Beamsville Church of Christ

$1.25 For the promotion of NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publication Assistance Program towards our mailing costs. Vol. 70, No. 4 BEAMSVILLE, ONTARIO April 2005 LLetet mmyy tteachingeaching ffallall llikeike rrainain aandnd mymy wordswords descenddescend likelike dew,dew, LLikeike sshowershowers oonn nnewew ggrass,rass, llikeike abundantabundant rrainain oonn tendertender plants.plants. DDeuteronomyeuteronomy 32:232:2 Practicing what you preach is often suggested as the proper way to live your life. For a person to give instruction on living a healthy lifestyle, while not living one himself, makes the instruction a little less credible. If this is true, in this case, it is especially true in the Christian life. (See editorial on page 4) Baptism in the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (3) What Must One Know for His Baptism to Be Valid? ur last article traced how immer- Edwin Broadus When Thomas continued to press sion for the remission of sins he did not learn this truth until he was his views, Campbell responded, gently Obecame, at a very early date, a preparing for his debate with William L. at first, but more forcibly as the con- distinguishing mark of churches in the Maccalla in 1823. troversy continued. He contended that Restoration Movement. After about two While it is evident from what Stone reimmersion is never called for unless decades of serious study and some con- wrote in 1829 there was already contro- there is “a consciousness on the part of troversy, this understanding of biblical versy over whether a person’s immersion the individual that his first baptism was teaching was accepted by nearly everyone must be for the remission of sins, the destitute of faith in Christ.” He called within the movement, and it has aroused debate became intense from 1835 to 1838 reimmersion “an inference drawn from little internal controversy since then. But through the insistence of John Thomas in our own conclusions,” since there is intense debate has flared up at times Virginia. Thomas was an English medical no command or example in the New over what one needs to know when he doctor who immigrated to America in 1832 Testament to rebaptize anyone who is baptized. Or, to word it another way, at age 27. He was immersed that fall by was previously immersed with faith in must a person knowingly and intention- Walter Scott, who strongly emphasized Jesus Christ as God’s Messiah. Thomas, ally be immersed for the forgiveness of that baptism is for the remission of sins. on the other hand, believed Acts 19:1-6 sins for baptism to be valid? Even now Within about a year and one half of his supported his view: “Our argument is this question is not entirely settled. This baptism he had moved to Richmond, this, that the premises upon which an article is not intended (or able) to settle it Virginia where he married, entered medi- immersion is predicated characterizes but to examine, for whatever help this can cal practice, began a religious journal, and the immersion, and that if these premises give us, how the question was wrestled preached for the local church. In the fall of do not harmonize with those laid down with in the past. 1834 he wrote in his paper that baptism in the Scriptures of truth, the immersion Barton W. Stone was immersed in 1807 is scriptural only if one knows it is for the is not Christian immersion or baptism. and Alexander Campbell in 1812. At the remission of sins. He continued pushing The twelve disciples of John were re- time of their baptism, neither of these men rebaptism in his journal, with particular immersed for this very cause...” understood that baptism is for the forgive- concern about the thousands of Baptists, Others also joined the debate. The ness of sins, and this fact influenced their including many prominent preachers, who elders of the Baltimore church told own views on the question before us. Stone had come into the Restoration Movement Thomas: “If you would re-baptize every said in 1829 about baptism for the remis- without being reimmersed. one who knows less of the ‘one faith, one sion of sins, “I both contend for it in Lord, and one baptism’ than you theory and practice it, from a firm now do, it might so happen (for who conviction of truth,” but he added, is perfect in knowledge) that some “I am not yet prepared to reject years hence, some disciples may from fellowship all not immersed for excel your present knowledge, and remission of sins... Should I reject call upon you to submit a second all not immersed for remission of time to immersion, and in this way, sins, I should reject the greater part, we would, instead of one baptism, even of the reforming Baptists; for have everyone who is diligent in very few of them were baptized for acquiring knowledge, immersed remission of sins. I should myself be every year.” Stone was writing less rejected, for when I was immersed it by this time and apparently did not was not with this understanding.” enter the debate, but he had struck In 1832 Alexander Campbell his usual conciliatory tone earlier, recalled his own baptism: “I was in 1832: “O brethren, these are immersed by a Regular Baptist, subjects concerning which many but not in a Regular Baptist way. I of us differ, but for this difference stipulated with Matthew Luce that I we ought not to separate from should be immersed on the profes- communion, and Christian fellow- sion of the one fact, or proposition, ship. All believe that immersion that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son is baptism – why should they who of God... on the profession alone submit to the one baptism contend I was immersed; nor have I ever and separate because they do not immersed any person but upon view every design of it alike?” the same profession which I made The controversy ended, not myself.” He did not understand then because of agreement on rebap- that baptism is for the forgiveness tism, but because of Thomas’ of sins, for he said elsewhere that speculative views on other subjects, Page 2 Gospel Herald and when opposition from Campbell and selves up to him as our guide and ruler. for himself whether his immersion was others intensified, Thomas left the move- When a person has faith that leads to valid. Substantial numbers of churches ment and founded the Christadelphians. this submission to God, that submission and congregations today are content to The controversy was laid to rest for is acceptable, no matter how much or set forth what the Bible teaches about about fifty years, until a new generation how little else he may know of the will baptism and then let the individual make arose. In 1884 a colorful Texas preacher, of God.” He also objected to “rebaptizing his decision, although there are others Austin McGary, began publishing the people because they learn this or that who will not accept a person into mem- Firm Foundation expressly to oppose about baptism. This is putting the virtue bership whose baptism was not expressly acceptance of those who had not been of the saving in our knowledge, not in for the forgiveness of sins. immersed for the forgiveness of sins. our submission to God.” He also felt that This question about baptism takes on McGary had been baptized less than three requiring a person to believe baptism is special significance, because it involves years before, but he soon realized that for the forgiveness of sins is adding to the borders of the kingdom and whom many Texas churches were accepting scripture, since scripture requires only we should or should not accept as fel- people whose baptism had not been for that one believe in Jesus to be baptized. low Christians. Our final article will the remission of sins. McGary not only To a significant extent McGary’s view deal historically with controversies believed a person must intentionally prevailed in Churches of Christ, for during about baptism and fellowship. It is in be baptized for this reason, but he also much of the 20th century preachers gen- this regard that the question discussed argued that baptism must be preceded erally taught that valid baptism requires in this article takes on crucial meaning, by a confession of faith in Jesus. (Many an understanding that it is for the forgive- if our aim is to leave the borders of the can recall sermons in bygone years when ness of sins. But part of Lipscomb’s view kingdom where God has drawn them sinners were urged to “believe, repent, also prevailed in many quarters, for he and not where we put them. confess, and be baptized.”) believed that each believer must decide Burlington, ON David Lipscomb, the most prominent leader in southern churches at the time, took issue with McGary. He had stated his position years before the controversy BARRIE CHURCH OF CHRIST began, and he held to this view. He had said in 1869: “The first prime design of IN BARRIE, ONTARIO baptism is to honor God by submitting is seeking a Minister/Evangelist to his appointments. The remission of sins is one of the fruits that flow from a Barrie, Ontario is a growing city of 125,000 situated one submission to God in baptism. There are many other fruits. We have never found hour north of Toronto where it was required that a man should We are a congregation of approximately 80 people understand all the fruits flowing from an act of obedience in order to render We are searching for someone with the following strengths: it valid.

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