The Childers-Childers Debate
A Virtual Cross-Time Debate Between Jeff Childers 1996 and Jeff Childers 1998 About the Identity of the New Testament Church
1996 Fourth Rebuttal
(Resolved: The Church founded by Jesus Christ is the so-called Protestant denomination, the Church of Christ, and not the Roman Catholic Church.)
In answer to my question, my opponent has suggested that the passages which I cited use the phrase "buried in baptistm" merely in passing in the midst of lengthier missives on deeper spiritual topics. To be honest, I can find no reason to object to his answer. To insist, as I and many of my brethren have done, that these passages be used as proof-texts for baptism by immersion is to wrest the passage from its greater context unjustly. I withdraw the argument.
I will, however, ask my opponent to comment on the case of the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts 8 tells of Philip's encounter with a eunuch from the court of Candace of Ethiopia, whom he discovers reading from the Book of Isaiah. Philip preaches the gospel to the eunuch, and, coming upon a body of water, the eunuch says:
"Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?' And Phillip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he said in reply, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more." (Acts 8:36-39)
Does this passage not clearly teach that we must be baptized by immersion?