The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) held its annual convention a few weeks ago, where a resolution to officially adopt the Nicene Creed as one of the SBC’s confessions of faith was rejected. David L. Allen, who was one of the SBC’s leading candidates for president, suggested that he is uncomfortable with the Creed’s “ecumenical nature” and voiced concerns over some of the Creed’s wording.
In an email to ChurchLeaders.com, Allen clarified that he is uncomfortable with the phrase, “One baptism for the remission of sins,” a phrase taken from Acts 2:38. Concerning baptismal regeneration, which the Nicene Creed clearly confesses, Allen offered the following explanation: “Though the language is directly from Scripture in Acts, the language was interpreted by many among the Church Fathers and by many today who use the creed to mean baptismal regeneration. Baptists would reject such an interpretation.”
This explanation is unsurprising, but his slimy rejection of Peter’s words in Acts 2, which clearly point to baptismal regeneration, should catch our attention. Allen continues: “If that language is interpreted to mean that we are baptized ‘because of’ the forgiveness of sins, which is the meaning in the Greek New Testament I might add, then there is no problem with the statement.”
Allen is disputing the translation of the Greek preposition εἰς, which is bolded and italicized in both the Greek and English texts copied below. The original Greek text of Acts 2:38 reads:
Πέτρος δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς μετανοήσατε φησίν καὶ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστοςὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν καὶλήμψεσθε τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος.
The English, according the English Standard Version (ESV), is translated:
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The Greek preposition in question, εἰς, has several meanings. It is most commonly translated “into” or “to.” BDAG, the leading Greek-English lexicon, lists the preposition’s first and most common meaning as “extension involving a goal or place, into, in, toward, to.” This is the most common translation throughout the New Testament, but εἰς is far more nuanced than this. BDAG also offers several other possible translations of εἰς. The following translations are particularly notable as it pertains to Acts 2:38.
BDAG’s fourth listed meaning is “marker of goals involving affective/abstract/suitability aspects, into, to.” The following subsets are offered for this meaning, which also speak well to the meaning of Acts 2:38:
“with the result of an action or condition indicated, into, to, so that.” Romans 10:10 is offered as an example: “[with the mouth] one confesses and is saved;” “confess to salvation” may be rendered “confess so as to receive salvation.”
“to denote purpose, in order to, to,” Matthew 26:28 is given as an example: “which is poured out for many for [or, for the purpose of] the forgiveness of sins.” This can also be rendered, “so that sins might be forgiven.”
BDAG’s fifth listed meaning is “marker of a specific point of reference, for, to, with respect to, with reference to.”
Finally, the sixth listed meaning is “marker of a guarantee, by.”
While these variations differ to some degree, εἰς almost always carries a connotation of “a goal or purpose.” There is generally a goal in mind; a purpose for which a particular action is done or an end to which an individual is driven. This is most certainly the case in Acts 2:38, where Peter proclaims, “[be baptized] for the forgiveness of sins.” No clearer translation can come from this proclamation than the purpose for which baptism is instituted, that in it one might find forgiveness of sins and salvation.
Though the preposition εἰς is heavily nuanced, nowhere in the Greek New Testament is it translated “because of” or “since,” contrary to Allen’s suggestion. What is more, the basic meaning of εἰς alone is enough support for baptismal regeneration. To say one is “baptized into the forgiveness of sins” sufficiently describes the nature of baptism. One is baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, where life and salvation are found. Baptism into the forgiveness of sins heartily denotes that one receives that into which they are baptized: life, salvation, and forgiveness of sins.
Baptists, whose ironically-named theological platform deprives its adherents of Christ’s Gospel promises, are notoriously anti-baptism. They scoff at infant baptism, and balk on baptismal regeneration. While Scripture teaches that baptism is a salvific and efficacious gift from God that regenerates the soul and brings life and salvation, Baptists teach that baptism is merely an outward sign of inward faith; it is done entirely by choice, and signifies the believer’s decision to follow God.
Acts 2:38 certainly does not allow for this understanding, but it has not prevented the SBC and several other Protestant denominations from holding to it. Baptist theology is entirely rooted in the idea that one must decide to follow God, and dedicate his/her life to Him. One is not called by the Gospel, but decides in favor of the Gospel.
Baptist theology, and the larger theological tradition from which it originates, is predicated on the idea that God has a lesser effect on the Christian life, particularly regarding conversion and salvation. The believer, by virtue of their own free will, must come to Christ and decide to follow Him; Christ is not the Giver, the Doer, or the Mover. He is the mere goal or end which one must reach. Any good and gracious gift that He gives, like Baptism, is but a mere step in the decision-making process, a point at which the believer arrives by their own choice God, essentially, is powerless. What, then, becomes of the cross, Christ’s suffering, and His Sacraments? In Baptist theology, they became a mere afterthought.
While some of these teachings are implicit, they directly result from Baptist’s inverted theology concerning baptism. If baptism is an outward proclamation of the believer’s inner decision to follow Christ, then God is powerless. It is about the believer. If one must verbally and comprehensively profess the name of Christ, at an age at which one is deemed able to make such a profession, then Christ has little effect on the Christian life. If salvation depends on the believer’s ability to change his own heart and follow Christ, then the Gospel is meaningless.
