Baptismal Regeneration
Understanding Wellspring's Doctrine of Water Baptism in Historical Context
-
A Different Doctrine of Baptism: While historic Protestant churches view baptism as an ordinance following faith, Wellspring teaches that water baptism is essential to being born again and entering the kingdom of God.
-
An Existing Interpretation, Not a New Discovery: Norman James did not develop a unique interpretation of baptism from Scripture alone. He adopted an existing Oneness Pentecostal understanding of John 3:5 and adapted it with his own distinctive baptismal wording.
-
A Different Theological Stream: Although Wellspring has long identified itself with the Protestant tradition, its doctrine of being born again through baptismal regeneration aligns far more closely with Oneness Pentecostal theology than with historic Protestant Christianity.
Few doctrines in the history of the Christian church have generated as much discussion and disagreement as water baptism. Christians have debated its proper mode, its proper recipients, its relationship to faith, and even what takes place spiritually when a person is baptized. Throughout church history, sincere believers have reached different conclusions while continuing to affirm the central truths of the Christian faith.
Because of these longstanding disagreements, this page is not intended to settle every historical debate concerning baptism. Rather, its purpose is much narrower: to explain what Wellspring Church teaches about water baptism, to identify the historical tradition from which those teachings arise, and to compare them with the broader stream of historic Protestant Christianity with which Wellspring has long identified itself.
Understanding Wellspring's doctrine of baptism is essential because it is inseparably connected to the church's understanding of being born again and entering the kingdom of God. At Wellspring, water baptism is not viewed merely as a public testimony of faith or an act of obedience following conversion. Instead, it is presented as the means by which the believer receives the circumcision of the heart, the remission of sins, and enters into the kingdom of God as one who has been born again.
This understanding is commonly described in Christian theology as baptismal regeneration - the belief that God uses water baptism as the instrument through which spiritual regeneration or entrance into the kingdom of God occurs. While many Christian traditions have held some form of baptismal regeneration throughout history, they have not all understood it in the same way. The purpose of this page is not to treat every sacramental tradition as identical, but to determine where Wellspring's teaching most naturally fits within the history of Christian doctrine.
Historic Protestantism and Water Baptism
One of the most common misunderstandings surrounding Wellspring Church is the assumption that its doctrine of baptism differs from other Protestant churches only in the wording used during the baptismal ceremony. Because Wellspring identifies itself as Trinitarian while insisting upon baptism "in Jesus' name," many visitors conclude that the disagreement concerns little more than whether the minister says "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" or "Jesus' name."
Historically, however, the disagreement runs much deeper.
Although Protestant churches have differed over the proper subjects, mode, and theological significance of baptism, they have generally agreed that spiritual regeneration is ultimately the sovereign work of God through the Holy Spirit rather than something accomplished by the precise wording or administration of baptism itself.
Baptism is regarded as an ordinance or covenant sign instituted by Christ and is treated with great importance throughout Protestant Christianity. While Protestants differ over whether baptism is primarily a public profession of faith, a covenant sign, or a means of grace, they have historically rejected the view that becoming born again depends upon receiving baptism according to a specific prescribed formula.
Wellspring's Understanding of Water Baptism
Wellspring presents a fundamentally different understanding of water baptism.
Drawing upon the teaching of Norman James, converts are instructed that they must be baptized "in Jesus' name for the circumcision of heart and remission of sin." This wording is not simply a preferred expression or liturgical tradition. It summarizes Wellspring's understanding of what God accomplishes through water baptism itself.
According to Wellspring's doctrine, water baptism is not understood merely as an ordinance or public testimony. Rather, it is understood to be the point at which God performs the circumcision of the heart and grants the remission of sins, making it an essential component of being born again.
Although Wellspring does not formally teach that being born again is limited to baptisms performed exclusively by its own ministers, its baptismal practice effectively limits recognition to baptisms performed according to this specific understanding. Individuals baptized in other churches - even those who have professed faith in Christ and received Trinitarian baptism - are ordinarily required to be baptized again using Wellspring's prescribed wording before being recognized as born again and members of the assembly.
Even believers baptized in Oneness churches "in Jesus' name" have been required to be re-baptized before membership. This demonstrates that the issue is not merely baptism "in Jesus' name," but baptism according to Norman James' prescribed understanding of what occurs during baptism.
