1. Baptism is seen as a symbol
of faith rather than as a sign of grace. This leads inevitably to a
man-centred ceremony rather than a Christ-centred sacrament which is given by
God and involves the seal of the Spirit. This is a serious distortion of the
biblical doctrine which some baptist theologians are seeking to correct by
developing a more sacramental theology.
2. Baptism is given an emphatic
importance as witness to others. It may well be a powerful witness,
especially when an adult is converted but this is not a significant part of
apostolic doctrine. Witness to Christ is vital but is focused on the
continuing baptized life of holiness rather than the initial baptismal event
(Rom 10.9). Once again, the perceived direction is wrong. Baptism is primarily
not something a person does either for God or as a witness to others, it is
something God gives to him. It is God’s witness to his promise of saving
grace. . . Then also—
3. Baptism is not acknowledged as
essentially a covenant-sign. This is the fundamental weakness of
biblical theology which underlies the first two problems. The essential
covenant nature of the sacrament is not generally recognized by baptist
theologians—the covenant language, imagery, contexts and illustrations so
clearly seen . . . [in] each baptism reference in the Epistles. This was the
essential pattern of apostolic understanding, and failure to recognize it leads
inevitably to a whole range of erroneous exegesis. The covenant continuity is
seriously undervalued and the discontinuities exaggerated . . . This means that
most baptist theologians gravely misjudge the nature of the covenant with
Abraham and its developments with Moses and David. Repeatedly it is described
as outward (not inward( concerned with natural birth (not spiritual life)
racially exclusive (not a universal promise) with circumcision a mere mark of
the flesh (not a sign of spiritual grace). There is a serious confusion here
between understanding God’s gracious covenant intention and provisions and the
legalistic distortion of the promise and sign that developed from the misuse of
the law as an attempted means of salvation. (Gordon W. Kuhrt, Believing in
Baptism: Christian Baptism—its theology and practice [Oxford: A. W. Mowbray
and Co., Ltd, 1987], 127-28)
