Ron Halbrook

BAPTISM IS ESSENTIAL, THE BAPTIZER IS INCIDENTAL

Water baptism of penitent believers is salvation by grace through faith.  This is essential to the salvation of every sinner in the Gospel Age according to the words of Christ in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16).  At times incidentals to baptism are discussed, such as the question who is permitted or authorized to baptize.  If we study patiently and calmly, we can learn the truth on any Bible subject and can be united as the family of God.  If someone aggressively pushes an agenda, the result will be hot words and broken relationships.  Satan rejoices to see chaos and confusion where there should be unity in the family of God.

Consider Re-baptism on a Case by Case Basis

The current discussion in the Philippines of who may baptize has its roots in an ill-advised practice of insisting to re-baptize every person who is converted from the errors of the one container faction, the mutual edification faction, the premillennial faction, and the liberal institutional faction.  If such converts were originally taught the truth about the plan of salvation, and obeyed it from the heart (Rom. 6:17-18), they were forgiven of their past sins.  If they subsequently participated in some false practices or supported false doctrines, we should pray with them and for them so that God will forgive them as we learn in many passages regarding Christians who err (Acts 8:22-24; Ja. 5:19-20; 1 Jn. 1:8-9).

There is no need to re-baptize every person in every case.  Each person should be considered on a case by case basis.  If they did not truly understand the conditions of pardon, then, yes, they should be scripturally baptized so that they can obey the gospel from the heart.

Baptism Valid Only If Performed by a Bona Fide Faithful Conservative Preacher?

This ill-advised practice of re-baptizing people in every case led to the view that baptism is valid only if performed by a bona fide faithful conservative preacher.  Such a proposition is manifestly false.  In the New Testament, there were unfaithful preachers who taught the truth and baptized people, and Paul rejoiced because he knew the power to save is in the truth – not in the messenger of the truth (Phil. 1:15-18).

Furthermore, this mistaken view requires the impossible:  It would be necessary to trace all baptisms directly back to the Apostles which is utterly impossible.  If the chain of bona fide faithful conservative preachers was broken even once in all the centuries, all subsequent baptisms would be nullified.  The truth is that none of us can truly know whether any preacher is in a right relationship with God when he baptizes us – only God knows! A certain preacher might preach the true gospel, but meanwhile he is also secretly drinking alcohol, gambling, womanizing, or sending false reports about his work and needs.  “Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after” (1 Tim. 5:24).  In some cases, their hidden sins will be exposed only by God at the Final Judgment because He knows all things about every man’s heart and deeds, even the secret things (Eccl. 12:14).

May a Woman Baptize in Some Cases?

When brethren have pointed out that the message not the messenger saves the soul of the person baptized, some brethren have reacted against this truth by dragging into the discussion the point about a woman baptizing.  Having heated debate over this question is a waste of time and effort because such an event is so very, very rare.  It is a 99.99% theoretical issue.

But, yes, there have been rare occasions where a woman performed a baptism of another woman.  I have known of a very few cases when a Christian woman was studying the Bible with another woman lost in sin, and that sinful woman wanted to obey the gospel.  Because no men were available, and baptism should be “the same hour of the night” (Acts 16:33), the Christian woman baptized the female who wanted to be forgiven of her sins.

Such a step is authorized by Christ in Matthew 28:18-20.  Christ told the Apostles to teach people of all nations and to baptize them.  Then, he said teach these new converts to do the same thing.  The people of all the nations include females.  The new converts include females.  Therefore, females may teach and baptize people under proper circumstances.  The only limitation is that women do not lead an assembly where men are present (1 Tim. 2:11-12).  If men are present, the men will preach and baptize.

May a Woman Baptize a Man in Some Cases?

As this discussion of a 99.99% theoretical point has continued to unfold, now the scepter of a woman baptizing a man is brought up.  I have been preaching almost 60 years.  I have known hundreds and hundreds of preachers in the U.S. and around the world.  I have never met anyone who knew of a real situation where it was necessary for a woman to baptize a man.  So, now, because of an unnecessary controversy over mere incidentals, we must discuss a point which is 99.99999999999% theoretical.

The answer to this theoretical question is in Matthew 28:18-20.

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:

and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

“Teach” or “make disciples” in verse 19 is the leading verb.  It is followed by two participles: “baptizing” (vs. 19) and “teaching” (vs. 20).  A participle is formed from a verb and the time element of the action signified by the participle is determined by the leading verb in the sentence.  In other words, we “make disciples” in the process of teaching them the necessity of being baptized, and then we baptize them.  The “baptizing” is inseparably bound to the leading verb “teach” or “make disciples.”  Then the process continues by “teaching” new converts to obey all that Jesus commanded.

