Going Public: Why Baptism Is Required for Church Membership

by Bobby Jamison

Does everyone who joins a local church need to be baptized? What should churches that practice believer's baptism do about those who were “baptized” as infants? This is a live question for many churches today, and it raises a host of other crucial What is the meaning and function of baptism? Does baptism have any inherent relationship to the local church? How do baptism and the Lord’s Supper fit together? What exactly is “church membership”? To answer the question of whether baptism is required for church membership, Going Public seeks to rebuild ecclesiological foundations, digging deep into the Bible’s teaching on baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and church membership. Bobby Jamieson describes how baptism and the Lord’s Supper transform a scattered group of Christians into a gathered local church. It traces the trajectory of a church’s birth, how gospel people form a gospel polity. Baptism is where faith goes public. It is the initiating oath-sign of the new covenant. It is the passport of Christ’s kingdom and a kingdom citizen’s swearing-in. The Lord’s Supper is the renewing oath-sign of the new covenant, a corporate act of fellowship with Christ that binds the church into one body. Baptism confers church membership and the Lord’s Supper confirms it. Baptism confers membership; the Lord’s Supper renews it. So baptism is required for church membership like vows are required for marriage. After building and summarizing this positive theological case for why baptism is required for church membership, the book answers objections, poses challenges to the open membership view, and applies this theological vision to the local church’s practice of baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and church membership. Why is baptism required for church membership? Because church membership is a public affirmation of someone’s public profession of faith in Christ, and Jesus has appointed baptism as the means by which his followers publicly profess their faith in him. Why does this question matter? Because removing baptism from membership erases the line Jesus himself has drawn between the church and the world.

Genres: Ecclesiology, Church, Theology, Christian

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

Reviews

[Ronni Kurtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamieson's book is seriously helpful on a relatively difficult topic for a number of reasons. (1) He writes in a way that is a model for how serious theology can be accessable to any motivated reader. He writes on items as difficult as Greek syntax, hermeneutics, covenant and kingdom theology, ecclesiology, and more while never feeling inaccessible. (2) He is a step ahead of his readers. There were multiple times when I was reading through Jamieson's work where I thought of an excpession to whatever issue he was covering. Yet, he almost always got to what ever issue I had in mind. (3) He gave categories for issues that were unresolved for me. While I don't agree with all of Jamieson's conclusions, or better said that I still have questions regarding some of his conclusions, he provided theological categories for me throughout the book that will be helpful as long as I am conversant in ecclesiology. (4) Maybe the most helpful thing in this entire work is Jamieson's footnotes. If you are interested in how the ordinances interplay with one another and how they relate to membership - the footnotes and bibliography throughout this work will prove to be a treasure trove to you. He pointed me towards multiple works I was unfamiliar with that aided in my thought process regarding this issue.

I do, however, have a few remaining unasnwered questions and found myself thinking that he was overplaying a few of his minor points. Also, the title and sub-title of the book aren't super helpful. The work is much more than the act of "going public" and it tackles more than just demonstrating theological arguments for why credobaptism should be a requirment for church membership.

This will be a work a recommend to any thinking through this important issue and one that I will refer back to on occasion.

(Pardon typos, I wrote this on a phone)

[Marc Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a deceptive book. It looks like a popular level, “questions pastors have” kind of book, but hidden within its slim 220 pages is a dense theological argument about baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and membership in the church. Bobby makes a detailed argument from the nature of the covenants, the kingdom of God, and authority given to the church to argue for an “ecclesial shape” to the ordinances. I went into this book questioning the relationship between the ordinances and church membership and was profoundly helped.

[Kenneth G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Not only did this book answer some pressing questions about baptism, it caused me to think about logical conclusions that go down a road many baptists don’t want to. Challenging, dense, yet convicting and enlightening.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dense but excellent.

Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and church membership are all connected; you can't have one without the other.

[Jeremy Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A robust and biblical theology of Baptism. “Without Baptism, there may be a self-proclaimed kingdom person, but there is no kingdom people” (95). God desires kingdom people to comprise his church (Matt. 16:18) and baptism is the means by which he has given us to publicly identify these people! Baptism binds one to many, as Bobby argues in this book. I hope you'll check this book out to enhance your understanding of Baptism and its design for the believer and for the church.

