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Fred's Facts 9

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#9 Baptism for Remission of Sins---a Lost Doctrine is Found!

      In Fred's Facts Bible study #8, we explored the fact that the New Testament and 15 centuries of Christian writing make it clear that the overwhelming concensus of the Church for its first 15 centuries was that the Purpose of Baptism is Remission of Sins. Yet, despite this overwhelming evidence, some of the largest Protestant denominations today do NOT hold this biblical view of Baptism. Many are "FAITH ONLY" and look at Baptism as merely something Christians are commanded to do and NOT something which is ESSENTIAL for salvation.

      What could have caused such an incredible thing to happen? What could have caused the majority of Protestant denominations to abandon the 1500-year Church consensus that Baptism is for Forgiveness of Sins? The answer is found in the teachings of two of the most influential leaders of the Protestant Reformation---Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin. So we will begin this study with a discussion of their views and the way they changed the Church consensus on Baptism's Purpose, and then recount how a large portion of the Church found its way back to the truth!

Ulrich Zwingli Repudiates the Biblical View on Baptism

      The beginning of this warped view of Baptism is found in the teachings of Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531 A.D.). Zwingli was the original leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland at the same time that Martin Luther was leading the Reformation in Germany. You may not be familiar with Zwingli's name because, after his early death, he was overshadowed in the Swiss movement by John Calvin. Zwingli and Calvin became the founders of what are today referred to as Reformed Churches, including the Swiss and Dutch Reformed Churches, and the Presbyterian Church. The teachings of Zwingli and Calvin also had great influence on other churches, including the Episcopalian and Baptist Churches.

      In 1523 Zwingli repudiated the biblical consensus view of Baptism and originated what came to be known as the "Reformed view of Baptism." He wrote, "In this matter of Baptism, all the doctors [theologians] have been in error from the time of the Apostles. . . . For all the doctors [theologians] have ascribed to the water a power which it does not have and the holy apostles did not teach." "The fathers were in error . . . because they thought that the water itself effects cleansing and salvation."

Zwingli's last sentence is an exaggeration. None of the Church leaders in the early centuries of the Church claimed there was anything "magic" about the baptismal waters themselves. They all agreed that God alone cleanses and saves us by the Blood of Christ WHILE the Baptism is taking place. But Zwingli chose to believe otherwise.

Zwingli also made the following statements, "Christ himself did not connect salvation with Baptism." "The two are not be connected and used together." "Since Christ did not rest salvation on external Baptism, then salvation does not depend on it." "Water-baptism cannot contribute in any way to the washing away of sin." "It does not justify the one who is baptized." "Everlasting life has nowhere been promised on the terms that unless one has been . . . baptized he shall in no wise attain it."

Where Did Zwingli Go Wrong in His Interpretations?

      It is hard to believe that Zwingli was reading the same Bible we read today! He is denying the clear meaning of the 12 Scriptures we cited in Bible Study #8 (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; John 3:1-5; Acts 2:36-41; 22:12-16; 1 Pet. 3:18-21; Rom. 6:3-4; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 12:13; Gal. 3:26-27; Col. 2:9-12; Titus 3:4-6). I can only conclude that he WANTED to believe otherwise and that blinded him. Zwingli's basic problem was that he had accepted the ancient Greek philosophical idea that physical matter is inherently evil. Thus, no PHYSICAL ACT---such as Baptism---can cause something as good as salvation to take place. For Zwingli, only a SPIRITUAL ACT of God---cleansing us with the Blood of Christ---can save us.

      But what Zwingli failed to recognize is that God---in his infinite wisdom---CHOSE SOMETHING MANKIND COULD RELATE TO---the physical act of permitting oneself to be baptized---AS THE MOMENT WHEN THE CLEANSING BY CHRIST'S BLOOD TAKES EFFECT! And NOWHERE in the Bible does it say that physical matter is evil. That is a PAGAN teaching, NOT a Christian teaching. In fact, Genesis 1:31 says, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." So how could God's physical creation be considered evil?

