Poll: Would You Accept A Church of Christ Immersion as a Valid NT Baptism?

In most CoC , a Southern Baptist would have to be rebaptized to become members of their local churches.

A member of the CoC baptism would not be considered symbolic but regenerative. So we are looking at two different reasons for baptism here.

But what if the CoC person believes Jesus saves but also believes that such salvation is completed in water baptism, Wouldn't the fact that Jesus saves take care of the person's salvation even if they're wrong about baptism?

 

Perhaps you could inform me what is different about COC baptism from Christain baptism. I honestly don't know much about their baptism.

But I will add that I would not re-baptize someone unless there was a very particular reason for it. My reasons would be:

1. They had been infant baptized.
2. They had been baptized, but were unbelievers and desired to be baptized again as a believer.

This was the case with me. I was infant baptized (unbeliever). Then I was baptized as an adult, but it was to make the preacher happy so I could date his daughter (still an unbeliever). When I was born again, I was baptized again as a believer. I was even baptized again as a believer because I was concerned I didn't fully surrender to Christ. This was done out of ignorance.

So I have been sprinkled and triple-dipped.

RB

 

It would honestly depend on that churches teaching regarding what it takes for a person to saved.

Their theology is that baptism is part-of the salvation process and without it you are not saved.

I have studied their theology somewhat and I have a few friends who are CoC pastors, which they state is an accurate statement. Now are there some CoC who do not 'depend' on baptism to save but state it is an act which proves one salvation? Yes and thus my opening comment. To add baptism as part-of salvation makes it a works based salvation.

If someone teaches anything but the essential "by grace through faith" they are adding to the gospel and thus presenting 'another' or false gospel, regardless of the sincerity of heart. Just because a person wants to believe 2+2=5 will not make it truth and it is the "truth" that sets us free.

Salvation is in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, and is the only salvation from God's throne that I might not be left alone with sin for nothing to atone. And that I'll shout that through a megaphone!

 

Shout it loud my brother! To the glory of God alone!

 

So what is the difference if doting every "i" and crossing every "t" is required?

Is it possible that a person can be saved prior to baptism even if they believe baptism is the point at which a person is saved?

 

I personally have yet to meet a person who sat under a false gospel come to a saving knowledge of the Lord through it. And I do (and have done) a lot of personal and door to door witnessing in the last 17 years so I can at least nominally say this.

Can a person be saved under such teaching? Yes it is 'possible', but they can not be saved through that false teaching!

With respect to the CoC view, that person does not put their full trust in Christ becuase it is not Christ alone that saves. It is Christ plus baptism. For their salvation they hold to 'both' Christ AND their baptism. Their entire salvation is hinged upon baptism and not Christ. Paul rebuked all who added to that simpleness of the gospel. We are saved by grace through faith. You know as well as I do the scathing rebukes he gave to the legalists for wanting to bring 'additions' into gospel.

 

A false gospel it is then.

 

LOL.

CoC believe in Believers Baptism. The structure, timing, etc. is identical to your average Baptist Church.

The difference is in what they believe is occurring. While Baptists believe that you "put your faith in Christ" through a prayer, most commonly a "sinners prayer", CoC believes that instead of a "sinners prayer" the repentant individual gets dunked. Think of it as a PHYSICAL prayer of salvation.

They are VERY clear that it is not the Baptism itself that saves, but the faith in submitting to it. Much as a Baptist would say that a "Sinners prayer" does not save, but the faith that inspires one.

 

That is true, but I also know that my family (which are mostly CoC) contend that one cannot enter Heaven without being baptized. When I ask about the thief on the cross I usually get ignored for a couple of days.

 

I think this is rather unfair. I have met many CoC that I would call brothers in Christ. I do disagree with them, but I do not see it as you do.

If you met someone who said they were a Christian, but had never "Personally accepted" Christ as their savior, but had faith in Him, would this not bother you? Let me ask a question(s)...

#1 Is some form of "sinners prayer" necessary for salvation? Something wherein we confess our sins to God, ask for forgiveness, for Him to come into our lives, etc.?

