Baptismal Regeneration: Dr. Jordan Cooper Explains the Lutheran view of Baptism

Everyone's favorite Lutheran is back! Dr. Jordan Cooper is coming on the show to discuss the Lutheran view of Baptism. The classical Lutheran position of Baptism is classically known as Baptismal Regeneration, yet our boy Luther was big on Justification by grace through faith ALONE, how can those two things possibly coexist within Lutheran soteriology? Well, Dr. Cooper will be walking us through the Lutheran perspective. Super excited for today's show!

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[villarrealmarta]

One of the awesome things that Lutherans recognize about baptism is that if you join a Lutheran church, and have been baptized prior at a different church, they don’t re baptized you in order to get your baptism “right” so to speak. They recognize that you’ve already been baptized into the name of the triune God and therefore your baptism was valid.

[mamamia]

Literally JUST drove by the Lutheran church in Auburn, NY thinking “oh what a coincidence this is a Lutheran guest” then he said he is interim pastor here.

[JeremyBelter]

Been Lutheran my entire life this is great to see

[esihlesiphesihlemaqaqa]

I am still not sure about being saved by baptism, but there definitely is a lot to think about from what Dr Cooper presented. Thank you guys.

[vitamincentral]

the most accurate explanation on baptism so far, being able to answer all the common verses that are thrown by people who don't believe that baptism saves. Also the explanation on baptism being God's work and not ours so that grace is super imposed, just amazing!

[sarahkokura]

I found this fascinating. His argument was well thought out and I’d have to say, I’d lean his way now. Maybe I’m supposed to be a balanced charismatic barely Protestant person. 😅

[lrlasvegas]

I appreciate the thoughtful discussion and dialogue! Thanks, Remnant Radio!

[SibleySteve]

As a former Baptist seminarian who fell out with my reformed leadership because I was a fan of Luther instead of Calvin, and they were NOT, I love to see conversations that bind Baptists and Lutherans together because I think Niebuhr's "Christ and Culture" also laid a foundation for putting Baptists and Lutherans in the same ontological category of paradoxical citizens of both an earthly and a heavenly society living with the tension of being bound to both. I grew up in a very German Lutheran county with a lot of respect for Lutheranism. Later I went on to marry a Lutheran girl and have my daughter baptized in a Lutheran congregation. Even as a child searching the scriptures, I took the Bible at its word about the importance of baptism as the required initiation rite (and cleansing) into the body of Christ. We are not individuals on a lonely journey, we are part of a body, and the rites of that body include initiation through water baptism, and continual feeding through the Feast of the Lord's Supper and the Word of God. I have no problem peeling back layers of mechanically-oriented enlightenment philosophy to peer back into the ancient world before we dissected everything through the eye of the Enlightenment, to see that the grace of God was historically perceived as using instruments of the material world. Before people had Bibles, before people had written words, before people had literacy, they had bread, water, wine, oil, art and oral traditions as well as the precedent of the Temple/Tabernacle and its material symbolism and typology (wash basins, ritual baths, sprinkling blood, pouring water, washing feet, etc.). In order to understand the importance of Baptism and Communion, we need to travel back in time to an era when we had nothing, except persecution, suffering, and Roman empire pagan polytheism, and would be grateful for the community of support found at church. I also take solace in the first/2nd century document called The Didache which lays out techniques and options for baptism and its operations, and that both immersion and pouring were optional depending on the circumstances. Despite the complexity of this discussion, I actually think it points to the simplicity of the Good News without the need to mansplain it - repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Maybe it's a mystery how it all works and I can just believe it.

[tuomassalo]

Thank you Dr. Cooper for accurately representing the truth! Hey babtists! "babtism now saves you" 1.peter 3:21
This shows the importance of proper biblical theology. And FYI the concept of salvation by faith alone is deeply Lutheran thing and is in accordance with the concept of babtismal regeneration. In the end Jesus is what saves us and babtism delivers us Jesus and in it we are clothed with Christ (gal. 3:27)

[thethikboy]

Why would Jesus command a ritual that doesn't do anything, in the same breath as the command to believe?

