Luther's and Zwingli's Baptismal Views

The theology of Martin Luther (1483-1546) was instrumental in influencing the

Protestant Reformation, specifically topics dealing with Justification by Faith, the
relationship between the Law and the Gospel (also an instrumental hello component of
Reformed theology), and various other theological ideas. Although Luther never wrote a
"systematic theology" or a "summa" in the style of Thomas Aquinas, many of his ideas
were systematized in the Lutheran Confessions.
The beliefs of Huldrych Zwingli (67 articles) were also placed into action then (from
1523 onwards) and are still used today by many churches. He won a public debate which
allowed him to influence the city in which he resided into many reforms such as removal
of Catholic pictures, organs, shrines and images. Public Bible readings, clerical marriage
were allowed but the monasteries in Zurich were dissolved. Mass was formally abolished
and replaced with a simple communion service in which preaching and prayer played the
most important part.
One major difference in theological opinion between Zwingli and Luther is on the nature
of the Christian sacraments such as baptism. Luther held that baptism is a saving work of
God, mandated and instituted by Jesus Christ. Baptism is a "means of grace" through
which God creates and strengthens "saving faith" as the "washing of regeneration" in
which infants and adults are reborn. Since the creation of faith is exclusively God's work,
it does not depend on the actions of the one baptized, whether infant or adult. Even
though baptized infants cannot articulate that faith, Lutherans believe that it is present all
the same. Because it is faith alone that receives these divine gifts, Lutherans confess that
baptism "works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal
salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare." Therefore,
Lutherans administer Baptism to both infants and adults. In the special section on infant
baptism in his Large Catechism, Luther argues that infant baptism is God-pleasing
because persons so baptized were reborn and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In summary, Martin Luther on baptism: Whoever rejects Baptism rejects the Word of
God, faith, and Christ, who directs us thither and binds us to Baptism. Faith only has
meaning when faith has an object. Luther stresses the relationship of water and the Word.
Huldrych Zwingli, who opposed Romes teachings that external baptism of infants could
save one, but believed in Calvinistic predestination came up with "The Believer's
Baptism." Yet his views on baptism were largely a response to Anabaptism, a movement
which attacked the unbiblical practice of infant baptism. He defended the baptism of
children by describing it as a sign of a Christian’s covenant with God just as God made a
covenant with Abraham. "To Zwingli, baptism was more a pledge of what we ought to do
rather than a testimony to what God has already done for us."
In summary, Huldrych Zwingli on baptism: 'If salvation was by grace, if even faith was a
direct work of God by the Holy Spirit, that there can be no place for schemes of religious
life or thought which allow for the ex opere operato efficacy of baptism.' To him, more or
less, baptism is simply an outward pledge or sign of an inward happening or covenant.
This is the "Believer's Baptism" commonly used by many (including Baptists) today,
meaning that one is saved and that their baptism is just an outward sign or seal.
For both Luther and Zwingli, the sacrament of baptism was a sign or symbol of God's
new Gospel covenant. Their theological differences arise in the relationship between
baptism and mankind. E. Brooks Holifield says, When Luther called the sacrament a
covenantal seal, he meant that baptism visibly ratified and guaranteed God's promises, as
a royal seal authenticated a government document on which it was inscribed. Only
secondarily was baptism a pledge of obedience by men. For Zwingli, however, the
sacrament was primarily "a covenant sign which indicates that all those who receive it are
willing to amend their lives to follow Christ." Martin Luther wrote: The world is now so
full of sects clamoring that Baptism is an external thing, and that external things are of no
benefit.. but God's Word and command institute, establish, and confirm Baptism. Faith is
not "faith only" but faith must have something which it believes, that is, of which it takes
hold, and upon which it stands and rests. "Also they teach that men cannot be justified
before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's
sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins
are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This
faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4." .
To accept Zwingli's baptism is not to accept any previous teaching about baptism. Luther
never rejected the meaning of baptism clearly taught in the Bible.
