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How Does the New Apostolic Church Teach Salvation?

Short answer: According to the New Apostolic Church (NAC), a person becomes a “child of God” through baptism and sealing performed by an NAC apostle. This opens up the possibility of being taken up at Christ’s return. So the NAC does not teach assurance of salvation.

How can a person enter heaven? Or put differently: How can someone be saved? The question of salvation and righteousness before God lies at the heart of Christian theology and is the central message of the New Testament. The doctrine of salvation in the New Apostolic Church (NAC), however, differs significantly from this biblical message of the gospel.

While the Bible clearly emphasizes that salvation is given through faith in Jesus Christ alone (see Romans 5:1; John 3:16), the NAC has developed its own system. At the center of this system are the sacraments and especially the apostolic ministry. Interestingly, with “salvation” the church does not mean eternal assurance, since the church does not teach any assurance of salvation. In this article, I will explain the NAC’s doctrine of salvation in detail.

1. The Sacraments as “Fundamental Acts of God’s Grace”

The NAC catechism explains it this way:

Sacraments are fundamental acts of God’s grace. They are holy acts that are performed upon a human being in order to allow him to attain salvation, be adopted into the fellowship of life with God, and be preserved in it. (Catechism, chapter 8)

The NAC names three such acts: baptism, sealing by an NAC apostle, and Holy Communion. Together, they “open up the possibility of being united with the Lord at the return of Christ”.

Notice: It is only a “possibility,” not certainty, since NAC teaching is heavily based on human effort. Even after receiving these sacraments, believers must still “strive” to reach the goal of faith – meaning they must faithfully follow Christ (in practice: the NAC apostles), attend services, partake of Holy Communion, and do good works.

This contrasts with the biblical message: salvation is not received through sacraments plus effort, but through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Good works are signs of a believer, but not a prerequisite to get salvation. The Bible also makes no distinction between “child of God” and “being saved” and therefore nowhere speaks of a special group within the Christian faith.

2. Rebirth of Water and Spirit – Sealing in the NAC

According to the NAC, rebirth occurs through two acts:

The rebirth out of water and the Spirit occurs when a person receives both sacraments, namely Holy Baptism with water and Holy Sealing. (Catechism 8.1.8)

Only in this combination does a person, in NAC teaching, become a “child of God.”

Baptisms in other Christian churches are generally recognized. But only through sealing – the NAC’s version of “baptism with the Holy Spirit” – is rebirth considered complete.

The NAC bases this on John 3:5. Yet a closer look at the whole chapter shows something else. Jesus does not mean baptism when he refers to water here. It is important to read this chapter – a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus – in context. Jesus explains to Nicodemus exactly what he means. The explanation culminates in John 3:16: All who believe in Jesus will not perish and have eternal life. In this context, water symbolizes purification by God.

A personal story: During my final years in the NAC, I was summoned to meet with a bishop because of my critical questions. I pointed him to John 3:16, showing that this passage was about faith, not sacraments. His reaction was: “What? That’s in the same passage?” He immediately grabbed his Bible and checked. I found it revealing that even a bishop had never read such a central verse in its full context.

3. Holy Sealing – Exclusively by NAC Apostles

The catechism explains sealing this way:

Holy Sealing is the sacrament through which the believer, through the laying on of hands and the prayer of an Apostle, receives the gift of the Holy Spirit and becomes a child of God with the calling to become a firstling. (Catechism 8.3)

And it emphasizes clearly:

The sacrament of Holy Sealing, the baptism of the Spirit, is exclusively dispensed by Apostles. (Catechism 8.3.6)

This ties the central event of salvation directly to the NAC’s own apostolic ministry. (For more on this exclusivity, see my article on the exclusivity of the NAC.)

Requirements for sealing include:

• Faith in the triune God
• Faith in the apostles sent by Jesus (understood as NAC Apostles)
• A valid baptism with water in the trinitarian formula
• A confession of faith and a vow to follow Jesus (interpreted as following the NAC apostles)
  (Catechism 8.3.7., paraphrased)

Through the sealing by an NAC apostle, the believer now belongs to the “Lord’s work of redemption” (which means the New Apostolic Church).

The sealing is also performed on children (and infants), in which case the parents profess their faith on their behalf and “pledge to raise them in the New Apostolic faith.”.

