Folly, Truth, and Glory of Baptism

The Folly of Baptist Baptism

1.  Men and women enter a public pool fully clothed, and one of the men pushes the others, even the women, under water and lifts them back up, after talking about God.
   1. If you ask them later, Did they see a vision or meet God under water, they say, No!
   2. If you ask them, Did it save you from God’s wrath? They say, It did no such thing
   3. If you ask them, Is such an obvious fuss necessary to go to heaven? They say, N
   4.  If you ask them, Did that man push you under the water like that? They say, Yes!
   5.  If you ask them, Did that dunking make you a church member? They will say, No!
   6.  Yet Baptists mock Muslims throwing stones at the devil on pilgrimage in Mecca?!
2. The Mother Church (RCC) has a beautiful ceremony with a Legion of pretty rituals.
   1. It’s a huge affair for family and friends, which godparents named for the infant.
   2. Christening gowns are kept for generations that the babies wore when poured on.
   3. We had a birth in this church a couple weeks ago, and we could copy Rome today.
   4. Rome seldom admits all the rituals in once place, likely for shame or ignorance.
   5. RCC … http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/Textcontents/index/4/subindex/67/textindex/7.
   6. RCC … http://www.ibreviary.com/m2/preghiere.php?tipo=Rito&id=103.
   7. RCC … https://baby.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Catholic_Baptism.
3. Baptist baptisms are foolish and for the poor compared to the RCC (Luke 7:29-30).
   1. It was the common people and publicans who were baptized by John the Baptist.
   2. The religious folk like Pharisees and lawyers rejected God’s word and would not.
   3. Religious folk always want something dramatic, pretty, or popular to practice it.
4. Baptist baptisms are in ugly venues compared to cathedrals and temples (Ac 8:36-37).
   1. The eunuch, out in the middle of the desert, wanted to be baptized by Philip there.
   2. Why was it important for them to stop at an oasis and perform this rite of baptism?
   3. Why not use some water from a canteen? Or wait until getting to a nearby church?
5. Denominational upstarts like Pentecostals and Charismatics claim effects and feelings.
   1. At one extreme they say you are born again, sins washed away, and given tongues.
   2. In the middle they say you should get the gift of tongues if you are truly baptized.
   3. Baptists deny any such thing, knowing baptism of the Holy Spirit is 2000 yrs. old.
   4. Charismatics/Pentecostals will tell wild tales about feelings or power after baptism.
   5. The stories are no better than Benny Hinn seeing God or raising a dead man to life.
6. The only feeling guaranteed by honest Baptist pastors is to make you wet and/or cold.
   1. Comparing appearance of Baptist baptism to the Catholic one, Baptists are foolish.
   2. Comparing the effect (salvation and/or tongues), Baptists are foolish and impotent.
   3. Baptism is by faith … like most things … obeying God’s word … like Hebrews 11.
   4. If we could or should have feelings, folks would get baptized for wrong reasons.
7. Naaman the Syrian illustrated well of being a fool for God’s blessing (II Kgs 5:1-14).
   1. Though Naaman the Syrian was a great man in several big ways, he was a leper.
   2. A little girl from Israel had been captured and was a servant to Naaman’s wife.
   3. The little girl knew of Elisha’s reputation and believed he could cure leprosy.
   4. Someone took this little girl’s statement and reported it to the king of Syria.
   5. The king of Syria sends Naaman to the king of Israel with many gifts for healing.
   6. A letter explains to the king of Israel that the king of Syria wants Naaman cured.
   7. Since leprosy had no cure, the king of Israel was sure this was a trick to start a war.
   8. Elisha heard the king’s predicament, so he asked Naaman to prove God’s religion.
   9. Naaman arrived with a great company at the door of Elisha’s house to see Elisha.
   10. Elisha did not come to the door but sent a servant for him to dip 7 times in Jordan.
   11. Naaman got angry at the lack of respect and lack of religious show to cure him.
   12. Naaman also complained angrily about the dirty Jordan and left in a foolish rage.
   13. His servants reminded him he would have done much more, why not much less?
   14. Naaman humbly obeyed his servants’ wisdom, obeyed God’s word, and was cured.
8. Would you … let Jesus put spit mud on your eyes … then wander to Siloam (Jn 9:6-7)?
9. The Bible rule – will you be a fool for God’s glory and Jesus’ sake (I Cor 1:18-20,26-28; 2:14; 3:18-20; 4:9-13; Acts 17:18,32; 26:24; Matthew 11:25-26; 18:4)?
   1. If you want to be truly wise, then you must become a fool and quit your wisdom.
   2. For you to be like the apostle Paul, you must become a fool for Jesus Christ’s sake.

