If baptism were the moment salvation happens, Paul wrote one of the most shocking and confusing sentences in the entire New Testament:
“Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.”— 1 Corinthians 1:17
For people who believe that baptism is what regenerates a person, this verse creates an unresolvable contradiction. Because if baptism is the act that saves, why would the apostle Paul – the greatest evangelist in church history – say that God did not send him to do the thing that supposedly saves people?
Why would he distance himself from an act that, according to baptismal regeneration, is the very doorway into eternal life?
And even more striking, why would Paul actually thank God for not baptizing many people?
Paul’s Mission Was Clear: Preach the Gospel
The Corinthian church was full of divisions, pride, and parties aligning themselves with different leaders: “I am of Paul,” “I am of Apollos,” “I am of Cephas,” and so on. When Paul responds, he does not double down on his apostolic authority. Instead, he takes a surprising angle:
“I thank God I baptized none of you… For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.”
Paul’s calling was to proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection — the message that brings salvation. According to Paul, the gospel itself is “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). The gospel saves. Faith in Christ saves. Not a ritual. Not a ceremony. Not water.
If baptism were the moment God regenerates, Paul’s statement would be spiritually irresponsible. It would mean:
- God sent Paul to preach, but not to actually save people
- Paul was content leaving people unregenerated unless someone else happened to baptize them
- Paul prioritized preaching over the very act that supposedly gives new birth
It makes no sense.
Paul Even Says That He Saves People — Yet He Rarely Baptized Them
Paul often uses the phrase, “that I might save some” (1 Cor 9:22; Rom 11:14). He clearly means that God saves people through the preaching of the gospel. His preaching brought people to faith, and through faith, they were saved.
If baptism were what regenerated, Paul’s statements would collapse into absurdity.
Imagine Paul saying:
- “I came to save people… but I didn’t baptize them.”
- “God uses me to save souls… but someone else had to actually regenerate them.”
- “I preach salvation… but I don’t give the act that provides salvation.”
This is why baptismal regeneration cannot be true. Paul’s entire ministry would be contradictory.
Why Paul Distances Baptism from the Gospel
The real issue Paul is addressing in Corinth is pride and division. People were boasting about which leader baptized them. So Paul cuts straight through the nonsense:
“That is not what I’m here for.
The gospel is what matters.
Christ is what matters.”
His point is not that baptism is unimportant. His point is that baptism is not the gospel itself. It is not the message. It is not the saving power. It is a symbol of the saving work that has already taken place in the heart.
Paul refuses to let the Corinthians elevate a symbol above the substance — Christ Himself.
Faith, Not Water, Unites Us to Christ
Everywhere Paul teaches salvation, he anchors it in faith, not rituals:
- Justified by faith (Rom 5:1)
- Saved through faith (Eph 2:8–9)
- Receive the Spirit by hearing with faith (Gal 3:2)
- The gospel saves (1 Cor 15:1–4)
Paul never once says:
- justified by baptism
- saved through baptism
- receive the Spirit through water
And when new believers in Acts receive the Spirit before baptism (Acts 10), it becomes impossible to argue that baptism is the moment of regeneration.
Paul’s Words Make Perfect Sense When Salvation Is by Faith Alone
Paul’s ministry was laser-focused on one thing:
Declaring Christ and calling people to faith.
He was not minimizing baptism.
He was protecting the gospel.
If salvation happened because of water, then baptism would be the centerpiece of every apostolic ministry — and Paul would never dare say:
- “Christ did not send me to baptize.”
- “I thank God I baptized none of you.”
But if salvation happens when a person believes, then Paul’s words are not only sensible… they are beautiful:
He is saying:
“Your hope is not in who baptized you.
Your salvation is not in a ritual.
Your confidence is not in water.
It is in Christ, and Christ alone.”
The Corinthians needed to hear that.
And so do we.
Conclusion
Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17 is a theological earthquake to any system that teaches baptismal regeneration. It forces us to ask: If baptism is necessary for salvation, how can the apostle sent to the Gentiles say God did not send him to do it?
The answer is simple:
Because salvation happens the moment a person believes the gospel — not the moment they touch water.
Baptism is a beautiful symbol.
But it is not the Savior.
Christ alone saves.
Faith alone receives Him.
And the gospel alone is the power of God unto salvation.
Leave a Reply