Reading Together: About Believers Baptism

On Thursday our small group got together for our discussion of the book What Every Christian Ought to Know by Adrian Rogers. Here are a few highlights on chapter 6—Every Christian Ought to Know About Believers Baptism:

We began our get together looking at one of the quotes from the book that snagged my attention. Adrian Rogers says, “It’s not a Baptist doctrine. If Baptists have Baptist doctrine, they need to get rid of it” (112).

Rogers is a Baptist. So what is he saying here? Karina, one of our participants, was able to summarize it well—Roger’s believes it because he’s convinced it is biblical. That’s not to say that Baptists should think they’ve got it all together. But it does mean that we should only be Baptist if it is by conviction. That doesn’t mean we won’t (or don’t) err, but it does mean that the overriding principle of our faith and practice is that it must have biblical support, not merely support from our past practices and traditions.

That said, we dove into the doctrine of believers baptism by immersion. Fortunately, we didn’t have any disagreements about it. There were certainly some questions about children being baptized, but the necessity of faith was well understood.

Perhaps the most significant passages in the Bible that sheds light on both the meaning and the mode of baptism is Romans 6:4-7. It says,

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Baptism is a visual display of the gospel. Compare this passage with 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

Romans 6	1 Corinthians 15
…baptism into death… …united with him in a death like his… …our old self was crucified with him… …he who has died…	…Christ died for our sins…
…we were buried therefore with him…	…he was buried…
…just as Christ was raised… …we too might walk in newness of life… …united with him in a resurrection like his… …set free from sin…	…he was raised on the third day…

Immersion is the only “baptismal” practice that adequately portrays death, burial, and resurrection (the gospel). Every person who submits to believers baptism by immersion is proclaiming Christ and devotion to Him. The importance of the symbolism here should not be overlooked or minimized. But we ought not lose sight of the present reality either. It is the reality—death to sin and new life in Christ—that is the most important aspect to the believer.

To join us in our readings, get the book in English or Spanish and download the reader guide (in English or Spanish) to fill out for each chapter. I may have to cancel next week’s posting if my daughter is born soon. If not, stop by next week Saturday when we discuss chapter 7—Every Christian Ought to Know How to Discern the Will of God.