Historically Baptists have strictly followed the Bible's teaching on baptism which was a founding principle that distinguished them from the Protestants and Roman Catholics. To the contrary Protestants and Catholics have never had such convictions about following the New Testament's instruction about baptism. These churches accept any and all forms and practices of baptism and have criticized Baptists for their following the New Testament doctrine. Within the last few decades some Baptists failing to understand what is true scriptural baptism and its importance, have not following the Lord's directions. Their misunderstanding has had the effect of baptism losing what the Lord intended baptism to symbolize.

             One's baptism is not a light matter. Its importance is emphasized by the Lord Jesus, in that just before returning to heaven, in His final instructions to His disciples, He addressed baptism. In the Great Commission Jesus mentions three things. First, as the disciple went forth they were to teach others to be disciples or learners as were they. The scope of their carrying Christ's message was to "all nations." Second Jesus instructs them to baptize those who became disciples in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The third part of their commission was ". . .Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." It is vital in obeying the Lord's commission is to understand it was given as a command. Each part of His command is inseparably tied to the other parts. If Christ gave this commission to the disciples in His final address to them it certainly is important. If a believer is following the Great Commission all three elements of the instructs should be taught and followed correctly as the Lord Jesus Christ gave it. Jesus' words are vital to understanding why this was important to Him and to those who would be teaching others ". . . to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

             "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. "men." (Matthew 28:19-20)

             "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

             These verses teach that the believer is to go forth teaching (disciplining), baptizing those who became His disciples, and being Christ's witness in proclaiming His truth. What is to be taught is Jesus' word and what He commanded His disciples (believers) to observe. He states in Verse 18 that "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." The word "power" is the Greek word "exousia" which means "authority." The Gospel is God's very Word and His command is to be taught and obeyed without error or compromise. Christ then, as the founder and finisher of our faith, conveys His authority to His disciple to continue to carry the His message of salvation by faith. Thus the preaching and teaching of a true New Testament church is to be exactly what God's word says without compromise, deviation or error. Anything lest does not have God's authority nor approval. No one has the liberty or authority to change God's word. (Rev. 22:18-19) If believers are to obey the Lord's command we must fully know and observe what each element of His command. That includes a proper teaching and practice concerning baptism.

             The teaching of what He commanded carries a promise that He would be with those always who obeyed His command. The implication is that He would not, nor could approve what was contrary to His instructions. His presence and approval then is plainly conditional on preaching and practicing His truth without error. God cannot lie, nor can He bless error because any false teaching is a lie. (Num. 23:19; Titus 1:2, Heb. 6:18) A supposed partial truth is a whole lie and God cannot be party to it.

             Baptism then was inseparable from a person's belief and acceptance Jesus Christ and His truth. The Lord intended baptism to be an outward act which symbolized two important things. One was what had inwardly happened in the life of one who believed the Gospel. Second, was the new believer's testimony of accepting God's word and identifying with a local congregation that believed and practiced the word. This brings us to the true purpose and significance of baptism and why Jesus commanded that believers be baptized.

             Baptism, being a work or ritual clearly does not save or have saving properties. How salvation is received is plainly stated, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Baptism therefore being a work must have a different but important purpose.

             The New Testament teaches that biblical baptism has a twofold purpose. First it is a public testimony of the believer's belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior. It is an outward act whereby the new convert identifies himself with Jesus Christ, who is the "Word." The new convert, by submitting to baptism by immersion, is publicly testifying of his faith in Jesus Christ. He is declaring himself to be a disciple of Christ, child of God, who is rejecting their former life of living in sin and rebellion against God. His is thus showing the inward change that has occurred in his heart and that Jesus Christ is now His Lord and Savior. Further he is proclaiming his faith in Jesus Christ as the Word.

             "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." (John 1:1, 14-16)

             You cannot separate Jesus Christ from His word as they are synonymous. Jesus is the Word. Thus anything that is not one hundred percent God's truth is not His word. The command and authority to baptize solely rests in Jesus Christ. Baptism is His ordinance and signifies His truth. Therefore to obey the Lord's command is to accept Him and identify one's self as His child. Further, and as important, baptism is a public testimony of the new believer's acceptance of the Word of God and identification with those who are Bible believing and practicing Christians.