The Baptist church originated from English Congregationalism, which rejected the typical congregational structure found in the Church of England. There are also many traces of Puritan theology, which was also dissatisfied with the perceived “Romanization” of the Church of England; the Puritans sought to discard any practice or doctrine that appeared Roman Catholic.
The Church of England consisted of parishes into which members of the community were born and baptized as infants. Baptists reject this practice, and instead teach that membership should be “voluntary” and that only believers should be baptized. This remains the dominant Baptist practice.
Both English Congregationalism and Puritanism were heavily influenced by John Calvin and the Reformed tradition. Luther referred to this school of theology as “enthusiasm,” the belief that one must feel the presence of the Spirit within and apart from the Word of God. This ideology robs God of His glory and the Scripture of its supremacy and authority in all things, especially doctrinal and theological matters. It also invariably led to the notion that baptism is not a gift from God that bestows faith, but a work of man that declares faith.
Take, for example, the idea that “only believers should be baptized.” This doctrine implicitly teaches that children are not and cannot be believers, which affirms the idea that baptism is not a gift, but a work of man. In a sermon by Joe Rigney, fellow of theology at New Saint Andrew’s College in Moscow, ID, he says the following concerning children and baptism:
We believe that baptism follows a credible profession of faith. This makes us different from paedobaptists, who baptize the children of believers in anticipation of the child’s faith. Another way to put this is that in baptism we believe that God speaks and that we speak. In baptism, God is saying to us, “If you will trust in me, I will wash away your sins. If you believe in Jesus, I will give you eternal life.” In other words, in baptism God gives us a visual promise, just like he does in the Lord’s Supper. But, we also believe that in baptism, we speak to God and to the world. In baptism, we publicly declare our allegiance to King Jesus. If God is making promises in baptism, then we are believing those promises in baptism.
[…]
If you think of the New Covenant like a tree, then children are resting in the shade of that tree, even if they haven’t been formally and publicly grafted into the tree through baptism.
Setting aside the shameful and suppressive notion that God forbids children from entering his family through faith, the believer and recipient of His gifts—young or old, infant or elder—has nothing more to say in receiving the Sacraments than “I am not worthy, Lord, that You should have compassion on me.”
In Baptist theology, regardless of whether God has called you to faith or you alone have decided to follow Him, the believer must always be active in the means of grace. There cannot be passive reception. If God has called you to faith, you must accept the invitation. Or, if you alone have decided to follow Him, you must profess this decision by means of baptism. Jesus can enter your heart, but you must open the door for him. He can change your life, but you must let him. God can extend an invitation, but you have to accept it.
Children, obviously, cannot do this. Infants are especially unable to physically or verbally profess their faith. They cannot reason like adults; they cannot understand the basic theological foundations of faith; they cannot accept Jesus into their heart. Thus, according to Baptist theology, they must not be allowed into the family of God by virtue of their inability to open the door to Jesus, accept Him into their heart, and outwardly profess their inner faith.
Yet baptism, in its true sense, is not an altar call. It is not an acceptance speech. It is not an outward proclamation of an inner decision. It is a gift from God. He calls you out of the darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). The Baptist irony concerning baptism is not merely that they misinterpret baptism, but that in doing so they fundamentally alter the nature of faith altogether.
Original sin consumes every human conceived and born in the flesh. From conception we are unable to obey God’s Law, trust in Him, or have faith in Him. From birth we are inclined only to commit sin; we cannot by any measure have faith in God—at any stage or at any point in life.
Thus, God must call us out of the darkness of sin and into the light of His grace. He must wash away the sinful mark of the Old Man and drown him in the redeeming flood of holy baptism. He must create in us the New Man, formed and grafted into the death and resurrection of Christ, our Savior, who instituted the blessed waters of baptism for our forgiveness. In baptism, the Holy Spirit is given and we are bestowed the good and gracious gift of faith—not by any merit of our own, but only on account of Christ’s perfect sacrifice for us on the cross.
Faith is not an inner decision, nor is baptism an outward proclamation of it. Baptism is the gift of new life, granted by Christ alone. It is the washing away of our sin and the destruction of the Old Man, the Man stained by the sin of Adam. This one baptism, instituted by Christ, is given for the remission of sins—not because of it, but for it. It is given so that we might have remission of sins. It is given for the purpose of receiving faith and forgiveness of sins.
It is not—and cannot—be given since we have decided to trust in God. It is not—and cannot—be given because of our faith. Rather, it is given in order to grant us such faith and so that we are given the remission of sins that Christ offers us on account of His suffering. Be not deceived by the Baptist irony, that in naming themselves after the very thing which they appear to despise, they have perverted the nature of baptism and altered the foundation on which faith rests. Be not consumed by the lies of this world, or enamored by the desire to be active in salvation.
The believer is not the doer, the mover, or the actor. The believer is and can only be the recipient. God alone is Doer, the Mover, and the Actor. He alone grants grace for the sake of His Son and He alone calls us to faith through the Holy Spirit. He alone calls us to the waters of Holy Baptism and grants us the forgiveness of sins offered therein.
And, lest anyone remain unsure concerning the true nature of baptism, let Peter speak assuredly and succinctly on the immeasurable grace offered only on account of Christ in holy baptism:
“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you.”
1 Peter 3:21
Thank you for this article. It has been a question for me if you deny baptism and the Lord's Supper, is this unbelief? These aren't the only parts I question about what they believe, but they are very concerning. Your article answered a lot of the questions I've been asking myself recently.