Marcus "Flame" Gray is starting to embrace and teach grave errors. Baptism does not save, and Jesus never taught such a thing. The biggest hurdle for this belief to leap over is the thief on the cross who never received baptism, yet Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).
In his new song, "The Patristics," Mr. Gray lists a bunch of names from the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries who taught that water baptism saves. Irenaeus, Athanasius, Cyprian, Chrysostom, Augustine, etc. This is his argument for the belief. Apparently Mr. Gray is unaware that just because something was taught a long time ago, or for a long time, does not mean that it is true. Mary's perpetual virginity was taught in those early centuries, too, but Scripture, God's Holy Word, contradicts such nonsensical teachings.
If Mr. Gray bothered to study like a Berean, he would notice that during the 2nd century a great many errors began creeping into the Lord's Congregation. Waiting periods began to be introduced for baptism, something that was done immediately in the Scriptures upon profession. The Lord's Supper, a full meal that was at the center of the congregations' fellowship, began to change toward a tiny cup with a wafer, cracker, or crumb of bread. The clergy/laity split was introduced at this time, which never existed previously. Temples were introduced via Constantine, which were molded after the Old Testament practices as well as Roman pagan practices.
The people who wrote closer to the times of the apostles did not have the complete Word of God. Some of their beliefs were constructed from a single letter they had, without understanding the whole picture. Systematic doctrine was not the primary focus of the early Congregation; Christ-likeness was. Spreading the Gospel, and embracing the Lord Jesus as their Saviour was more important than all the other stuff. Truth be told, you could have all the other stuff and still miss the Lord. But if you have the Lord, you do not necessarily need the other stuff. All that matters is that you trust and believe.
Mr. Gray is correct when he states that baptism is not an outward sign of an inward expression. He is correct in that Scripture teaches no such thing. Baptism is closely tied with the work of the Holy Spirit. This is why so many people get it wrong, because they are trying to tie it to Jesus, rather than leave it where it ought to go. Again, baptism has nothing to do with the "death, burial, and resurrection" of Christ Jesus. Had he remained on the cross for three days and then resurrected, everything would be accomplished exactly as it is. Baptism belongs to the Spirit. Once you understand the correlation between water and the Spirit, a bunch of puzzle pieces will fall into place for you and it will be like someone switched a light on inside your brain.
Furthermore, baptizing infants does not regenerate and save them. Pick any denomination you want that practices this, and you will see children grow up and reject the faith, choosing to live like the Devil instead. Is Mr. Gray so naive as to believe that these people will be going to Heaven, all because they were baptized when they were young? I am sorry, Marcus, but that is heresy!
Mr. Gray clearly lacks understanding of not only 1 Peter 3:20-21 and Acts 2:38-39, but also of the subject of baptism in its entirety. Is he aware that Romans 6:3-4 and 1 Corinthians 10:2 have nothing to do with water baptism, but with identification? When the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, the water never touched them. It did, however, touch the Egyptians, and killed them all. Likewise, 1 Peter 3:20-21 has nothing to do with water baptism. Verse 21 is speaking of an antitype, an earthly expression of a spiritual reality; a symbol, picture, or pattern of some spiritual reality.
"Twice this word occurs in Scripture; once Heb. ix. 24, where it signifies simply a type, or exemplar, or representation; and here, where it implies either the likeness or correspondence of one type with another in signifying the same thing: so that here may be two types, the deliverance of Noah and his household in the flood, and baptism, whereof the former was a type of the latter, yet so as both represent the salvation of the church; in that as the waters of the flood lifting up the ark, and saving Noah's family shut up in it, signified the salvation of the church; so likewise baptism signifies the salvation of those that are in the church (as in an ark) from that common destruction which involves the rest of the world: or, it signifies the truth itself, as answering the type or figure; and thus the temporal salvation of Noah, &c. from the flood, in the ark, was the type, and the eternal salvation of believers by baptism is the antitype, or truth figured by it." —Matthew Poole
When Peter says, "baptism now saves you," he first states that he is not talking about water baptism, and then he immediately answers the objection, "How can baptism save us when so many perish who are baptized," by declaring what it is in baptism that is so effectual: "an appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
"The word for answer has the idea of a pledge, agreeing to certain conditions of a covenant (the New Covenant) with God. What saves a person plagued by sin and a guilty conscience is not some external rite, but the agreement with God to get in the ark of safety, the Lord Jesus, by faith in His death and resurrection." —John MacArthur
"In baptism there is a solemn covenant, or mutual agreement, between God and the party baptized, wherein God offers, applies, and seals his grace, stipulating or requiring the party's acceptance of that grace, and devoting himself to his service; and when he out of a good conscience doth engage and promise this, which is to come up to the terms of covenant, that may properly be called the answer of a good conscience." —Matthew Poole
Mr. Gray, like the men he is worshipping from those early centuries, fails to grasp what exactly is being taught in God's Holy Word. Neither Peter nor Paul taught that baptism saves, and the Lord Jesus certainly did not teach that baptism saves. Mr. Gray has embraced error and followed it directly into heresy. I pray that the Lord takes hold of him and brings him back to the truth. Lutheranism teaches some things that are biblically accurate, but everything it teaches is not biblically accurate. To assume that it does is how you stumble into error, which can lead to heresy. We must always hold Scripture as our final authority and carefully pay attention to context and what is being taught.