(Note:  I received the following letter from a Pentecostal preacher in Northeast Tennessee.  It is reproduced here as written.  Due to the nature of his questions, I am including them and my response in this issue for the benefit of all who read this bulletin.  My aim is to provoke thought and study.  Should anyone have further questions or comments, feel free to contact me.  RJB) 

"Mr. Boone. 

"From what you say in your paper, ‘Basics About Bible Baptism,’ you said, ‘I’m NOT interested in my or anyone else’s opinion on any Bible subject.’  You did say, "MY" opinion or anyone’s! 

"What is baptism?  That’s a good question!  You tell me, and also if you don’t care (I am sure you can or you would not have made that statement) show me the word, after or before baptism, "WATER".  These are the scriptures you used (Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12; Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:26-27). 

"I’ve hears some of the church of Christ say that if you don’t show in (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16) the words instrumental music, then you can’t have them in your worship service; is that right or not?  If it is right, then if you don’t care, please show the word "water."  Thanks! 

"The reason I didn’t have 1 Pet. 3:21 in there is I wanted to answer it by itself.  From what I can see that the word of God says, is that Peter here takes the waters of the flood, which was a sign to Noah of a renewing of the earth.  The flood floated the Ark which SAVED Noah, and CARRIED him and his family into a new order of things.  It was "NOT THE WATER" that SAVED Noah, "BUT" the "ARK," which was a type of "CHRIST." 

"I know, and I hope you know, that water cannot and will not save a soul; it is NOT sufficient to save.  It STILL takes the BLOOD of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:5; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12, 9:22). 

"I don’t believe, and the Bible doesn’t say that water baptism is necessary or essential to salvation, unless I can’t seem to find it. 

"I would appreciate you showing me if you don’t care." 
 

Dear Mr. _____, 

Thank you for your letter of 1/5/99.  I received it as my family and I were settling into our new work in the Atlanta area.  Thanks for reading my article on baptism, your interest in spiritual matters, your conviction enough to respond (that is refreshing these days; so many people aren’t concerned enough to respond or ask questions!), and your questions.  I will take your letter point by point. 
 
You are correct – I am not interested in opinions regarding biblical teaching.  That includes my own.  Truth – and only truth – saves (Jn. 8:32; Jn. 17:17; Jas. 1:21; 1 Pet. 1:22-23; etc.).  We all must be careful to mold our convictions and practices to Scripture rather than molding Scripture to fit our thoughts and practices.  What I see with my eyes, hear with my ears or what comes from my own heart does not authorize (give me the right to practice) what I want in religion (1 Cor. 2:9).  Our proper basis for authority is solely the Bible, God’s complete revelation (1 Cor. 2:10-13).  My convictions and responses, therefore, on any religious question are not based on what the "church of Christ" teaches, but on "What saith the Scripture?" (Rom. 4:3).  I am not one who believes that because "churches of Christ" may practice something, it is automatically acceptable to God.  No church produces the truth, the truth produces the church!  I believe you agree with this approach. 
 
Regarding instrumental music, the Bible teaches that Christians are to sing with their voices psalms, hymns and spiritual songs from the heart as they praise God and teach one another (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).  History also confirms that this was the practice of churches for nearly a thousand years after Christ.  That is what the churches of Christ with whom I have associated practice.  Based on the same appeal to Scripture, I will proceed to your questions on baptism. 
 