John Smyth who is claimed by Baptists said (in his "Short Confessions of Faith") that:
"That faith, destitute of good works, is vain; but true and living faith is distinguished by
good works. That the church of Christ is a company of the faithful; baptised after
confession of sin and of faith, endowed with the power of Christ. That the church of
Christ has power delegated to themselves of announcing the word, administering the
sacraments, appointing ministers, disclaiming them, and also excommunicating; but the
last appeal is to the brethren of body of the church. That baptism is the external sign of
the remission of sins, of dying and of being made alive, and therefore does not belong to
infants."
In 1608, he led forty or fifty of his followers to Amsterdam following persecution in
England where, together with Thomas Helwys he formed the first Baptist congregation.
John Smyth baptized himself there and then the rest of his congregation. "Baptism is not
washing with water," he wrote, "but it is the baptism of the Spirit, the confession of the
mouth, and the washing with water: how then can any man without great folly wash with
water which is the least and last of baptism?" Later on he identified himself with the
Mennonites. History remembers him as the first Baptist preacher in America. Smyth did
not leave behind him as sophisticated a theological legacy as did Martin Luther or
Huldrych Zwingli, both of whom founded Protestant denominations but he did
significantly contribute to the development of Baptist polity, and can be considered as co-
founder of a major church tradition that is now spread across the world.
I have shown already that Luther viewed baptism as an ordinance or a command of Christ
to be obeyed for the remission of sins. While Zwingli taught the baptism of infants and
that it was just a sign or sacrament. Also that John Smyth said baptism was only a sign of
sins already purged, belonging to adults and not for infants. These men and their views
are practiced world wide by various Christian denominations.
But what does the Bible say on the matter? The usual Trinitarian formula used in baptism
by nearly all is found in Matthew 28:19. The setting is the Great Commission. These are
some of the last words that Jesus told His disciples before He ascended. It reads: Matthew
28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The first thing I would like to point out here is that name is singular. This is significant.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit all have one name. That name is Jesus as recorded in
Matthew 1:21; John 5:43; 14:26 and Ephesians 3:14-15. We must not take this one
passage in isolation and ignore everything else that the Bible has to say about baptism.
We must let scripture interpret scripture and look at all that the Bible says on any given
subject.
Next I would like to point out now that this is not the only account of the Great
Commission. There is a reason why we have four gospels. God inspired each writer to
write the same truth from different points of view. John did not record the Great
Commission, but we will look at what the others said. When we look at Mark’s account
we read:
Mark 16:15-17 Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that
believeth (who believes; as infants cannot they are not yet responsible for their own sins
until a certain age that is determined by God) and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth (who believes) not will be condemned. And these signs shall follow them that
believe: In My name they shall cast out devils (demons); they shall speak with new
tongues.
So we see that Mark records the command to go and baptize, but does not speak of a
name in connection with baptism. However, we do see a mention of Jesus’ name in the
very next verse. More importantly we need to look at how the apostles obeyed these
commands which we will see in the book of Acts. But now lets look at Luke’s account:
Luke 24:47-49 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name
to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye (you) are witnesses of these things. Behold,
I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are
endued with power from on high.
So here we read a command to preach repentance and remission of sins, in His name
(which is fulfilled in Acts 2). If we look at the preceding verse we see that the pronoun
His refers to Christ. So repentance and remission of sins are to be preached in Jesus’
name! Where do we receive the remission of sins? Well, let’s look at what Jesus’
disciples did with this command:
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost.'
So we have three different accounts of what Jesus’ commanded His apostles at the Great
Commission. Now we look at how they obeyed Jesus’ words. Now who would be in the
best position to understand the meaning of Jesus’ words? Us, almost 2,000 years later, or
His own disciples who He spoke them to personally. Throughout the book of Acts as we
will see they routinely baptized people in Jesus’ name. And when we read the Epistles to
the churches, we will find out that they too were baptized in Jesus’ name. So it is obvious
that Jesus’ disciples understood the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost to be Jesus.
Nowhere in the scriptures do we find anyone being baptized using these words, only in
Jesus’ name.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved. (Jesus – verse 10)
Although this verse may not be talking exclusively about baptism, we see that Jesus is the
name by which we are saved, and that there is no other!
