Churches of Christ emphasize the final authority of the New Testament and accept the doctrine of the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the understanding, interpretation & application of the New Testament. This makes room for historical development in the faith and practice of the Church as such development does not go beyond given principles, doctrines and practices to which the New Testament bears witness. No development is acceptable if it appears to go beyond what is given in the New Testament.

      While a situational-principle may be accepted in the application of New Testament principles and practices Churches of Christ do not accept the view of development in baptismal practice with the change from a missionary situation to an established Christian context situation because, they see something in principle in the nature of the gospel and baptism which is beyond a situational principle, or, in other words, is independent of the situation.

      In this discussion it seems necessary to review some significant points in the historical view of Churches of Christ concerning the nature of baptism.

1. Baptism is a ritual act of immersion in water.

      While we cite this point first that is simply because it is first in evidence not because we regard it as first in theological importance.

      A study of the Greek word "bapto" and all its derivatives has led to the conviction that "baptismos" means immersion. Descriptions of particular baptisms and the symbolism of baptism as given in the New Testament together with the word used suggest immersion, as the ritual act of baptism.

      To immerse someone who has been previously sprinkled is a repetition of a ritual act but the form is not a repetition. It is the first performance of a form which we believe is given by the New Testament and which significantly symbolises and bears witness to the true nature of baptism.

2. Baptism is something in which God acts.

      God's act of grace in Christ precedes baptism. Baptism bears witness to His grace by which we are saved and not by any works of our own. Baptism is not a meritorious work among other works unto salvation. It is a means of grace which operates through Christ into Whom we are baptized.

      In the case of infant baptism the emphasis is not on the active response of the candidate but upon, the initiative of God's grace and His gracious activity, and upon the faith of parents and the Church. There is clear witness to God's grace and action. With baptism of believers while there is insistence on the candidate's response of faith this is emphasized as a response to God's grace & action. The Church is called to bear witness to God's grace both in word and sacrament, to proclaim the gospel and to perform Christ's ordinances. As a response to the gospel of grace baptism of believers equally bears witness to God's action.

3. Baptism is an ordinance in which the Church acts.

      The Church, in obedience to the Lord's commission, baptizes a candidate whether such be a believer or an infant. Baptism is not a private or individual act. The whole Church is involved in every baptism. It bears witness to the Gospel when it baptizes; it renews its own vows and undertakes to nourish the believer or the infant in the faith. Thus the ritual act of baptism is a responsible act of the Church.

4. Baptism is an act of faith, confession & repentance.

      Churches of Christ see faith,

confession, repentance and baptism as inseparable. As something involving an intelligent decision baptism bears witness to the nature of Christianity as personal (the response of persons to a Person) and moral (involving a responsible moral choice without any shadow of magic), to the necessity of conversion and to the nature of the Church as a called out community of the reborn. It cannot be separated from the nature of Christianity, the doctrine of conversion and the Church.

      As a responsible response of faith baptism requires more than the context of the faith of the Church and the faith of parents. The New Testament appears always to make baptism an expression of the faith of the one baptized. While God and the Church act in baptism the candidate also acts in response. As we understand the New Testament faith and baptism are coincident in time in the experience of the one responding to Christ.

      On this ground Churches of Christ find difficulty in making baptism a process over a period of time by performing a ritual act in infancy and encouraging a response of faith in confirmation at a later time. This historical development seems to us to go beyond the principle and practice of baptism as given in the New Testament

5. Baptism is a death, burial and resurrection.

      This is the inner reality of baptism. A ritual act without this is not baptism. On the other hand this inner reality without a ritual act fails to give place to the Church's role in baptism and fails to bear witness in a ritual & symbolic way to the facts and experience of the gospel. The inner experience and the ritual act belong to the wholeness of baptism.

6. Baptism is incorporation into Christ and His body.

      By baptism we put on Christ and are baptized into His body, the Church.

      Under the old covenant children were born into the covenant nation and circumcision formally sealed their membership in the nation and their enjoyment of the benefits and responsibilities of the covenant. The new covenant is not with a nation and is not of birth but is entered into by a response of faith by whosoever will.

