Who can baptize? A response to Steve Finnell

Mr. Steve Finnell, a member of the so called "Church of Christ" denomination of Satan, has put out an article by Kyle Butt. http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2015/04/who-can-baptize-another-person-by-kyle.html 

Both Finnell and Butt are typical Church of Christ Campbellites. They teach the transubstantiation of water baptism, just like any Roman Catholic does with the Lord's Supper. The "Church of Christ" teaches that the water mystically/spiritually turns into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, literally washing away your sins and putting you in the Body of Christ. That is no exaggeration, they all teach that. Check Steve Finnell ("A Christian View"), Bob Myhan, Jesse Bartley, Chris Kramer, or Aaron Erhardt (Erhardt Publications). They all teach that baptism into water is the same thing as being baptized INTO JESUS CHRIST. That is utter blasphemy, Christ is not a tank of water and MAN cannot put someone into Christ, only GOD can do that (1 Cor. 12:12-18, Col. 2:12). 

The purpose of this post is to expose the Church of Christ as being full of inconsistency, though they profess to be the infallible church that Christ started.

Here is an excerpt from the article posted to us via Steve Finnell written by a fellow named Kyle Butt. 

"From our study, we have looked briefly at the importance of baptism in God’s plan of salvation. We have seen that while there are certain vital aspects of baptism that must be maintained, there are other aspects of the process that are incidental and irrelevant. By analyzing several passages, we have seen that the personal qualities of the baptizer do not alter or affect the effectiveness of the baptism. The truth of this fact is understood from the biblical passages, as well as from the ridiculous nature of the situations that would occur if a person faked being a Christian and baptized others. From this conclusion, it has been established that, technically speaking, both non-Christians and women can baptize. Looking at the principle of the most “helpful” or “wise” scenario, however, leads us to conclude that under some circumstances, it is wise to have a faithful Christian man baptize a person into Christ, especially in cultures in which the person performing a baptism would be viewed as having some type of authority position. " 

Mr. Butt teaches that anyone is allowed to baptize and it will still be "effective" (though the apostle Peter taught that water baptism was not effective--"not the putting away of the filth of the flesh" 1 Peter 3:21). In other words, an infidel can baptize you into Jesus Christ according to the Church of Christ. 

There are many problems with that teaching put forth by Butt. The main one is this: Only God can put you into Christ. Baptism "with water" cannot be baptism "into Christ" on the basis of the Bible, logic, and the meaning of words. Baptism into Christ can only be exactly that, baptism into Christ. Not baptism with water (the Bible never uses the phrase "baptism into water"). The scriptural proof is found in 1 Corinthians 12:12-18 and Colossians 2:10-12. "By one Spirit are well all baptized into one body.....now hath God set the members in the body as it hath pleased him" "through the faith of the operation of God". 

Butt's idea of baptism into Christ stinks. There is no water involved. 

The problem that Butt has is that he never did pay any attention to what the Bible says about water baptism in context. Water baptism can only save you unto a like figure, but it cannot put away the filth of your flesh. Baptism comes AFTER you already have a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21). You can see our last couple of posts for that information as well as check Hebrews 9, 10:22, 1 Peter 3:21, and Titus 1:15-16. 

But here is the inconsistency in the Church of Christ CULT. Butt claims that you can be baptized by anyone and it be "effective". However, Pastor Bob Myhan seems to believe something completely different.


Email from Church of Christ pastor Bob Myhan

"5.) Is not Romans 6, Galatians 3, and Colossians 2 talking about a baptism BY the Spirit into Christ?

      That is correct. Water baptism is “By the Spirit into Christ.” Holy Spirit baptism, on the other hand was by Jesus but NOT into Christ. John promised that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16). Jesus did baptize some in the Holy Spirit (the apostles and those in the home of Cornelius). But there is no promise of such today. The Holy Spirit baptizes in water by the hands of those who continue to carry out the Great Commission."

Did you get that? "The Holy Spirit baptizes in water by the hands of those who continue to carry out the Great Commission" BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT DWELL IN OR LEAD LOST PEOPLE TO BAPTIZE (ROM. 8:14). 

The contradiction in the Church of Christ:

"From this conclusion, it has been established that, technically speaking, both non-Christians and women can baptize."

"The Holy Spirit baptizes in water by the hands of those who continue to carry out the Great Commission"

The Holy Spirit is not in non-christians, so which is it? They cannot both be true because the Holy Spirit does not lead or guide lost people (John 14:17, 16:13, Rom. 8:14) 

Meanwhile, Bob Myhan confused Christ baptizing with the Holy Ghost onto a person with the baptizing of the Holy Spirit with a believer into Christ. If words on the pages of our Bibles mean anything, "baptism with water" is different from baptism "into Christ" and baptism into Christ is different from baptism "with the Holy Ghost". There is a reason why God told us to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).

--Eli Caldwell