The Five B's of Bible Baptism Article

Therefore, we only teach the Bible. We do not use man-made doctrines.

...From the International Bible Teaching Ministries website, a non-profit mission of the churches of Christ...

The Church of Christ follows the Roman Catholic Church in erroneously teaching that water baptism saves the sinner (baptismal regeneration).

But since it is perfectly clear from Scripture that Holy Spirit baptism (the gift of the Holy Spirit) comes BEFORE Christian baptism, and a person is saved BEFORE he or she is baptized, you are promoting a false gospel (see Acts 16 as one clear example).

Christian baptism is indeed very important and critical since it is a commandment of Christ. But sinners are saved by grace through faith, and then receive the Holy Spirit. It is God the Holy Spirit who regenerates the sinner supernaturally. So it is wrong to attribute a supernatural work of God to ordinary H2O.

TITUS 3 (NO MENTION OF WATER BAPTISM)
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

The Church of Christ follows the Roman Catholic Church in erroneously teaching that water baptism saves the sinner (baptismal regeneration).

But since it is perfectly clear from Scripture that Holy Spirit baptism (the gift of the Holy Spirit) comes BEFORE Christian baptism, and a person is saved BEFORE he or she is baptized, you are promoting a false gospel

Thought this article explained water baptism very well. Hope you enjoy!

"There is much confusion about baptism. Many do not believe a person must be baptized to be saved from his sins. Others say baptism is necessary for salvation. Some say sprinkling or pouring are acceptable forms of baptism. Others say only immersion in water is acceptable. There is only one way to settle the confusion about baptism. We must go to the New Testament, which is the law for all men today. What does the Bible tell us about baptism?

The five "B's" of Bible baptism.

1st B - Baptism is a BURIAL. Notice the Apostle Paul's statement in (Romans 6:3,4). "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Paul states clearly that baptism is a burial. To bury something is to cover it completely. Sprinkling or pouring will not substitute for the burial which baptism demands. In fact, the word "baptism" itself means “to immerse, dip, plunge." Bible baptism is a burial.

2nd B - Baptism is for BELIEVERS. Bible baptism is for those who can show they believe in Jesus, the Son of God. In (Mark 16:16), Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Nowhere in the New Testament will one find a person baptized who was not able to express his belief in Christ. In (Acts 8:12) we read, "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized." Notice that "both men and women” were baptized, not little children. Why? Because baptism is for believers, not babies. Babies are born innocent. They are not guilty of the sins of their parents, as some teach (Ezekiel 18:20). Jesus used little children as examples of humility, and said we must become like them to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-5). Would Jesus use sinful children as examples of what we must become to be pleasing to God? Certainly not!

3rd B - Baptism comes BEFORE forgiveness of sins. Jesus made this clear in His statement, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved: but he who does not believe will be condemned." Jesus said belief AND baptism bring salvation. He did not say belief brings salvation, and then one is baptized. One cannot be saved without baptism. In (Acts 22:16), Saul of Tarsus, a man who believed in Christ, repented, and confessed Jesus as Lord, still had to be baptized to wash away his sins. There is not a single instance in the New Testament where anyone was said to be saved until he was baptized. Baptism comes BEFORE forgiveness.

4th B - Baptism is the BIRTH of the Christian. It is the beginning of the Christian's life. In (John 3:5), Jesus told a man named Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." To be born of water and the Spirit involves being baptized in water in obedience to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. How does the Spirit teach us? He does so through the Word of God. In the New Testament we learn of the importance of being baptized in water. So it is the Spirit who teaches us to be baptized as we read His Word. This is what the apostle Paul meant in (1 Corinthians 12:13). "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." Paul says all must be baptized into the body of Christ, which is the church (Ephesians 1:22,23). It is by the teaching of the Spirit through the Word that we learn of our need to do this. Then, we must "drink into one Spirit," which means we are to continue to study the Word which the Holy Spirit has given--the New Testament. We must grow in our knowledge of God's Word, and we must remain faithful in the one church (Revelation 2:10).

