Steven R. Cook
The subject on baptism has interested me for
several years. One day after class, my
Classical Greek professor was talking to me about the Bible and asked if I was
a Christian. I nodded, and then we
started talking about the Bible. After
about five minutes, he turned the discussion to the topic of baptism, and asked
me what I thought about it. I told him
that I thought it was a ritual that pointed to the reality of Christ’s death,
burial, and resurrection. He then asked
if I believed water baptism “was necessary for salvation?” I told him “no.” I then told him that I understand salvation
to be by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. He smiled and then began to ask me about
verses like Mark 16:16; John 3:5; Acts
A Definition of Baptism
The word baptize (from baptizo) is transliterated from Greek straight into English. Often, a transliteration offers little understanding regarding the meaning of a word. Various definitions include:
·
“To put or go under water in a variety of senses” (Walter Bauer, A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature,
3rd ed., rev. and ed. Fredrick William Danker, Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 2000, s.v. “baptivzw,” p. 164)
·
“To immerse for a religious purpose” (E. W. Bullinger, A
Critical Lexicon and Concordance,
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1975, p. 80).
·
“To dip in or under water” (Liddell & Scott, Greek English Lexicon,
Oxford, Great Britain: Oxford university press, 1999, p. 146).
·
“To dip in or under…to immerse” (Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard
Friedrich (eds), Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. 1, Grand rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1964-1976, p. 529-530).
·
“Consisting of the process of immersion, submersion
and emergence” (W. E. Vine, An
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Lynchburg, Virginia: Publisher
Unknown, Year Unknown, p. 88).
·
“The application of water as a rite of purification or
initiation; a Christian sacrament”
(Merrill F. Unger, The New Unger’s Bible
Dictionary, Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press, 1988, p. 142).
These
basic definitions work in some New Testament passages where water baptism is
mentioned (Matthew 26:23; Mark
Ultimately, it is the usage of a
word in its context that determines meaning.
For example, if I said “that’s the biggest trunk I’ve ever seen.” The
question arises, what kind of trunk am I talking about? There are several kinds of trunks in the
world such as tree trunks, car trunks, elephant trunks, storage trunks, and
perhaps several others. Now, if I made
another statement such as “I sure am enjoying my time at the zoo today,” it is
probable that you can know I am talking about an elephant’s trunk. You see, how a word is used in the context of
a sentence determines its meaning. Regarding the general use of a word in its
context Gordon Fee states:
In any piece of literature, words are the basic building blocks for conveying meaning. In exegesis it is especially important to remember that words function in a context. Therefore, although any given word may have a broad or narrow range of meaning, the aim of word study in exegesis is to try to understand as precisely as possible what the author was trying to convey by his use of this word in this context (Gordon D. Fee, New Testament Exegesis, 3rd ed., Louisville: Westminster, John Knox Press, 2002, 79).
From a study of baptism in the Bible, I believe a good definition of the word means “to place into, or identify with.” That is, in baptism, one thing or person is placed into, or identified with another thing or person; sometimes the identification is real, at other times symbolic. Though I have given you my definition up front, I hope you will see from the rest of this study that this definition best fits the uses of baptism in the Bible. However, before I get ahead of myself, let’s consider the various modes of Baptism practiced through church history.
Modes of Baptism
In regard to baptism with water in the New
Testament, there is no clear description regarding how it was practiced. John the Baptist was baptizing “in the
In
the first century most of the converts were from Judaism and baptism
immediately followed profession of faith. By the third and fourth centuries
most converts were pagans and a period of instruction was set up between
profession and baptism, generally of three years duration but sometimes less.
By the third century several symbols and much ritual had been added to the
simple baptismal service as described by Justin Martyr, and this order of
service will be presented below. Some of these symbols were the sign of the
cross; giving of milk, honey, and salt; unction of the head; and the white
robe. Schools were set up to handle the large numbers and grades of
advancement. In the fourth century for these schools baptism was a sort of
elaborate graduation exercise. The Coptic Constitutions of the fourth and fifth
centuries called for the three years of instruction, an examination, exorcism,
an anointing with oil, an oral profession, and a baptism of triune immersion
before the convert was allowed into the church and to partake of the Lord’s
Supper (William A. BeVier, “Water Baptism in the Ancient Church” Bibliotheca Sacra 116, (1959): 138).
Dr. Bevier goes on to state “[from] all indications, baptism took place in the nude in the early centuries” (William A. BeVier, 138). Obviously the church has not continued the same procedures universally throughout the current dispensation. Three modes of baptism have come through the ages and these are as follows:
1. Baptism by dipping into water. This is the commonly accepted position held by most Protestants and involves a complete immersion into water.
2.
Baptism
by sprinkling with water.
The identification is the same as dipping, but the method involves
sprinkling water on another rather than immersion.
3.
Baptism
by pouring water.
Again, the identification is the same, but the method involves pouring
water on another.
One of the
earliest writings on the modes of baptism comes from the Didache, a Syrian text written to Christians shortly after the
first century.
Now concerning baptism, baptize in this way: after you have said all these things, baptize in running water, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. If you have no running water close by, however, dip in other water. If you cannot do it in cold water, do it in warm water. If you have neither close by, pour water on the head three times, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-roberts.html).
It is quite obvious from this early church document that mode was not an issue. Identification with Christ through the symbolic use of water was the important stress, not how it was administered. The Bible commands baptism; however it does not specify execution by dipping, sprinkling, or pouring. I practice believer’s water baptism by immersion because I think it best fits the biblical model as well as the spiritual truth which it ritually represents; that is, complete union with Christ at the moment of salvation. However, if we make more out of the mode of baptism rather than what it symbolizes, I think we have missed the point.
A Dispensational
View of Baptism
Baptisms in the Bible can be classified in the following way:
1. Wet or dry baptisms. Baptisms that are wet or dry simply refer to whether water is involved in the identification. As best I can tell, the wet baptisms are symbolic, whereas the dry baptisms are real,
2. Real or Symbolic baptisms. Baptisms that are real (i.e. baptism of Moses, baptism of the cup, the baptism of the
Holy Spirit, the baptism of fire) involve an actual identification of one thing
or person with another thing or person, whereas a symbolic baptism (i.e. baptism of John, baptism of Jesus, baptism
of the church age believer) is where one thing or person is representative of
another thing or person. For John the water used was symbolic of the
3. Unique or common baptisms. Baptisms that are unique are so because of the unique person or event taking place (i.e. the baptism of the cross, the baptism of Jesus). The unique baptisms of Jesus are special because Jesus Himself is special. Baptisms that are common are so because they involve many persons without reference to a special person, setting, or requirement.
