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Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Jan. 1, 2009
Update	: Jun. 9, 2025
Parts	: 08

Synopsis:



A number of years ago, while discussing the all-important subject of being born again on the now-defunct Christian mailing list, Endtime Discussion Group Exchange, a certain list member made the following comments in which he quoted a verse of Scripture that is found in the third chapter of the Gospel of John:

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Jesus answered, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God."

[In other words, we must undergo the waters of baptism and receive the Holy Spirit, and then later we are literally BORN OF THE SPIRIT when we become spirit beings at the resurrection.]"

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This person embraces a controversial doctrine that's become known as "baptismal regeneration", or "being generated again through baptism". Popularized and forcefully promoted by the Roman Catholic Church, this belief states that water baptism is absolutely necessary in order for one to obtain Salvation. That is to say, Eternal Life. Furthermore, those people who adhere to this doctrine also hold to the belief that infants can be saved by undergoing water baptism in a church shortly after birth.

The doctrine of baptismal regeneration appears to have first been embraced by the Roman Catholic Church at least hundreds of years ago during the Middle Ages; and it has been accepted by other non-Catholic denominations in more recent times as well. Looking at ecclesiastical history, we discover that by the time that the Council of Trent was convened in December of 1545, baptismal regeneration had already become entrenched in the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. The purpose of the Council of Trent, which convened in twenty-five sessions from 1545 to 1563 in Trent, Germany, was to codify and reform all of the core doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and also to condemn the so-called "heresies" of the Reformation, which had swept across Europe by that time. If you would like to read the body of canon law which was established by the Council of Trent, please visit the following URL:

https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/trent/the-complete-text.htm

As I explain in the article "History of the Authorized King James Bible", the Reformation was a time marked by giants of faith, such as Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, John Knox, William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, John Wesley and others. While many of the Reformers were themselves members of the Roman Catholic Church, they were appalled by the many false doctrines and corrupt practices which had infiltrated and polluted the church. This included, among other things, the sale of indulgences -- paying money or gifts in order to be forgiven for one's sins and have the period of punishment reduced -- the misguided belief in an intermediary place of purification called Purgatory where one was purged of sins so they could continue on to Heaven; Mariology -- worship of Mary -- praying to the Saints; celibacy; and finally, simony -- the buying and selling of church positions. I discuss a number of these issues in other BBB articles, so I will not be addressing them at length in this current series.

At any rate, these brave Reformers who dared to question and defy the mandates of the so-called "Holy Mother Church", were in fact following in the footsteps of earlier Reformers, such as John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, who had exposed these very same inadequacies in the church several centuries earlier. So to reiterate, the primary purpose of the Council of Trent was to firmly establish the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church -- similar to how the Council of Nicaea had also done over twelve hundred years earlier -- and to also condemn as a heretic, any person who refused to accept the misguided doctrines of the church. The accepted and reformed doctrines were integrated into a manual called "Roman Catechism" -- a.k.a. the Catechism of the Council of Trent -- which was first published in 1566 during the reign of Pope Pius V. This manual carried so much weight within the Catholic world, that it was viewed as the ultimate authority regarding Roman Catholic doctrine, until the publication of the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" -- or CCC -- in 1992, during the papacy of Pope John Paul II.

As we saw earlier, one of the doctrines that was codified at the time that the Council of Trent was convened -- and perhaps even before that -- was "baptismal regeneration"; which states that absolutely no one can obtain Salvation, or forgiveness for their sins, without being water baptized. Furthermore, it is an absolute must that infants be baptized as well for the very same reason even though such babies have absolutely no understanding whatsoever regarding Jesus Christ, sin, or the need for forgiveness and Salvation. These rules were decreed by the Council of Trent in the following canons, or laws:

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Seventh Session - Decree On The Sacraments - On Baptism

CANON II.	"If any one saith, that true and natural water is not of necessity for baptism, and, on that account, wrests, to some sort of metaphor, those words of our Lord Jesus Christ; Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost; let him be anathema."
CANON III.	"If any one saith, that in the Roman church, which is the mother and mistress of all churches, there is not the true doctrine concerning the sacrament of baptism; let him be anathema."
CANON V.	"If any one saith, that baptism is free, that is, not necessary unto salvation; let him be anathema."
CANON XIII.	"If any one saith, that little children, for that they have not actual faith, are not, after having received baptism, to be reckoned amongst the faithful; and that, for this cause, they are to be rebaptized when they have attained to years of discretion; or, that it is better that the baptism of such be omitted, than that, while not believing by their own act, they should be baptized in the faith alone of the Church; let him be anathema."

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The word "anathema" is actually a Greek word which means to be cursed. We find it being used by the Apostle Paul in his first Epistle to the brethren at Corinth, in the following two verses:

"Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."


"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."