For this reason, the central issue is not merely the words spoken during baptism. The deeper issue is the doctrine of being born again that those words represent. Wellspring's understanding of baptism functions as part of a larger theological system in which repentance, baptism in Jesus' name for the circumcision of heart and remission of sins, and the subsequent reception of the Holy Spirit together constitute what it means to be born again.
A Different Historical Stream
Once this broader theological framework is recognized, Wellspring's place within Christian history becomes much easier to understand.
The church's doctrine of baptism bears far greater resemblance to the theology developed within Oneness Pentecostalism than to the historic Protestant traditions from which Wellspring publicly claims to descend. This similarity extends beyond the use of the words "Jesus' name." It includes the belief that water baptism itself effects spiritual realities associated with being born again, the remission of sin, and entrance into God's kingdom.
The remainder of this page will examine those historical connections in greater detail, comparing Wellspring's doctrine with both historic Protestant theology and the Oneness Pentecostal tradition from which many of its distinctive baptismal teachings ultimately derive.
John 3:5 and the Meaning of "Born of Water and the Spirit"
No passage has shaped Wellspring Church's doctrine of the kingdom more than Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 - "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)
Throughout the history of the Christian church, few verses have generated more discussion than these words.
Nearly every major Christian tradition has appealed to John 3:5 when explaining the relationship between baptism, being born again, and the kingdom of God. The disagreement has never centered on whether Jesus' words are important. Rather, Christians have differed over what Jesus meant by "water," how this new birth occurs, and whether He was describing a sacrament, a spiritual reality, or both.
Because Wellspring repeatedly appeals to John 3:5 as the foundation of its doctrine of being born again, understanding the historical interpretation of this passage provides important context for evaluating the church's teaching.
The Historic Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Understanding
Historically, both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches have understood John 3:5 as referring to sacramental baptism.
Within these traditions, baptism is ordinarily regarded as the means through which God grants being born again, remission of sins, and entrance into the covenant community. Baptism is not viewed merely as a public profession of faith but as a sacrament through which God truly works.
Although Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians differ from one another in various aspects of sacramental theology, both have historically interpreted "born of water and the Spirit" as referring to Christian baptism administered within the life of the Church.
Importantly, however, neither tradition requires baptism to be performed exclusively "in Jesus' name." Both baptize according to Christ's command in Matthew 28:19: "...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
The Historic Protestant Understanding
The Protestant Reformation challenged many aspects of medieval sacramental theology, including the relationship between baptism and spiritual regeneration (being born again).
Although Protestants have never been completely united on water baptism, they have generally maintained that regeneration is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit received through faith in Jesus Christ.
Many Protestant interpreters understand the "water" of John 3:5 in one of several ways:
-
as a reference to Christian baptism that accompanies faith but does not itself regenerate;
-
as a symbolic reference to the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit promised in passages such as Ezekiel 36:25–27;
-
or as a metaphor for spiritual cleansing rather than the physical act of water baptism itself.
Regardless of these interpretive differences, the historic Protestant stream has generally rejected the conclusion that John 3:5 establishes water baptism as the act that itself results in being born again.
Consequently, Baptist, Reformed, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Evangelical Free, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Assemblies of God and many other Protestant churches have historically proclaimed salvation and being born again through faith in Christ while regarding baptism as the believer's public confession of that saving faith rather than the moment in which spiritual regeneration occurs.
The Oneness Pentecostal Understanding
The doctrine taught within Oneness Pentecostalism differs significantly from historic Protestant theology.
Oneness churches commonly interpret John 3:5 as the following:
-
"born of water" referring to water baptism,
-
"born of the Spirit" referring to baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues,
-
together these experiences constitute being born again.
This understanding closely parallels Wellspring's doctrine of being born again.
This interpretation naturally connects John 3 with Acts 2:38, where repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and receiving the Holy Spirit are presented together.
Within many Oneness churches, these passages form a unified doctrine of entrance into the kingdom of God in which repentance, Jesus-name baptism, and Spirit baptism are understood as inseparable components of becoming born again.
This understanding also explains the importance attached to baptizing specifically "in Jesus' name" rather than using the Trinitarian formula of Matthew 28:19.
Wellspring's Interpretation of John 3:5
The following statement appears on Wellspring Church's website:
Several important theological assumptions are embedded within this short paragraph. Because these assumptions are so familiar within Wellspring, many members may not immediately recognize them as interpretations of the biblical text rather than the wording of Scripture itself.