A screening of the New Testament yields seven different baptisms in all. These baptisms are as follows:
1. The baptism of Moses (1 Corinthians. 10:1, 2). (Dry, real, common).
2. The
baptism of the cross (Mark
3. The
baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians.
4. The
baptism of fire (Matthew.
5. The baptism of John (Matthew. 3:4-11). (Wet, symbolic, common).
6. The
baptism of Jesus (Matthew.
7. The baptism of the believer (Matthew. 28:16-20). (Wet, symbolic, common).
The three dispensational separations are:
1. Baptisms according to the dispensation of the Law.
2. Baptisms according to the dispensation of the Grace.
3. Baptism according to the dispensation of the Tribulation.
Dispensational View of Baptisms
|
BAPTISMS |
DISPENSATIONS |
SCRIPTURE |
|
BAPTISM
OF MOSES |
LAW DRY,
REAL, COMMON |
1
Cor. 10:1-2; Ex.
14:21-22 |
|
BAPTISM
OF JOHN |
LAW WET,
SYMBOLIC, COMMON |
Matt.
3:4-11; Acts
19:1-4 |
|
BAPTISM
OF JESUS |
LAW WET,
SYMBOLIC, UNIQUE |
Matt.
3:13-17; Luke
3:21 |
|
BAPTISM
OF CROSS |
LAW DRY,
REAL, UNIQUE |
Mark
10:38-39; Luke
12:50 |
|
BELIEVER'S
BAPTISM |
GRACE WET,
SYMBOLIC, COMMON |
Matt.
28:19; Acts
|
|
BAPTISM
OF HOLY SPIRIT |
GRACE DRY,
REAL, COMMON |
Matt.
3:11; 1
Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27 |
|
BAPTISM
OF FIRE |
TRIBULATION DRY,
REAL, COMMON |
Matt.
3:11-12; 2
Thess. 1:7-9 |
Baptisms During to the Dispensation of the Mosaic Law:
The Baptism of Moses
The baptism of Moses finds its setting in Exodus
The Apostle Paul, while writing to the Corinthians, wanted to make a point about avoiding Israel’s past mistakes about idolatry (1 Cor. 10:7); so he reached back into biblical history and recalled the story of Moses leading the people of God away from Egypt into a new life; “For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Obviously Paul was thinking of baptism in the sense of identification when he referred to the Israelites as being “baptized into Moses.” None of the Jews got wet as they passed through on dry ground. Their baptism (identification) was with Moses, not water. As a matter of fact, the only ones who got wet were the Egyptians and they were neither saved nor benefited from the water that came in around them. Some interesting points about Paul’s use of the word baptism are as follows:
1. Paul
uses the word “baptism” as a dry
identification when he connects the Israelites with Moses as they passed
through the
2. If Paul used the word “baptism” to identify the Israelites with Moses, then according to Paul’s liberal usage, the word “baptism” could be used to identify any person with another person (i.e. the Israelites could be identified with Joshua as they entered the promised land, the disciples could identified with Jesus as the One who sent them out, the human race as a whole could be identified with Adam in the fall as they experience a real separation from God as a result. etc…).
3. Paul’s use of “baptism” with reference to Old Testament characters is without precedent (I think) anywhere else in the Bible.
4. Paul was willing to use the word “baptism” in a way that his audience would have clearly understood.
The baptism of John was a ritual
baptism and was used to teach others to repent by turning to God (Matthew 3:6;
3:11; Mark 1:4-5, 8-9; 11:30; Luke 3:3, 7, 12, 16, 21; 7:29-30; 20:4; John
1:25-26, 28, 31, 33; 3:22-23, 26: 4:1-2; 10:40; Acts 1:5; 11:6; 19:3-5). John
was placing those who came to him into water so they could understand the
concept of cleansing in preparation for coming offer of the
The prepositional phrase “in water” is used a number of times with reference to John’s baptism because it clarifies into what his constituents were being placed. If baptism by itself means “to place into water,” then to use the preposition “in” would be redundant.
And they were being baptized
by him in the
“As for me, I baptize you with water for
repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit
to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew.
Here John is baptizing “in water” and “with water” which demonstrates that baptism is not a wet word until it becomes connected with the use of water. Again, if baptism by itself is always a wet word, then it would not make any sense in this verse, for John talks about how Jesus will baptize some “wife fire.”
This verse also shows several baptisms that are entirely different from each other. The baptism in water is different from the baptism in the Spirit, which is different from the baptism in fire. What is very interesting is that all three baptisms mentioned in this verse occur in three different dispensations! The baptism of John took place during the dispensation of the Mosaic Law. The baptism of the Spirit takes place during the dispensation of the church age. And finally, the baptism of Fire takes place during the dispensation of the Tribulation.
So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Luke 3:7
But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. Luke 7:30
It is obvious that there were some who rejected “God’s
purpose” when they rejected John’s baptism in water. Here, ritual water baptism
reflects obedience to God’s will for those living during the dispensation of
the Mosaic Law. This verse also shows that John’s baptism was from God. Once the plan of God for
These things took place in
John
I did not recognize Him, but so
that He might be manifested to
John states that he “came baptizing
in water” for the purpose that Christ “might be manifested to
“I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit. John 1:33
In this verse John clearly refers to God as the one who sent him to baptize in water. This was for the very purpose of being able to identify Jesus once the Spirit descended and remained upon Him. John’s baptism was God ordained for that time.
For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:5
There is a stark contrast between Acts 1:5 and Acts 11:14-17. In Acts 1:5 Jesus tells the disciples that they “will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” This is clearly FUTURE tense, indicating that the baptism of the Holy Spirit had not yet come. Again, dispensational distinctions are clearly set forth in Scripture with regard to the different baptisms. The following passage of Acts 11:14-17 reveals that the baptism of the Holy Spirit had already come, and was continuing to come upon others who believed in Jesus as Savior.
And
he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your
household.’ “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He
did upon us at the beginning. “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how
He used to say, ‘John baptized with
water, but you will be baptized with
the Holy Spirit.’ “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to
us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand
in God’s way?” Acts11:14-17
Again, Peter makes clear that there is a distinction between baptisms, in that John “baptized with water,” but they had been “baptized with the Holy Spirit.” John’s baptism was clearly wet, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit was dry. John baptism was past, while the baptism of the holy Spirit was present.
And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:3-5
When John was baptizing people in water and telling them to repent, he was actually telling them to believe in Jesus who was coming after him. Baptism had no value apart from a proper understanding of Christ. That was true then, and it is true today. “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” This verse explains so much of John’s baptism and how believing in Christ was the real issue.
