“True baptism is of the internal man, by the Holy Spirit, and if that is missing you do not have a Christian inwardly. You do not have a true Christian, but rather a wet member of the visible covenant. The only thing we control (with the variations we have in our rituals) is how wet that member of the visible covenant is. And there an unregenerate Baptist has a clear advantage over an unregenerate Presbyterian” (Against the Church, p. 18).
Have 'Em Delivered
Write to the Editor
Though we disagree on baptism and the nature of the New Covenant, I am very grateful for your stand on this. If we don’t have this we don’t have anything.
“I went down a dry sinner and came up a wet one”–my dad (now in Glory).
“True baptism” is the baptism that Jesus commanded, and it’s done with water. Water baptism just *is* in the hands of the Spirit. There is no “true baptism” other than water baptism anywhere in the Bible.
Tim, what about Col. 2:11-12?
I don’t think it’s the quantity of water. It’s the picture. We’re buried with him in baptism, then raised to walk in newness of life. It’s a story reenacted. And as you know, the stories are really, really important.
Doug Wilson wrote: “You do not have a true Christian, but rather a wet member of the visible covenant. The only thing we control (with the variations we have in our rituals) is how wet that member of the visible covenant is. And there an unregenerate Baptist has a clear advantage over an unregenerate Presbyterian” Unregenerate Baptists are indeed far wetter than unregenerate Presbyterians, to be sure. Doug’s point is well made regarding the vital importance of the Holy Spirit and true conversion. I don’t intend to detract from that at all. However, I’m not sure I’d use the phrase… Read more »
katecho — did you mean “sign” rather than “seal” in that last paragraph?
katecho — Maybe the Church pronouncement you’re pining for can remain feeling kinda waffly to be more Biblical? Remember Jesus with the woman at the well? Did He say the guy she was with her husband or not? Would the church pronouncement on that visible covenantal reality do a better job than He did??!!