             Baptism is more than a simple ritual where a new believer submits to immersion. It is a public declaration of the new converts public testimony of their belief in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. Further and just as important it is a statement they believe the uncompromised word of God and are joining with an assembly of believers who also preach and teach that word. Anything less is not biblical baptism.

             This brings us to the matter of alien baptism. Does the Lord Jesus accept a baptism that performed by a true believer, or that is done by an unsound church, or done in an improper manner? First we need to identify what is "alien" baptism. The word "alien" means something that is "strange, foreign or not familiar." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states the word means:

a: belonging or relating to another person, place, or thing : strange
b: relating, belonging, or owing allegiance to another country or government : foreign
c: differing in nature or character typically to the point of incompatibility (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alien)

             If one's baptism is not in accordance with God's truth then it is alien to God and unbiblical. Baptism that is performed by a church (ekklesia - local assembly) that believes, teaches and practices God's word has the fully authority of Jesus Christ to baptize as following His instructions. The correct and proper baptism that Jesus commanded is to signify that assembly that is baptizing is itself doctrinally sound and in accord with Jesus' teachings. If it believes and practices false doctrine of any kind it is not ". . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." The convert who submits to the baptism of a Bible believing church and joins that assembly is also making a public identification with the beliefs of that congregation.

             Therefore, scriptural baptism is a testimony to God's truth and that the one being baptized is publicly stating by submitting to baptism the he/she believes God's truth and identifies with the assembly that is teaching that truth. On the day when God instituted the "ekklesia," which is the local assembly (church), those that believed the word and were saved were baptized.

             "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. . . And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:41, 47b)

             Baptism has a twofold purpose. First, the new believer's baptism was a testimony of their acceptance of God's truth and identification with the beliefs of that local church. Second, baptism was the initiating act that joined the new Christian to that local congregation. Many pastors and churches have failed to understand ALL that baptism was mean to convey by the Lord. Many see it only as a public declaration of one's faith in Jesus Christ and thus accept any baptism by immersion that follows salvation. They have failed to see that baptism also and equally is a testimony to believing God's word and following it without compromise. Being baptized by a church that is doctrinally unsound mars the testimony that Christ intended baptism to reflect.

             The three thousand Jews who responded to Peter's preaching the Gospel by baptism made a public declaration that they believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that they had a change of mind (biblical repentance) about who Jesus truly was. Their belief and act of baptism separated them from the unbelief of the Jews who were rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ.

             Acts 2:38 says, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38) How much confusion could be avoided when one understands that repentance means "to have a change of mind." Vines states, "lit., "to perceive afterwards" (meta, "after," implying "change," noeo, "to perceive;" nous, "the mind, the seat of moral reflection"), in contrast to pronoeo, "to perceive beforehand," hence signifies "to change one's mind or purpose," always, in the NT, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always" (Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, http://www2.mf.no/bibelprog/vines?word'¯t0002364)

             The new believer by being baptized is testifying he has had a change of mind from being in rebellion against God, to now believing and being submissive to Him. He by his belief and baptism is now a testimony to God's truth. If however, the person being baptized has been taught and has believed a false Gospel, his/her baptism is not a testimony to God's truth, but rather a testimony to a lie. If the entity doing the baptizing is not doctrinally sound then they are not performing a biblical baptism and have no authority to baptize because they are not teaching God's word correctly. There is only one true baptism.

             The word used is "baptisma" refers to the ordinance or act of immersion. Therefore any baptism that is done by a doctrinally unsound church that does not strictly follow God's instructions is an "alien baptism." It is a baptism that "belongs to another, is gives allegiance to false doctrine and has a differing character and testimony." It does not signify a testimony to God's truth. An alien baptism then is not approved of by God and typifies false teaching and sends a corrupted message. The one submitting to an alien baptism is then, in fact, testifying to a false teaching and a false church.

