Hoefer 1979) says that the «rite has become a legal condition for the entry into the church which functions as a religious communal group; in this context it fails to convey its
full meaning and purpose as the expression
of or solidarity with the new humanity in Christ which transcends all communal or caste solidarities»; he also refers to the conclusion
of Joseph Belcastro's book A New Testament Doctrine
of Baptism for Today, that «the N.T. does not teach that baptism was a condition
of salvation or church membership, but baptism was to be available for the disciples
of the coming church....
The chief emphasis
of the new movement is on a relationship with a God who is personal,
full of love and grace for his creation, and on the grace
of God as the
means of salvation.