My father is a denominational minister, and we have disagreed over the meaning of New Testament baptism. In a study Bible, I read the words of a scholar who said that the Greek indicates baptism is an "after the fact" proclamation of one's having become a Christian. What do you think of these experts? Are they handling the Greek properly? -- Janey
To begin with, most scholars admit that the Greek allows no other interpretation than that baptism was originally thought to confer forgiveness of sins. This includes scholars who admit this even if their own denominational background discounts such a view. Any scholar who dissents is not only in the minority, but is holding a position that consistently flies in the face of the linguistic and historical evidence. The fact that you came across this opinion in a study Bible should not surprise you. Of course such additional notes are not part of the inspired text. They have been added as an aid to understanding. But that is where one can get lost--in the transition from the word of God to the word of man.
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