[John Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been a huge help to me both in my personal understanding of baptism and in membership interviews as I attempt to explain Baptism and membership to potential members. Baptism is how we "go public" with our faith. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are what give visible shape to an invisible reality. They create gospel polity for a gospel people. Baptism is the front door, and the Lord's Supper is the family meal. Both are oath-signs of membership in the people of God, Baptism being the initial oath-sign and the Lord's Supper the ongoing oath-sign. Membership, then, is more than just a list of names. It is admission to the Lord's Table which is contingent upon Baptism. "Baptism necessarily precedes the Lord's Supper like entering the front door necessarily precedes sitting down at the family meal" (228).

The argument of this book certainly pushed me from my open communion default toward a close communion position (something I'm now going to need to try to explain to my kiddos.)

The one issue I took with Jamison's argument was his section on the age of baptism. I know at CHBC they wait until age 18 or what Jamison calls "functioning adulthood." I agree with Jamison that we should not divorce membership from baptism, but 18 feels a little late to me. We all have to exercise prudence in who we allow to be baptized, and everyone (but paedobaptists) delays baptism for children to an extent. But I believe that the high school years can be excellent years for a maturing young believer to learn the basics of church membership and begin to exercise the keys of the kingdom. To deny them the visible, corporate realities of their conversion because they haven't reached the western world's definition of adulthood seems like a missed opportunity.

At the same time, his argument probably pushed me toward an older threshold for baptism/membership than before.

[Benjamin Clow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bobby Jamieson provides a very thorough and convincing case for the neccesity of adult believer's baptism before Church Membership in a Church, and before the taking of Communion. It may seem like a radical and judgmental position to hold in a world of tolerance and evangelical co-operativeness. Yet its convincing because it urges churches to not stoop down to pragmatic individual centered decision making but instead act upon their own convictions.

"Why must someone be baptised as a believer in order to join a local church? Because church membership is a public affirmation of someone's public profession of faith in Christ, and Jesus has appointed baptism as the means by which his followers publicly profess their faith in Him. A church can't affirm the profession of someone who hasn't yet made that profession. "

The inevitable adult believers baptism vs infant baptism argument is covered here with warmth, care and conviction. An excellent read and a book I know will turn to again and again in the future.

[Mark Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive defense for uniting Baptism, Church Membership, and the Lord’s Supper. Helpful for someone who’s wrestling with what baptism is and how it functions in the life of a Christian and the church. Recommended.

[Rob Duford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I've read on biblical baptism. This is a deep-dive into the relationship between baptism, the Lord's Supper, and church membership. As a lead pastor I'm going to make this required reading for our eldership. So good!

[Jonathan Ginn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply fantastic! Biblically argued, historically rooted, and theologically robust, this is essential reading for baptistic ecclesiology.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Trent Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book on why baptism is (or ought to be) a prerequisite for church membership. The book is simultaneously accessible yet dense. I’d recommend this to anyone wanting to think deeper about baptism and its function within the life of a local church.

[Connor Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. This is not a polemical book, primarily. It is an illuminating and constructive piece of Baptist theology on the vital role of the ordinances in the life of a local church.

[Harold Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW: Going Public:Why Baptism is Required for Church Membership by Bobby Jamieson
Today it seems everyone is "going public" about something in their lives, whether it is that they are in a relationship, getting married, are getting divorced, are "coming out" about their sexuality, are angry about some injustice and a whole host of other things. Author Bobby Jamieson has written a book about "going public" regarding the most important, significant event that can take place in anyone's life...and that is becoming a follower of Jesus Christ and what that means AND what happens promptly after a person believes in Christ. The author answers the important question, "Does everyone who joins a local church need to be baptized?" The author and I both believe YES!
Going Public is a book about baptism and why the author, and I, believe baptism "is required for church membership." In his book he emphasizes the absolute importance of baptism for the believer, for the church as well as for the watching world of people. The author stresses in his book that baptism by immersion is an essential for church membership. His message is clear, easy to be understood and essential to be followed as what he writes is clearly Biblical.
"Baptism is where faith goes public" is what author Jamieson writes. Amen. He believes that upon salvation the new believer should be baptized as soon as is humanly possible for the believer to show his "identification with Jesus Christ and His people." He shares other reasons why baptism is important as well.
In Going Public you will read and understand the different views concerning baptism such as "paedobaptism" or "infant baptism" or sprinkling and baptism by immersion of a confirmed believer in Jesus Christ. The author is gracious towards those who believe in "infant baptism" and practices it; however, his position according to the Word of God is that it is not Biblical and even early church history bears that out. The book is theological, historical and soundly Biblical in its treatment of the subject. And he fully understands and expounds on the idea of tradition versus what is Biblical concerning the matter of Baptism. He shares how historically and traditionally the act of baptism and how it is done as well as the timing of it and its significance to the believer, the church and the world has changed. And it HAS changed and not for the better as far as I am personally concerned.
In "Going Public" author Jamieson also shares the Biblical perspective concerning the Lord's Table. As with the issue of Baptism, he reveals the historical and traditional views of Communion and how the church views and performs communion today versus how the early church practiced it. And just as with baptism he explains there is a major difference between how communion was practiced, such as how often it was done, in the early church and in the church today.
If you want to know and understand how the Apostles and the early church fathers taught about and practiced Baptism and Communion, using the Word of God as the guide, this book is a must read for you. It should clear up any misconceptions you have regarding Baptism and Communion as well as answer any questions you might have regarding both practices from a Biblical perspective. I highly recommend this book. To learn more about this book or purchase a copy for yourself visit the B&H Publishers Website: http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/prod...
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and 9Marks to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#GoingPublic #Baptism #BobbyJamieson #9Marks #BAndHPublishers #TheChurch #Communion #ChurchMembership #InfantBaptism #BaptismByImmersion

