The Church has baptized infants from the beginning. And even the progenitor of Protestantism taught the necessity of baptizing infants!
Christians for centuries have been divided as to the meaning of Christ’s words in John
3:5, “except a man be BORN OF WATER and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of
God.”
Many religious people, including saved ones, have interpreted Christ words, in John 3:5,
to mean salvation by water baptism, sometimes called “baptismal regeneration.”
They say that this interpretation is confirmed by Peter’s words on the day of Pentecost,
“repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,”
(Acts 2:38). They say that the same teaching is in Mark 16:16, “he that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved.”
They quote also, in support of their teaching, Mark 1:4 and I John 5:8: “John did baptize
in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” “And there are
three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in
one.”
In Mark 7:20 to 23, the Lord Jesus told His hearers that man’s sin was from within. “All
these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” (Mark 7:23).
Although intelligent reasoning should convince any thinking person that a few drops of
water on the head, or gallons of water all over the sinner, cannot cleanse him of the sin that is
within; yet the Scriptures quoted,
unless studied according to I Corinthians 2:12 and II Timothy
2:15, seem to suggest saving value in water.
But if one man puts water on another man and the baptized person of himself submits to
baptism, and is thereby saved,
then Ephesians 2:8 and 9 cannot be true, “saved by grace, through
faith; NOT OF YOURSELVES; not of works.”
Can we imagine that Paul, who became all things
to all men that by all means he might win some, (I Corinthians 9:20 to 25), who was even willing
to circumcise Timothy, would have thanked God for the few believers in Corinth that be baptized
(I Corinthians 1:1 to 17),
if there was any efficacy in water? At the time Paul wrote to the
Corinthians, he would not have written I Corinthians 1:14 to 17, if water helped to save a sinner.
How inconsistent is the Christian who endeavors to prove his “water regeneration” by Mark
16:16 and wholly ignore the signs following in Mark 16:17 and 18.
In John 4:14 Christ told the woman that He would give her a drink that would prove to be
a well of water. In John 7:38 and 39, He likened the Holy Spirit to water flowing from within the
believer. In neither case did He have in mind, water, but that which the water typified.
The believer, in Hebrews 10:22, is said to have his body washed with pure water. Does
this mean that purified water must be actually applied? If so, how about Revelation 1:5 - “U
nto
Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood?” Christ’s blood was shed for
the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28). In order to be saved, does a sinner have to wash in
Christ’s blood as literally as the “baptismal regeneration” religious people tell us we must wash
in the water baptism?
The blood that bears witness with the water, in I John 5:8, does not really
touch the believer. That blood was shed at the time Christ was baptized with the baptism that
saves the sinner. (Luke 12:50).
Sinners are saved without works of righteousness, and without religious rites, or
ordinances, or ceremonies; but by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy
Spirit. (Titus 3:5 to 8). Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for the Church; “That He
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” (Ephesians 5:26).
No
religious water washing is necessary for regeneration.
Sinners are born again by the Word of God. (I Peter 1:23 - James 1:18, 21). Believers are
chosen unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. (II
Thessalonians 2:13).
This is to him that worketh not. (Romans 4:5).
BBS.
Johann.
