental approval for baptism. It seems maybe we were weakening the testimony. College students who made a profession of faith in Christ, we told them they had to be baptized. We had some college students, I remember a college student coming in and saying, you know my parents said they will cut off all my funds for college education if I do this. Okay, looks like you’re going to be poor. Because the Bible says………. Have you really trusted Christ? Jesus said if you love father or mother more than me, you’re not worthy of me. I guess it’s going to divide your family. Jesus said I’ve come to create a division, I didn’t come to bring peace. I came to bring a sword, dividing parents from children and so on.

So we reach a point where we say the Bible requires you to step forward, no matter what the cost. Well we don’t do that to young children. So how we came to decide on 18 is in our society that’s when your kids can walk down and sign up and join the army. You don’t have to sign for them. They can say, I’m out of here, pack their suitcase and be gone. So when are they when we tell them regardless of what parents, family and friends say, here is what the Bible requires you to do. And that’s how we came to think well in our society it’s 18. Seventeen could be it, but we settled on that age where we would say that it is their decision, it’s not conditioned on parental approval, doesn’t matter whether your parents attend this church or they don’t. Doesn’t matter whether your parents are believers or not, doesn’t matter whether your parents approve or not. This is what God says, that those who have placed their faith in His Son are to do.

So that’s how part of the reasoning of how we came. I wouldn’t want there to be any misunderstanding and say well Indian Hills believes that the biblical age is 18 for baptism. No, that’s not what we’re saying. It does seem to me as I search through the scripture that it is an adult action. Some of you are aware and I’ve shared before, when we were going through those studies at that time we had a group of people who had immigrated here from the Soviet Union, Russian Baptists. And they stayed after one night to talk to me about this and they wanted to be clear, there should be no children baptized. They couldn’t follow English very well and they thought maybe I was teaching that we ought to be baptizing children. They met me in the parking lot and it was late, I had been in here. And they said, no children, no children. And they wanted to explain. They came from Russia. You have to be willing to go to jail, you have to be ready to go to jail, you have to step up and be baptized and that means they will arrest you. No children. That’s not something children can decide and it’s their decision, this is adults. I don’t know their age, I’m not saying they’d say 18, they might have said 15, I don’t know. But sometimes in our society we think well the children, and parents get very testy about this. And I know we had some families upset, ultimately some families, one of the factors that came into their leaving, because you’re saying my children aren’t believers if you won’t baptize them. I’m not saying that. If we understand that baptism is not part of salvation, if your 4-year-old has truly placed their faith in Christ and God has done a work of regeneration in the heart, they are saved. But to step forward in a public identification.

This seems to me to be consistent with the discipleship passages. Turn over to Matthew 10 and then we will be done. Remember Jesus said to go and make disciples. In Acts 11:26 the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. And so we talk about a Christian you’re talking about a disciple in New Testament terminology, because the word disciple is only used in the gospels and the book of Acts. We’ve come up with certain kinds of concepts of discipleship, but the term disciple was a term used in the gospel and the book of Acts. It’s never used in the epistles. Matthew 10:24, a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, a slave like his master. And he goes on to talk about this whole matter. Verse 28, do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Verse 32, therefore everyone who confesses me before men I will confess him before my Father who is in heaven. Everyone who denies me before men, I will deny before my Father who is in heaven. You see the genuineness here of true faith? Those who are unwilling to step forward in their faith are not accepted as genuine. Verse 34, I didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 37, he who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. He who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. These kind of commitments…….. Children are precious, Jesus said don’t forbid the children to come to Me in Matthew 19. But we also understand there are certain things that only adults are able to sort through. We’ve heard in some of the testimonies here.

Turn over to Matthew 16:24, Jesus said to His disciples, if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up His cross and follow Me. Whoever wishes to save His life will lose it, but whoever loses His life for my sake will find it. These kind of issues when Jesus talks about discipleship, don’t make a commitment. You wouldn’t go to war without first evaluating the cost and what’s the size of the opposing army. You wouldn’t try to build a house or a city without considering the cost. So consider the cost before you follow Me. Obviously Jesus is talking in the context of adults who are able to sort through these matters. Now we must have a childlike faith. That’s why I’m not saying children can’t be saved. As far as I can tell, I was saved at 10, and as far as I can discern to this point I believe that was a genuine salvation. I can’t say I was ready to step forward as an independent adult and declare my……… I couldn’t have done it without my parents’ permission. And there were things…….maybe to declare that in a public way, it was better that I waited until I was older and could sort through this and understood now I’m going into the public forum with my faith.

So the fact that we make a distinction here, we’re not saying children can’t be saved. I don’t know. I couldn’t tell in my own children, I can’t tell in my grandchildren, I can’t tell in your children. And as we heard testimonies tonight, and we hear these repeatedly, when I was young I did. Does that mean they weren’t saved, or no one was saved? I don’t know. But we do see a distinction when they become adults. Does that mean there is no false profession? We already saw Simon in the book of Acts. Adults can make false professions also, but they can be held accountable for that. At least we are in a position now where we don’t require parental approval, and adults are required to step forward and declare that faith. It’s an independent action and one for which they are responsible and accountable.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your marvelous salvation. Thank you, Lord, that salvation is by your grace alone, it is all of grace and none of our works, none of our merit, none of our actions, but your grace. It is by faith alone as a result of your grace, we simply trust what you have said, we trust what you have done. And amazing miracle, we are cleansed, washed clean from the defilement of sin, whiter than snow. We are made new, given a new heart, made new creatures. We receive you Spirit. Lord, amazing work of redemption, the salvation that takes place in time and will endure through eternity. What a privilege it is to believe in the Savior and step forward and publicly declare our allegiance to Him, ready to give up all, to forsake all because of our commitment to Him. We praise you for Him. In His name, amen.