Baptism has often been controversial. Having biblically sound thinking on it isn’t easy, but as one of the sacraments, it is important. In this blog post, I want to focus on the negative side, what baptism doesn’t mean. There are a couple of common misunderstandings and when I say common, I mean they can also sometimes be found among Reformed believers.
First off, there is this idea that baptism is about what we’re doing. In our Reformed churches, that idea can develop because, when a baby is baptized, the parents are asked some questions and then they answer. So sometimes people get the impression that the essence of baptism is the vows the parents make. The baby is completely out of the picture, but even worse, God is almost completely out of the picture. At the very least, God becomes a spectator, listening to the parents making their vows. Now, the vows are important, but they’re not the main thing.
Elsewhere, in other churches, baptism often is meant to show how we really mean business. Someone has become a Christian and now they want to make a statement – so they get baptized. Baptism is the Christian announcing that he or she has become a Christian and is serious about it. Here too, the focus is not on God and what he is doing in this sacrament, but on human activity. Read more»
Wes Bredenhof | “What Baptism Doesn’t Mean” | April 20, 2026
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