5th B - The final “B” is that Bible baptism is where the BLOOD of Christ is applied to cleanse us from our sins. Can a person be saved from his sins without the blood of Christ? No! But only in baptism is the blood applied from Heaven to take away our sins. The blood of Jesus was shed in His death. The soldier pierced the side of the slain Saviour of the world, and "immediately blood and water came out" (John 19:34). Then, in (Romans 6:3-4), Paul speaks of being buried in the "likeness" of Christ's death through baptism. The blood that was shed in Christ's death is reached only in the likeness of His death--baptism. In (Revelation 1:4-5), John says Jesus washed us from our sins in His blood. When does that washing take place? It is the washing of baptism. Remember the blood of Jesus is applied to wash away our sins.

We should never forget the five “B’s” of baptism. They remind us of what the Bible teaches about this very important subject. The Bible says baptism is a BURIAL. It is for BELIEVERS, those who can express their belief in Christ. It comes BEFORE forgiveness of sins. It is the BIRTH of the Christian, and it is where the precious BLOOD of Jesus is applied to wash away our sins."

From the International Bible Teaching Ministries website, a non-profit mission of the churches of Christ teaching the good news around the world. We understand that the Bible is complete. God said many times that adding to or subtracting from His Word is sinful (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19). Therefore, we only teach the Bible. We do not use man-made doctrines.

Thought this article explained water baptism very well. Hope you enjoy!

"There is much confusion about baptism. Many do not believe a person must be baptized to be saved from his sins. Others say baptism is necessary for salvation. Some say sprinkling or pouring are acceptable forms of baptism. Others say only immersion in water is acceptable. There is only one way to settle the confusion about baptism. We must go to the New Testament, which is the law for all men today. What does the Bible tell us about baptism?

The five "B's" of Bible baptism.

1st B - Baptism is a BURIAL. Notice the Apostle Paul's statement in (Romans 6:3,4). "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Paul states clearly that baptism is a burial. To bury something is to cover it completely. Sprinkling or pouring will not substitute for the burial which baptism demands. In fact, the word "baptism" itself means “to immerse, dip, plunge." Bible baptism is a burial.

2nd B - Baptism is for BELIEVERS. Bible baptism is for those who can show they believe in Jesus, the Son of God. In (Mark 16:16), Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Nowhere in the New Testament will one find a person baptized who was not able to express his belief in Christ. In (Acts 8:12) we read, "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized." Notice that "both men and women” were baptized, not little children. Why? Because baptism is for believers, not babies. Babies are born innocent. They are not guilty of the sins of their parents, as some teach (Ezekiel 18:20). Jesus used little children as examples of humility, and said we must become like them to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-5). Would Jesus use sinful children as examples of what we must become to be pleasing to God? Certainly not!

3rd B - Baptism comes BEFORE forgiveness of sins. Jesus made this clear in His statement, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved: but he who does not believe will be condemned." Jesus said belief AND baptism bring salvation. He did not say belief brings salvation, and then one is baptized. One cannot be saved without baptism. In (Acts 22:16), Saul of Tarsus, a man who believed in Christ, repented, and confessed Jesus as Lord, still had to be baptized to wash away his sins. There is not a single instance in the New Testament where anyone was said to be saved until he was baptized. Baptism comes BEFORE forgiveness.

4th B - Baptism is the BIRTH of the Christian. It is the beginning of the Christian's life. In (John 3:5), Jesus told a man named Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." To be born of water and the Spirit involves being baptized in water in obedience to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. How does the Spirit teach us? He does so through the Word of God. In the New Testament we learn of the importance of being baptized in water. So it is the Spirit who teaches us to be baptized as we read His Word. This is what the apostle Paul meant in (1 Corinthians 12:13). "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." Paul says all must be baptized into the body of Christ, which is the church (Ephesians 1:22,23). It is by the teaching of the Spirit through the Word that we learn of our need to do this. Then, we must "drink into one Spirit," which means we are to continue to study the Word which the Holy Spirit has given--the New Testament. We must grow in our knowledge of God's Word, and we must remain faithful in the one church (Revelation 2:10).

