Refuting the Church of Christ

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FROM A CHURCH OF CHRIST DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
In addition to repentance and confession, the Bible also teaches that
placing faith in Christ involves baptism. “For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26–27). We become
God’s children through faith when we are baptized.
This is the biblical doctrine of salvation. God offers us cleansing by the
blood of Christ. When we trust that offer by repenting of our sins,
confessing our faith, and being baptized, the blood of Jesus is applied
to our sinful souls and we are cleansed.
This doctrine should not be confused with the Catholic doctrine of
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“baptismal regeneration,” the concept that baptism alone regenerates a

sinner. As we have shown, the Bible teaches that baptism is just one
aspect of man’s total faith. A man can be immersed a hundred times
and still be a filthy sinner if his baptism did not come from a heart moved
by trust in Christ.
While baptism alone does not save, an equally erroneous notion is that
baptism has nothing at all to do with our salvation. Sadly, this is the
predominant view of Protestantism. Most Protestants feel that baptism is
a work of obedience which we perform after we are saved. The Bible
states exactly the opposite. According to Scripture, we are buried with
Christ “in baptism...through faith in the working of God” (Colossians
2:12). Baptism is not our work; it is God’s saving work which He
performs on us when by faith we meet Him in the waters of baptism.
In the words of Scripture, “And now why do you delay? Arise, and be
baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16).
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Introduction
What is the purpose of baptism? The answer to that question can be
found by the simple and clear examination of Scripture. The clearest
passage dealing with the purpose of baptism is Romans 6:3-4. (v3.
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death? v4. Therefore we are buried with him by
baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.)
Baptism is a symbol of identification, much like a wedding ring. Wearing
a wedding ring does not make one married, nor does the absence of one
make a person unmarried. In like manner, baptism doesn’t furnish
salvation, nor does the absence of it eradicate salvation. It is the way by
which we identify ourselves with the death, burial, and resurrection of
Christ. Just as there is a proper interpretation to Scripture and doctrine,
there is an erroneous interpretation of the same. The errant dogma of
baptismal regeneration teaches that baptism either is the means of
salvation or is a part of the means of salvation. This teaching may
include the baptism of infants “to wash away original sin” or “bestow
upon them the faith necessary for salvation”. There are many “churches”
today that teach some sort of baptismal regeneration. These “churches”
would include (but not be completely limited to) Roman Catholicism,
Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventism, Mormonism, United Pentecostalism,
Oneness Churches, Apostolic Churches, most Churches of Christ, and
Eastern Orthodoxy. There are, as with any misinterpretation of Scripture,
some “pet” verses used by these groups to “prove” there erroneous
dogma. Let us take a Biblical approach to a few of these “proof-texts”
that are so often used.
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A SIDE NOTE ABOUT THE STATEMENT, “Baptism is not our work.”

Baptism is a work of righteousness (Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9)

according to Christ’s own words in Matthew 3:13-16.
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1. Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Grammatically, the main emphasis of Peter’s statement was the
imperative statement “Repent”. He then concluded the statement by
telling them in a Scripturally ordered fashion to be baptized after the act
of repentance. The error of most who teach this verse as the groundwork
for baptismal regeneration is that they take the statement “for the
remission of sins” to be subjective to the command to “be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ”. First of all, Scripture must
always be tested and verified with other Scripture. A close examination
of the other passages dealing with the word “repent” or its equivalent
would be sufficient for most people to understand that this verse is not
teaching that baptism is essential to salvation. (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 9:13; Mk
1:15; 2:7; 6:12; Lk 5:32; 13:3,5; 15:7; 16:27-31; 24:45-47; Acts 3:19;
5:31; 8:22; 17:30; 26:20) An excellent example of a passage which
shows the difference between baptism and the forgiveness of sins
through repentance is Acts 13:24-39. The order of what happened in the
verse to follow, “v41. Then they that gladly #1received his word were
#2
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls. v42. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. v43.
And fear came upon every soul: and many #3wonders and signs were
done by the apostles.” Thus we see that Acts 2:38 does not promote
baptismal regeneration; it merely substantiates salvation by repentance
through faith.

2. Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned.
This verse is even simpler to explain from clear Scriptural
application. In the second half of this verse Christ gives the key to the
explanation. The only person who has to fear the condemnation of hell is
“he that believeth not”. We can find more clarification by looking at verse
fifteen, where Christ commanded the disciples to “preach the Gospel”.
No where in Scripture is the “Gospel” equated or compounded with
baptism. In verse seventeen, Jesus again spoke only of “them that
believe”. Salvation is given to them that believe on Jesus Christ, and
condemnation is already the penalty of them that believe not. (John 3:18;
I John 5:10) Baptism has no effect on the salvation or condemnation of a
soul.

3. 1 Peter 3:21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not
the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

This passage must be looked at in context to have clarification. The

context of the passage is looking at the flood and the ark of Noah as a
“figure” of salvation. Common sense of the Old Testament account of the
flood allows us to understand that Noah was not saved by the water.
Water was the method of judgment God sent, Noah was saved by
following God’s perfect and clear instructions to get in the ark. Just as
Noah was lifted up on the water inside the ark to a new life above the
earth, we are saved from hell in Christ and baptized to be “raised to walk
in newness of life”. We can also see by grammatical analysis that the
verse states that “baptism doth also now save us…by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ:” (Rom. 6:5; Phil. 3:10; I Peter 1:3) By analyzing Scripture
with Scripture, we know that the act that gave final significance to the
sacrifice that Christ suffered on the cross was the resurrection from the
dead. If Christ had not risen, our faith would be in vain. (I Cor. 15:14)
Therefore, I Peter 3:21 is decreased in Biblical significance by those who
seek to major on the word “baptism” in the verse to the absenting of the
importance of the “resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

4. John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God.

Once again, we see the danger of disassociating a statement –

Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit – from the context of the
passage from which it is taken. This statement comes in the midst of
Jesus’ attempt to help Nicodemus discern between the physical and the
spiritual. The words “born of water and of the Spirit” are a declaration of
the two types of birth that a person must come through to “enter into the
kingdom of God.” The physical birth is the one spoken of in the
statement “born of water”, and the Spiritual birth is spoken of by the
words “and of the Spirit”. Further testament to this fact can be seen in
Christ’s declaration in verse 7, “ye must be born again.” Why must a
person be born again? Billions of people have been born into this world
by the birth “of water”; however, that birth simply brings a human being
into a sinful condition through the bloodline of Adam (Romans 5:12).
Because of the first birth, there is death; therefore, a second birth is
required to pass “from death unto life.” (John 5:24) This is the birth “of
the Spirit” that comes “by grace through faith”. (Ephesians 2:8) That is
the context of this extraordinary passage of Scripture. To use it for any
other purpose than to reveal the clear presentation of the true Gospel of
salvation is to mistreat the perfect Word of God and change “the truth of
God into a lie.” (Romans 1:25)