It is not possible to escape the meaning that when we teach or make disciples from people of all nations, this included males and females.  And, because of the participle “baptizing,” the person who teaches or makes disciples is authorized by Christ to baptize.  That includes males and females.

Again, we must clarify that males must take the lead in this process of making disciples, which requires baptism, when there is a public assembly of males and females.  In a case where no Christian men are present but a Christian lady engages in private Bible study with a sinner, the Christian lady could potentially baptize that woman or that man living in sin.  If the Christian lady baptized a man because no Christian men were present, she is not usurping authority over any man, Christian or sinner.  Merely baptizing a person in a private setting does not exercise authority over that person – she merely aids the sinner in submitting to Christ.

We cannot say it is impossible for such a case to happen, but we can confidently say it is so rare that I have heard of only one case in my 60 years of preaching.  It is a waste of time to dispute over such a theoretical possibility.

Separate Essential Saving Truth and Incidental Details

The New Testament clearly reveals the truth regarding baptism in order for sinners to be saved.  Sinners must hear and believe the gospel of Christ according to Mark 16:15-16 and Romans 10:17.  A believer is commanded to repent of his sins in Acts 2:38; 3:19; and 17:30.  A penitent believer must confess Christ as we learn in Acts 8:37 and Romans 10:9-10.  Then he must submit to Christ in water baptism for the remission of his sins as required in Mark 16:15-16 and Acts 2:38; 22:16.

No passage discusses the necessity of getting a certain authorized and qualified person to do the baptizing.  Not one verse ever discusses it.  The baptizer is purely incidental to the necessity of baptism.  In other words, if there will be a baptism, someone must put the sinner under the water and bring him up again.

There are many incidental details to baptism which are never discussed in Scripture but which brethren have tried to identify and even bind as a result of their own conclusions and opinions.   For instance, water is essential but the source or container of the water is purely incidental.  If there will be water for baptism, there must be some source or container whether it be an ocean, a river, an irrigation canal, a barrel, or a baptistry.  Some brethren have insisted, “You cannot find an example of a baptistry in the Bible.  That is unscriptural baptism.”  It is true there is no specific example of a baptistry, but the baptistry is nothing more than an incidental to hold water.

There is no specific example in the Bible of someone who speaks English baptizing anyone.  The recorded examples are all people who spoke such ancient languages as Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.  Will we insist, “People who speak English are not authorized to baptize because there is no specific example of it in the Bible”?  There is no specific example in the Bible of someone who is blind or handicapped preaching the gospel and baptizing someone.  There is no specific example of a woman baptizing someone in a private setting.  The Bible never discussed such matters because the baptizer is only incidental to the baptism.  There must be a baptizer, but who will do it is not an essential factor.

If we insist there is no example of an unsound and unfaithful preacher baptizing anyone, we must ignore Philippians 1:15-18 which does indeed prove there were examples of such men baptizing people in the New Testament.  The passage says,

15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:

16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely,

supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth,

Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Paul did not rejoice because of the sinful envy and strife in the hearts of certain preachers, but he rejoiced because they preached the true gospel of Christ.  Paul knew that the people baptized under that preaching would be saved.  He rejoiced for the power of the gospel to save souls even when it was preached by unworthy unfaithful men!

Qualifications of “Official Authorized Baptizer?”

There is another question simmering beneath the surface in this current controversy:  Who is authorized to baptize?  The person who baptizes is actually incidental to the act of baptism.  There is no exclusive person who must be authorized to do it.  The New Testament gives qualifications for the office of elders and the office of deacons but no qualifications for the office of “official authorized baptizer.”

The concept that only an “authorized” person can baptize a sinner comes from the religious culture and traditions of many false religions such as Catholicism and denominations.  These religious organizations usurp the authority of Christ by claiming the power and authority to “authorize” who can preach, who can conduct baptisms, who can conduct a worship service, etc.  Christ did not give any human organization the “authority” to confer such “authority” on anyone for any purpose!

It is not the prerogative of “the clergy” or “the priesthood” to conduct baptisms.  In most cases a person learns that he must be baptized by hearing a gospel preacher or a Christian friend expound the Scriptures, and that teacher will likely be the one to baptize him.  In a few rare cases, a sinner has learned the truth directly from his own study of Scripture, and he may ask anyone to baptize him for the remission of sins in submission to Christ.  He would not learn from the Scripture that he must find an “authorized” clergyman to baptize him.

Does Cultural Discomfort Change the Truth?

The objection may be offered that says a certain culture is patriarchal and many people would not be comfortable with the truth that a woman may baptize people under certain circumstances.  If someone is lost in sin and learns how to obey the true gospel, that person’s salvation is more important than cultural comfort.  After the gospel was proclaimed, many Jews dogmatically held onto their culture and even some Jewish Christians insisted a male Gentile must be circumcised before baptism.  Faithful preachers countered by pointing out we have no right to change the truth regardless of cultural bias or traditions (Acts 15:1-35; Gal. 1:6-10).