First, the parenthetical explanations - "(baptism in water)" and "(baptism of the Holy Spirit)" - do not appear in John 3:5 itself. They represent Wellspring's interpretation of Jesus' words rather than the wording of the biblical text. While this interpretation has long existed within Oneness Pentecostalism, it is not the historic Protestant understanding of John 3:5.
Second, the statement describes "the process of becoming born again." Jesus certainly taught that a person "must be born again" (John 3:3–8), but He did not describe being born again as a three-step process. The language of "the process of becoming born again" represents a theological conclusion rather than the wording of Jesus Himself.
Finally, by interpreting "born of water" as water baptism and "born of the Spirit" as Spirit baptism, Wellspring adopts the same interpretive framework that has historically characterized Oneness Pentecostal theology. Norman James did not introduce a previously unknown interpretation of these passages; he adopted an existing interpretive framework and expanded it with his distinctive baptismal wording.
Norman James taught that believers must be baptized "in Jesus' name for the circumcision of heart and remission of sin." This wording functions as more than a preferred baptismal expression. Within Wellspring's doctrine, water baptism is understood to be the point at which God performs the circumcision of the heart and remits sin. Together with repentance and the subsequent reception of the Holy Spirit, it forms one of the three essential components of becoming born again.
Although Wellspring does not formally teach that only baptisms performed by its own ministers are valid, its practice effectively recognizes only baptisms performed according to this doctrinal understanding. Individuals previously baptized in evangelical churches are ordinarily required to receive baptism again using Wellspring's prescribed formula before they are recognized as having experienced being born again and admitted into Wellspring membership.
In this way, John 3:5 becomes much more than an isolated proof text. It becomes the interpretive lens through which Wellspring understands Acts 2:38, Acts 19, Colossians 2, and the entire doctrine of regeneration.
Why Matthew 28:19 Is Not Understood Literally at Wellspring
One question naturally arises from Wellspring's insistence upon baptism "in Jesus' name." If Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19), why does Wellspring require a different baptismal wording?
Historically, the overwhelming majority of Christian churches have understood Matthew 28:19 to provide the baptismal formula instituted by Christ Himself. For this reason, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and virtually every Protestant tradition baptize using the Trinitarian wording found in this passage.
Wellspring follows a different interpretive approach. Like Oneness Pentecostal churches, it understands the baptisms recorded in the book of Acts to explain how Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19 was actually fulfilled. Because Acts repeatedly describes converts being baptized "in Jesus' name," Wellspring concludes that the apostles understood Jesus' instruction to require baptism in Jesus' name rather than the repeated verbal use of the Trinitarian formula.
The disagreement, therefore, is not over the authority of Matthew 28:19. Both sides affirm that Jesus commanded Christian baptism. The disagreement concerns how His words should be interpreted. Historic Christianity has generally understood the book of Acts to record baptisms performed under the authority of Jesus while remaining consistent with the Trinitarian command of Matthew 28:19. Wellspring, following the Oneness Pentecostal tradition, understands the examples in Acts to establish the required wording of Christian baptism itself.
Comparing the Traditions
The debate over John 3:5 has continued for nearly two thousand years, but the major theological positions may be summarized as follows.
This comparison demonstrates that the central disagreement is not simply over the words spoken during baptism. The deeper issue concerns the doctrine of being born again.
Historic Protestantism has generally understood being born again as God's gracious work received through faith, with baptism serving as an ordinance - the sign and public confession of that saving work. Wellspring, however, stands within a different theological stream. Like Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Churches of Christ, and Oneness Pentecostalism, it teaches that water baptism is essential to becoming born again, even though these traditions differ substantially regarding the role of the church, the doctrine of God, sacramental theology, and the proper baptismal formula.
Recognizing these distinctions helps explain why Wellspring's doctrine cannot be accurately described as simply another variation of Protestant baptism. While the church has long identified itself with the Protestant tradition, its understanding of being born again follows a theological pattern much more closely associated with sacramental and Oneness Pentecostal interpretations of John 3:5 than with the historic Protestant understanding of regeneration by faith.
Can Someone Be Saved but Not Born Again?
One of the most distinctive features of Wellspring's theology is its distinction between being saved and being born again. While many churches have believed in baptismal regeneration throughout history, Wellspring's theology is distinctive for combining baptismal regeneration with a sharp distinction between "being saved" and "being born again."