John Calvin Takes Zwingli's Ideas to the World

      Unfortunately, Zwingli's erroneous ideas about Baptism didn't die with him. They were picked up by John Calvin (1509-1564 A.D.), his successsor as the leader of the Swiss Reformation. Calvin wrote, "After we have embraced Christ by FAITH, that ALONE is sufficient to salvation." Concerning Acts 2:38 Calvin said, "Although in the text and order of the words, Baptism does here go BEFORE Remission of Sins, YET DOES IT FOLLOW IT IN ORDER." Isn't that amazing? Even though the Holy Spirit guided Peter to say, "Repent and BE BAPTIZED, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN," Calvin wants us to believe that what Peter (and the Holy Spirit) REALLY MEANT TO SAY was that salvation comes BEFORE Baptism. Calvin concludes, "Baptism MUST, therefore, be PRECEDED by the gift of adoption, which is not cause merely of a partial salvation, but bestows salvation entirely."

      Calvin was the most influential theologian of his generation, even more than Martin Luther. He produced volumes of writings on theological issues and they were read by Christians throughout Europe. The result is that the Zwingli/Calvin view of the Purpose of Baptism is today held by Presbyterians, Reformed denominations; Baptists, Mennonites, Episcopalians, Methodists, Nazarenes and others. This is, in fact, the MAJORITY position in the Protestant world today! And this is the case, EVEN THOUGH THE BIBLE DOESN'T TEACH IT and no Christian leader taught this for the first 15 centuries of the Church!

      The Protestant Reformation of the 1500s accomplished much in its effort to return the Church to its original biblical basis. But understanding of the Purpose of Baptism was now LESS BIBLICAL! It was two more centuries before anyone took action to correct this mistake.

Archibald McLean Rediscovers Baptism's True Purpose

      The first man we know of in the Protestant churches to rediscover the biblical Purpose of Baptism was Archibald McLean (1733-1812 A.D.). He made Baptism one of the primary focuses of his Bible study. He first read the entire New Testament with an open mind. McLean first rejected infant Baptism, and then adopted IMMERSION as biblical Baptism. This was the beginning of the Scotch Baptist churches.

      Finally, McLean came to the conclusion that the Purpose of Baptism is REMISSION OF SINS. He wrote, "As to remission of sins, new converts are exhorted to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, Acts 2:38, and to be baptized and WASH AWAY THEIR SINS, Acts 22:16." McLean arrived at this conclusion by reading the New Testament, not by studying the writings of great theologians. That is probably the only reason he was able to see the simple Purpose of Baptism as taught in the New Testament, the FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

The American Restoration Movement and Baptism

      The consensus doctrine on the Purpose of Baptism for the Church's first 1500 years finally came to the United States at the beginning of the 19th century through the American Restoration Movement. This movement was the result of decisions by Christians in different parts of the U.S. to do what Archibald McLean had done---take the BIBLE ALONE as their ONLY GUIDE in determining what the church should DO and TEACH.

      The leading figure of the Restoration Movement was Alexander Campbell (1788-1866). Campbell was the son of a Presbyterian minister, Thomas Campbell (1763-1854). The father, Thomas, withdrew from the Presbyterian Church in 1808 and began to preach independently to anyone who would listen. He also made a decision to take the BIBLE ALONE as his ONLY RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE, and began a careful study of the Scriptures. In 1809 he adopted the following principle of biblical interpretation: "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent."

      The Campbells gave little attention to the subject of Baptism until Alexander's first child was born in 1812. Knowing from his Bible study that Baptism is for BELIEVERS ONLY, he chose NOT to have his daughter sprinkled. And this launched him into an in-depth study of Baptism. Alexander came to the conclusion that he was himself an unbaptized person since he had been sprinkled as an UNBELIEVING BABY. On June 12, 1812, Alexander and his wife; Thomas and his wife, and three others were baptized by a local Baptist minister.

The Campbells Rediscover the True Purpose of Baptism

      In the 1820s Walter Scott (1798-1861), a colleague of Alexander Campbell's, showed him a pamphlet on Baptism written by a Scotch Baptist. The pamphlet stopped just short of Archibald McLean's position that Baptism is for Remission of Sins. But the effect of the pamphlet on the two Campbells and Scott was to draw their attention to the issue of Baptism's relationship with the Remission of Sins.

      Finally, in 1827, Alexander Campbell reached the ground upon which McLean had stood concerning Remission of Sins. Campbell wrote, "We connect faith WITH immersion as an ESSENTIAL to FORGIVENESS. He that goeth down into the water to put on Christ, in the faith that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin, and that He has appointed immersion as the medium . . . has, when immersed, the ACTUAL REMISSION OF HIS SINS . . . It is as clear as day that the MOMENT a believer is IMMERSED into the name of Christ, he OBTAINS THE FORGIVENESS OF HIS SINS as actually and formally as he puts Him on in immersion."