While we may not have access to the original Roman Catechism that was published over 440 years ago, assuming, that is, that any copies have even survived to our modern day -- possibly in the Vatican Library? -- all is not lost. That is because one can freely access the online edition of the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is an updated version of the same, at the United States Conference Of Catholic Bishops website, which can be accessed at the following URL:

https://www.usccb.org/committees/catechism

You will also find a complete online version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the official Vatican website at the following URL:

https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

Please also note that given the authority which was ascribed to the Roman Catechism, its position regarding the need for water baptism was upheld in full by the Vatican II Council, which was convened from 1962 to 1965. For its part, in its many pages, the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church states rather clearly that water baptism is a mandatory requirement for both adults and infants, in order to obtain forgiveness of sins, and to inherit Salvation, or Eternal Life. It needs to be understood that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is actually a teaching mechanism, or guide, used by Catholic priests and teachers to teach the Catholic faith to the laity in Sunday School classes. Traditionally speaking, a catechism is a summary of the principles of the Catholic faith, that is usually in question and answer form. In modern lingo, you can think of it as being an extensive Roman Catholic FAQ.

But the actual basis from which the Catechism of the Catholic Church derives its strength is the "Code of Canon Law", which is the ecclesiastical law of the Roman Catholic Church. This Code of Canon Law came into being following the First Vatican Council which convened between 1869-1870. During the Council, Catholic bishops expressed a desire to Pope Pius X to have the large body of documents which established Roman Catholic law, concatenated into a single all-encompassing code. The result was published in May of 1917 during the reign of Pope Benedict XV. In 1959, Pope John XXIII announced his plans to convoke a Second Vatican Council, which finally got underway in 1962, and was in session until 1965, during the reign of John XXIII's successor, Pope Paul VI. The purpose of Vatican II was to completely revise the Code of Canon Law. The new version of the Code of Canon Law finally came into force in November of 1983 during the reign of Pope John Paul II.

If you are interested in reading the official English version of the Code of Canon Law, you will find it posted on various Roman Catholic websites such as vatican.va and intratext.com. Here are the links for each one. Please note that in the case of the Vatican site, the URL is case-sensitive:

https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM

https://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_INDEX.HTM

Returning to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, exactly what does this lengthy document say regarding the necessity of water baptism in order that one might obtain Salvation and forgiveness of sins? In answer to this question, allow me to share with you the following paragraphs which are taken directly from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

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Para. 804: One enters into the People of God by faith and Baptism. "All men are called to belong to the new People of God" (LG 13), so that, in Christ, "men may form one family and one People of God" (AG 1).

Para. 981: After his Resurrection, Christ sent his apostles "so that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations." The apostles and their successors carry out this "ministry of reconciliation," not only by announcing to men God's forgiveness merited for us by Christ, and calling them to conversion and faith; but also by communicating to them the forgiveness of sins in Baptism"

Para. 985: Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of the forgiveness of sins: it unites us to Christ, who died and rose, and gives us the Holy Spirit".

Para. 1213: Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua),4 and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word."5

Para. 1250: Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth.

Para. 1252: The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole "households" received baptism, infants may also have been baptized.

Para. 1257: The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.

Para. 1262: The different effects of Baptism are signified by the perceptible elements of the sacramental rite. Immersion in water symbolizes not only death and purification, but also regeneration and renewal. Thus the two principal effects are purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit.

Para. 1263: By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. In those who have been reborn nothing remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is separation from God.

Para. 1265: Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature," an adopted son of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature," member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Para. 1277: Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord's will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.

Para. 1278: The essential rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water or pouring water on his head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Para. 1279: The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ.

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It is rather evident from the previous excerpts taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that the Roman Catholic Church clearly believes that Salvation and the forgiveness of sins are an integral part of water baptism; and that without it, neither can be obtained. Furthermore, as it is also made clear in paragraph 849, as well as in other sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the RCC has long held the view that it is the only church which has been authorized by Jesus Christ to serve as a vehicle of Salvation; or in its own words, "the universal sacrament of salvation". In other words, one must not only be baptized in water in order to be saved, but this baptism must occur in the Roman Catholic Church. Paragraph 849 states:

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Para. 849: The missionary mandate. "Having been divinely sent to the nations that she might be 'the universal sacrament of salvation,' the Church, in obedience to the command of her founder and because it is demanded by her own essential universality, strives to preach the Gospel to all men": "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and Lo, I am with you always, until the close of the age."

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Contrary to what the Scriptures plainly teach us regarding mixing Grace with works -- please refer to some of my other articles -- the previous excerpts demonstrate that the Roman Catholic Church teaches that faith in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone is not sufficient for obtaining forgiveness of sins, or for inheriting Salvation. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there is no spiritual rebirth unless one is water baptized. In a word, the Roman Catechism states that our faith in Christ is lacking, and must be accompanied by water baptism; which is in fact mixing Grace with works. As I have long taught, either the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone opened the way to Redemption and Salvation, or else it did not. If Christ's Crucifixion on the Cross didn't pay the full price for our Salvation, then Jesus died in vain.