[Salvador Blanco · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a well-argued book from Bobby Jameison. It will further convince you of believers baptism and its relation to church membership. Great to read in dialogue with those who hold an open membership or paedobaptist view.

Favorite quotes:

“Polity isn’t the gospel, but it protects and preserves the gospel. Polity isn’t the diamond, but it is one of the prongs which hold the diamond in place for all to see” (11).

“A church is born when gospel people form a gospel polity” (141).

“Baptism binds one to many, and the Lord’s supper makes many one” (17).

“Scripture teaches that baptism is the front door of the church, and the Lord’s Supper is the family meal” (3). (05.17.22)

Second time reading was much better because it was my own copy and I could write in it. Baptists, make this the one book you read when thinking about Baptism! It will give you a good understanding of baptism along with its connection to church membership and the Lord’s Supper. Hopeful for a second edition 🤞🏽(10.04.23)

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a five star review because of the great arguments, backed by learning and charity, found in this book, but it could have been a hundred pages or so shorter. Jamieson felt the need to recapitulate everything he said in the bodies of his chapters at the end of each, and opened most sections with padding as well. This plagues Christian writing.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians, but especially Baptist ones.

[Kevin Choate · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a few short words, this book is the Baptist Ecclesiology Handbook - membership matters, baptism is a profession of an inward change, and baptism is the means in which God’s people are grafted into the Church.

Very systematic approach to Baptism and it’s importance to church membership.

[Taylor Sines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great argument. Too much content introduction throughout the book.

[Marc Minter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be a likable, direct argument for believer’s baptism as the theological and public signal of someone becoming a Christian. Jamieson’s repeated obeisance to Paedobaptist comrades throughout the book makes him hard to disregard as a rabid sectarian of sorts. He simply and amiably asserts the biblical explanation and defense for believer’s baptism. He then works through the logical implications of this doctrine is such as way so as to present believer’s baptism as essential to the structure of church membership.

Quoting Robert Stein, Jamieson describes “faith going public” by pointing to five “integrally related components” of conversion. “Repentance, faith, and confession by the individual, regeneration… and baptism by representatives of the Christian community.” This last phrase carries quite a bit of freight, but this is the basic idea Jamieson explicates throughout the book. Baptism is integrally related to conversion (necessarily post-dating punctiliar conversion and serving as the public oath-sign), it is the affirmation of Christian representatives, and it is normally carried out in the context of formal Christian communities (i.e. local churches). Jamieson’s book attempts (I think successfully so) to unpack this freight and examine the substance of it.

Honestly, I found this book to be a refreshing articulation of what I have been trying to practice among my own church family. It is hard to interact very critically with it. I thought Jamieson did a good job of laying out his case, and I believe that he also stayed within the boundaries of Scripture and suitable deductions from the diligent and faithful study of it. I also thought that Jamieson’s book would be quite accessible to the unstudied Christian. I think most Christians would be able to understand the overall argument of this book, and I think the bite-sized chapters and sections would not be too difficult to swallow and digest.

If I might make one negative comment about this book, it would be related to the compliment I gave it above. While the chapters and sections were arranged in a simple and easy-to-follow fashion, I think there was a little too much redundant content. Each chapter began by “putting his cards on the table” with lengthy introductions that essentially presented the chapter’s content in brief. Jamieson offered the reader an option to omit an entire chapter so as to avoid too much repetition, but I wonder if this doesn’t merely make my point that the re-packaged content could have simply been left out entirely.

