What the Bible Teaches About Baptism

What the Bible Teaches About Baptism

Text: Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the?Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Introduction:?

There have been few things more divisive than baptism in the Christian faith. Some believe that Jesus’ command can be ignored by Christians; others believe that if you are not baptized, you are not saved and cannot go to heaven. Some believe that infant baptism is important, while others believe that only believers should be baptized. In Suriname, many believe that if you are baptized as an infant, if you are baptized by immersion later, you will go insane! Persecution against the Anabaptists (the name means re-baptists) who insisted on believer’s baptism led to millions of deaths. Baptist believers were forced in some countries to submit their children to infant baptism. I have chosen as a Bible believer to study what we find in the Word of God, which is the truth, and not to add or substitute man’s traditions to what the Bible states.

The command of Jesus to baptize believers:

The Lord Jesus Christ made two commandments to the church – baptism and the Lord’s supper. Jesus made the command to baptize after His resurrection. He had already died on the cross for our sins. He had already spent three days buried in a tomb, and had risen from the dead, never to die again. Baptism was one of three commands. First, He asserted that He had all power (authority) both in heaven and earth.??Then He commanded His disciples to go teach (disciple) all nations. After the command to baptize, He commanded them to teach them to continue teaching the converts to be obedient to all His commands. He assured those going of His continued presence with them always.

At Pentecost, Peter preached the gospel, and 3000 believers were saved and added to the church. Acts 2:41-42 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about 3000 souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. The early church was obedient to the Lord’s commands.

Baptism is by immersion.

The word baptize is an alliteration of the Greek word baptizo, which means to dip or immerse. (Apparently the word was alliterated by the translators to avoid the wrath of those who practiced baptism by sprinkling.) We will see several examples below. The Ethiopian eunuch said “here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized.” Certainly, such a man would have drinking-water with him and could have been sprinkled if a small amount of water were adequate. Notice he went down into the water and came up out of the water. When Jesus was baptized, He came up out of the water. As we will see below, baptism illustrates that we are united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. You do not partially bury someone. The body is totally under the ground. In the same way, the body is to be submerged in baptism.

Christian baptism was restricted to believers:

There is no example of an unbeliever being baptized. On Pentecost, note that those who were baptized had “gladly received his (Peter’s) word.” We find an even clearer example in Acts 8, when Philip was commanded to go to the way of Gaza and directed him to go to the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch.?8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto them Jesus. 36. And as thy went on their way, they came to a certain water: and the eunuch said: See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37. And Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38. And he commanded the chariot to stand still and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized them. 39. An when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.?Please note when the eunuch wanted to be baptized (somehow this question must have come up during their discussion), Philip insisted on a testimony of faith first.

The Bible does not give examples of persons being placed under a sort of probation after profession of faith before they are baptized. After Peter’s sermon, 3000 persons were not placed on probation to see if they truly believed; they were baptized and added to the church on the same day. Likewise, there was no delay for the Ethiopian eunuch. The apostle Paul was saved on the Damascus Road. He was blind, and he fasted three days until Ananias prayed for his healing.?Acts 9:18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened…??

In Acts 16, we find the story of the Philippian jailor. After Paul stopped him from committing suicide, we continue:?16:29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all of his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.?Some have used this passage to support infant baptism, but please notice that the Bible states that all his house believed in God. When I was sprinkled as an infant, I did not believe; therefore, later when I did believe, I submitted to believer’s baptism. I have found nothing in the Bible to support infant baptism.

Baptism identifies us with Christ:

When Jesus Christ came on earth, He totally identified with mankind. He was born of a woman, the virgin Mary. He grew; He learned, He worked, He became weary and slept, etc. Pastor Clarence Sexton describes it thus: He became 100% man without ceasing to be God. The difference, of course, is that He never sinned. Not only His disciples, but even His enemies, testified that He did not sin. He also identified with us in His baptism, and we also identify with Him in our baptism. Thus, He fulfilled all righteousness.?Matthew 3:13-17 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15.And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him; 17. And lo a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.?

The Lord Jesus never sinned, and the purpose of baptism is not to wash away sins, but to identify us in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is the blood of Christ which washes away sins, as is clearly stated in the New Testament.?I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.

However, baptism identifies us with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.?Romans 6:3-5 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.?Often the moment of baptism is a time to testify that you have truly accepted Jesus Christ as savior for the forgiveness of sins. Baptism acts out our decision. As we are submerged under the water, we symbolize our burial with Him. As we come up out of the water, we symbolize our resurrection with Him.

We demonstrate then the spiritual truth of?I Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand. 2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

Baptism is not a saving sacrament.?

Salvation is by grace, not works.?Titus 3:4 But after the kindness and love of God our Savior toward men appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us.??Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved by faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.?It is, however, a testimony that I have already received the Lord Jesus Christ into my life. I am not baptized in order to be saved, but because I am now truly saved.

It is ironic that we are baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. This baptism puts all Christians into one body and insures our unity as true Christians. But baptism with water, which should symbolize the unity of all Christians, has been used by Satan and false doctrine to result in more disunity and destruction of Christians than virtually any other doctrine of the faith. My plea would be to heed Jude 3, which admonishes us that we should earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all) delivered unto the saints.