Walter Scott Preaches Baptism for Remission of Sins

      Walter Scott began preaching Baptism for Remission of Sins as a traveling evangelist in Ohio in November 1827. Suddenly men and women began to respond to his preaching like they never had before. Within three weeks he had immersed 101 people. Scott and other ministers working with him baptized 800 in six months. Other ministers also began to preach Baptism for the Remission of Sins. Jeremiah Vardeman immersed 550 in six months. And Raccoon John Smith immersed 339 in three months in Kentucky.

      Scott summarized the content of his preaching in 1829. He wrote, "The gospel proposed three things as the substance of the glad tidings to mankind---the Remission of Sins, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. . . . In the proclamation of the gospel, therefore, these high matters were ordered thus---Faith, Reformation [repentance], Baptism for the Remission of Sins, the Holy Spirit and eternal life." This five-point Plan of Salvation was referred to in those days as the "Five Finger Exercise," because Scott taught the concept using his fingers.

      Scott had put into practice the concept that he and the Campbells had been moving toward for several years. By so doing, Scott learned that the best way to call sinners to the Lord is to preach GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION JUST LIKE PETER PREACHED IT ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST! Isn't that amazing? The way to preach the gospel message of salvation had been right there in the New Testament in Acts 2:38 for more than 1700 years and man had still lost it!

The Restoration Movement Experiences Rapid Growth

      The date when Walter Scott and others began preaching Faith, Repentance and Baptism for the Remission of Sins---exactly the way Peter did in Acts 2:38---is the date when the Restoration Movement became a major force in America. For several decades after 1827, those churches called Christian Churches or Churches of Christ were the fastest growing church group in the United States, and the fourth largest church group in the American west.

      And why do you think that happened? It happened because a few Christians DISCARDED MAN-MADE IDEAS and took the BIBLE ALONE AS THEIR ONLY RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE. Once they discovered Peter's Holy Spirit-guided formula for preaching the gospel message in Acts 2:38 and BEGAN TO PREACH IT, the Lord blessed their ministry in a mighty way!

      There should be a lesson in this for us. Churches grow when the gospel message is preached straight out of the Bible after the pattern used by the Apostles. And that shouldn't surprise us. After all, the Apostles' pattern is GOD'S PATTERN. And that should be good enough for us. We, in our modern church age devoted to finding exciting new "worship styles," might do well to take a fresh look at Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost!

God's Purpose in Baptism---the Lost is Found

      So, to summarize Bible Studies 8 and 9, the New Testament teaches that the PURPOSE of Baptism is the REMISSION OF SINS. Also, the testimony of church theologians for the first 1500 years of the Church was that the PURPOSE of Baptism is the FORGIVENESS OF SINS. Errors made during the Protestant Reformation resulted in the loss of that purpose by the Protestant denominations. But committed Christians who put the BIBLE FIRST, instead of church traditions, REDISCOVERED Baptism's TRUE PURPOSE right there in the pages of the New Testament!

      I hope this historical presentation of what man has done over the centuries with God's plan of Baptism for the Remission of Sins has been helpful. I think it is vital that we understand things like this. I subscribe to the old maxim you have all heard: "Those who ignore the lessons of history are destined to repeat them." We definitely don't want to do that! Hopefully, if we faithfully apply Thomas Campbell's slogan---"Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent"---we can keep ourselves on the right track. If we do, one day our Lord will say to us, "You have rightly divided the Word of Truth. Well done, though good and faithful servants!"

      Anyone wishing to explore this subject further should consult "Baptism and Remission of Sins," edited by David Fletcher, College Press Publishing Co., Box 1132, Joplin, MO, and "Baptism, a Biblical Study," by Jack Cottrell, College Press, Joplin, MO. The Fletcher book contains extensive foot-notes on the original documents quoted in this study.

Feedback on this Bible Study is Strongly Encouraged!

      Fred invites you to send him some feedback about this Bible Study. Did you agree with the conclusions? Are other conclusions more appropriate, in your opinion? Did you find this Bible study useful? Did it provide you information you didn't already possess? What additional information would you have liked to have seen included? Will you continue to read future studies? Comments and questions may be sent to Fred at PO Box 2408, Oroville, CA 95965, or E-mailed to cmf@cncnet.com.