Paul asked some important questions in Galatians 1:10 and 4:16 and we should meditate on these questions today: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”  “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”  Cultural norms do not change the truth of God’s Word on any subject.

I hope and pray that this controversy involving incidentals to baptism will soon pass and brethren will refocus their time, energy, and efforts to proclaiming the gospel to a world filled with lost and dying sinners!  May God bless us all to diligently pursue that great work for which Christ came to the world.  “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10).  Pushing false agendas regarding incidentals will not save a single soul but diverts our time and energy from that good work.

LET US BE PEACEMAKERS IN DISCUSSING “THE BAPTIZER” QUESTIONS

Questions are being discussed and debated in the Philippines and other places about whether there are unusual circumstances when an unbeliever or a woman may baptize because no faithful Christian men are available.  For a time, Satan managed to create controversies among the saints over how to handle questions related to covid, so that some brethren accused each other of being false teachers and they were alienated from each other.  Satan knows after the passing of covid, the alienation and distrust of each other will continue, which cripples the cause of Christ because some brethren refuse to cooperate with others. Now, Satan is doing the same thing again with this controversy about the baptizer. Some brethren are accusing each other of being false teachers and this is creating alienation. Satan knows after this controversy passes (and it will pass!), the alienation and distrust of each other will continue, which cripples the cause of Christ again because some brethren will refuse to cooperate with others.

Christ said there are times the children of Satan are wiser than the children of God in how they handle their affairs (Lk. 16:8). We must be wiser than Satan, and prevent him from destroying the love, unity, and peace we share with each other in Christ as we work together to save the lost.  Let us remember and let us embody the teaching of Jesus in the great sermon on the mount when he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9).

In some cases, anger and hostility are being openly displayed in these current discussions. Such anger and hostility are not appropriate among saints at any time because we must follow the guidance of Ephesians 4:1-3 in our attitudes at all times:

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

A Call for Peacemakers to Bring Resolution and Reconciliation

Every one of us should seek to use our talents and influence to help bring this controversy to an end so that our brethren will focus all of their energies on saving the lost and edifying the saved. We must work together to end this controversy. There will soon be open division unless this discussion is resolved.  God wants each one of us to be a strong example and influence to bring about resolution and reconciliation.

1. Resolution and reconciliation can occur because all brethren recognize that under normal circumstances faithful Christians teaching the gospel will naturally baptize the converts.  No one among us has ever invited an unbeliever or a woman to baptize someone while we step aside as an observer. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE?

2. Resolution and reconciliation can occur because we all know there can be rare, unusual occasions when a man or a woman learns the truth and wants to be baptized, but no faithful Christian men are available. The situation is so rare that most Christians will never witness such an occasion and therefore the issue is largely theoretical. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE? Before you express whether you AGREE or DISAGREE, please consider the following information.

(a) During the past year, a Filipino sister studied with her mother who was deathly sick and converted her. The sister’s husband was in another country and there is no church of Christ in that area for many miles. The sister got a children’s swimming pool and baptized her mother so that she would not die lost. We cannot deny such occasions happen, but very rarely!

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations [WHICH INCLUDES MALES AND FEMALES], baptizing them [WHICH INCLUDES MALES AND FEMALES] in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them [WHICH INCLUDES MALES AND FEMALES] to observe all things [WHICH INCLUDES “TEACH” & “BAPTIZING”] whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” It is very clear that Jesus allows a female to teach and baptize when no faithful Christian men are available.  Since it is already allowed in Matthew 28:19-20, there is no need to find an example in the New Testament.

(b) There are men on death row or serving lifetime sentences in prison who have nothing to do with their time and they read the Bible. By reading it for themselves, they learn they must obey the gospel.  Even when they read about the New Testament church in the Bible, they do not know there is a church of Christ meeting anywhere in the world.  They ask the chaplain to baptize them for the remission of their sins because they want to be united with Christ in his one body, church, or kingdom. These men will die in prison, and this is their only hope of salvation. We cannot deny such occasions happen, but very rarely!

Paul said in Philippians 1:14-18 some brethren preach the true gospel by love and sincerity (i.e., faithful Christians) and some preach with a spirit of “envy and strife” (i.e., unfaithful Christians who will be lost if they do not repent).  Paul said whether they preach “in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” He rejoiced because when people obey the true gospel, they are saved no matter whether the person who teaches and baptizes them is saved or lost.

