Whoa, I didn’t mean to let all of those worms out of the can. I didn’t agree with everything he said; I just thought that it was relevant to the discussion on whether baptism does anything and who does the doing.

For the record: I’d rather be listening to Johnny Cash that a boring Lutheran preacher

Something tells me you really are not interested in any RC related teachings

Yes, I didn’t think you’d be able to find much in the Bible (or through Chaput) that would be valid

Regarding the audio clip – a couple observations…

1. I find it odd that the program opens up with an advertisement of some sort for “Lent”. Then the first thing out of the pastor’s mouth is a challenge to the phrase “The Great Commission” not showing up in the Bible and then building his premise on this. Where is there support for “Lent”? It’s just a Catholic tradition that the Lutheran church has embraced (along with other things).

2. He claims that people only quote a portion of the “Great Commission” (leaving out baptizing and teaching). That’s never been my experience. When I was a missionary in Africa, the teaching and baptizing was as important as the going. It’s a false construct he uses to attack the evangelical church. I might be considered evangelical, but I do not consider myself in that category (just a plain old Christian).

It would have been wise if he used an example to show how people short-end this commission by Christ.

Also, what are all these missionaries overseas doing? Just “going” and then doing nothing? No, many (though I can’t stand the concept of short-term missions) are going, preaching, teaching and baptizing. Many are false teachers too, but that’s another story.

Again, who is IGNORING teaching and baptizing? He is saying that this is what evangelicals are doing.

3. I find it odd that you would suggest a teaching that actually speaks of correct doctrine when you still believe in Catholic teachings that are completely anti-biblical and extra-biblical. That’s a mystery to me.

He emphasizes that the problem that evangelicals are “pietist”, emphasizing action over doctrine, deeds not creeds, and I believe that to be true. They don’t like RW’s PDL – I don’t subscribe to it either.

4. I like his straightforwardness and delivery, but they built a strawman and the destroyed it.

5. I fully believe in the importance of baptism

As he says, it’s “not that complicated!” At the end of the day though, I’m not all that sure about the validity of the forced baptisms on pain of death that occurred at the hands of the RCC throughout the ages.

Something tells me you really are not interested in any RC related teachings; but I am curious what you think about this Lutheran pastors teaching on baptism:

http://www.issuesetc.org/podcast/173022509H1S2.mp3

Jerry,
I apologize if external links are frowned upon in the comments.

Charles Finney, D.L. Moody, Joni Erickson Tada, Charles Spurgeon, and Billy Graham.

But in reality, these follow the ONLY hero, the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides Him there is no other, praise the majesty of His Name.

Baptism is the first task of obedience for the believer. It a symbolic way of saying that we have died to this world and are alive in Christ.

It’s also important, I think, because man demands tradition to validate emotion or any sort of change. The baptism ritual is merely a public means of declaring that you are a new creation.