5th B - The final “B” is that Bible baptism is where the BLOOD of Christ is applied to cleanse us from our sins. Can a person be saved from his sins without the blood of Christ? No! But only in baptism is the blood applied from Heaven to take away our sins. The blood of Jesus was shed in His death. The soldier pierced the side of the slain Saviour of the world, and "immediately blood and water came out" (John 19:34). Then, in (Romans 6:3-4), Paul speaks of being buried in the "likeness" of Christ's death through baptism. The blood that was shed in Christ's death is reached only in the likeness of His death--baptism. In (Revelation 1:4-5), John says Jesus washed us from our sins in His blood. When does that washing take place? It is the washing of baptism. Remember the blood of Jesus is applied to wash away our sins.

We should never forget the five “B’s” of baptism. They remind us of what the Bible teaches about this very important subject. The Bible says baptism is a BURIAL. It is for BELIEVERS, those who can express their belief in Christ. It comes BEFORE forgiveness of sins. It is the BIRTH of the Christian, and it is where the precious BLOOD of Jesus is applied to wash away our sins."

From the International Bible Teaching Ministries website, a non-profit mission of the churches of Christ teaching the good news around the world. We understand that the Bible is complete. God said many times that adding to or subtracting from His Word is sinful (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19). Therefore, we only teach the Bible. We do not use man-made doctrines.

Burn it. Not worth anything. Not even worth the match it would take to ignite it.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Do you belong to the Church of Christ?

I`m guessing he didn`t know this article is a Church of Christ publication.

Just wondering, Did you bother to read it?

Again, please stop evaluating concepts by church denominations.

Actually Christians must carefully examine what various denominations teach and promote, in order to see whether they conform to Bible Christianity. There are many false teachings in existence.

Any group which is teaching salvation through water baptism is violating the true Gospel.

Actually Christians must carefully examine what various denominations teach and promote, in order to see whether they conform to Bible Christianity. There are many false teachings in existence.

Any group which is teaching salvation through water baptism is violating the true Gospel.

Thought this article explained water baptism very well. Hope you enjoy!

"There is much confusion about baptism. Many do not believe a person must be baptized to be saved from his sins. Others say baptism is necessary for salvation. Some say sprinkling or pouring are acceptable forms of baptism. Others say only immersion in water is acceptable. There is only one way to settle the confusion about baptism. We must go to the New Testament, which is the law for all men today. What does the Bible tell us about baptism?

The five "B's" of Bible baptism.

1st B - Baptism is a BURIAL. Notice the Apostle Paul's statement in (Romans 6:3,4). "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Paul states clearly that baptism is a burial. To bury something is to cover it completely. Sprinkling or pouring will not substitute for the burial which baptism demands. In fact, the word "baptism" itself means “to immerse, dip, plunge." Bible baptism is a burial.

2nd B - Baptism is for BELIEVERS. Bible baptism is for those who can show they believe in Jesus, the Son of God. In (Mark 16:16), Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Nowhere in the New Testament will one find a person baptized who was not able to express his belief in Christ. In (Acts 8:12) we read, "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized." Notice that "both men and women” were baptized, not little children. Why? Because baptism is for believers, not babies. Babies are born innocent. They are not guilty of the sins of their parents, as some teach (Ezekiel 18:20). Jesus used little children as examples of humility, and said we must become like them to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-5). Would Jesus use sinful children as examples of what we must become to be pleasing to God? Certainly not!

3rd B - Baptism comes BEFORE forgiveness of sins. Jesus made this clear in His statement, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved: but he who does not believe will be condemned." Jesus said belief AND baptism bring salvation. He did not say belief brings salvation, and then one is baptized. One cannot be saved without baptism. In (Acts 22:16), Saul of Tarsus, a man who believed in Christ, repented, and confessed Jesus as Lord, still had to be baptized to wash away his sins. There is not a single instance in the New Testament where anyone was said to be saved until he was baptized. Baptism comes BEFORE forgiveness.