I once talked with a gentleman who believed water baptism was necessary for salvation, though he was not clear as to which wet baptism was needed. His argument was that if a person was not baptized with the view of salvation in mind, then any baptism undergone was not to be counted as Christian. I pointed him to John the Baptist’s statement in Matthew 3:14 where John said to Jesus “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” After mentioning this verse, I then explained the following points:
1. John was trying to deny Jesus his baptism because John knew that Jesus had no “need” of it as did all the other sinful people who were coming to him. Those who came to John’s baptism were “confessing their sins,” and there was nothing for Jesus to confess.
2. John was a saved person at this point and yet he still saw a “need” for another baptism which only Jesus could offer. However, the baptism John thought he needed from Jesus would not have made him any more saved than he already was.
3. John clearly viewed Jesus baptism with the Spirit as more important than his own.
4. John saw the clear benefit of Jesus’ baptism over against his own baptism. Spirit baptism is more beneficial than water baptism.
5. John never received the baptism in the Spirit from Jesus and yet John is saved and is in heaven now.
6. If
John had lived past the day of Pentecost, he would have received the baptism of
the Spirit. As it was, Jesus had not offered the baptism of the Spirit at that
time because the dispensation of
God called John to baptize in order to prepare the way of the King who was coming. John identified the King and then John phased out of the picture in order to let the Lord begin His ministry.
The Baptism of Jesus
Then Jesus arrived from
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him. Matthew 3:16
Here is the verse that identifies
Jesus as the Christ. This is what John was looking for the whole time he
was baptizing people in the
In
those days Jesus came from
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened. Luke 3:21
“I did not recognize Him,
but He who sent me to baptize in water
said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him,
this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’
“I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” John 1:33-34
Now, it is interesting to note that
when Jesus came to John for baptism, that John was hesitant, not wanting to
perform what the Lord had requested.
Matthew tells us that John the Baptist “tried
to prevent Him,” but Jesus responded to him saying “Permit it at
this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”
(Matthew
When Jesus went to be baptized by John in the River Jordan, it was to “fulfill all righteousness” according to the words of Jesus. Apart from this text we have no other reason given for our Lord’s baptism other than the one He gave. Several points of observation should be made here:
1. Because Jesus was unique His baptism was unique.
2. Because Jesus was perfect and had no sins to repent of, His baptism was unique.
3.
Jesus was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness,” or
complete the will of the Father for Him (Matthew
4. Since Jesus’ baptism was unique, the believer can never be said, “to follow the Lord in baptism”.
5. Water baptism did not bring Jesus any closer to God; since He is God He cannot be any closer than He already is.
When Jesus went under the water he was saying in effect “I will give My life to satisfy My Father’s righteousness and die for the sins of the world,” and when He came up He was saying in effect “I will conquer sin and death for others that they might have life in Me” (Romans 6:3-4). For any believer to say that he is “following the Lord in baptism” would seem to be wrong; for that believer either elevates himself to the place of Christ, or demotes Christ to the place of a sinner. Why Christ was baptized and why the believer is baptized is completely different. Regarding this point Dr. S. Lewis Johnson writes:
To most Christians the baptism of Jesus Christ is as much an enigma as it proved to John the Baptist. This is reflected in the almost absurd statement about it. For example, in urging believers to be baptized in testimony to salvation it is common to hear the expression, “follow the Lord in baptism,” as if our baptism is a carbon copy of His. It is doubtful if there is a single passage in the New Testament in which a Biblical writer connects the baptism of Christ with Christian baptism (S. Lewis Johnson, “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” Bibliotheca Sacra 123 (1966): 228).
This section would be incomplete if the descending of the Holy Spirit and the declaration of God the Father were not addressed in relation to Jesus baptism. Dr. Johnson states:
The vision of the Spirit descending as a dove upon Him is
the fulfillment of the words regarding the Servant of the Lord, “I have put my
Spirit upon him” (Isa. 42:1). It is His anointing, as our Lord realized
and the apostles preached. He could hardly make it plainer that this signified
His inauguration into the office of Messiah than when He stood and read Isaiah
61:1 with its, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me,”
and then added, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:18,
21). The Spirit’s coming was His anointing, and His anointing is His induction
into the office of Messiah. Peter confirms this when he says in Acts
And regarding the Father’s response Dr. Johnson offers these excellent words:
The voice from heaven, the confirmation of the vision, is
a kind of coronation formula for the Suffering Servant. The voice is a
combination of Psalm 2:7, the psalm of the messianic king, and Isaiah 42:1, a
reference to the Suffering Servant. The force of the words is to inform Him that
He is “born to suffer, born a king”; they become a preview of His destiny, a
synthesis of ruling and suffering of incomparable value. It is sometimes
claimed that Jesus had revealed to Him at the baptism His Messiahship. This is
an intolerable view of the event, because if this were so, it would imply that
He went to the baptism just as any other Israelite, to confess His sins and
give evidence of repentance. The Messiahship is not revealed to Him here; His
view of Himself is only confirmed. If this were not so, He could never have
overruled John’s objection as He did. But, having had His Messianic dignity
confirmed by the voice from heaven and the vision of the dove, He is the more
able to affirm confidently shortly: “The time is fulfilled, and the
So, it should be observed that Jesus’ baptism was
unique. For there is no account of any
man in the Bible when after his baptism the Holy Spirit descended like a dove,
and was followed by the a thundering voice from Heaven declaring “this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased”
(Matthew 3:17).
The Baptism of the Cross
But Jesus said to them, “You do
not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to
be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink
you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.
Mark
But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
Luke 12:50
Jesus Christ was identified with our sins as God
the Father poured them on Him while on the cross (2 Corinthians
It is striking that Jesus would declare to the disciples that they would share in His baptism. What did He mean? When Jesus told the disciples “you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized” it is possible He was referring to one of two things:
1. The disciples would be identified with Christ on the cross through positional sanctification. That is, they themselves would not go to the cross to pay for the sins of others as Christ was doing, but that their life would be identified with His as He hung on the cross (Romans 6:3-4).
2. Just as Christ was to suffer by the hands of sinners for righteousness sake, so to the disciples would suffer at the hands of others innocently. Thus their identification with Christ’s suffering would be experiential, though not identical.
The disciples that Jesus spoke to were not sent to a cross to bear the sins of the world. Yet, they are clearly said to be baptized with the same baptism that Jesus underwent. Obviously Jesus’ water baptism is not in view since that is long removed from the present events. The first answer appears to be the most plausible.
