Why do most protestant churches teach that baptism is symbolic, which directly contradicts scripture?

Question

1 Peter 3:21
"Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ"

Most protestant churches teach that baptism is just symbolic and does not actually save us. Why, then, does Peter say that baptism does indeed save us? Because baptism, contrary to protestant teaching, is salvific (effecting salvation). Through the merits of Christ's resurrection, baptism, the sacrament of Christian initiation instituted by Christ, washes us clean of original sin, makes us adopted sons and daughters of God and brings us to salvation.

This is why Paul writes to Titus, in reference to baptism, that “He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7. Paul echoes Peter’s teaching that baptism saves us by regenerating our interior lives, namely, our souls, which are now endowed with God’s divine and sanctifying grace. We thus become children of God and heirs of the kingdom.

The Catholic Church teaches that baptism, by virtue of the merits of Christ and their application to us, is salvific. The protestant churches, contrary to 1 Peter 3:21 (and Titus 3:5-7; John 3:5; and Heb. 10:22) teach that baptism is only symbolic.

wow CJ...I didn't realize that Christians have been reading this wrong for nearly 2,000 years. It's a good thing you came along with your present day interpretation to clear this up for us.

CJ, you said, "The baptism is one of faith." However, the word "faith" is not mentioned anywhere in that verse. You are conveniently adding it where it doesn't belong. Adding to scripture changes its meaning...but then again, that's what you want.

Answer 1

Dear CJ.,

"Water Baptism" was so important to St Paul that he did not want the responsiblity before God of baptising those who abused the sacrament by not living the grace of It.

Is not our work of cooperation with,by and in Grace a "work of Grace" and not " a work of works"?

Also, Lutheranism and much of Anglicanism and theCambellite Churches of Christ teach baptismal regeneration as the true biblical reality of baptism.

The Catholic Church does not teach salvation by our works. We do not deserve salvation even by our work of accepting the gift of faith. Salvation is a gift from God and is given by,sustained by and perfected by Grace and it is a gift that must be truly accepted and "worked 'with to be real and transforming.

I cannot see how you read 'works righteousness" in to this question.
You definitely seem to be blinded by your hatred towards the Catholicism that gave you what Christianity you have.

God bless you and know that we are praying for you.

Actually, it is more likely that you will zealously convert to Catholic Christianity,the fullness of Christianity, than someone who is profoundly indifferent and spiritually lazy.
You do have to do some homework,though, and look at Catholic Apologetic sites like Catholic Answers and read objective histories and presentations of Catholic Christianity.

Answer 2

Christians have always interpreted the Bible literally when it declares, "Baptism . . . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 3:21; cf. Acts 2:38, 22:16, Rom. 6:3–4, Col. 2:11–12).

Thus the early Church Fathers wrote in the Nicene Creed (A.D. 381), "We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins."

And the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The Lord himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation [John 3:5]. . . . Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament [Mark 16:16]" (CCC 1257).

The Christian belief that baptism is necessary for salvation is so unshakable that even the Protestant Martin Luther affirmed the necessity of baptism. He wrote: "Baptism is no human plaything but is instituted by God himself. Moreover, it is solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved. We are not to regard it as an indifferent matter, then, like putting on a new red coat. It is of the greatest importance that we regard baptism as excellent, glorious, and exalted" (Large Catechism 4:6).

Yet Christians have also always realized that the necessity of water baptism is a normative rather than an absolute necessity. There are exceptions to water baptism: It is possible to be saved through "baptism of blood," martyrdom for Christ, or through "baptism of desire", that is, an explicit or even implicit desire for baptism.

Thus the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Those who die for the faith, those who are catechumens, and all those who, without knowing of the Church but acting under the inspiration of grace, seek God sincerely and strive to fulfill his will, are saved even if they have not been baptized" (CCC 1281; the salvation of unbaptized infants is also possible under this system; cf. CCC 1260–1, 1283).

Answer 3

Peter is writing about a spiritual baptism, not a physical one. "...Not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience." It is by faith not acts that you are saved. It is possible to go through the act of baptism and not be saved. Water baptism in itself cannot save. The Catholics don't understand this.

Answer 4

Sigh. Once more, CJ. Baptism is only a "work" because the grace of God *works* through it -- it's certainly not our work but that of the Holy Spirit.