             If a church does not teach God's word in its purity then it is teaching a false Gospel. For example: a church that does not accept that biblical salvation is eternal is teaching a false gospel. They clearly do not believe what the Bible teachings and are not accepting Jesus' teaching. Let us look at the following example:

             "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. . . .He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:16, 36)

             "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. . . .Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." (John 6:40, 47)

             If a church teaches that a person can lose their salvation they are teaching a false Gospel which is a lie and it is an alien teaching to God's word. Therefore if a person believes and is baptized by a church that denies God's word they have not believed the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. You cannot separate the eternity of salvation from the Gospel and still have a true Gospel. Jesus made that clear when He told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again and that in order to experience the new birth he had to believe on Son. The Son then stated that ". . .whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." If one truly believes in the Son and His statement then he would accept that the salvation being offered was everlasting and eternal. If one savingly believes on Jesus Christ they believes what He says. Clearly if they do not accept Jesus' own words they are not accepting Jesus Christ.

             A church that teaches and believes one can lose their salvation or that baptism is necessary for salvation is teaching a "grace plus works" salvation which is a false Gospel. As Ephesians 2:9-10 plainly states salvation is not received or merited by one's works, church membership, baptism or any ritual or ceremony. One is not saved by works, nor can keep their salvation by their works or faithfulness.

             The false churches that teach that a saved person can lose their salvation is in reality believing that Jesus only made the down payment on their salvation, but they by their faithfulness have to keep up the payments. That is clearly a "works" salvation. They teach that if the true Christian, defaults in their faithfulness then they lose their forgiveness of sins and eternal life. That means God's forgiveness is then conditional on doing good works. That is a lie and an alien teaching to the Bible. That false idea is refuted by God who says He keeps His child saved:

             A church that sprinkles and calls it baptism is practicing baptism that is alien to God's word. Sprinkling is not biblical baptism and is a testimony that the church and the person who is sprinkled for baptism does not believe God's word. A church that practices infant baptism by the practices shows it does not understand salvation and is testifying to a lie. Their's is a teaching a false and they are testifying to a false Gospel. A church that teaches that modern tongues, faith healers and a host of other errors is not a biblical congregation by joining that false church the person is proclaiming a false gospel.

             The answer is clearly no. A baptism by a church that is doctrinally unsound is not practicing biblical baptism. It is not following the Lord's command of Matthew 28:19-20. Those who submit to the baptism of a biblically unsound church are not in reality giving testimony to their belief in God's truth, but to doctrinal error. They have joined a false church which stands for a gospel, that as Paul states in Galatians 1:6-7 is another gospel, which is "not another." Their teaching perverts the true Gospel and the one who preaches this false gospel is to be accursed. [anathema - dedicated to destruction] (See Gal. 1:8-9, 5:12; 1 Cor. 16:22) Those who teach false doctrine make Christ's atoning death of no effect.

             A true New Testament church will stand of God's truth and contend for the faith delivered to the saints. It will practice biblical separation from all doctrinal error and thereby send a clear message to a lost and dying world of the saving truth of Jesus Christ. To accept a alien baptism is to compromise God's word and to accept a false testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Nothing could be more wrong and a serious sin.

             The person seeking membership in a Bible believing church, if they are truly saved, would want to identify with Jesus' Christ, who is the Word. The doctrinally sound church and its pastor should respectfully explain what is biblical baptism and why the church would not accept their baptism. Of course the person seeking to join a New Testament church must have a clear testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. They should also clearly affirm they understand and accept the teachings of the Bible without error. If are not sound in a biblical teaching they should be taught the truth and discipled in God's word. That is exactly what Jesus said in the Great Commission. Only after it is established they have a clear testimony of their belief in God's word, should they be considered for membership. Even if they are truly saved, but they came from a group, church or denomination that was even in part in doctrinal error, they would not be offended at a Bible believing local congregation asking them to affirm their biblical beliefs by submitting to scriptural baptism. They should welcome the opportunity, by submitting to scriptural baptism. Although technically they are being rebaptized, in actually, their earlier baptism was not valid. The true Christian should be happy in being able to give a testimony to their love of Jesus Christ and His word. They should accept gladly joining the fellowship of a congregation that loves the word as they do.

             The church that rejects alien baptism is obeying the Lord's command to baptized those who have believed in Jesus Christ and accepted His word. No congregation or pastor that ignores or makes light of this truth that was important enough to be included in the Lord's last instructions to His disciples is making a serious error. Clearly, we are to preach and teach the whole word of God. Those who have errored in this should immediately repent and acknowledge their change of mind to God's truth, and bring their practice into accord with Jesus's command.