Yes, the VAST amount of Baptists regard baptism as a public statement, no more or no less. Only the few who have not been brainwashed by Baptist tradition, and are willing to believe what the Bible really says, are rethinking this concept. Disciplinedlearner, I commend you for discerning the truth. I'm sure it was difficult to let go of some of your long held but wrong beliefs. You are 100% correct in your view of John 3:5.
No, he is not right and I will tell you why. His view opposes four thousand years of consistent use and application by God for every divine external ordinance God has ever established between Genesis and Malichi.
Even though all external ordinances established by God between Genesis and Malich accompany the use of redemptive language ("for sin" "for cleansing" etc.) the New Testament bluntly and explicitly states they redeemed, removed sin FIGURATIVELY only and NEVER removed sins or saved LITERALLY in spite of the accompany of redemptive language.
For example, the sacrificial offerng begun in Genesis 3 by God or at least in Genesis 4 right up to and including the Mosaic legislation and all of its sacrifices come under the ceremonial laws which Hebrews 10:1-4 say were TYPES or SHADOWS that could NEVER literally remit sins:
1 ¶
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect….4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
In case you imagine this just applies to the external divine sacrifices, Paul includes the whole ceremonial laws under Moses as only shadows or types:
Col. 2:16
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
If you think this just applies to the sacrificial laws and Mosaic ceremonial laws alone, Paul says that the first external ceremonial rite established after the sacrificial laws during Abraham was also a “sign” or a “seal” of what he already had while still in uncircumicsion and thus circumcision is only a SYMBOLIC type or “shadow” of the reality of new birth.
Jesus made this clear in Luke 5:13-14 that even ceremonial rites of cleansing are typically only:
13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
When did the LITERAL cleansing occur? Before or after he went to the priest to “offer FOR thy cleansing”?
Why was he told to enter into this ceremonial rite? – “for a TESTIMONY unto them” and that is what a symbolic rite does it provides an external witness.
These are all shadows but not the reality or the image that cast the shadow. Look at your shadow! Is that you LITERALLY or only in FORM? The purpose of a type is to correctly convey the truth it was designed to convey and that truth is seen in the external form practiced.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as with all external rites from Genesis, a with all external rites for four thousand years before baptism and the Lord’s Supper were ordained, are accompanied by the same language of redemption as were all TYPES or SHADOWS and Peter explicitly states that baptism is a like “FIGURE” – I Pet. 3:21.
How did the Old Testament saints actually and literally have their sins remitted? Not by divine external ordinances, which were but a “shadow” or type but by faith in Jesus Christ:
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
And if you think this is a different gospel than what is preached to us then heed the words of the writer of Hebrews:
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. - Heb. 4:2
God did not change his purpose and design for divine EXTERNAL rites which were never to be intended to LITERALLY remit sins or save anyone but were "a shadow" of what Christ would do by his life and death. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are external divine rites that are accompanied with redemptive language just as the past 4000 years of divine rites had been accompanied with redemptive language but never intended to interpreted that the redemption was in the rite or in partaking of the rite but rather in what the rite was merely a picture, a type, a symbol of - the gospel of Jesus Christ.
