Originally published in the 11/6/2023 Issue
of Christian News. —ed.
King of Kings, Omaha, (an LCMS church) advertises baptism boldly. It encourages it, and even re-does the act of baptism (with water) for those already baptized, which is termed “renewal”. From their website (kingofkings.org):
We are 100% behind you if you wish to renew your baptism. We don’t call it a “re-baptism” since we believe that baptism is a one-time event and that God works powerfully in that baptism. If you wish to renew and celebrate what God did in your baptism, you are more than welcome to let us know you’re interested.
This is a strange, un-Lutheran, and un-Christian practice. Renewing your baptism should be simply repenting and living a Christian life. As the Small Catechism says it: “What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”
But a re-washing physically is not commanded or suggested. In fact, if water and the words of institution for Baptism are said, that is a re-baptism, implying the first was insufficient. Renewal is to be spiritual in terms of repentance, dying to sin, and doing good works for Christ’s sake. More water cannot help if Baptism has already been done.
What is the motive for re-doing Baptism? It makes the Sacrament of Christ into a human, visible work, a sort of sacramentalized altar call. After all, many do not remember their baptism if it was given as an infant. The renewal does not focus on the divine promise (previously made and still solid) but the experience and external practice as perceived by the adult in the moment. It is something tangible to point to and a work to do. But Baptism is not just a human work; it is promise to believe. It sustains faith, which has nothing to do with works or re-doing God’s works which are always holy.
A rite of renewal undoes the precious Gospel that Baptism applies. It is not a work to do over and over again. One of the church’s pastors [Rev. Zach Zehnder] claims in an online video: “not because God failed … He did His thing. Why do I need to renew my baptism? Because I failed. I missed the mark. I treated the Great Commission … as a great suggestion in some way, shape or form.” This is bad theology on multiple levels.
First, the only sin listed likely doesn’t apply, since the section in Mt. 28, referred to as the Great Commission, is spoken to apostles, and that responsibility to baptize and make disciples falls to the public ministry: pastors called by God. Secondly, our failure, or sin, is to be dealt with by repentance—not redoing what God has already done. This cheapens baptism—if not entirely denying the first baptism—by giving the impression the first one was not enough.
How about just living like a Christian in faith? Is that not enough? Why the charade of renewal? Perhaps because it is something that can be seen, celebrated, or done by man, while true renewal by the Spirit cannot be seen, nor take center stage of a public worship service. God tells us to renew our minds, not redo what should only be done once, since it lasts for life: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).
The visible work of Baptism can be made to be entirely about us. Actually turning from sin each day in the heart and following God’s law in good works is an invisible process that can only be done by the Spirit: “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Tit. 3:5). True renewal will not lead to visible excitement, counting stats, or impressive video montages—but is holy to God as we walk in the Spirit.
The “teaching pastor” of King of Kinds also says in the same video that he plans to renew his baptism. But preaching the Word is enough. There is no need to add a special human ceremony, which at best cheapens God’s original work, which endures, and at worst denies it in a flagrant way by implying it was originally insufficient in character. This is done for the sake of the show—which is at odds with true Christ-like humility to which those baptized into Christ are called.
Baptism, if Christ did it the first time, according to His institution, does not need renewing. People need renewing, which can only be done by the Word of God rightly proclaimed. When the Christian task is only presented as “making disciples” and the only law is the Mt. 28 imperative, the Law of God is truncated and the office of the Christian is conflated with the pastoral office. A right Baptism lacks nothing; it is sinners who need daily renewal and repentance—not just when the stage lights are shining and people are watching. Baptism is to be certain, so we may face death in trust and hope, while “renewing” the baptism casts a pall over God’s holy work to save. This is a grave contrast to confessing one’s sins and receiving the Gospel, which is also applied in water with God’s firm Word. Amen. —ed.
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