Baptism Before Membership

The practice of baptizing a person prior to membership into the local Baptist church is not a new thing. Jack Hyles practiced it in Hammond, Indiana. A considerable number of those who were followers of Hyles practiced the same. However it is now becoming an increasingly popular practice among those who are of a background different than those trained under and followers of Hyles. This has come about because of the failure to make the clear distinctions between those who leaned more heavily on the Protestant "fundamentals" than the Baptist distinctives. 

I do not question that many of these men are good and well intentioned men. But they are more Protestant in their doctrine and ministerial philosophy. On the West Coast we see their model of ministry being embraced almost without question and almost universally among Independent Baptists. Those Baptists are assuming more Protestant like doctrines and philosophies of ministry. 

Among those Protestant like doctrines would be the baptizing of individuals prior to membership and not as a door into membership. It is:

I. Blatantly Unscriptural

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 KJV

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

  

We read these verses and recognize immediately that baptism is the door into church membership. A person is baptized into the membership of that body.

Acts 2:41 KJV

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

   

These three thousand souls were saved, baptized and added to the church the same day. Baptism came after salvation and was both the prerequisite to and means of entrance into that church.

II. Manifestly Protestant

The only argument which can be made against 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 teaching baptism as the door into church membership is to deny:

• That the baptism here spoken of is water baptism (and assign to it the Protestant idea of Spirit baptism)
• That the body here spoken of is a local church (and assign to it the Protestant idea of an invisible universal church)

III. Inherently "Cain - onic" 

Just as Cain was happy to serve God as long as he could do so in the way that was most practical for his circumstance and self elevating in its nature, so is placing baptism before membership.

It is pragmatic in that it is a position that allows for the most results with the least resistance.

It is self elevating in that it allows for faster growth and higher "yield" in the church - making a man appear to have accomplished more than others (who were more conscientious with the Word of God).

Marvin McKenzie

In the field