Baptisms During to the Dispensation of the Church Age
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is unique to the Church Age. When John spoke of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:11, he recognized it as something yet future. When John said “He will baptize with the Holy Spirit,” he was speaking prophetically of the church age and not the dispensation of Law. John F. Walvoord writes:
Many
theologians regard the Church as a universal group of saints of all ages, some
extending even these boundaries to include in the conception all who outwardly
belong to it, even if not saved. If this concept of the nature of the Church is
held, the baptism of the Holy Spirit has no relation to it. As this ministry is
not found in the Old Testament and is not included in any prophecies regarding
the millennium, it is peculiarly the work of the Holy Spirit for the present
age, beginning with Pentecost and ending at the resurrection of the righteous
when the living Church is raptured. If, however, the Church be defined as the
saints of this age only, the work of the Holy Spirit in baptizing all true
believers into the body of Christ takes on a new meaning. It becomes the
distinguishing mark of the saints of the present age, the secret of the
peculiar intimacy and relationship of Christians to the Lord Jesus Christ. It
is, therefore, essential to a proper doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
that it be recognized as the distinguishing characteristic of the Church, the
body of Christ (John F. Walvoord, “The
Person of the Holy Spirit, Part 7” Bibliotheca
Sacra 98 (1941): 422).
Now, the baptism of the Holy Spirit
should not be confused with the sealing ministry of the Spirit (Ephesians
A
serious departure from the truth is found in the attempt by some of the
holiness movements to link the baptism of the Spirit with certain temporary
spiritual gifts and their exercise. The special acts of revelation which
occurred in the early Church, and the phenomenon of speaking in tongues are not
to be confused with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. While these special
ministrations of the Spirit occurred only to the saved, they are not to be
expected as the usual signs accompanying baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Particularly objectionable is the teaching that baptism is a work of the Spirit
subsequent to salvation and involving special sanctification. Because of the maze of conflicting opinions
on the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the student of the subject
must remain close to the Scriptures, particularly avoiding assumptions which
the Scriptures do not warrant. The Scriptures present the doctrine in
sufficient passages to permit the careful student to arrive at an accurate
understanding of the truth. In all, there are eleven specific references to
spiritual baptism in the New Testament (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John
1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16; Rom 6:1–4; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:5; Col 2:12).
All references prior to Pentecost are prophetic. All the references after
Pentecost treat the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an existing reality. The
major passage, which may be taken as the basis of interpretation of the other
passages, is 1 Corinthians
Walvoord points out that there are eleven specific references to the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16; Romans 6:1–4; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:5; Colossians 2:12); however, it is my opinion that a few other references could be made which imply Spirit baptism (Matthew 3:14; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21).
He who has believed and has been baptized
shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. Mark
I believe Mark
Mark
Again,
since salvation is in view, and Mark
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Romans 6:3
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4
The main reason I think Romans 6:3-4 speaks of Spirit
baptism is because of the work accomplished.
In context, believers are being placed
into “Christ Jesus.” Only the Holy Spirit can place a person into Christ
Jesus (1 Corinthians.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13
This verse plainly says “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Anyone and everyone who winds up in the body of Christ are there by no one other than the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit does not place a believer into the body of Christ, then he will never get there by another. Lewis Sperry Chafer speaks eloquently regarding 1 Corinthians 12:13:
This
emphasis upon unity which verse 12 deposes, however, is only to prepare the way
for the revelation of how members are joined to this Body. They are said to be
baptized into this Body by one Spirit. The reference to one Spirit is but the
continuation of that which has been declared time and again through the
preceding portion of this chapter, namely, how it is by the one and selfsame
Spirit that the varied gifts are wrought. Thus also, though many are baptized
into the Body of Christ, it is wrought by the one Spirit in every instance. The
central truth is that the one Spirit baptizes all—every believer—into the one
Body. What is thus accomplished for every believer is a part of his very
salvation, else it could not include each one (Lewis S. Chafer, “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” Bibliotheca Sacra 109 (1952): 216.).
Common to the church age, is the fact that the Holy Spirit places every believer into the body of Christ. Again, this is a supernatural act that only the Holy Spirit can accomplish.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:27
One of the benefits of being baptized into Christ is that all racial, social, or gender differences are overcome, and we are all one in Christ. This equality can only be offered by the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit places us into Christ we have equality and a common ground upon which to stand.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called
in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all
and in all. Ephesians 4:5
This verse has traditionally been understood by many as referring to believer’s baptism. The reason that this is thought to be the believer’s baptism is because Ephesians 4:4-6 is understood as referring to the three members of the Trinity where verse four speaks of the Holy Spirit, verse five speaks of Christ, and verse six speaks of the Father. They reason: how can the baptism of the Holy Spirit be in view in verse five, when the passage speaks not of the Spirit, but of Christ?
This is not a difficult point at all when one has looked at other passages where the baptism of the Spirit is mentioned. Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; and John 1:33, all say Jesus will “baptize you with the Spirit.” Jesus is the one who issues the command to the Holy Spirit to baptize you into the body of Christ. Both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are involved in this baptism. It is the Holy Spirit who actually places the believer into the church, but John the Baptist understood that Jesus would also be involved. I struggled whether to call this “Jesus baptism with the Holy Spirit for the believer,” or just the “baptism of the Holy Spirit.” Either way, it can be seen that Jesus is directly involved in the baptism of the Holy Spirit in such a way that it could be connected with Him directly.
Ephesians 4:5 further argues the point of Holy Spirit baptism. If there is a choice as to which is greater, Holy Spirit baptism, or believer’s water baptism, I believe the Holy Spirit baptism wins out. Getting wet for a symbolic purpose does not save you; rather, you are saved when you believe in Christ and the Holy Spirit places you into the body of Christ. Regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit in this matter John F. Walvoord states:
The
Holy Spirit has been recognized as the agent of baptism by most students of the
doctrine. Objection is found sometimes, however, to this thought. A study of the
various passages speaking of baptism by the Spirit reveals that the customary
Greek preposition used is en. From
this it has been induced that we are baptized not by the Spirit, but in
the Spirit. Christ is regarded as the actor, inasmuch as He is said to be the
one baptizing, and the Holy Spirit is merely the sphere into which we come. A
strict interpretation of the preposition would lead to this locative idea…It is
clear, however, that the entire ministry of the Spirit is being accomplished
for the believer at the will of Christ. The Spirit is His agent and doing His
work. It can be said, therefore, that we are baptized by Christ in the sense
that Christ sent the Spirit. Accordingly, references to baptism of the Spirit
as performed by Christ can be interpreted in this light. As the act of the
sword in the hands of a disciple (Luke 22:49) is at once the act of the sword
and the act of the disciples, so the work of baptism while accomplished by the
Holy Spirit is also a work by Christ (John F. Walvoord, “The Person of the Holy Spirit, Part 7”
Bibliotheca Sacra 98 (1941): 434).