Overall, I think this book was great. I even plan to procure “Where faith Goes Public” (chapter 3) and “Turning the Tables” (chapter 10) as independent papers to distribute among my congregation. These chapters are especially helpful in laying out the basic theology of what believer’s baptism is and why is it necessary for church membership.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the most coherent and helpful explanation I have ever read on what baptism is, does, and symbolizes. The book is written in a manner understood by any reader regardless of their level of theological education. Don't be misled by the subtitle. This book is about a lot more than church membership!

Jamieson builds a case for baptism not as mere obedience to Christ but as an ecclesiological foundation. Who comprises the Christian church? With few exceptions (e.g., Luke 23:43), the church is those set apart from the world through baptism. Jamieson argues that the ordinances are not mere signs of church membership, but that they create and sustain the ecclesial reality of the church. In this post-modern Western culture where individuality reigns supreme, Jamieson offers a well-needed reminder that the Christian’s faith is always public, never private (Matt 10:32–33). The Bible leaves no room for a just-me-and-Jesus reality. Recovering a biblical understanding of baptism is necessary not merely to get church membership roles correct, but to preserve and display the reality to which baptism symbolizes, namely identification with and salvation through Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Some questions this book leaves unanswered:
-Since baptism is something churches do to confirm an individual’s confession of faith, does that make baptisms by youth groups or summer camps invalid? (I think Jamieson implies these are still valid.)
-If someone believes the gospel but is baptized by a heretical church, is the baptism invalid even if the right and true gospel is believed? (Not discussed, but I understand Jamieson would say these are not valid baptisms.)
-In the section answering objections, the most obvious objection is omitted. How is the argument for paedobaptist covenantal theology wrong? (The scriptural case in Chapter 3 indirectly answers this question but fails to account for the paedobaptist interpretation of Scripture.)

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Bobby Jamieson produces a prolonged argument for baptism being required for church membership. While the book does peripherally discuss a vast array of other issues related to the ordinances, polity, membership, and more, the substance of the book is narrowly focused to defending the subtitle and thesis.

Bobby, keenly aware of our evangelical impulses, begins by revealing why his thesis sounds wrong to many of us (i.e. Sinclair Ferguson and John Calvin can’t be a member of a Baptist church but we can read all of their books?!?). He then builds his case by (1) providing a Scripturally grounded theology of baptism, (2) defending baptism as the entry oath-sign into the New Covenant, (3) explains baptism as the demarcator of the kingdom, (4) baptism’s relation with communion, and (5) baptism as an effective sign of membership into a congregation. The remainder of the book consists of coagulating the particulant matter of his case, defending it against objections, and offensively pointing out problematic areas among those who would disagree with him.

For myself as a reader who agrees with his thesis but feels the pressure to not exclude those whom would certainly could be affirmed as Christians, the book accomplished the authors goal of providing some more backbone to my frail structure. While I only give the book 4 stars, I do this not on the basis of writing or argumentation, but simply because the subject matter is so narrow that I can’t say “everyone should read this.”

[C.T. Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bobby has the great combination of a sharp mind and a clear writer. You can tell that he writes as a pastor because he writes illustratively, bringing his topics to life through illustrations and analogies. At the same time, he has a brilliant mind and is capable to write a PhD dissertation.

I think Bobby's case for close communion and closed membership are overall quite compelling and deserve a lot of thought from those who would disagree with him. However, one struggle I have with the book is the amount of theologizing that's required. There's nothing wrong with theologizing an issue. It's a necessary part of life seeing that Scripture doesn't speak to every question we will ever have. However, in my opinion, there is a lot of "if this, then that" reasoning in the closed membership position that I think loses a lot of authority for people.

One other weakness: In my conversations with open membership believers, they are majorly influenced by the amount of disagreement between faithful Christians on this issue. They reason that if there is so much disagreement between so many faithful Christians, then there must not be sufficient evidence and clarity in Scripture for either position. Therefore, we shouldn't draw such hard lines. But I'm not sure Bobby deals with this objection as directly as he should in the book.

[Todd Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the most thorough treatment of baptism (and perhaps even the Lord's Supper) that I've ever read. This book is actually written to answer the question as to whether churches should allow unbaptized people that profess faith in Jesus to be members. This is often practiced when a church allows paedobaptist baptism as sufficient. Jamieson does a stellar job at showing the necessity of baptism for membership. This is far, far more than a proof-texting attempt. His discussion is thorough - Biblically thorough.

