Baptism - A Peripheral Issue?
by Paul K. Williams
I
was on the phone to a Methodist minister seeking information about the
inter-denominational "March for Jesus." After he answered my questions he
asked me why I asked, as I sounded disapproving. So I told him that the
Bible is opposed to denominationalism and that the church of Christ in
Eshowe could have nothing to do with the March. He let me know that I
sounded proud and judgmental, so I told him that if he would just read what
the Bible says about baptism and listen to what those verses say he would
see one reason why the Methodist Church is wrong. He gave a mocking laugh
and wanted to know why I was talking about such a peripheral issue.
I replied
that Paul made it a central issue when he listed the "one baptism" along
with "one Lord" and "one God and Father" in
Ephesians 4. This
the Methodist minister chose to ignore but said, "I have studied and debated
this issue for years. If you would study with others you would change." I
called his attention to the great pride his statement betrayed, and then
said, "If you will debate me publicly on this subject I will be pleased,"
but he of course refused.
His point
was that since people have debated and discussed baptism for many years and
cannot seem to agree, it is not something which is important. It is
"peripheral" (confined to the external surface of a body, hence not of
central importance), hence we may differ on it while maintaining Christian
unity. This position implies that there are central, or core, issues upon
which we must agree, and peripheral doctrines upon which we may disagree
while being pleasing to God.
How Do We Classify Issues?
The problem
with this is that each person classifies different issues "central" and
"Peripheral." There has been and continues to be debate and disagreement on
every Bible doctrine, including whether Jesus is the Son of God and whether
he rose from the dead. Who is going to classify these issues? What standard
are we to use to classify doctrines as important or unimportant? We are
seeing the result in religious circles where "every man does what is right
in his own eyes" (Judg.
17:6). This kind of thinking makes every man a judge, judging by his
own standard, not God's.
The
Methodist minister's proof that baptism is not important was that the
Salvation Army does not baptize or observe the Lord's Supper, yet God works
great things through them. I think it is significant that his proof is not
biblical, but "experience." By testimony and experience one can prove every
religion on earth, including ancestor worship and the Muslim religion.
Experience is what keeps people in those religions. They are convinced those
religions are true because they believe they work - that God works through
them.
Bible Classification
But when we
take the Bible as our authority, a different picture emerges. God's
commandments cannot be divided into central and peripheral commandments.
"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given
to Me, in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age'"
(Matt. 28:18-20).
Not only were the apostles to teach all that Jesus commanded, they were to
teach the disciples to observe all that he commanded. Jesus did not say that
we must obey the central commandments and can obey or not obey the rest!
The
psalmist loved the commandments of God. "The sum of Thy word is truth ... ..
All. Thy commandments are truth." "From Thy precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way"
(Psa. 119:160,151,104).
He did not divide the commandments into some to be loved and some to be
ignored!
Paul
pleaded, "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ,.that you all agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but
you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment"
(1 Cor. 1:10).
Paul did not give us the liberty to disagree and divide on the doctrines
revealed by Jesus.
The only
peripheral issues are those in which we have liberty, where God has neither
commanded nor forbidden. According to
Romans 14 we must
not condemn one another in these things, nor must we force one another into
our opinions. In matters of meats and days God has given us liberty. We can
choose to eat or not eat, observe or not observe. But in matters of
revelation and commandment, we must observe all things Jesus has given.
Baptism is
not a peripheral commandment, nor is any other command given by Jesus. When
we ignore or despise a single precept of Jesus we are showing our complete
lack of respect and love for him.
"How sweet
are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Thy
precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way"
(Psa. 119:103-104). -
Guardian of Truth - January 1992
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