Into What Were You Baptized?

by Floyd Chappelear
Sentry Magazine, March 2000

Which came first? Admission into the church universal or the local church? To some, baptism is an ordinance of the church (that is, the local church). From that perspective, one is baptized into the local church. The truth of the matter is, however, that one is baptized into the body of Christ (which is the church universal) (see Galatians 3:27; Acts 2:47).

As evidence of this, we appeal to the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch.

While traveling on that deserted road he encountered Philip the evangelist. Upon completion of the study at hand, he requested baptism (Acts 8:36). He was immediately immersed into Christ by that faithful proclaimer of the good news of Christ. Because he was then added to the body of Christ, he went on his way rejoicing. Rejoicing perhaps not alone in the fact that he was saved but in the fact that he who had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover and had been denied entrance into the Temple (eunuchs were forbidden to participate in Temple activities because they could not be active members of the congregation of the Lord, Deuteronomy 23:1) now was not only able to go to the Temple but was, in fact, now a part of the Temple (I Corinthians 6:18). He had been added by Christ to His universal body but was not a part of any local church at all.

As a matter of convenience, we sometimes regard all who are baptized into Christ a member of the local body whose baptistry is being used and by so doing regard them as simultaneous. This, however, is a matter of convenient thinking, not fact. One is added to Christ and then subsequent to that needs to make a decision as to what local eldership one will submit himself to.