(c) I carefully researched the history of many denominational preachers in the 1800's in the U.S. who became disgusted with their divisions and false practices because they began to understand the true gospel. (I obtained a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University by studying American church history including the Restoration Movement – I have hundreds of books in my library regarding these studies.) No true churches of Christ existed in the U.S. at that time. Some of these men asked denominational preachers to baptize them for the remission of sins, and some baptized each other, and they planted the first churches of Christ in the U.S. The next generations spread the gospel far and wide in our country and passed the truth to the following generations. As a result, people like me learned and obeyed the true gospel.

If those first preachers are lost because there were no faithful Christians to baptize them, then the next generations were also lost, and I am also lost.

In that case, U.S. preachers who brought the gospel to the Philippines in the early 1900's were lost. As a result, all the Filipinos they baptized are lost, and the next generations were also lost, and you are also lost.

This will mean none of us (Filipinos, Americans, Africans, etc., etc.) can ever know we are saved because we cannot trace all the people who baptized through the centuries to know if every baptism in every case was performed by a faithful Christian coming down to our time. If there was just one unbeliever who baptized a convert in the year 500 or the year 1000 or the year 1500, then the chain is broken and we all are lost. This dilemma is resolved when we agree that obedience to the true gospel saves (Rom. 6:17), and NOT the baptizer saves if he is a faithful Christian.

(d) I have personally known people who were in denominations and never heard of the church of Christ. By reading their Bible, they learned that the true gospel requires baptism for the remission of their sins.  They insisted the denominational preacher to baptize them in the scriptural way, and he agreed to do it even though he did not agree with it. To force such a person to be rebaptized when they find us is to perform an empty ritual. They already believed in Christ, already repented of their sins, already confessed Christ, and already were baptized for the remission of sins.  To force them to repeat all of those steps again just so we can be the one to baptize them is nothing but an empty ritual and meaningless ceremony.

When people come to us from the institutional church, or premillennial church, or instrumental church, we should study with them one by one on a case-by-case basis to learn if they understood and followed all the steps for salvation.  If they did not follow all the steps, then, yes, we must rebaptize them including all of the steps. If they already followed all of the steps, it is useless to baptize them again. They need to repent of such things as worshiping with instrumental music, but they do not need to repent of their faith in Christ, their repentance from sin, their confession of Christ, and their baptism for remission of sins. Will they repent of those true steps and then repeat those true steps again, only to let us baptize them?  This will be an empty ritual and meaningless ceremony.

So, again, I now repeat that resolution and reconciliation can occur because we all know there can be rare, unusual occasions when a man or a woman learns the truth and wants to be baptized but no faithful Christian men are available. Do you AGREE or DISAGREE?

Following the Path of Peace

Here is where each one of us can be such a tremendous help to avoid division among our brethren. If brethren have different opinions on this topic, let them express their opinions calmly and respectfully but avoid heated hostile debating. Let all of us follow the guidelines of Romans 14:1-3 and 17:

1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not;

and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace,

and things wherewith one may edify another.

Paul said if we believe a brother is weak in his understanding of a certain topic, receive him and do not stir up debates. The brother’s different opinion about whether to eat meat or not eat meat does not involve him in sinful practices. None of our preachers are involved in sinful practices regarding baptism, but they only disagree about what someone will do in very rare circumstances. What do all of our preachers practice?  All baptize their converts without asking an unbeliever or a woman to do it while they step aside.

Acting as peacemakers, let each of us use our talents and influence to convince brethren to stop this controversy, knowing that all the preachers practice the very same thing on baptism.  Please help the brethren realize that heated debate will result in some preachers forcing this issue to become a test a fellowship, and they will no longer work with each other. The only winner will be Satan! The cause of Christ will suffer!

If God spares our lives, let us determine to work together again in the future as we have done in the past. Let us joyfully work with each other even if some of us have some different opinions about this matter.  Why and how can we do that?  We can do it as peacemakers because we take seriously God’s command to us in Romans 14 to receive each other and work for peace and edification, not strife and division. Let our spirit and attitude toward one another be the same as Abraham’s toward Lot when he said, “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee...; for we be brethren” (Gen. 13:8). We are not enemies in Christ, but we are dear and precious brethren in Christ.

Peacemakers are wiser than Satan when we have different opinions about this temporary controversy.  We know this controversy is Satan’s maneuver to divide us and we know this is a temporary issue.  When Satan does as much damage as possible with this issue, he will let it die and he will manufacture another false issue to divide us again!  God commands us not to let Satan deceive us and misuse us to promote division because one of the seven things God hates is “he that soweth discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:19).  On the other hand, God loves and blesses those who resolve discord and who reconcile brethren.  “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9).

Peacemakers will not treat each other as enemies but as dear and precious brethren in Christ.  Instead of accusing each other and refusing to cooperate as brethren, let us demonstrate the great love that Christ teaches us in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”