Alien immersion means a strange or unusual act of immersion that does not follow the biblical pattern for baptism. It is an unscriptural form many congregations practice on a don't ask, don't tell basis. If the idea is to get them in any way you can, any form of immersion without a scriptural authority is all that is required in many Baptist congregations. Receiving alien immersion is the natural result of the universal church heresy that follows open communion and pulpit affiliation.
Scriptural baptism has four requisites: 1) the right authority, a NT church Matt. 28:16-20; 2) the right candidate, a child of God Matt. 3:6-9; Acts 8:37 (footnoted or absent in new "Bible" versions); 3) the right method, immersion in water Matt. 3:14-17; Rom. 6:4, 5; and 4) the right purpose, obedience to God's command and identification with Jesus, not for salvation Matt. 3:15; Rom. 6:16, 17; 1 Pet. 3:21.
Consider the logical results of alien immersion. If authority does not matter, then one denomination is as good as another. If the act does not matter, any method will do. Why not sprinkle or pour? If the candidate does not matter, why not offer it to babies? Then infant "baptism" will be acceptable. At this point, any doctrine may be accepted as good as the truth. Once a congregation goes down the road of receiving alien immersion, it is a road of no return.
Alien immersion is unusual because it has no scriptural authority. Only a New Testament church has authority from God to administer it. True churches have ever held two things dear about baptism: 1) Jesus gave His authority to New Testament churches and 2) His specific command given to churches concerning baptism forbids any other organization the right to administer it. Only a scriptural church may administer scriptural baptism.
When a scriptural church receives or grants letters to a congregation that practices alien immersion, they recognize it as a true church. Compromise on the truth about baptism should be rejected. Those who accept alien immersion have rejected the biblical pattern for baptism. Without scriptural baptism, there is no scriptural church, no authority for ordinations, or for the ordinances. Sound, solid churches will make inquiry concerning who baptized a new member and concerning whether the congregation they were a member of practices alien immersion. If they practice alien immersion, a sound church cannot and will not accept a letter from them. In such cases, truth rebukes error. When a person comes from a congregation that receives alien immersion, if their baptism is determined to be scriptural, they may be received by statement on their profession of faith and statement of having received scriptural baptism. If a person immersed by a congregation that receives alien immersion unites with a true church, then he must be willing to receive scriptural baptism. Scriptural baptism expresses the profession of faith of a believer, the picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and the things taught by the church administering the ordinance. Rom. 6:16, 17 How can scriptural churches become anything but unscriptural by receiving alien immersion?
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I agree with you in all points. Reading, my mind began to wonder, though. I have a couple of questions you may have run across before. What is a "letter" for? I've heard that receiving someone by statement is a slap in the face of the last true church they were a member at if they were excluded.
ReplyDeleteIf a person is excluded, and you shouldn't accept them by statement period, then what about a member who (as you suggest) joined a false church which practices alien immersion. Should that person return to their home church and apologize for not holding to the covenant of joining a church of like faith and practice upon removal from that body? Would that apology not be the only way to keep them in good standing with the sponsoring church, even if that church didn't exclude the member (for whatever reason?)
Scenario 1.
I don't know how clear I am phrasing my question... so let me try with an example. I'm a member of ABA church #1. ABA church #1 normally excludes members who leave and join a Southern Baptist church which receives alien immersion. ABA church #1 excludes me. Ten years later, I find I was wrong for being in the Southern Baptist work receiving alien immersion, and so I want to join your ABA church #2, located where I now live (twenty-five miles from ABA church #1, still in the same local association.) According to the old-school thought, your ABA church #2 shouldn't accept me EVEN BY statement, b/c I have not reconciled with ABA church #1. What is the proper act here for your ABA church #2?
Scenario 2.
Same as before, only this time ABA church #1 doesn't know I've joined the other church, and hasn't excluded me. I want to join your church. Should your church tell me to go back to ABA church #1 and apologize for heresy before I can join.
Third question, what is a letter for exactly, and when did they begin?
Fourth and final question, I've heard some say since EVERY church member is authorized by its church and Jesus to carry out the first and third parts of the great commission, we are also authorized to carry out the second. While I understand the practical and logical reasons this wouldn't be the best thing, is it biblically wrong?
Scenario 1 - find out about church#1 and ask him to go make it right and then get a letter.
ReplyDeleteScenario 2 - if not excluded, ask for a letter (although it would be best to go make it right first in an ideal situation)
A letter of recommendation is simply a statement that a person has church membership in good standing. It's not exactly the same, but Barnabus recommended Paul for membership at the church at Jerusalem (without which he probably would not have been accepted). The letter is a post-biblical practice that helps keep records straight. Without a letter, the practice of receiving members would be much like universal church, just come and ask to be a part there.
While a church theoretically could authorize any or every member to baptize others, I think it may not be the best practice. Most of ABA brethren probably prefer an ordained preacher (or if lacking, a deacon) - yet I know the authority is in the church. I would not say it is biblically wrong for a church to authorize a member to do it (it would still be church authority). An unusual practice has developed in that some ABA churches authorize non-memers to baptize a member (having a pastor, but asking a preacher relative to baptize the candidate for them, as in the case of grandchildren.
Not many honor the church holding someone's membership any more, but right is still right.
You did say "When a person comes from a congregation that receives alien immersion, if their baptism is determined to be scriptural, they may be received by statement on their profession of faith and statement of having received scriptural baptism."
ReplyDeleteIn response to my comment, you then stated "Without a letter, the practice of receiving members would be much like universal church, just come and ask to be a part there."
I suppose this could seem confusing, but I suppose I would agree with you 100%. The most important thing about receiving a member is whether or not a person has scriptural baptism, but the best circumstance would be a letter.
I also suppose an endless number of questions could be raised, but only God knows. For example: I know a man a church voted in as pastor, yet he was lost. MANY were saved and baptized under the church's authority by him. He later was saved (Praise the Lord!). Obviously he wasn't a member of that church, but it certainly was church authority.
I think it might be best if we do more digging on every candidate for joining. We probably should interview every church someone comes from, huh? Well, thanks for the excellent post and comment back.
Bro. Archbishop,
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I know of four churches that fellowship in the ABA that have the alien immersion problem. One which at one time was the sponsor of a prominent missionary receives Bible church baptism (I saw on their website). Another's, that was started by a prominent missionary in the 1970s, pastor has Bible church baptism. The third is closer to my home was led astray by a former pastor whose father was a staunch MB seminary president. The fourth was a congregation brought out of another denomination but several did not have Baptist baptism. I'm with you that we need to investigate each person who applies to our churches for membership.