Carroll Kendrick
The effect of the new birth is to bring persons into the Divine family, and give them equal rights and privileges with the other children; to make them “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.” Without it they cannot enter (John 3:5).
The effect of baptism is to bring persons into Christ. “So many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27).
Therefore the new birth—of water and Spirit—is equal to baptism, at least in its effects, or results. Things equal to each other are equal to the same thing.
Unless there are two ways of getting into Christ, and so becoming heirs of God, they must be the same for all practical purposes.
But there is only one way of getting into Christ and becoming heirs of God. Does not Jesus say, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Man here is generic and includes all men. “He cannot enter” limits his entrance to this way, and is equal to saying there is no other way by which he can enter the kingdom of God.
Yet we are baptized into Christ, the king. It would be absurd to talk of being in the king and not in the kingdom, which means the reign of Christ. It rather means into the very head and center of the kingdom. And therefore, scriptural immersion is the consummation of the new birth.
The promises to those born again and to those baptized are the same; and in this way also, identify them.
Is it not said, “ye shall be heirs of God”; “ye shall inherit all things; and “I will be your God and ye shall be my son”? And do we not read in the great commission, “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved?” (Mark 16:16). “Shall be saved” is equivalent to being heirs of God—sons, etc. All God’s children are saved. All are heirs.
And therefore the new birth, and baptism, as the consummation of the birth of water and Spirit are the same. And so all the ancient fathers taught, without exception.
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus of the new birth in a parable. “Without a parable spake he not unto them” (Mark 4:34). But Jesus told his disciples that the time would come when he would speak no more to them in parables, but would “show them plainly of the Father” (John 16:25). That time came as the history of facts proves, when the apostles first began to preach the Gospel of Christ. Otherwise, when the penitents, on the memorable Pentecost (Acts 2)” asked what they should do, Peter should, and would, have answered, “You must be born again—born of water and the Spirit.” But because the time for change in the Divine manner of teaching had come, and Peter knew very well that they would at once inquire what he meant by being born again, he just gave them the literal of the figure, saying, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). So afterwards they never told people to be born again—never used the figurative style in such cases, but told the inquirers plainly—without a figure. And therefore, the new birth and scriptural baptism, as the literal of the figure, are the same.
