Religious Debate On Christian Baptism
A Look at Different Views on the Purpose of Being Baptized
May 13, 2009
The ongoing religious debate among Christians over the purpose of baptism generally involves three different views: the sacramental view, the covenantal view and the symbolic view.
Sacramental View of Baptism
A sacrament, or ordinance, is a religious act in which God's grace is conveyed. Christians who have a sacramental view of baptism believe that the person being baptized receives the remission of their sins and is regenerated into a new life.
Some of the Biblical verses used to support this view are as follows:
- "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." ~John 3:5
- "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.'" ~Acts 2:38
- "And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." ~Acts 22:16
- "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." ~Titus 3:5-7
Covenantal View of Baptism
A covenant is an agreement between two people or groups involving promises to each other. God's new covenant with the world is a pledge to bless and save those who follow Christ.
For the Jews, circumcision was a visible sign of their inclusion in God's covenant under the Law of Moses. Christians with a covenantal view of baptism believe that it is a sign or seal of their inclusion in the covenant or as the way of entering the covenant.
A key scripture used to support this is Colossians 2:11-12, which says, "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead."
Symbolic View of Baptism
Under the symbolic view of baptism, the baptism ceremony is an act of obedience in which a believer publicly acknowledges a change of heart, acceptance of God's gift of salvation and a commitment to Christ. Baptism is symbolic of being buried into Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
A key verse which supports this view is Romans 6:3-4, which reads, "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Integrating the Views of Baptism
Those debating the different views of Christian baptism must be careful to avoid using one set of scriptures, which supports their view, as a counter to passages which support another view. If the Bible is truly the inspired word of God, biblical passages will complement, not contradict, each other.
Since each view of baptism has scriptural support, a rational conclusion can be made that all three views have merit. If this is the case, then the sacramental, covenantal and symbolic views of baptism, instead of being mutually exclusive, are inclusive of all three concepts.
Based on the biblical passages, it is reasonable to accept that, at the point of baptism:
- God's grace and forgiveness is conveyed to believers;
- Believers are brought into God's covenant and added to the church, and;
- Believers are obeying Christ's command and publicly identifying themselves with Christ.
Nothing in the scriptures indicate that the water, the immersion or the person performing the baptism possess any special powers or qualities of their own. Instead, the power and gift of salvation comes from God at the point the believer takes their first step of obedience to God in faith.
Ultimately, it is up to each believer to prayerfully search the scriptures with an open mind in order to make their own determination of what the purpose of baptism is and, based on what they have learned, to follow through on their convictions.
Sources:
- Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Revised ed. Edited by Ronald F. Youngblood. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 1995) pp. 155-157.
- NIV Life Application Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985).
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