The Lunenburg Letter: A Discussion About Baptism.
The theology of baptism has been one issue that has separated many Christian denominations.
Catholic and Lutherans practice infant baptism while other denominations believe that only adults can make that decision.
Some denominations believe that you can pour water on the head of a person to baptize them, while other believe that immersion is the correct way to baptize new believers.
Lastly, some denomination believe that baptism is essential to salvation, while others believe that it is the physical manifestation or symbol of what has already happened spiritually: You died to yourself and now are resurrected in Christ.
During my time in College, I had the time to study the writings of Alexander Campbell, and I came across a letter written to him by a lady asking about interdenominational issues. His response to it, created for him a “controversy” on his views on the theology of baptism.
You can read the letter and the response here.
Let’s look at the controversy to wrestle with this issue and better understand the theology of baptism.
THE LUNENBURG LETTER
In order for you to better understand Mr. Campbell’s response, let me first answer some basic questions surrounding the Lunenburg Letter:
Who Wrote the Letter?
For years, people have tried to figure out the author of this letter. Some have suggested that Dr. John Thomas, who became Mr. Campbell’s “most bitter opponent in the country,”[1] used a pseudonymous in an “effort to entrap Campbell in a compromised position toward immersion.”[2] However, the best evidence I have found for the answer to this question is in an article from David L. Matson.
He points to a letter written by Louisa A. Anderson to Dr. Thomas, which he published in his periodical The Apostolic Advocate on June 18, 1838, in which she implied to have written the letter to Mr. Campbell. She gave Dr. Thomas a copy of the entire letter, which he also published.[3]
When, Where, and Why Was the Letter Written?
The original publication of the letter shows that the letter was written on July 8th, 1837, in Lunenburg, Virginia.[4] Mrs. Anderson expresses her surprise to Mr. Campbell’s statement in his article “Letters to England” published in the Millennial Harbinger on June, 1837, that he “found Christians in all Protestant parties.”[5] She writes:
“… my surprise and ardent desire to do what is right, prompt me to write to you at this time.”[6]
She also stated, in the letter written to Dr. Thomas, that her motive was “obvious if [Campbell] will examine himself by those questions.”[7]
What Did the Letter Say?
It appears that the letter published by Mr. Campbell is actually the initial portion of a larger letter which was published by Dr. Thomas in the article I mentioned before.
However in the portion published by Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Anderson raises several questions in regards to his statement: “we find in all Protestant parties Christians.”[8]
Most of her questions are focused on the issue of how any one becomes a Christian and whether it is possible to call “Christian” those who have not been “buried by baptism into the death of Christ?”[9]
Her main challenge to Mr. Campbell is his idea that those who are not baptized by immersion can be called “Christians.”
THE RESPONSE
Now that you understand the facts surrounding the letter, Let’s now focus on Mr. Campbell’s response:
When, Where, and Why Was Mr. Campbell’s Response Published?
Mr. Campbell’s response was published in the Millennial Harbinger on September, 1837,[10] as part of his article titled “Any Christians Among Protestant Parties.”
After reading the article and the complete letter written by Mrs. Anderson published in The Apostolic Advocate on June 18, 1838, Mr. Campbell used the initial part of the letter to respond to the attack levied by the unending questions written by Mrs. Anderson.
On another hand, he publicly addressed the issues he was dealing with at the end of the 1830s: Universalism, church membership, baptismal theology, and Sectarianism.
Mr. Campbell had debated these issues in the years prior to the publication, and he probably wanted to use this letter to answer those issues at that time.
What Did Mr. Campbell Write?
Mr. Campbell starts by making an argument against the Exclusivist party. He reminds his readers that the Churches of Christ is a recent movement, and that if Christians are only found in this movement, there would be centuries in history in which no Christians were in the world.
This would go against the everlasting kingdom promised in the Bible, and that
“cannot be; and therefore there are Christians among the sects.”[11]
Then, he goes on to define a Christian. His definition is anyone who believes in Jesus, repents of his sins, and obeys Jesus in all things “according to his measure of knowledge of his will.”[12] This last sentence is the one that starts, what some have called, the controversy.
He continues by explaining that Paul spoke about “imperfect” Christians and argues that one can not obey fully a command that one does not know or understand completely, and that those people are “imperfect Christians.”
Then, Mr. Campbell writes a rebuke to those who believe to be more knowledgeable than those who are not immersed by comparing them to the Pharisees and reminding them that Jesus said “I have not found so great faith — no, not in Israel,”[13] about the Syrian-Phoenician.
Also, if Mr. Campbell were to not recognize as “Christian” a person baptized as an infant who loves the Lord as much as a Baptist, he “would be a pure sectarian, a Pharisee among Christians.” [14]
He continues to argue this point by explaining that the “imperfect” obedience to one command because of lack of knowledge or understanding does not negate the love to God and the “perfect” obedience to all the other commands.
He continues by giving many examples and arguments which gets to the same point: a person cannot be condemned for an “imperfect” obedience of a command from God when they are fully completing to their ability and their understanding of that command because of their love for God.
He then concludes his argument by writing:
“there is no occasion, then, for making immersion, on a profession of the faith, absolutely essential to a Christian.”[15]
However, in his last paragraph, he points out that those who willingly disobey his or hers understanding of Jesus commandment
“cannot be called Christians, . . . he that claims for himself a license to neglect the least of all the commandments of Jesus . . . is not possessed of the spirit of Christ, and cannot be registered among the Lord’s people.”[16]
TAKE AWAYS
Regardless of where you land on the issue and on your theological views on baptism, I hope that exploring the circumstances surrounding the letter, the letter itself, and Mr. Campbell’s response has help you to better understand his theological views on baptism and given you a new perspective on the issue.
Mr. Campbell argued that one cannot fully obey what one does not fully understand, however, his logic that “ignorance is always a crime when it is voluntary; and innocent when it is involuntary,” [17] is flawed.
A crime is a violation of the law, whether voluntary or involuntary; however, involuntary violations of the law are more easily given leniency.
As Christian, our full love for Jesus comes from our understanding of the Gospel, which includes the understanding that we are sinners, that Jesus paid for our sins, that He was able to do so because He is the Son of God, and that we need to follow His will because ours will lead us again into sin.
I find it interesting to learn and wrestle with this issue, but I don’t think that on that day when we meet Jesus face to face, He will ask us which denomination we belong to or what method of was used in our baptism.
I think He will only ask us one question, and that question will determine our eternal future. That question will not be answered by our mouth, but by the way we demonstrated the answer through our actions.
That question is the same question that he asked Peter: “Do you love me?”
REFERENCES
[1] David Lertis Matson, “Who Wrote the Lunenburg Letter?: The Untold Story of the “Conscientious Sister” of Lunenburg,” Stone-Campbell Journal 11, no. 1 (March 1, 2008): 9.
[2] Ibid., 5.
[3] Ibid., 16–19.
[4] W. Dennis Helsabeck, Jr., Gary Holloway, and Douglas A. Foster. Renewal for Mission: A Concise History of Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. (Abilene, Tex.: Abilene Christian University Press, 2009), 79.
[5] Glenn Paden, “The Lunenburg Letter: An Incident in the History of the Interpretation of Baptism,” ResQ 2, no. 1 (January 1, 1958): 13.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Matson, 18.
[8] Alexander Campbell, The Millennial Harbinger, New Series Vol. I. (Bethany, Va.: A. Campbell, 1837; reprint, Joplin, Mo.: College Press, 1987), 411.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Matson, 3.
[11] Campbell, 411.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid., 412.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibid., 414.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid., 413.