So then, Ephesians 4:5 most likely refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It would be weak to argue for water baptism, since water baptism can never place the believer into union with Christ.
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions. Colossians 2: 9-13
Just as there is a “circumcision made without hands,” likewise, there is a baptism that comes only by means of the Holy Spirit and which could never be produced through human effort.
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21
1 Peter
1. Baptism in this passage is related to salvation, which can only come about by the power of God.
2. Peter makes it very clear that this baptism is not physical when he states that it is “not the removal of dirt from the flesh.” Perhaps Peter knew his readers might confuse symbolic water baptism with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so he removes any doubt by stating that it is not a physical act.
3. This salvation is said to come “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Just as Jesus was raised by the power of God, so the believer is saved by that same power.
4. To
teach that water baptism is mentioned in the above passage, would be to say
that God’s requirement for salvation has changed from previous
dispensations. Clearly throughout the
Bible salvation is said to be given to the one who places faith in Christ (John
The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs the moment
the believer places faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. The believer does not
feel this baptism. It is a baptism where the believer is identified with the
risen Christ. This is a work completed totally by the Holy Spirit and the
believer does nothing. This baptism was prophesied by both John the Baptist and
Jesus (Matthew
The Baptism of Church age believers
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19
This obviously falls under the category of believer’s baptism because it is men who are commanded to do the baptizing. These believers are commanded to go out and make disciples of all the nations, and part of this activity was teaching the disciples about positional sanctification through water baptism. The baptized believer understood that when he went down in the water he was recognizing that he was going down in death with Christ on the cross. When the believer came up out of the water he understood that he had been raised with Christ out of death and into life.
The act of water baptism for the believer symbolizes the reality of Christ’s finished work on the cross, as well as His burial and resurrection. Baptism for the believer is a picture of death and life. The concept is so very simple that even a child could understand, and yet the message it conveys is very dynamic!
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts
This verse has caused some pain and heartache for many believers. I think this verse is speaking about believer’s water baptism; however, I do not think that believer’s water baptism saves anyone. I have chosen to deal with this verse, as well as others later on in this article.
It is interesting to note that in several cases in the New Testament that believer’s baptism followed quickly after a person had faith in Christ. This writer believes this was done so that the believer would have a clearer understanding of the finished work of Christ on the cross. As he went down into the water, the believer would get the picture of death, and when he came up out of the water, he would get the picture of newness of life.
For He [the Holy Spirit] had not
yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus. Acts
This verse could be talking about baptism apart from believing. If a person is baptized when he has not believed in Christ for salvation, then his baptism means nothing. At another place in the book of Acts, Paul encountered some men who had been baptized in John’s baptism (Acts 19:3-5) and they had not received the Holy Spirit either, because they had not had faith in Christ. Paul explains to them that John’s baptism was pointing to Christ and that they needed to believe in Him.
It is also important to point out that when a person did believe in Christ for salvation that one of the first signs of his salvation is an anxious obedience to his new Lord through baptism. The Eunuch was excited about his salvation and wanted to be baptized immediately and Philip was glad to oblige. Again, the believer’s baptism is a symbol of the finished work of Christ on the cross.
“Surely no one can refuse the
water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit
just as we did, can he?” Acts
No one in his right mind would
refuse a new believer from learning experientially about the finished work of
Christ on the cross. After they had received the Holy Spirit they were “sealed”
by God forever (Ephesians
It
happened that while Apollos was at
This verse captures so much about baptism and sets it in order. Here, Paul encounters some men who had not believed in Jesus and who subsequently had not received the Holy Spirit. After these men explained their confusion about the Holy Spirit Paul then asks them “Into what then were you baptized?” They made it clear that they were baptized into John’s baptism, which they really did not understand from the beginning. Paul takes a moment to point out to them that John’s baptism was unto repentance, “telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” Upon hearing correct information they believed in Christ, were baptized into the believer’s baptism and also by the Holy Spirit.
This is the only place in the New Testament as far as I could find where a person was baptized a second time because they did not understand their first baptism. If they had understood John’s baptism, they would have believed in Christ and would have received the Holy Spirit after Pentecost like all other believers who entered into the dispensation of the Church age. The fact that they were well into the dispensation of the Church age without the Holy Spirit means that they had originally misunderstood John’s message and had never placed their faith in Christ for salvation.
Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. 1 Corinthians. 1:13-17
The gospel is the good news that people need to hear in
order to have faith in Christ for salvation (1 Cor. 15:3-4). If
baptism were essential for salvation, then Paul would never have separated it
from the gospel as he so clearly does in this verse. Paul very strongly says “Christ did not send
me to baptize,
but to preach the gospel.” As a matter
of fact, the topic of baptism in the Church at
The gospel message speaks of the finished work of Christ
on the cross and tells people that if they will only believe in Him, they will
have eternal life. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ
alone. Water baptism does not save! It only speaks of salvation after one has
already believed in Christ. The gospel
is a separate issue from water baptism, and those who confuse the two find
themselves in the same place as the
Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? 1 Corinthians 15:29
The reference of those “who are baptized for the dead” should be understood as referring to those believers who died for the cause of Christ and their unending devotion to the presentation of the gospel. The word “for” can also be translated “because of.” This would give a clearer understanding of the passage. Believer’s baptism in this case was a form of testimony to others. Many in the faith had died because of their faith, and those believers who made baptism a public display knew their lives might be in danger as well. Therefore, they were to have hope in the resurrection as a response to their fear of death. Public baptism could take place without fear of being put to death, because Christ had been resurrected and He would resurrect them as well. Baptism here is not “for” the dead, but “because of” the dead. Professor John D. Reaume writes on this matter:
“Because
of dead believers” This view is one
of the most widely supported alternatives to vicarious baptism. The phrase
“baptism for the dead” is understood in the sense of unbelievers being baptized
“because of” believers who have died. In this interpretation unbelievers decide
to become Christians and be baptized because of the influence of a believer who
had recently died. Several arguments support this view. First, Paul used nekrov” with and
without the definite article consistently in 1 Corinthians 15 to differentiate
between “Christian dead” and “the dead in general.” Thus it is argued that tw'n nekrw'n refers to dead Christians. Second, the preposition uJpeVr with the genitive
can have the causal sense of “because of.” Third, this interpretation fits the
context with Paul returning to his former argument on the absurdity of denying
the believers’ resurrection, which he concluded with a specific discussion of
the Christian dead (John D. Reaume, “Another Look at 1 Corinthians 15:29,
‘“Baptized for the Dead”’ Bibliotheca
Sacra, 152 (1995): 463).