First, you ask that I show passages referencing water baptism.  Though the passages I used did not specify "water," please understand that I did not use every passage available on the subject.  I include some additional passages and points for your consideration here.  As far as I can determine, whenever a person baptized another person, it was always in water.  John the Baptist "was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there" (Jn. 3:23; also see Mt. 3:11,16; Mk. 1:8,10; Lk. 3:16; Jn. 1:26,31,33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16).  When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He commanded His apostles to baptize those whom they had taught in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:18-20).  In what did the apostles baptize those whom they taught?   Peter, as one example, asked an interesting question concerning those of Cornelius’ household who had received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-46; also see Acts 11:15-17; Acts 15:8).  He said, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.  Then prayed they him to tarry certain days" (Acts 10:47-48).  Mr. _____, did you note the connection to "water" and "baptism" here?  The text plainly states it.  Not only did the apostles practice this, they taught it by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Paul said that Christ sanctified and cleansed the church "with the washing of water by the word" (Eph. 5:26).  I know of no one – a "church of Christ" member or otherwise – who denies that this is a reference to water baptism.  The Hebrew writer also reminded the Hebrew Christians that they had their "bodies (did you catch that, Mr. _____?  he’s not talking about the inner man or conscience here) washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:22).  Though he was not an apostle, Philip preached "Christ" to an Ethiopian (Acts 8:35).  Note what the text then says, "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?  And Philip said, ‘If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:36-39; italics mine-rjb).  Please note three things, Mr. _____: (1) the text connects "water" and "baptism;" to deny that or attempt to explain it away would set one in contradiction to what the text says;  (2) Philip understood that to preach "Christ" then he also preached "baptism" (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:16), and that in "water," or else Philip lied to the eunuch; are you willing to suggest that, Mr. _____?; (3) the eunuch understood the connection between "Christ," "water," and "baptism;" or are we to believe that he was terribly deceived?  If so, the Spirit deceived both of them since it was the Spirit (and an angel) who sent Philip there (Acts 8:26,29), and the Spirit who caught Philip away (Acts 8:39) before the deception could be corrected.  Are you willing to go that far, Mr. _____? 
 
Now to some comments on 1 Peter 3:21.  You state that the ark saved Noah: "It was NOT THE WATER, that saved Noah, BUT the ARK, which was a type of Christ."  Mr. _____, in all kindness but with all candor, the text does not say what you claim it says.  Look closely:  "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God wait in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water" (1 Pet. 3:20).  You said that water did NOT save, the text says that they were saved "by water."  A question, Mr. _____:  before the flood started, when Noah, his family and all the animals were in the ark, were they saved at that point?  No, they were still in a wicked world doomed for destruction by God.  The FLOOD destroyed the wicked world (2 Pet. 3:6) and at the same time lifted Noah, his family and the full ark above it, saving them "by water" (1 Pet. 3:20).  The likeness is not the ark and Christ, as you claim, but in the different "waters" mentioned – the flood (which saved Noah and his family) and baptism (which saves us) (1 Pet. 3:21). 
 
You also state, "It STILL takes the BLOOD of the Lord Jesus Christ" to save (Rev. 1:5; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12, Heb. 9:22).  Mr. _____, I agree with you on that!  When/where did Jesus shed His blood?  At Calvary (Jn. 19:1; Mk. 15:17; Jn. 20:25,27; Jn. 19:34).  How do we contact that blood of the Lord Jesus Christ?  Romans 6:3-4, a passage which I mentioned in my original "Baptism" article, states that we are "buried with him by baptism into death."  It is in baptism – immersion in water – that we contact His blood which was shed "for the remission of sins" (Mt. 26:28).  We are baptized "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38).  Baptism saves (Mk. 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21), puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27), washes away sins (Acts 22:16), etc., all of which is accomplished through His blood.  This does not negate the importance of faith, repentance, or confession; I’m emphasizing baptism here because this was the subject of your question.  Because of what the Bible specifically states that baptism accomplishes, it is "necessary" or "essential" to salvation.  To deny that is to deny plain statements of Scripture, Mr. _____. 
 
As I conclude, let me again state that I appreciate your reading my article, your spiritual interests, and your response.  It is encouraging.  Rest assured that I have no other motive than to teach the truth which saves (not to uphold some denominational or man-made doctrine), so I and others can go to heaven (1 Tim. 4:16).  I believe you share in that desire.  I am willing to continue our study and correspondence, and hope that these efforts will help us to come to "the unity of the Spirit" (Eph. 4:3).  The Ephesians had it and were to "keep" it, and if they were instructed to do so, that means they could do so.  If they could, so can we.  Let us work – on the foundation of God’s word – to that end.