Welcome back to my blog! Today’s exciting topic is baptism. Last time we covered the definition of the word and young people’s experience with baptism.
As a reminder of my admonition stated in the last blog, baptism is a very controversial subject and people’s beliefs can often be based on feelings or tradition. However, as Bible based Christians, we first consider the scriptures to differentiate what the epistles say to the church about baptism from opinion and tradition. Further reading is referenced below (1,2).
Types of baptism
In the New Testament, baptism use can be divided generally from two sections: the historical books and the epistles.
Historical books (the gospels and the book of Acts)
- Historical precedent – Baptism as a rite was known among the Greeks and Jews.
- The Greek mystery religions practiced baptism in the entry of new members into their societies (3).
- Jews practiced baptism with water under undescribed conditions (4).
- Accordingly, it appears that baptism as a rite was performed in the gospels and Acts in several instances among the Jews (please also see just below).
- Specific types of baptism are mentioned in the gospels and Acts:
- John the Baptist– He administered the baptism of repentance preparing the way of Christ (Matthew 3:7). This baptism was specific to John the Baptist.
- Christ’s baptism (Matthew 3) – This was specific to Jesus and his commission to be our Savior and the associated testimony of the Holy Spirit and God.
- Baptizing by the disciples – This was done apparently under the direction of Christ (John 3:26; 4:2). Its purpose is not described. It may reflect a baptism of repentance associated with the offer of the Kingdom. However, it would differ from John’s in that Christ had come.
- Baptism of fire(Matthew 3:11) – This meaning is controversial. It may be part of the presentation of Christ and specific to his commission to be our Savior. It may also be associated with the testimony of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Further, it might be to the purifying nature of Christ’s teaching (5). In contrast, it might reflect future punishment for sinners who do not repent.
- Christ baptism for which he was baptized(Matthew 20:22-23) – This appears to reflect his role, not a rite, as Savior leading to the cross by His obedience. His upcoming suffering is implied in the passage. His disciples wanted to sit with Him in heaven. Christ asked if they could tolerate the suffering on the cross (baptism) with which He was commissioned.
- Baptism in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20)– This refers to baptism most likely in the time of the church. It might refer to the rite of baptism or to the regeneration associated with preaching the gospel as described in the epistles. Spiritual baptism, almost exclusively, is the type mentioned in the epistles.
- Water baptism in the early church (Acts) – The rite of water baptism appears to have been practiced in the early church. This baptism used water at least in one case (Acts 8:36) but the precise method of baptism is not described in any scriptural instance.
- Water baptism in the early church period appears to occur when the church was primarily Jewish, based in Jerusalem. It may have been performed because of Jewish traditions and to show the association of the new formed church to Christ.
- Later mentions of baptism are fewer as the church expanded and matured throughout the Roman Empire, but again almost always included Jews or appear Jewish focused (instances up to Acts 19 and 1 Corinthians 1). Events in Acts described after chapter 19 do not specifically mention the rite of baptism again.
- Nonetheless, the church after the Bible times did perform water baptism (2nd century and beyond). The practice of this rite after the Bible times is at a minimum evidence for our great freedom in how we structure the church in time and place (6).
- Therefore, scripture by either what it says or does not say about water baptism provides several key messages:
- We are not commanded in the epistles, which contain the direction of Christ to the church, to be water baptized. A believer and a church are free to implement the rite out of faith in the manner they believe is correct.
- Water baptism, when performed by any method, might be understood as a public statement of a person’s commitment to Christ by faith to salvation or a symbol of the regenerative work of the Spirit in the person’s life (7).
Baptism In the epistles
The epistles are the letters in the New Testament, generally written from the apostles, and provide to the church specifically the manner by which we should live our lives for God. Baptism in the letters is spiritual baptism in every instance except one passage (1 Corinthians 1). Spiritual baptism also is discussed in Security of Salvation in Know the Bible.
- Spiritual baptism– This is an important biblical truth which is vital in understanding who we are as Christians. Our knowledge about baptism can transform the way we think!
- When we become a Christian, we are identified with Christ’s gracious death and His resurrection. Otherwise, at salvation our old self died and was buried with Christ. We are raised now to new life with Him and we sit with Him on the right hand of God the Father (Romans 6:2-12; Ephesians 2:4-7; Colossians 2:12-13). Similar concepts in scripture that also appear to speak to spiritual baptism are: regeneration (Titus 3:5), born again (John 3: 5) and a new man (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). The importance of spiritual baptism is at least the following:
- Power over sin – Although every believer sins, we can say ‘no’ to sin because as a new person in Christ we have the power to live a victorious life.
- End of depravity – When Adam fell into sin in the garden it became depraved, in body and mind that was by nature sinful, so he could not Say no to sin (Ephesians 2:1-3). Our identification with Christ resurrection provides us a new life with a new spiritual body that can approach God that holiness (Hebrews 10:19-22; Romans 6:2-11).
- Ability to serve – Being identified with Christ’s resurrection provides for us a new mindset that allows us the capacity to serve God in the way in which he wishes (Romans 6:12-16; Ephesians 2:10).
- New life – the reason for the resurrection – Baptism teaches us the importance of the resurrection because we are raised with Christ to new life without which we would still be dead in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17).
- Eternal security – Baptism helps prove we cannot lose our salvation. because scripture does not indicate that if we commit sin that our new self can be killed and the old dead self re-resurrected like some bad re-make of the ‘Night of the Living Dead’!
- In other words, you are transformed permanently to a new life, resurrected with Christ and sitting with Him in heaven. These changes cannot be reversed. What a great comfort we have in truth of scripture. Therefore, as a new person, we are liberated from sin and are free to serve Christ. We cannot be defeated by the misdeeds of our old self.
Baptism of the dead
This is a difficult and controversial verse (1 Corinthians 15:29). In context, this wonderful chapter deals with the importance of the resurrection and the rapture. The Apostle Paul indicates in verse 30 and 31 how he suffers on behalf of those unbelievers to bring them the gospel. These two verses may integrate with Matthew 20: 22-23 with Christ’s question to the apostles if they can tolerate the ‘baptism with which he is baptized’, which was to suffer on the cross for all men’s sins.
- Therefore, Paul possibly was saying that he was baptized, as an apostle, with a similar mission as Christ to take the gospel to unbelievers, with the accompanying suffering, as a part of his own mission (Colossians 1:24). The verse reflects Paul’s commitment to God’s purpose for his life (Romans 15:15-19).
In summary, so we’ve seen that baptism, although it has a variety of meanings in the New Testament, in the epistles intended for the church, it signifies spiritual baptism – our identification with the death and resurrection of Christ.
Thanks for joining me today. Next time we will discuss communion, remembering the death and resurrection of our precious savior.
William C. Stewart
- Ryrie CC. Basic theology: A popular systematic guide to understanding biblical truth. Moody Publishers, 1999.
- Chafer LS. Systematic Theology. Abridged Volume II. Kregel Publications, 1947.
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/mystery-religion/Beliefs-and-practices
- https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/was-baptism-originally-jewish/
- https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb.html
- http://www.equip.org/article/new-testament-baptism/
- http://www.faithfacts.org/world-religions-and-theology/101-reasons-baptism-not-necessary-for-salvation
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