4. Rapture and “Firstlinghood” in New Apostolic understanding

The return of Jesus Christ is the main event the NAC is awaiting. The ultimate goal of NAC teaching is to take part in the first resurrection, also called the rapture. The catechism says:

To be accepted by Him at this event is the goal of faith of New Apostolic Christians.
Catechism 10.1)

The rapture at the return of Christ is first of all promised to those who have been granted the rebirth out of water and the Spirit, who believe in Christ, and who follow Him. Whether God will also grant other human beings the grace of the rapture is beyond human judgement and is subject to the decision of God. (Catechism 10.1.2)

Those sealed by NAC apostles are described as the “bride of Christ.” To them, according to NAC teaching, it is “first of all promised” to be taken up to Christ at His return. At the same time, the catechism carefully adds that God may sovereignly choose to grant grace to others as well.

5. Consequences of NAC’s Doctrine of Salvation

• Salvation is tied to receiving sacraments.
• Sealing is tied exclusively to the apostolic ministry.
• Thus, NAC apostles hold a claimed “key position” for access to salvation.

From a biblical perspective, this is problematic: While Scripture emphasizes that Christ alone saves (Acts 4:12; John 14:6 and many other passages), the NAC has created a sacramental system that is incomplete without its apostles.

6. Biblical Comparison: Salvation in Christ Alone

The New Testament presents a different picture:

The Holy Spirit Without Apostles

In Acts 10:44–48, the Holy Spirit is poured out without any apostle laying hands. Such events show that God’s Spirit is not dependent on human office.

The NAC refers to events reported in the Acts of the Apostles in which apostles actually laid their hands on believers and they received the Holy Spirit. However, these laying on of hands in Samaria and Ephesus are not the norm. The fact that they were unique in the history of salvation is proven by the teaching of the New Testament, which is developed in the Gospels and epistles. As the Acts of the Apostles describes various events, these can be correctly classified through the epistles and the Gospels. It seems as if the NAC takes events out of context and ignores clear teaching in the New Testament.

Sealing by Faith

According to Ephesians 1:13, sealing happens when someone hears the gospel and believes in Christ:

In him (= Jesus) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, ESV)

Faith into Jesus – not an apostolic rite – secures the seal of the Spirit.

An example from the Acts of the Apostles is the conversion of the eunuch from Ethiopia, who was baptized by Philip after professing his faith and then went on his way “rejoicing.” The Bible clearly shows here that conversion followed by baptism without subsequent sealing was sufficient. (See Acts 8:26-39.)

Justification by Faith Alone

The consistent message of the New Testament is: Salvation is God’s gift of grace, received through faith. As Paul writes:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.(Romans 5:1, ESV)

No church, office, or human institution can claim this role. Any system that adds conditions to Christ’s finished work risks distorting the gospel.

7. Conclusion

How does the New Apostolic Church teach salvation? Because the NAC denies assurance of salvation, it teaches that the final decision will only be revealed at Christ’s return. For now, it speaks only of the “possibility” of being united with Him when Jesus returns – on the condition of baptism, sealing by an NAC apostle, regular communion, and loyal following of the church.

The doctrine of salvation of the New Apostolic Church links salvation with its sacraments and especially with the Apostle ministry. Through the exclusivity of Holy Sealing, it claims a special necessity for salvation.

In contrast, the Bible proclaims: Christ alone saves. Adding institutional requirements such as an apostolic office risks creating “another gospel” – something Paul warned against in Galatians 1:8.

Christ is sufficient! This is precisely where it is decided whether it is the gospel or another gospel:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV)

Christ is enough. The key question is: Do we trust in Him alone for salvation?

FAQ

How does the New Apostolic Church understand salvation?

The NAC teaches that salvation involves baptism, sealing by an NAC apostle, participation in Holy Communion, and a faithful life in the church. The church does not teach assurance of salvation, only the “possibility” of being united with Christ at his return.

What is the role of sealing in NAC doctrine?

Sealing is considered essential and is administered exclusively by apostles. According to NAC teaching, sealing confers the gift of the Holy Spirit and marks someone as a “child of God,” which the church links to participation in the first resurrection (means the rapture).

Does the NAC believe that only its members can be saved?

Officially the NAC allows that God may act outside human structures, but in practice the church emphasizes that those sealed by its apostles have the clearest claim to participate in the rapture. This gives the NAC a strongly exclusive soteriology in everyday teaching.

How does the Bible describe salvation compared to NAC teaching?

The Bible emphasizes salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone (e.g. Ephesians 2:8–9). The NAC adds sacramental and apostolic conditions, which goes beyond the simple gospel message of justification by faith.