I think he also did a fine job at connecting baptism (and the Lord's Supper) to the operation of the keys of the kingdom by the church. This is a rarely discussed truth in our day - yet a clear teaching by Jesus. Understanding this one point will improve a church's approach to the ordinances.

Though Jamieson and myself would differ in a couple of places on the application of the truths in this book, I was greatly challenged and encouraged by Going Public. I'd certainly recommend it, especially to church leaders.

[Andrew Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book. Clarifies that baptism is membership; in other words, membership describes what happens when someone is baptized. Both membership and baptism do essentially the same thing: the church identifies someone as being a Christian. Thus, they ought to be kept together.
Going into this book, I thought I agreed with the premise but wasn't sure. After reading, I stand a little more convinced but still have some lingering questions. Mostly just that it is really hard to deny someone the Lord's Supper (especially, when visiting once) and that needs to be accounted for. But, I agree that baptism is membership and that infant "baptism" is not really baptism.
I think Jamieson undersells the promise-shaped nature of baptism and the Lord's Supper, though I do think his main argument is legitimate and compatible with a more God-centered view of the sacraments.
Another note: this book definitely takes some work to read. It is good and not super academic, but takes a good bit of mental work and following the argument closely (and Biblically) to track.

[Joshua Reichard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bobby Jamieson does a fantastic job at keeping the main point the main point. He sets out to prove in the Bible why membership is preceded by Baptism and why the Lord's Supper should only be taken by those baptized.

He helpfully explains believer's baptism as opposed to infant baptism and does so in a delicate and gracious way. I would recommend this to any pastor or layperson struggling to understand why some churches require you to be baptized as a believer.

Though I know many who disagree with Jamieson I find his argument on why only baptized believers should partake in the Lord's supper to be clear, biblical, and, needed. Too often churches are weak in their understanding of the Lord's Supper and just partake of it flippantly and without thought giving freely to all regardless of baptism. I think this is unhelpful and dangerous given the warning in 1 Cor. 12.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Jamieson argues that believer's baptism ought to be required for membership in a church. He is specifically going after the practice of allowing paedobaptists to be members in a credobaptist church without undergoing believer's baptism. He makes a good argument which would be difficult to summarize in this brief synopsis. Basically, he argues that credobaptists believe that believer's baptism is a command of Christ; therefore it should be required for church membership, especially since baptism is a public testimony to having been bought by Christ and built into his church. If anything, this book is too thorough, often overlapping itself with arguments already made: but I'd prefer that to an argument that is too sparse!

[Daniel Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going Public is a great resource by Bobby Jamison that covers why Baptism should be required for church membership. The structure of the book is very easy to understand, and the charitable nature of Jamieson is clearly evident from the start. Although he is trying to prove a point, he does not put down other systems of belief. The reason for the book is that since Jesus gave a command to make disciples and baptize them (Mat. 28:19), we as the church should take his command seriously. Since many paedobaptists and open-membership baptists have reduced the role of baptism in the life of the church, we need to recover the biblical teachings on the importance of church membership and how baptism and the Lord’s supper play into that.

[Nate Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extemely compelling argument regarding Credobaptism and Church Membership being dirctly linked and theologically necessary. Jamieson presents his thesis from a specific viewpoint that he is upfront and honest about. The illustrations he provides are good but possibly falls into the logical fallacy of strawman and slippery slopes. But I cannot identify conclusively this fallacies as I affirm his position and recognize that I am blind to its ration. However, he dismantled several arguments easily in this allegories that it leads to me to see them as fallacies, BUT, he provides ample theological evidence that I am assured of his position.

[James Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Thorough and Helpful
"Going Public" is much more than a credobaptism vs. paedobaptism debate, although some of that argument is addressed. It is an ecclesiological study of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Jamieson writes in a conversational style understandable by both the scholar and the layman. His Chapter 3 study of the theology of baptism is one of the best that I have ever read on the subject, and should be taught in all Baptist seminaries. If you have questions about baptism and how it functions in the church, read this book.

[Doug Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Recommendation #7

Very helpful and thorough arguments for explaining how the doctrine of baptism is revealed in the Scriptures and also how it is connected to other doctrines such as the Gospel, conversion, church membership and discipline, and the Lord's Supper.

Jamieson interacts with contrary opinions - both from a historical and a contemporary perspective; he also provides a very helpful chapter: explaining why it matters in 3 minutes or less.