It is a sad commentary to the Mormon’s that they would develop an elaborate theology of baptism by proxy based on a gross misunderstanding of one verse in the Bible.
Baptism During to the Dispensation of the Tribulation
The Baptism of Fire
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11, 12
The baptism of fire is identification with judgment. This
is a reference to the wrath of God upon all unbelievers at the Second Coming of
Christ (Matthew
Extra Baptisms in the Bible
There are places in the Bible where the word baptism is used in a special way apart from the seven uses presented above (e.g. the use of baptism as a title such as “John the Baptist”). Consider the following uses:
Baptism as a Title: Baptism as a title is used in
reference to “John the Baptist” where John comes as the “identifier” of Christ.
John’s primary purpose in coming into the world was not to place people into
water for repentance, but rather to identify the coming Messiah. This is not an
attempt to make light of John’s baptism, but simply to point out what his
primary purpose was. The title “John the Baptist” is not primarily in
connection with his ritual water identifications, but rather as “the
identifier” of Christ. John did indeed identify Christ when he came to him.
Thus the passages where “Baptist” is used in the Bible always refer to a title
as a herald (Matthew 3:1-2; 11:11-12; 14:1-2, 8; 16:13-14; 17:11-13; Mark 6:25;
8:28; Luke 7:20, 23; 19:19).
Ceremonial Baptisms: There are
places in the Bible where the word baptism occurs and its use is most likely in
reference to a ceremonial washing (Mark 7:3-4; Luke
Baptism meaning “to dip”: Finally,
there are places where the word baptism occurs where one thing is literally
placed into another thing (Luke
Confused Passages
on Baptismal Regeneration
There are many today who teach that water baptism is essential for salvation. There are six popular passages argued by baptismal regenerationists.
1. John 3:3-8
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless one is born again he cannot see the
In this first passage some confuse the reference to “water” with baptism. Contextually this does not fit. Jesus is comparing natural birth (born of water) with Spiritual birth (born from heaven). Nicodemus understood the analogy quit clear from Jesus message. A person must be born first before they can be born again. There must be human life before there can be spiritual life. This is so basic that even an unbeliever like Nicodemus could understand the analogy.
One major point against those who believe water baptism is in view in John 3:3-8 is that the Christian believer’s baptism had not been instituted yet as an ordinance of the church. As a matter of fact, the church itself had not begun. To say that Christ was here commanding believer’s baptism as a requirement to salvation is dispensationally premature. At the time Christ spoke to Nicodemus Christian baptism was no more a reality than the communion table. Neither ordinance had yet been commanded for the believer’s observance; therefore, the ordinance of baptism could not be in view. Zane C. Hodges speaks well on this point:
One
of the issues that has divided commentators on John’s Gospel is actually larger
than the question about the statement in 3:5. It is the issue of whether the
fourth Evangelist makes any reference at all to the so-called Christian
sacraments or ordinances—that is, to baptism and the Lord’s Supper…Needless to
say, various conclusions have been drawn from this data and many expositors see
numerous allusions to the sacraments despite the absence of any direct mention
of them (Zane C. Hodges, “Problem
Passages in the Gospel of John” Bibliotheca
Sacra 135 (1978): 208).
Any person who tries to make “water” refer to water baptism is either grossly ignorant of what he is talking about, or trying to intentionally deceive. Water baptism is not within a hundred miles of this verse! Shame on anyone who would use this passage to try to convince someone else that they have to be baptized in water to be saved!
2. Titus 3:5
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
In this second passage the Greek word loutron translated “washing” does not mean baptism. There is no ceremonial activity going on here. This is not a command to be baptized, or even an example of baptismal regeneration. Loutron means “to bathe” or “to wash.” This is the act of the Holy Spirit in “washing” us and making us clean.
Plus, the Greek word loutron is in the genitive case in the Greek and functions as an appositional genitive. A clearer translation would be “the washing which is regeneration.” The “washing” here refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in cleaning us spiritually and does not refer to us cleaning ourselves!
3. Mark
He who has believed
and has been baptized
shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. Mark
Those who believe in baptismal regeneration often quote this third passage. This verse is suspect for several reasons.
1. The passage is textually weak. There are many scholars who question whether Mark 16:9-20 should even be counted as Scripture. This is because most of the ancient and most reliable manuscripts do not contain Mark 16:9-20 and many think it was included as a scribal addition. The difference is so great that it is obvious to see the overall shift in writing style and grammar compared to the rest of Mark’s gospel. In light of this, it becomes questionable as to whether a doctrinal belief can be dogmatically argued from a textually weak passage.
2. The second half of the verse clearly condemns a person on the basis of unbelief and not baptism, therefore belief must be the issue of salvation and not baptism.
3. If this passage is teaching baptism as necessary for salvation, it is probable that Spirit baptism is in view here and not water baptism. If any kind of baptism is stressed for salvation, it is Spirit baptism. The passage could read “He who has believed and been baptized [by the Holy Spirit] shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”
To argue this verse for baptismal regeneration is weak. Not to mention, if a person believes in baptismal regeneration, they must mentally insert water baptism into every verse on salvation where “belief” is the only issue. This measure is too extreme and could never be supported textually. It would simply be too much of a strain on the Bible. Robert Wilkin offers some insightful comments on the misuse of this verse by those who believe in baptismal regeneration:
Jesus didn't say, “He who is not baptized will be condemned.” Neither did He say, “He who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned.” Rather, He said, “He who does not believe will be condemned.” By this our Lord made it clear that faith alone was necessary to avoid eternal condemnation. He said the same thing in John 3:18: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God;” (see also John 5:24; 6:47) (Robert Wilkin http://www.faithalone.org/news/y1995/95may2.html).
In addition to the thief on the
cross, there are other NT examples of people who were saved without being
baptized. Martha (John
4. Acts
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts
This fourth passage is problematic for three
reasons:
1. Forgiveness of sins occurred
when Christ died on the cross, not when we are baptized (John 19:30; 2
Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 10:10-14).
2. The text could also
legitimately be translated “Repent with reference to your sins, and let each
one of you be baptized.” In the Greek, the word “repent” and the phrase “with
reference to your sins” are both second person plural, whereas “be baptized”
and “each one of you” is third person singular.