#2 If so, what is the difference in requiring a VISUAL prayer (baptism) rather than an AUDIBLE prayer? I really don't see much of a difference: in both cases, Baptists and CoC, they are saying it is the faith that brings the Prayer(Baptist) or Baptism(CoC) and that faith saves, not the act itself.

Perhaps I am just unable to understand the difference. I mean, we are not shamans...we do not just "feel" saved and become that way. We Place our faith and trust in Christ, and whether that is through a prayer, or through a Baptism, I just cannot comprehend the problem here...

I think sometimes Christians look for reasons to be divided.

 

Romans 3:21-5:1 is the basis of my soteriology.

 

Yes it is 'akin' to believers baptism since they believe that only believers should be baptised but they do NOT beleive a person who is not baptised will go to heaven/be with God.

That is not true at all. They to pray for God's mercy and salvation but that does not save of itself in their theology but baptism must be in order that salvation be 'complete'. Without baptism salvation to them is assured.

As I said, I have studied their views somewhat and I have friends who are pastors of the CoC, one inparticular married my wife and me (he was a firend of her family) and a non-denom pastor at that time. He then left there soon afterward to pastor at the CoC for 9 years. Their view isn't that baptism is like a prayer because they to pray for salvation. Baptism to them is part of the process of becoming saved.

 

He probably went in a wet sinner and came back up the same way.

Baptism is an outward picture of what has already happened in the heart.

 

What has 'being fair' got to do with the truth or more specifcally the gospel?

Please show me where I said I don't call some brothers in Christ. As I said, it depends on the that particular church is teaching but in their mainline view it is a false gospel, just like Catholics. Are there saved Catholics? Yes but their mainline view of salvation is false.

I think you're confused. If some has placed faith in Christ they have 'personally accepted" Christ. Your trying to play semantical word games that those of like faith us but I'm speaking of their doctine which is contrary to scripture regarding the gospel. They do not place their faith in Christ but in Christ AND baptism to save them.

You have a warped misunderstanding of this. No one is saved who does not cry out to God whether by mouth or heart and repent. (Rom 10:9-13).

I would say that you might need to understand better their position on the matter. It isn't a visual prayer unless you will also contend that their calling out to God to save them the first time was a waste of time and faith.

Then please read:

Followed up by good ol' Wiki:

Notice it states that 'baptism' is preceded by hearing, believing, confessing and repenting.. So it is not some 'visual' prayer as you seem to think.

No, it doesn't. They say faith brings prayer AND baptism and THEN the person is saved.

And some times those reasons are good ones.

 

Regardless of the church concerned (CoC or other) if the person was baptised by immersion as a beliver professing their faith, I'd be happy to welcome them into church membership.

Regards
Bob

 

So you would welcome one who trusted in Christ AND their baptism to save them since their faith includes baptism completing the work of salvation?


Just asking, because they do not teach that Christ alone saves but that you ARE NOT saved by simply placing your faith in Him but that salvation is complete only when you are baptised.

Thus it is (to me) a little more complicated than a blanket statement when we are dealing with people and the teachings they were under.

 

Re #1--The Bible speaks of repentance and faith for salvation, not saying a prayer. I never prayed the "sinner's prayer" when I was saved. The Ethiopian Eunuch never prayed a prayer. Cornelius never prayed a prayer. Those who were saved on Mars Hill after Paul's sermon never prayed a prayer. On the day of Pentecost, Peter never called on any of his listeners to pray a prayer. The Phillipian jailer was not told to say a prayer.

I was raised and baptized in CoC, when I was baptized no one asked me about sin or repenting. 10 years ago when I was saved I never prayed a prayer, for that matter no one ever talked to me about repentance, God did reveal Himself to me through a sign, there was a business I would pass on my way to work that had a sign in front of it, they would put scriptures on it ever week, through that sign God reveald Himself to me and I cried out for forgiveness at work on a Sat. night, the next day I was in church, I gave my testimony and was baptized a few weeks later to be obedient to Gods word.