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“What Doth Hinder Me to Be Baptized?” (Part 3)

by Micky Galloway

Keep in mind that this question was asked in by the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36. This man had been properly taught by Philip the evangelist. His understanding led him to ask the question with some urgency, “Behold, (here is) water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” There may be many things that hinder us from scriptural baptism.

The reception of denominational baptism has hindered many from scriptural baptism. As far as I know, all denominations except the Christian Scientists and the Quakers practice something that they call baptism. Therefore, most religious people have submitted to something that was called baptism. When these people learn about the New Testament church, they often want to come into the church on basis of their denominational baptism.

Note these things wrong with denominational baptism:

  1. It has the wrong authority (Matthew 28:18; Colossians 3:17). Denominational councils and creeds authorize denominational baptism. Jesus never authorized it, nor did he ever command anyone to be baptized into any denomination.
  2. It usually has the wrong subject (Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16; Acts 8:37; Acts 2:38). The Bible teaches, that the penitent believer who confesses his faith is a proper subject of scriptural baptism. But denominations often sprinkle infants who cannot meet the above requirements. Denominations also baptize people who think they are saved rather than persons who desire to be saved.
  3. It has the wrong confession (Acts 8:37). Persons in the New Testament confessed their faith in Christ as the only confessional requisite for baptism. But persons desiring to undergo denominational baptism often are asked to confess agreement with the Denominational creed. More common is the unscriptural confession wherein one states that he believes that God for Christ's sake has pardoned his sins. Many who now question their denominational baptism have not the faintest remembrance of what they confessed.
  4. It usually has the wrong action (Acts 8:37; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12). Scriptural baptism entails “much water” (John 3:23), and a coming “unto,” a “going down into,” and a “coming up out of the water.” In scriptural baptism, one is “buried” (Romans 6:3, 4). Neither sprinkling nor pouring meets these scriptural requirements. Hence, if you submitted to sprinkling or pouring, your “baptism” was wrong.
  5. It has the wrong purpose (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16; I Peter 3:21). These passages teach baptism to be “for the remission of sins,” to be “saved,” to have one's sins “washed away.” Denominations usually assert they are baptizing one into that particular denomination rather than into Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26, 27; Romans 6:3, 4). So even though one has been baptized, if he was not baptized for the scriptural purposes, then that person's baptism was wrong. Most denominations teach that one is baptized to show that he has been saved rather than in order to be saved. Were you so baptized? If you will remember whether you confessed that you had been saved (which you very possibly may have done), you will be able to ascertain whether your immersion was “for the remission of sins” and into the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12: 13).
  6. It has the wrong order (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 10:17; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:37). These verses establish the sequence of events in conversion to be hearing, faith, repentance, confession, immersion, forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Denominationalists confuse this order. They state the sequence like this: Gift of the Holy Spirit, repentance, faith, salvation, and then baptism.
  7. It has the wrong allegiance. Denominational baptism binds one to wear a human name, obey and endorse a human creed, belong to a human organization and to support a human program, while scriptural baptism binds one to wear a divine name, obey a divine message, belong to a divine body, and to engage in a divinely authorized program. Denominational baptism attracts people to a denominational body rather than to Christ and His Kingdom.

Things to remember:

  1. One cannot be taught wrong and be baptized right (Romans 10:17; 6:17).
  2. One cannot be baptized wrong and worship right (Romans 6:3, 4; Acts 2:42).
  3. One cannot worship wrong and live right (John 4:23, 24).
  4. One cannot live wrong and die right (Matthew 25:31-41).
  5. Therefore, one cannot be baptized wrong and die right.

What about you, my friend? Have you submitted to scriptural baptism? Do not make the error of interpreting what you did years ago in the light of what you know now the Bible to teach. Many have made this mistake. One must understand what he is doing at the time he is doing it to obey the gospel scripturally from the heart (cf Romans 6: 17, 18). What hinders you to be baptized?

NOTE: Luther Blackmon once said, “Originality is just the art of forgetting where you got it.” It is in this sense only that part 3 in this series is original (MG). I must give credit to Cecil Willis who gave this quote and is also the source of much of this material (TRUTH MAGAZINE XIV: 25, pages 3-5; April 30, 1970).

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