The words can easily be mapped as follows:
Repent [second person plural]
be baptized [third person singular]
each of you [third person singular]
for the remission of your sins [second person plural]
Regarding this understand of Acts 2:38 Luther B. McIntyre comments:
It
can be observed that the two words that are second person plural go together,
and that the two words that are third person singular belong together. Upon closer examination, “Repent” should be
connected with “forgiveness of sins,” and subsequently, “each” person should be
“baptized.” To attempt to make
forgiveness of sins as association with baptism is wrong; not to mention it is
simply foreign to the Bible. With this alternate legitimate
translation, the text becomes too weak to try to build a doctrine for baptismal
regeneration. (Luther B. McIntyre Jr., “Baptism and forgiveness in Acts 2:38” Bibliotheca Sacra 153 (1996): 56)
Because of the problems associated with this passage, it becomes weak to use this verse to argue for baptismal regeneration. Clarifying a little more Luther B. McIntyre Jr. states:
Acts
Remember, in 1 Corinthians 1:17, the apostle Paul stated clearly that water baptism is not part of the gospel message. The gospel saves, water baptism does not! Paul’s words in this passage serve a death blow to the idea of baptismal regeneration!
For Christ did not send me
to baptize, but to preach the
gospel. 1 Corinthians 1:17a
Paul makes very clear that baptism is not part of the gospel. If baptism were essential to the gospel, Paul would not have drawn so clear a distinction between the two. In the New Testament the gospel is presented nearly 150 times with baptism never being mentioned. Faith alone in Christ alone is the issue of the gospel, never believer’s water baptism.
5. 1 Peter 3:18-22
18For Christ also died for sins once for all, the
just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put
to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19in which also
He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20who
once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of
Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight
persons, were brought safely through the water. 21Corresponding
to that, baptism now saves you—not
the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good
conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who is at the
right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and
powers had been subjected to Him. 1 Peter 3:18-22
This is the only passage in the New Testament where the word salvation and baptism appear in close proximity. The baptism that “saves you” is the baptism of the Spirit where the believer is placed into union with Christ the moment he believes.
Peter could not be clearer here when he says “baptism now save you.” Just so there would be no confusion as to WHAT kind of baptism he was talking about, he shoots down the idea of water baptism by saying “not the removal of the dirt from the flesh.” The phrase “safely through the water” refers to those believers who were brought safely through the flood that God sent for destruction. Just as the flood represented the destruction of the old way of life, so baptism represents death to the believer’s old way of life as he finds newness of life in Christ.
Water baptism does not save us from sin, but clears our conscience of sin “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Just as the ark brought Noah through the waters of destruction, so Christ brings us into a new spiritual life in Him.
6. Acts
“And a certain Ananias, a
man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all
the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother
Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him. “And he
said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the
Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. ‘For you will be a
witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. ‘Now why do you
delay? Get up and be baptized, and
wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
Acts 22:12-16
This reference to Paul’s baptism
occurs after his salvation experience.
Remember, Paul called Jesus “Lord” after he was knocked off his horse on
the road to
This
may not seem significant to some, but the fact that Ananias called Paul
“Brother” tells me that Paul was already saved.
I do not think Ananias would have called him his brother if this were
not the case; yet believer’s baptism had not occurred when Paul was so
called. A few points should be made
here:
1.
The Bible uses
the word “brother” to refer to believers who are saved (Romans 14:10, 15, 21; 1
Corinthians 1:1; 7:12, 15; 8:11, 13; 2 Corinthians 2:13; Galatians 5:11;
Ephesians 6:21). Paul is called a
“brother” and is recognized as being saved before his baptism.
2.
Paul had called
Jesus “Lord” on the road to
3. Paul was “filled with the Holy Spirit” in Acts
Why
the church age believer should be baptized
“Go therefore and make disciples [imperative] of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Peter said to them,
“Repent, and each of you be baptized [imperative] in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit. Acts
And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. Acts
‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized [imperative], and wash away your sins, calling on His
name.’ Acts
‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your
sins, calling on His name.’ Acts
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings [literally: baptisms] and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. Hebrews 6:1-2
As a teaching tool, baptism teaches positional sanctification.
When a believer SHOULD be
baptized:
1. When a person believes in Christ for salvation, it would be best if he were baptized as close to his salvation experience as possible so there is meaning to the event.
2. After he has had sufficient understanding of its symbolic significance.
3. If a believer has been saved for many years, and understands the doctrine of retroactive positional sanctification through the teaching of the Scriptures, then water baptism would allow him to experience what so many other believers before him have experienced, namely, obedience to Christ’s command in Matthew 28:19.
Why the believer should NOT be
water baptized:
1. If a person thinks water baptism is necessary for salvation then he should NOT be baptized.
2. If the believer thinks there is any spiritual benefit to water baptism then he should NOT be baptized.
3. If the believer thinks water baptism can be performed by proxy then he should NOT be baptized.
4. If the believer thinks water baptism is what is necessary to bring him into the body of Christ then he should NOT be baptized.
Why baptism moved beyond the
first century church and should still be practiced today:
Peter said to them,
“Repent, and each of you be baptized [imperative] in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit. Acts
And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay
on for a few days. Acts
‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized [imperative], and
wash away your sins, calling on His name.’ Acts
“Go therefore and make disciples [imperative] of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
The baptism spoken of in Matthew 28:19 is given to the
disciples after the death, burial, and resurrection Jesus, but before the
dispensation of the church began. It was
necessary for Jesus to brief His disciples during this interlude regarding
their teaching methods in the new dispensation.
Others, adopting the opposite extreme position, while rightly insisting that Ephesians 4:5 refers to Spirit baptism, drastically rule out any practice of water baptism for the Church age. Although they find ritual baptism, of course, regularly practiced in the early church (Acts 2:38; 8:12–13, 16, 36 ; 9:18 ; 10:47–48 ; 16:15, 33 ; 18:8 ; 19:3, 5 ) and mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:13–17, this practice is thought of as confined to the early ‘Jewish’ church, and discontinued by the Apostle Paul when the ‘real’ New Testament church was begun, late in the book of Acts. This position must be rejected. The basic fact, which is ignored, is that the Church actually began with the baptism with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:4; 2:4, 47 with 11:16; 1 Cor 12:13), and that water baptism was regularly administered not only in the early so-called ‘Jewish’ church, but also long after in fully established ‘Gentile’ churches (Acts 18:8; 1 Cor 1:13–17). The Apostle, in speaking of the ‘one baptism’ in Ephesians 4:5, to be sure, is speaking of Spirit baptism, which is likewise the case in Romans 6:3–4, Colossians 2:12, Galatians 3:27. But when he describes this momentous operation of the Spirit as the ‘one baptism,’ and as one of the seven essential unities to be recognized and kept in maintaining Christian oneness and concord, does he necessarily imply that water baptism is no longer to be administered? Did he not mean merely to say, ‘There is only one [spiritual] baptism’? (Lewis S. Chafer, “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” Bibliotheca Sacra 101 (1944): 246).