In most Christian traditions, these expressions describe different aspects of the same saving work of God. Whether Protestant, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Oneness Pentecostal, Christians have historically understood salvation and being born again to be inseparably connected. Although these traditions disagree about how spirirual regeneration occurs, they agree that to be saved is to be born again.
Wellspring teaches something different.
According to Norman James' teaching, a person may genuinely exercise faith in Christ and therefore be described as "saved" in one sense, while still not having having been born again as required to enter the kingdom of God. This distinction rests largely upon Jesus' words to Nicodemus: "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)
At Wellspring, this passage is understood as describing three separate responses that together constitute being born again:
-
Repentance from sin.
-
Water baptism "in Jesus' name for the circumcision of heart and remission of sin."
-
Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues.
Only after these responses has a person, in Wellspring's understanding, become born again and entered the kingdom of God. This distinction explains much of Wellspring's evangelism, its baptismal practice, and its view of Christian churches.
A believer from a Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Methodist, or non-denominational church may be regarded as someone who loves Christ and has exercised genuine faith. Yet because that believer has not experienced the formula for being born again as Wellspring understands it, he or she is viewed as having fallen short of the kingdom described in John 3.
Likewise, someone previously baptized in another Christian church is ordinarily expected to receive baptism again using Wellspring's prescribed wording before being recognized as having having been born again and admitted into the membership of the church.
This helps explain why Wellspring's doctrine of baptism cannot be viewed as a minor disagreement over wording or church practice. It reflects an entirely different understanding of what it means to become a Christian.
How This Differs from Historic Christianity
Throughout the history of the Christian church, theologians have debated whether baptism is a sacrament, an ordinance, a means of grace, or the ordinary instrument through which God grants regeneration. Those debates remain significant.
Yet across those disagreements, one point has remained remarkably consistent: the new birth is understood to be God's saving work.
Historic Protestantism teaches that being born again is the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit received through faith in Christ. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theology understand being born again as occuring through sacramental baptism. Oneness Pentecostal churches similarly identify being born again with repentance, baptism "in Jesus' name", and baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Despite these differences, all of these traditions generally speak of salvation and the new birth as describing the same divine work.
Wellspring's distinction is different.
Rather than asking only "How does a person become born again?", Wellspring first distinguishes being saved from being born again, and then teaches that entrance into the kingdom of God requires completing their prescribed three-stop process.
This distinction is one of the defining characteristics of Norman James' theology. It explains why John 3:5 occupies such a central place within Wellspring's teaching and why water baptism carries a significance far beyond that found in most Protestant churches.
Summary
This page has not attempted to resolve every historical debate concerning water baptism. Christians have disagreed about water baptism for centuries, and thoughtful believers continue to interpret many of these passages differently.
The purpose of this page has been more modest: to identify where Wellspring's doctrine fits within the broader history of Christian theology.
The central question is not whether water baptism is important. Every major Christian tradition affirms that Christ commanded baptism. The question is what baptism accomplishes. Historic Protestantism views baptism as an ordinance - the sign and public confession of God's saving work already received through faith. Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy understand baptism sacramentally as the ordinary means by which God grants new life.
Oneness Pentecostalism teaches baptismal regeneration, understanding baptism in Jesus' name to be an essential component of being born again. Wellspring likewise teaches that water baptism is essential to being born again, but further distinguishes itself by requiring Norman James' prescribed wording - "in Jesus' name for the circumcision of heart and remission of sin" - as part of its doctrine of entering the kingdom of God.
Seen in this historical context, Norman James did not introduce a previously unknown interpretation of Scripture. Rather, he adopted an existing interpretation that had already been developed within the Oneness Pentecostal tradition and adapted it for Wellspring's own theological system while continuing to identify the church with the historic Protestant tradition.
Although Wellspring continues to identify itself as part of the Protestant tradition, its doctrine of being born again - including its interpretation of John 3:5, its understanding of baptismal regeneration, and its prescribed baptismal formula - aligns far more closely with Oneness Pentecostal theology than with historic Protestant Christianity.
Understanding these theological relationships does not by itself answer every biblical question about baptism. It does, however, allow Wellspring's doctrine to be understood within its proper historical context, enabling readers to compare its teachings with the broader witness of the historic Christian Church and to evaluate those teachings for themselves in light of Scripture.