The Truth of Baptist Baptism

1. Strange fire … cost Aaron’s sons their lives … what of strange baptisms (Lev 10:1-2)
   1. They were the right men at the right place at the right time for the right God, but the altered incense or ceremony brought God’s immediate fire of vengeance.
   2. What about the terrible baptismal compromises taking place everywhere today?
   3. Infants?
   4. Pouring?
   5. Sprinkling?
   6. For regeneration?
   7. For dead relatives?
   8. Intrauterine?
   9. Godparents?
   10. Salt in the mouth?
   11. Spit on mouth and ears?
   12. Insufflation and Exsufflation?
2. A scriptural baptism have five requirements that cannot be forgotten or compromised.
   1. Proper Administrator … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/proper-administrator.php.
   2. Proper Subject … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/proper-subject.php.
   3. Proper Doctrine … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/proper-doctrine.php.
   4. Proper Mode … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/proper-mode.php.
   5. Proper Design … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/proper-design.php.
3. Our God cares about details, so we care about details, thus this section and more.
   1. Never forget Nadab and Abihu above and God’s severe judgment for strange fire.
   2. Baptisms varying from the prescribed rules and examples of the N.T. deserves fire.
   3. More about the importance of details … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/faq/small-stuff.php.
4. Regarding the subject of baptism, 90% of Christians baptize infants and 10% baptize those old enough to believe and obey for themselves.
5. Regarding the mode of baptism, 90% of Christians baptize by sprinkling or pouring and 10% baptize by immersion.
6. Regarding the design of baptism, 95% of Christians believe baptism is essential for eternal life and 5% believe baptism is only a symbol of eternal life.
7. There are axioms regarding baptism the New Testament does teach, but we only need three of them to refute 99% of the baptism errors taught and practiced. These three axioms are all taught in I Peter 3:21, but each can also be proven to be general propositions regarding baptism from several other passages of scripture. These three axioms or general propositions for deductive reasoning are as follows:
   1. Baptism has no literal saving power.
   2. Baptism was only given to believers.
   3. Baptism is only immersion in water.
8. These three axioms prove irrefutably that the New Testament is Baptist. No man limiting himself to the New Testament and sound principles of reasoning can ever raise real opposition to this conclusion.
   1. With these axioms as guides, inductive reasoning proceeds flawlessly through the New Testament, for there is nothing found that raises the slightest doubt against Baptist doctrine.
   2. For example, in Matthew 3:5-6, we know exactly why John was baptizing in Jordan, and we know exactly what mode of baptism he used in Jordan, and we know exactly what subjects he so baptized.
   3. For example, in Acts 16:14-15, we know perfectly that Lydia’s whole house believed, and we know the mode of their baptism.
9. If the above details of a proper baptism cannot be confirmed, rebaptism should occur.
   1. A baptism with requirements missing or wrong is no baptism and does not exist.
   2. The Anabaptists were not actually rebaptizers, for a RCC baptism is not a baptism.
   3. Rebaptism is taught in the N.T., for Paul did rebaptize twelve men (Acts 19:1-7).
   4. For more about rebaptism … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/rebaptism.php.
   5. For more about rebaptism … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/pdf/rebaptism-reordination.pdf.
10. Faith is an important part of a proper baptism, for the conscience becomes an arbiter.
    1. Paul taught regarding Christian liberty that the conscience rules (Rom 14:22-23).
    2. Therefore, to violate the conscience, even if God allows the act, is to sin against it.
    3. If all five requirements above have been met, the conscience must also be content.
    4. If the conscience is not content, then the baptism should be repeated to satisfy it.
    5. Learning truth e.g. against Arminians can dilute faith in a proper Baptist baptism.
    6. Doubts of a previous Baptist baptism or desire for a better one should be satisfied.
    7. We do not rebaptize to be Anabaptists, for they rejected the RCC rite as a baptism.
11. Recall Michael Servetus (burned by Calvin) and William Screven (Antipedo Baptist)
    1. There is great hatred for those that reject Rome and her daughters’ infant baptism.
    2. William Screven was persecuted in Maine so took his church to South Carolina.
    3. They named their church in Georgetown, the Antipedo Baptist Church of Christ.
12. Remember, modern Bible versions corrupt I Peter 3:21 and totally delete Acts 8:37.
    1. Corruption of I Peter 3:21 … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/best-verse-corrupted.php.
    2. Deletion of Acts 8:37 … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/deleted-baptism-verse.php.
13. We stand on I Peter 3:21, one of the most neglected and corrupted baptism verses.
    1. For this text (summary) … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/bible/baptism/best-verse-corrupted.php.
    2. For this text (slides) … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/pdf/baptism-babel.pdf.
14. A creative method to measure doctrine is to order belief, baptism, and born again.
    1. Denominations establish themselves in one of four different orders for these three.
    2. For the right order of the three … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/pdf/three-bs-of-salvation.pdf.

The Glory of Baptist Baptism

1. John the Baptist and his baptism was a revolution (Hag 2:6-9; Luke 3:1-6; Is 40:1-5).
2. Baptists began with a man sent from God, whom Jesus called the Baptist (John 1:6).
3. Jesus Christ declared this man John the greatest man born of women (Matt 11:11-12).
4. The kingdom of God is entered by John’s ancient Baptist rite (Luke 16:16; 7:29-30).
5. It is how we justify God, which is to declare Him righteous (Luke 7:29-30). Glory!
6. It is also how we fulfill all righteousness; Jesus did it, not needing it (Matt 3:13-17).
7. With all authority in the universe, Jesus declared baptism His mark (Matt 28:18-20).
8. With the Holy Spirit powerful at Pentecost, baptism was the response (Acts 2:37-40).
9. Baptism identifies us with Jesus Christ, making us Abraham’s seed (Gal 3:16,27-29).
10. Baptism identifies us with a heavenly life hidden from the world (Colossians 3:1-4).
11. Baptism has three pictures of death, burial, resurrection. Do you know them? Glory!
12. It is how we answer – praise and thank God – for His Son (I Peter 3:21 cp Heb 9:14).
13. It is how we declare discipleship – burying the selfish self for new life (Rom 6:3-5).
14. The remnant church of Jesus is identified by baptism as much as anything (Re 12:17).