If this is what your entire "false doctrine of works" assertion is built upon, then it's nothing more than sand.

Answer 5

The idea of baptism as a symbol without actual saving power, goes hand-in-hand with the idea of salvation by assent to grace. *Originally* the purpose of this theological system was to deny the historic Church's role in our salvation. Nowadays people usually just believe it because it's what they were always taught.

Answer 6

I've found that many fundamentalist protestants pick and choose what scrpitures they call literal based on nothing more than whatever supports their a priori beliefs.

Of course you're right. But speaking the truth to somebody who was not mentally/psychologically/spiritually ready to hear it never helped. And I find those same fundamentalists very resistant to anything that might cause them to examine the beliefs that their preachers give them. See CJ's answer above as an example.

Answer 7

If the Prods didn't teach this, the rest of their house of cards would crumble. Prods base their doctrines first on trying to forget the history of Christianity and substituting their own made-up stories. If they actually admitted to the history of the Faith, their beliefs would collapse.

Answer 8

Christians have always interpreted the Bible literally when it declares, "Baptism . . . now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 3:21; cf. Acts 2:38, 22:16, Rom. 6:3–4, Col. 2:11–12).

Thus the early Church Fathers wrote in the Nicene Creed (A.D. 381), "We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins."

And the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The Lord himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation [John 3:5]. . . . Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament [Mark 16:16]" (CCC 1257).



The Christian belief that baptism is necessary for salvation is so unshakable that even the Protestant Martin Luther affirmed the necessity of baptism. He wrote: "Baptism is no human plaything but is instituted by God himself. Moreover, it is solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved. We are not to regard it as an indifferent matter, then, like putting on a new red coat. It is of the greatest importance that we regard baptism as excellent, glorious, and exalted" (Large Catechism 4:6).

Catholics and Protestants agree that to be saved, you have to be born again. Jesus said so: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

When a Catholic says that he has been "born again," he refers to the transformation that God’s grace accomplished in him during baptism. Evangelical Protestants typically mean something quite different when they talk about being "born again."

For an Evangelical, becoming "born again" often happens like this: He goes to a crusade or a revival where a minister delivers a sermon telling him of his need to be "born again."

"If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and believe he died for your sins, you’ll be born again!" says the preacher. So the gentleman makes "a decision for Christ" and at the altar call goes forward to be led in "the sinner’s prayer" by the minister. Then the minister tells all who prayed the sinner’s prayer that they have been saved—"born again." But is the minister right? Not according to the Bible.



Christ speaks of in John 3:5 as being "born of water and the Spirit." In Greek, this phrase is, literally, "born of water and Spirit," indicating one birth of water-and-Spirit, rather than "born of water and of the Spirit," as though it meant two different births—one birth of water and one birth of the Spirit.

In the water-and-Spirit rebirth that takes place at baptism, the repentant sinner is transformed from a state of sin to the state of grace. Peter mentioned this transformation from sin to grace when he exhorted people to "be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

The context of Jesus’ statements in John 3 makes it clear that he was referring to water baptism. Shortly before Jesus teaches Nicodemus about the necessity and regenerating effect of baptism, he himself was baptized by John the Baptist, and the circumstances are striking: Jesus goes down into the water, and as he is baptized, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends upon him in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father speaks from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son" (cf. Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:30–34). This scene gives us a graphic depiction of what happens at baptism: We are baptized with water, symbolizing our dying with Christ (Rom. 6:3) and our rising with Christ to the newness of life (Rom. 6:4–5); we receive the gift of sanctifying grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27); and we are adopted as God’s sons (Rom. 8:15–17).

After our Lord’s teaching that it is necessary for salvation to be born from above by water and the Spirit (John 3:1–21), "Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized" (John 3:22).


Paul reminds us in Titus 3:5 that God "saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit."

Paul also said, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:3–4).

This teaching—that baptism unites us with Christ’s death and resurrection so that we might die to sin and receive new life—is a key part of Paul’s theology. In Colossians 2:11–13, he tells us, "In [Christ] you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision [of] Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ" (NIV).

Answer 9

the Holy Quran once said that, they(the unbelievers) will find contradicts in the scripture that they have change it with their own both hands...

Answer 10

Jon said it best...they pick and choose, all those allegedly non-denominational folks.