4th B - Baptism is the BIRTH of the Christian. It is the beginning of the Christian's life. In (John 3:5), Jesus told a man named Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." To be born of water and the Spirit involves being baptized in water in obedience to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. How does the Spirit teach us? He does so through the Word of God. In the New Testament we learn of the importance of being baptized in water. So it is the Spirit who teaches us to be baptized as we read His Word. This is what the apostle Paul meant in (1 Corinthians 12:13). "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." Paul says all must be baptized into the body of Christ, which is the church (Ephesians 1:22,23). It is by the teaching of the Spirit through the Word that we learn of our need to do this. Then, we must "drink into one Spirit," which means we are to continue to study the Word which the Holy Spirit has given--the New Testament. We must grow in our knowledge of God's Word, and we must remain faithful in the one church (Revelation 2:10).

5th B - The final “B” is that Bible baptism is where the BLOOD of Christ is applied to cleanse us from our sins. Can a person be saved from his sins without the blood of Christ? No! But only in baptism is the blood applied from Heaven to take away our sins. The blood of Jesus was shed in His death. The soldier pierced the side of the slain Saviour of the world, and "immediately blood and water came out" (John 19:34). Then, in (Romans 6:3-4), Paul speaks of being buried in the "likeness" of Christ's death through baptism. The blood that was shed in Christ's death is reached only in the likeness of His death--baptism. In (Revelation 1:4-5), John says Jesus washed us from our sins in His blood. When does that washing take place? It is the washing of baptism. Remember the blood of Jesus is applied to wash away our sins.

We should never forget the five “B’s” of baptism. They remind us of what the Bible teaches about this very important subject. The Bible says baptism is a BURIAL. It is for BELIEVERS, those who can express their belief in Christ. It comes BEFORE forgiveness of sins. It is the BIRTH of the Christian, and it is where the precious BLOOD of Jesus is applied to wash away our sins."

From the International Bible Teaching Ministries website, a non-profit mission of the churches of Christ teaching the good news around the world. We understand that the Bible is complete. God said many times that adding to or subtracting from His Word is sinful (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19). Therefore, we only teach the Bible. We do not use man-made doctrines.

Church of Christ believes in baptismal regeneration. As such, they are not considered to be mainstream Christians.

If I am not mistaken, their founder, Alexander Campbell, claimed to restore the true faith like other Restorationist cults.

In fact, there were some of those guys in the chat room at one point, and they claimed, outright, that those who were not Campbellites were unsaved.

Evangelical Christians believe that justification is by faith alone, and not faith plus sacraments like baptism. While baptism is a command that should be followed by all regenerate individuals, regeneration occurs PRIOR TO baptism.

Eph 1:13-14 indicates this.

Ephesians 1:13-14 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (ESV)

Additionally, the claim that the believer doesn't make contact with the blood of Christ until he is dipped in water is false. Some claim that Christ's physical blood is present in the water when the believer is baptized. What a kooky belief. It pretty much aligns with the sacramentalism of the Roman Catholic church.

Regarding whether the birth of the believer occurs at the point of baptism, Jesus was referencing Ezekiel 36:25-27:

Ezekiel 36:25-27 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
(ESV)

Both the water and the Spirit refer to the same thing..God's cleansing and the new spirit that he imparts. It is not talking about physical water. Physical water is a mere sign of what has occurred through an interchange that happened between the believer and God at the point of faith.

By the way, I agree that baptism should be by complete immersion, however, Scripture uses words such as sprinkling in a similar context. Therefore, while I believe that the acknowledgement of what has happened already should be complete immersion, in order to identify one's self with the death, burial and resurrection of the believer, I see why sprinkling or pouring might be viewed by some as the correct method of baptism.

To be honest, though, I would condemn the sacramentalist in a stronger manner than someone who has the wrong mode of baptism. Sacramentalism is not much beyond Roman Catholicism, and Campbellites are sacramentalists.

By the way, if anyone wants to see where baptismal regenerationists are coming from, and the problems with their belief system, I would recommend studying this:

https://www.equip.org/article/the-churches-of-christ-the-christian-churches-the-disciples-of-christ/

My position is that baptism is a commandment, but it follows salvation as one of the works that a believer does, not to cause salvation, but as a fruit of salvation.

By the way, Mark 16:9-20 is likely not part of the canon. It is called the "long ending" of Mark, and I would never try to prove doctrines by referring to it. While the verses say nothing about those who believe and are not baptized, I wouldn't use it either way. Might work with a KJV Only audience, but not with me.