Of course, I personally don't believe this for a minute. I am fully convinced that Jesus Christ paid the full price for our sins, and that there is absolutely nothing that we can add to His Death in order to merit Eternal Life. We are saved by the Grace of God alone, through Christ, and not by our own works. As the Apostle Paul so elegantly wrote:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."


"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."


It was in fact the previous verses which resulted in Martin Luther running afoul of the Roman Catholic Church of his day. So to reiterate, I personally reject the false doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church which claims that water baptism is necessary for Salvation. Furthermore, a little later in this series, I will be sharing with you a Scriptural example where certain believers were saved, and filled with the Holy Spirit, even BEFORE they were water baptized. How is this even possible, unless the Catechism of the Catholic Church is wrong?

At this point, you the reader have probably been persuaded that the Roman Catholic Church is quite convinced that water baptism is an absolutely essential and necessary part of the Salvation plan. But is this everything that the RCC teaches regarding this issue? Apparently not. It seems that the RCC contradicts itself in its own catechism when it states the following:

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Para. 1258: The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.

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What that paragraph means, is that if a person happens to be martyred for their faith -- which I can only assume means the Roman Catholic faith -- they will still receive forgiveness for their sins and Salvation, even if they were never water baptized. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in such a case, the spilling of a martyr's own blood acts as a type of "blood baptism" that results in the same effects as a regular water baptism. That is to say, in the forgiveness of their sins, and Salvation. In other words, there is a kind of legal loophole around the necessity of water baptism when it comes to martyrs for the faith. As ironic as it may seem, this isn't really that different from what Muslim extremists believe. They also believe that if they sacrifice their lives for their faith, they will go to Paradise. Of course, Muslims don't accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, or the Savior of the world.

And that is not all. Consider this next paragraph, which is likewise taken directly from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

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Para. 1259: For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.

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What that paragraph is basically saying is that if a person is preparing for their water baptism -- a catechumen -- but for some reason dies before actually being able to accomplish it, just the fact that they desired to be baptized, along with being in a repentant state, and their charitable acts towards others, will guarantee their Salvation. In other words, this is a second clear example where we see that the RCC teaches that a person can still be saved, and be forgiven for their sins, even though they were never water baptized. With these two examples, we see that the Roman Catholic Church is more than willing to make some exceptions to its seemingly hard and fast rule regarding water baptism; and there is more to come.

I found the next paragraph of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to be absolutely astounding. In fact, I was so taken back by this particular false doctrine, that two decades ago, when Cardinal Ratzinger -- later Pope Benedict XVI -- first made this pronouncement, I authored a series about it, in which I exposed his sin. The series is called "Cardinal Ratzinger's Rebellion". I urge you to read it. Paragraph 1260 states:

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Para. 1260: "Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery." Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.

----- End Quote -----

What that paragraph is saying, is that even if the person is not aware of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or of the existence of the Roman Catholic Church, they can still be saved, just by seeking the truth, and doing what they believe to be the Will of God, according to their understanding. In short, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that a person can be saved without even knowing Jesus Christ. It seems to be saying that we can each have our own truth, and even our own religion, Christian or not; and that as long as we strive to live by our own truth, even if it doesn't include Christ, we can still be saved. This is in fact precisely what Cardinal Ratzinger stated over two decades ago, before he became the Pope. In an article titled "Are Believers Of Other Religions Saved?", which appeared on the zenit.org website on Sept. 5, 2000, Ratzinger, who was then a cardinal from Germany, said the following:

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". . . we are in agreement that a Jew, and this is true for believers of other religions, does not need to know or acknowledge Christ as the Son of God in order to be saved, if there are insurmountable impediments, of which he is not blameworthy, to preclude it . . ."

----- End Quote -----

As I point out in the aforementioned series, this statement, and the previous paragraph from the Catechism of the Catholic are in blatant contradiction to the Scriptures where Jesus, the Gospel writers, Peter, Paul, etc., clearly tell us that Jesus is the only way to Salvation, as we see by this set of Bible verses:

". . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."


"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."


"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"


So this doctrine, which was uttered by Pope Benedict XVI, and which is now clearly taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is utterly false. It is a damnable heresy, as Peter called them. How are we to respond to this lie which states that people can be saved without Christ? The answer can be found in the Scriptures, as we see by the following group of Bible verses:

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."


"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"


"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"


"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"


"Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein."


"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."


"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him . . . For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."


"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."


"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself."


"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."


Please go to part two for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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