Answering Proof Texts Cited In Defense Of Baptismal Regeneration

• Discussion:

          -The purpose of this article is to answer a number of proof texts cited in support of baptismal regeneration, which is the idea that baptism must be added to faith for obtaining a righteous standing before God. While not all who teach this doctrine would deny that justification is by faith alone, the idea is nonetheless erroneous. Excerpts from a Catholic source are cited in bold and followed by a critique of such claims:

          "Mark 16:16 – Jesus said “He who believes AND is baptized will be saved.” Jesus says believing is not enough. Baptism is also required. This is because baptism is salvific, not just symbolic. The Greek text also does not mandate any specific order for belief and baptism, so the verse proves nothing about a “believer’s baptism.”

          The act of baptism is associated with justification before God, but does not constitute that instance itself. Consider this reasoning from analogy: people may have experience driving a vehicle, but it does not follow that they acquire knowledge regarding its assembly. In the same vein, Mark 16:16 nowhere indicates that unbaptized Christians will be condemned by God. Baptism cannot be a condition for salvation because it is a work (Ephesians 2:8-9). As to the order of faith and baptism in the New Testament, the latter always follows the former. For example, Matthew 28:19 says, "teach...and baptize..." Acts 2:38 says, "repent...and be baptized..." Moreover, it is not sound practice to use a passage with questionable authenticity to support a theological position.

          "John 3:3,5 – unless we are “born again” of water and Spirit in baptism, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The Greek word for the phrase “born again” is “anothen” which literally means “begotten from above.” See, for example, John 3:31 where “anothen” is so used. Baptism brings about salvation, not just a symbolism of our salvation."

          The phrase "born again" is to be paralleled with "born of the spirit." This washing is a single act brought about by the Spirit of God. It is a new birth that renews us and transforms us to be more like Jesus Himself. In the Old Testament, water is usually associated with purification of the soul. Notable references to this would include Isaiah 44:3 and Ezekiel 36:25-27. That is the context by which we are to understand Christ's words to Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus said in John 3:7 that he should not be surprised by His teaching, implying it should already have been known. Nicodemus was, after all, a teacher of the Law. This act of changing the human heart is accomplished from a source from beyond this world. The source of regeneration is the Holy Spirit. We cannot visibly see Him, but can see the effects of His work in a converted person (John 3:8). Since baptism is a work done by human hands, that would disqualify it as the means of being born again. The context identifies this act as being something beyond the control of us and coming from outside us.

          The motif of being washed spiritually was known to the Qumran Community. Consider the following excerpt cited by Alex Deasley, The Shape of Qumran Theology, p. 232:

          "By the spirit of holiness which links him with his truth he is cleansed of all his sins. And by the spirit of uprightness and humility his sin is atoned. And by the compliance of his soul with all the laws of God his flesh is cleansed by being sprinkled with cleansing waters and being made holy with the waters of repentance. May he, then, steady his steps in order to walk with perfection on all the paths of God." (IQS III 7b-10a)

           Water imagery is used to convey the necessity of spiritual cleansing. The Jews from Qumran would have gotten that idea from the Old Testament.

          "Acts 2:38 – Peter commands them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in order to be actually forgiven of sin, not just to partake of a symbolic ritual."

          In Acts 2:38, the Apostle Peter was calling upon his audience to identify themselves with Jesus Christ. In getting baptized, they identified themselves as being recipients of the grace and mercy of God. They aligned themselves with the cause of Christ. Baptism signifies His death and resurrection. It is a picture of an inner transformation of our hearts through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Another passage that has the same kind of imagery regarding baptism is 1 Corinthians 10:2. The Apostle Paul stated that the Israelites were baptized into Moses, meaning that they identified themselves with his mission and purpose. Baptism is not a condition for salvation, but an expression that one has been forgiven by God and granted citizenship into His kingdom. Moreover, it is repentance, not baptism, that is associated with the forgiveness of sin in Luke's theology (Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; 11:18).

          Roy B. Zuck, in his work titled Basic Bible Interpretation, p. 120, advocates for a different interpretation of Acts 2:38:

          "...An important observation, which can be seen only in Greek, is that the verb repent is in the plural, as is the word your which precedes the word sins. Interestingly, however, the words baptized and the first occurrence of you in the verse are in the singular. This seems to suggest that the words "and be baptized, every one of you (sing.), in the name of Jesus Christ," should be set apart as a parenthetical statement. The main thought then is, "Repent [pl.] so that your [pl.] sins may be forgiven. This is a command that corresponds with many similar commands in the New Testament. Then the instruction to be baptized is directed to individuals, suggesting that any individual who does repent should then submit to water baptism."

          "1 Cor. 6:11 – Paul says they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, in reference to baptism. The “washing” of baptism gives birth to sanctification and justification, which proves baptism is not just symbolic."

          The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:11 does not refer to the ritual act of baptism, but to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:26 is another text that uses visually descriptive and figurative language regarding washing. Just because a text contains a reference to washing, does not necessarily mean that it is about literal water. If Paul believed in baptismal regeneration, then it would have been illogical for him to have spoken the way he had at the beginning of his letter (1 Corinthians 1:14-17). He clearly separated the events of baptism and justification before God. Thus, Paul did not believe doing such diminished the importance of that ritual.

          Romans 3-5 is the key passage explaining how one is justified in the sight of God. The constant object of emphasis there is faith to the exclusion of works of the Law. Therefore, justification is said to be by the grace of God alone through faith alone. If such a proposition were false, then the Apostle Paul must also be an incompetent minister, since he never mentions various requirements for justification in this crucial context. He only stresses faith.

          "1 Peter 3:21 – Peter expressly writes that “baptism, corresponding to Noah’s ark, now saves you; not as a removal of dirt from the body, but for a clear conscience. “ Hence, the verse demonstrates that baptism is salvific (it saves us), and deals with the interior life of the person (purifying the conscience, like Heb. 10:22), and not the external life (removing dirt from the body)."

          The key to answering this argument lies in the phrase "...which corresponds to this" (or "The like figure...," as in the Authorized Version). Just as Noah and his family had entered the ark to escape judgment from God on this world through floodwater, so those who place their trust in Jesus Christ will be saved from eternal condemnation at the Final Judgment. He is the "ark" which protects us from the eschatological wrath of God. Baptism is a picture of the newness of life that we experience in Christ. 1 Peter 3:21 says that it is not the ritual which purifies our consciences (i.e. "not as a removal of dirt from the body..."), but that which baptism represents, namely, our changed identity and newfound union in Him.