[johnsiverls]

Its really the Lord in the Body and the Blood. We need the word, and communion along with psalms, old and new testament reading of the episodes and of cours the Gospel. I'm Conservative Lutheran and I believe in the gifts of the Spirit also, but I believe if there is no inward peace and change of heart we should be careful about where some gifts come from. But God is in charge of all of us. GREAT program. One last point. I think we need to study the early church and there understanding of Baptism.

[villarrealmarta]

Great points about typology. All the Old Testament physical pictures were meant to reveal the fulfillment of spiritual truths made more obvious in the New Testament

[briantrask]

Great discussion and I agree with the closing statements. See John 3::5, Mark 16i:16, and Acts 2:38!

[dborisov]

Mark 16:16 “He who believes AND is baptized will be saved…” Also a great illustration is in Acts chapter 8 with the Ethiopian Eunuch. Phillip preaches Jesus but the first words we see the Eunuch say is “ look there Is water what prohibits me from being baptized” Acts 8:35. And all throughout Acts there is great emphasis on water baptism. I am not a Lutheran but the Bible has many places that make it seem that there is something to Baptismal Regeneration

[MaccaBased]

Dr Cooper goes the long way around to try and link some of the quoted texts to doctrinal substance. He is obviously a well-read and critically thoughtful theologian, which is refreshing! I am not swayed, at this stage, but I have a new line of study before I next teach on baptism, , ,

[nealstafford]

The gift of the HS may come immediately before baptism (Cornelius, Acts 10) immediately after baptism (Acts 8 & 19) or during during (Acts 2:38, 9:17) but nowhere after Pentecost APART FROM BAPTISM. It was impossible for the Apostles in the book of Acts to associate the gift of the HS, without baptism.

[EllenSmyth]

Wow, as a member of the SBC, though really more nondenominational in my beliefs, I did not expect to find Dr. Cooper so fascinating! Less than 10 minutes in, but I'm finding much common ground. In my own studies in especially Revelation 2 and 3 and Hebrews 6:4-6, I have found that there is a first stage of salvation by justification that happens instantaneously, the moment we come to faith and receive the Holy Spirit. And based on scripture promises, I believe that this one-time experience will absolutely save us eventually.

But our glorification, the final stage of salvation, only comes through this continuous and daily repentance and renewal of sanctification (cleansing), according to the Word over and over and over in Rev 2-3 that says that the conqueror (the raptured and glorified one who conquers death by 1) the blood of the Lamb and 2) the word of his testimony, Rev 12:11) must conquer by repenting from bad works, stoking up their love of Christ (Ephesus) and the Holy Spirit (Sardis), and walking in righteousness.

Edited to Add: "I don't think there is any coincidence that all three speak of water." Dude! Same, same, same. But it isn't our baptism in a tub that Christ is speaking of. The Word is speaking of the waters to which all other baptisms point, the waters of our real rebirths in Christ as we go through the final stage of salvation, glorification, where we ultimately bury our earthly lives in death and are born to walk in a new life in Christ forever as sons of God. That final baptism into the glorified body is absolutely a baptism that saves, yes. Jesus spoke of his own death as baptism in Mark 10:38 and Luke 12:50, establishing the death, burial, and resurrection as the final baptism according to the Word of God, the baptism that saves.

[tootsjesus]

Love this guy! Dr Cooper is excellent.

[tootsjesus]

In Acts 19 Paul asked the twelve he spoke with what baptism were you baptized in? They said John’s baptism and He baptized them again, then prayed over them for Holy Spirit to come upon them.

[Liminalplace]

Needs to be more views on this important topic. As a long term Anglican I agree with the emphasis of Dr.Cooper. Especially on salvation being continual. It's the KEY.
Though I'd push back on his use of "typology" in baptism at 14:38 " types of baptism, and in each those types there is an actual salvation they are not symbolic!"
What is problematic there, is reading the details of the OT parralels into the NT practise. Rather the interpretation ought to operate in the opposite direction... reinterpreting the events of the OT in the light of the Christ event. For example, the crossing of the Red Sea was never a baptism (into Moses) back then. It's Paul who reinterpreted the OT event in light of NT practise of baptism in Christ.
On Acts 2:38 the Jews Peter addressed that to, were already believers that Jesus was made Lord and Christ especially when they cried out "what should we do?" So theologically they already had eternal life and forgiveness of sin objectively..Dr.Cooper needs to clear up his confusion.