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
Acts 8:16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 22:16 'And now, why tarriest thou (why are you waiting)? Arise and be baptized,
and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'
So Peter, John and the rest of the disciples baptized in the Jesus’ name throughout
Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. And Paul re-baptized the believers in Ephesus in Jesus'
name (19:1-5). Now let’s look at some of the other churches:
Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death,
that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life.
The reason that we are baptized in Jesus’ name is that we are being baptized into Jesus.
We are taking on his name, similar to the way a woman takes on her husband's name. We
are saying that we belong to Jesus and we are identifying with Him in His death and
burial. Even if God were a trinity, Jesus is the one who died for us and He is the one who
the Christians at Rome were buried with.
1 Corinthians 1:13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized
in the name of Paul?
If we follow Paul’s train of thought, his obvious implication is "No, Christ was the one
crucified for you and so you were baptized in the name of Christ Jesus." So the believers
at Corinth as well as those in Rome were baptized in Jesus’ name.
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.
Colossians 2:11-12 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without
hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
In addition to those in Rome, Corinth and Ephesus (as well as Jerusalem, Judea and
Samaria), we see that the Christians in Colosse and those in the region of Galatia were all
baptized in Jesus’ name. They would not have connected baptism so exclusively with
Christ had they routinely baptized using the words "Father, Son and Holy Spirit." As I
said before, the only way that we see anyone being baptized is in Jesus' name. When
Jesus’ was on this earth, He baptized His disciples (John 4:1-2) and then commissioned
them to go and baptize others in His name, or in His place. When Jesus baptized
someone, He didn’t have to say "in Jesus name." He was Jesus. But when we stand in his
stead, we do it in his name. Scripture tells us that whatever we do in word or deed should
be done in Jesus’ name (Colossians 3:17). Baptism is an act of both word and deed.
Jesus is the one who personally commissioned the disciples to go and baptize and they
went "on behalf of him," or "in his name." He also sent them to heal people and work
miracles. When Peter healed the man at the Gate Beautiful in Jesus' name, scripture tells
us that he actually spoke the words "in the name of Jesus Christ" when he did it (Acts
3:6). Even when Trinitarian believerss pray for someone for healing they speak the words
"in Jesus' name." They realize that they are doing it "on behalf of" or "in the name of"
Christ. Why would baptism be any different? Jesus said that when we pray we are to ask
the Father in him name (John 14:13; 15:16; 16:23, 26). And so when many Christians
pray, they end their prayer with the actual words "in Jesus name." Even for a Trinatarian
it makes more sense to baptize in Jesus' name. Even if there is more than one person in
the Godhead, Jesus is the one who died for us.
Furthermore, baptism is exclusively connected with Christ throughout the New
Testament (with the exception of Matthew 28:19). Paul would hardly say that the
Romans and Galatians were "baptized into Christ" (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27) had the
apostles routinely used the words "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost" when they baptized. Finally, I would like to demonstrate where history
shows us that the Catholic Church changed the way that people were baptized. From
there on people continued to follow this tradition, probably because it fit so well with
their Trinitarian doctrine:
BRITANICA ENCYCLOPEDIA
The baptismal formula was changed from the name of Jesus Christ to the words Father,
Son & Holy Ghost by the Catholic Church in the Second Century. – 11th Edit., Vol. 3,
pg. 365-366.
CANNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION
The early church always baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus until development of the
Trinity Doctrine in the Second Century.
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA
Here the Catholics acknowledged that baptism was changed by the Catholic Church. –
Vol. 2, pg. 263.
HASTINGS ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION
Christian baptism was administered using the words, "in the name of Jesus." – Vol. 2, pg.
377. Baptism was always in the name of Lord Jesus until time of Justin Martyr when
Triune formula used. – Vol. 2, pg. 389. Name was an ancient synonym for "person."
Payment was always made in the name of some person referring to ownership. Therefore
one being baptized in Jesus’ name became His personal property. "Ye are Christ’s." –
Vol. 2, pg. 377 on Acts 2:38.