· The completed canon of Scripture does not necessitate the removal of a teaching aid. If this were the case, then we could cease to practice the Lord’s Supper for the same reason. Rather, the teaching aid is complementary to the revelation found in the Bible.
· The Old Testament saints had a canon of Scripture that taught that Messiah would come and die a sacrificial death; however, this did not require them to stop their sacrificial practices even though the truth was in writing. The sacrificial system was complementary to the Scriptures as a teaching aid and offered tremendous visuals and participatory experiences that the believer would never have benefited from otherwise.
·
Since believer’s baptism teaches positional
sanctification, we must ask if believers today are just as positionally
sanctified as believers who lived during the first century? If positional sanctification is still a
continuing reality, then baptism still has meaning to those who practice and
participate in it.
It is my observance that believer’s baptism is a command that belongs to each member of the body of Christ. When and where that baptism should take place is between each believer and God. However, there is not one instance of any believer in the NT waiting long to be baptized after he is either given the command, or after he receives salvation
Salvation
is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone
God offers eternal life to the person who responds favorably to the
gospel. The gospel is the good news that
God has provided salvation through the work of Jesus Christ. God has to do the saving, because all mankind
is spiritually dead as a result of sin.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into
the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all
sinned. Romans
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be
made alive. 1 Corinthians
Adam
was the reason sin entered into the world, and as a result death spread to all
mankind. When Romans
Paul is saying that the consequence of Adam's sin, death,
was experienced by those who had not done what Adam did. In other words, Paul
is stressing here that it is not our own individual sins that bring our first
condemnation on us. People die who had not sinned in the likeness of the
offense of Adam. The point is that Adam's sin is the most fundamental problem,
not our sins – just as Christ's righteousness is the fundamental solution, not
our righteousness (John piper, Adam,
Christ, and Justification: part 5 (Desiring God Ministries, available from:
http://www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/00/082700.html,
August 27, 2000).
Apart
from the imputation of Adam’s original sin to all mankind, it should be
realized that man, by his own efforts, can never win the approval of God. Isaiah makes clear that “all of us have
become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy
garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind,
take us away” (Isa. 64:6). If a lost
sinner were to be “good” his whole life and give to charities, feed the hungry,
shelter the homeless, give to the poor, offer medicine to the sick, and perform
every other deed declared righteous by men, and then gather all those deeds
into one bag and bring it before God and demand its “trade-in value,” it would
be worth one “filthy rag.” All of man’s
relative righteousness can never measure up to the standard of God’s prefect
righteousness. Man’s relative righteousness
is equal to one “filthy rag,” which in the end will be tossed into fire to be
burned like a soiled undergarment which cannot be cleaned.
God’s
own righteousness is the norm or standard by which all humanity is found either
justified or condemned. That which
measures up to God’s perfect righteousness is acceptable to Him, and that which
falls short is rejected. God’s
righteousness is the standard that has to be met in order for a person to gain
entrance into heaven. “Clearly
righteousness is understood as a matter of living up to the standards set for a
relationship. Ultimately, God’s own
person and nature are the measure or standard of righteousness” (Millard
J. Erickson, Christian Theology
(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House Co., 1998), p. 968). The problem
with humanity is that everyone is born “in Adam.” This means that all humanity is born in sin,
and being stained by sin, can never by their own efforts measure up to God’s
perfect righteousness.
The
question “how can a man be just with God?” is of major importance. Often humanity sees God as possessing only
the attribute of love, and subsequently asks “how can a loving God send any to
the lake of fire?” The Bible declares
that God is love (1 John 4:7-12); however, the Bible also states that God is
righteous and just (Ps. 9:7-8; 119:137;
Peter tells us good news when states that “Christ also
died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He
might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in
the spirit” (1 Pet. 3:18). This is the
greatest trade-off in history; the “just for the unjust.” Christ took all humanities sins upon Himself,
so they might be able to receive His righteousness. Paul makes this truth clear when writing to
the church at
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians
God the
Father placed the sin of all humanity (including Adam’s original sin) on Jesus
Christ while He was on the cross and judged Him as if the sinner was there
paying for the consequences of his own sin. Furthermore, God the Father gives
His righteousness to the sinner who comes by faith alone to Christ alone. God will declare the believer righteous the
moment he trusts in Jesus for salvation.
Keep in mind that all human sin was imputed to Jesus, and that just as
such an imputation did not make Him a sinner in conduct, so the imputation of
God’s righteousness to the believer does not make him righteous in all his
behavior, it only declares him to be righteous before God.
The Bible declares that “by grace you have been saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as
a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). Paul explained clearly that salvation is
“through faith.” Faith does not save,
Jesus saves; faith is merely the means by which a believer receives
salvation. J. I. Packer declares:
The necessary means, or instrumental cause, of
justification is personal faith in Jesus Christ as crucified Savior and risen
Lord (Rom.
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ
alone and nothing else is required of the believer who would be declared
righteous before God. This is possible
for one reason only, and that is because Jesus Christ died as a substitute for
humanity. Only because of Jesus’ death,
burial, and resurrection does the believer find opportunity for salvation with
God. Kenneth W. Allen writes:
The grounds of justification are the person and work of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He was without sin in His person and conduct and during
His earthly life He kept the law perfectly. Having therefore no sins of His own
for which He need suffer the penalty of death, He had the right to die on the
cross as a propitiation for the sins of the world (Kenneth W. Allen, “Justification by Faith” Bibliotheca Sacra 135 (1978): 112.).
The basis of justification is made possible only through
the work of Jesus Christ on behalf of all humanity. The believer benefits from the fact that Jesus
died as a substitute for him, and there is no longer a barrier between God and
man (2 Cor. 5:19-21; Eph. 2:14-15).
Millard J. Erickson states:
It is
as if, with respect to one’s spiritual status, a new entity has come into
being. It is as if Christ and I have
been married, or have merged to form a new corporation. Thus, the imputation of His righteousness is
not so much a matter of transferring something from one person to another as it
is a matter of bringing the two together so that they hold all things in
common. In Christ I died on the cross,
and in Him I was resurrected. Thus, his
death is not only in my place, but with me (Millard J. Erickson, 836).
The
good news is that God has removed the barrier that existed between fallen man
and Himself, and the only response of the lost is to “believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ” (Acts
NOTE
FROM THE AUTHOR:
This article on
baptisms is open to amendment should this author be convinced that he has erred
on some point. If any should offer
criticism regarding this article, please do so with Scripture in hand. Thank
you,
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