Strange Baptisms

What Is a Strange Baptism?

1. It is a baptism altering God’s commandments, explanations, and descriptions in the Bible.
2. There is a “due order” for keeping God’s commandments; and any variation or addition or deletion without a dispensation is unacceptable to God (I Chr 15:13; Deut 5:32-33; 12:32).
3. Why do so-called Christians do such things? Many reasons e.g. tradition, feelings, ignorance, casual approach to worship, contemporary compromise, to avoid denomination distinctions, to reduce exclusivity and appeal to a broader market, the argument from silence, etc.
4. We are accused of sweating the small stuff and being nit-picking, detail freaks, but we believe the Bible declares we are righteous, sober, and wise (Matt 5:19-20; 28:18-20).

What Does God Think?

1. Cain brought (1) an offering (2) to the LORD at (3) the right place and (4) time, but God rejected both his offering and him, while accepting Abel and his offering (Gen 4:1-5).
2. Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron, as high in the ministry as you could get, but when they brought contemporary changes into God’s worship, He burned them up (Lev 10:1-7).
3. Moses was a very faithful leader of Israel that smote (1) the right rock with (2) God’s staff and (3) got the desired results, but God was angry and kept him from Canaan (Num 20:7-12).
4. David was the man after God’s own heart, but God killed a man because David’s enthusiastic worship service was not according to the “due order” (II Sam 6:1-10; I Chr 15:11-15).
5. Uzziah was a very blessed king of Judah, but he presumed on his blessings to attempt new things in God’s worship, and he spent the rest of his life as a leper (II Chron 26:16-21).

How Might the Five Men Baptize?

1. Cain might try to make baptism more important by adding regeneration or membership to it.
2. Nadab and Abihu might bring in changes of sprinkling (Presbyterian) or pouring (Catholic).
3. Moses might use immersion or sprinkling or pouring, but on infants instead of adults (most).
4. David might feel sorry for those already dead and invent baptism for the dead (Mormons).
5. Uzziah would let anyone baptize, whether deacon or Sunday School teacher or your buddy.

What Are Strange Baptisms?

1. Baptizing by persons other than ordained preachers of the gospel. This is the administrator.
2. Baptizing any person other than a conscientious, repenting believer. This is the subject.
3. Baptizing with doctrine other than Jesus as God’s Son and only Saviour. This is the doctrine.
4. Baptizing by any other use of water than full immersion under water. This is the mode.
5. Baptizing with the wrong view of baptism in its relationship to salvation. This is the design.
6. Some believe baptism makes you a church member, but this does not affect the five criteria.
7. For review of any baptism, you may analyze it by these five criteria, and a comparison with definitions is on our website: https://letgodbetrue.com/bible-topics/index/baptism/denominational-summary/.

How Many Have Strange Baptisms?

1. In rough numbers, 1/3 of the world, or about 2.2 billion people claim to be Christians.
2. Of that 2.2 billion, only about 5% practice the immersion of those professing faith without attaching regeneration or salvation to the act. Only about 5% are right about baptism. Who are these 5%? Mainly Baptists. But even they are corrupting baptism and most are ignorant.

One Verse Says So Much

1. I Peter 3:21 says more about baptism than any other verse in the Bible. Do you know it?
2. It says baptism is a figure of something … Jesus Christ’s resurrection … thus immersion.
3. It says baptism does not wash away the filth of the flesh, so it does not wash away sins.
4. It says baptism is the answer of a good conscience, requiring a believer with some age.
5. Modern versions of the Bible corrupt one or all of these identifying marks of baptism.

For Further Study:

1. See the “Baptism” section of our website.
2. From our website, “Why Sweat the Small Stuff?”
3. From our website, a closer look at I Peter 3:21.