      In the light of Christ we see all children in their innocence as under the covenant of grace.

      The children of Christian parents grow within the fellowship of the household of faith and thus live within an effective field of grace. However, we agree with the late Emil Brunner's observation that there is a difference between being under the covenant of grace and being a member of the Church. It is by a response of faith that we put on Christ and that response in baptism incorporates us into Him and His body.

      It is obvious that there is a depth of agreement between us as Christians irrespective of our different church affiliations.

      Baptism is a symbolic ritual act. As a witness, to God's grace baptism is an ordinance in which God acts. His grace and His gracious activity are primary. It is not a private rite, it is an act of the Church. It is more than a ritual act; it involves personal response and the experience of change. In the case of infant baptism affirmation of the baptismal act either in confirmation or by personal committal is necessary. All agree that baptism is incorporation into Christ and His body.

      However, problems remain for Churches of Christ. Even though the point be made that infant baptism is completed in confirmation it is readily seen as an act in itself. This means that it can easily appear to support a doctrine of ex opere operato with its corollary of baptismal regeneration.

      Further, while infant baptism may highlight the primacy of God's grace it tends to obscure the response of faith, rebirth and conversion, all of which belong to the nature of Christianity, the Church and the new covenant. We believe that baptism should give clear witness to all of these things.

      The ritual act of infant baptism is commonly sprinkling. We see this as incomplete in its symbolism and as not in accord with our understanding of New Testament evidence.

      When Churches of Christ require those who have been baptised in infancy to be immersed as believers in order to become members of Churches of Christ it is not because they are thought to be not Christians.

      Some in Churches of Christ would take the simple line that those sprinkled in infancy have not been baptized. Hence baptism according to their understanding, must be required for membership in Churches of Christ.

      In distinction from this attitude is the approach which requires the immersion of believers for membership in Churches of Christ in order to maintain our integrity as stewards of truth as we understand it and to maintain the wholeness of baptism with its witness to the gospel.

      God acts in baptism, the Church acts in baptism and the person acts responsively in baptism so Churches of Christ would say that baptism is complete only as all these actions are involved.

      The requirement by Churches of Christ for the immersion of believers of those who have been baptized in infancy is not a matter of blankly saying they have not been baptized nor is it a rejection of the validity of their baptism within their communion nor is it a questioning of the integrity of other Christians. It does involve, however, a denial of the wholeness of infant baptism. Churches of Christ see their requirement as a witness to wholeness in baptism as they understand it. It is required of them to maintain their integrity without questioning the integrity of others.

      The problem for other churches is that they see the requirement of Churches of Christ as a tacit denial of the integrity of infant baptism and as rebaptism when baptism is once for all.

      In the Uniting Church Plan of Union, as in other plans, baptism by immersion, sprinkling or pouring of either believers or infants is accepted. The different practices are accepted as diversities in the one baptism.

      Some among us would see the participation of Churches of Christ in such a plan as an impossible compromise. Others within Churches of Christ would see participation in such a plan as a responsible compromise made acceptable by certain provisions.

      (1) Any existing plan should be seen by all as not final. The Church should be constantly subject to reform in the light of the New Testament under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

      (2) Within the uniting fellowship there should be free and full presentation of the various positions concerning baptism.

      (3) No one should be required to practise or perform baptism in a way to which he or she has conscientious objection.

      (4) If someone who has been baptized in infancy comes to a new conviction concerning baptism and wishes to be immersed as a believer he or she should be accorded liberty of conscience in the matter without constraint or restraint. Unless this liberty of conscience be given the witness to the wholeness of baptism would be excluded.

      This appears to cut across the doctrine of baptism as a once for all event. True, the act of God in baptism and the witness of baptism to God's grace is once for all. The act of the Church in baptism is once for all but the conviction of a person in relation to baptism or any other matter is not once for all. All progress and reform depend upon changing convictions and liberty to follow convictions which are not once for all.

      In the interests of unity, liberty of conscience may be accepted as a responsible compromise in relation to aspects of the once for all ordinance of baptism.