Water-Baptism: What the Bible Teaches about It
Part One
by G A N James
This is the first part of a three-part series of messages entitled, Water-Baptism: What the Bible Teaches about It. In the first part of sereis we will examine the subject of baptism by presenting the Bible’s answers for three of the most common questions which people ask about baptism. Firstly, what is baptism? Secondly, how significant is baptism to the Christian faith? Thirdly, Who should be baptized?
What Is Water-Baptism?
What is baptism? The word baptism is the English form of the Greek word, baptisma (bap’tismah), which means immersion. The verb baptize from which the noun baptism is derived is the Greek word baptizo (baptid’zo), which means to dip, to immerse, or to submerge. Both the noun baptism and its verb baptize began to be used in the New Testament mainly in connection with the religious practice of dipping or immersing people into water for the remission of their sins.
In fact, the practice of baptism emerged in the New Testament under the ministry of John the Baptist, who baptized multitudes of Jews in the river Jordan, as they heeded his warning to the nation of Israel to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. The gospel of Mark records that event this way in Mark 1:45: “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” TheOur Lord Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be baptized by John the Baptist, and on His departure into heaven commissioned His disciples to universally baptize all who would believe in Him after hearing and believing the Gospel. Hence th practice of water-baptism continued in the early Church and is practiced by believers in Christ to this day.
The Significance of Water-Baptism to the Christian Faith
The baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River demonstrates the tremendous significance of water-baptism to the Christian faith. The Bible records that our Lord Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist at the Jordan River to be baptized, declaring to John that it was a necessary thing for him to do, since it was imperative that all men do the things that are right. We can read about that incident in Matt 3:1315: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.”
So by His historic example in allowing Himself to be baptized into water, Jesus Christ had put His seal of approval on the practice of water-baptism, revealing at the same time that it was a necessary righteous practice for all men. It is important to note or consider closely the important implication in Jesus’ submission to the practice of water-baptism. Jesus certainly was not being baptized for the forgiveness of any sin which He committed, because Jesus was without sin. The important point which Jesus made there is that baptism is a necessary righteous practice for all men, and, therefore, being in the form of a man, though without sin, Jesus gladly and reverently submitted to water-baptism as a divine requirement for all men.
Moreover, before His ascension into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples to continue the practice of baptizing believers all over the world. In Matt 28:18-20, we read: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” And in Mark 16:1516, we also read: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’”
After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the profound truth of water-baptism as representing the believer’s identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ became real to the disciples of Christ. Paul, therefore, taught in Rom 6:34: “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
This is the reason why in the Book of Acts, the disciples of Christ made a distinction between the baptism of John the Baptist and the Christian baptism or baptism into Christ. The baptism of John the Baptist was administered particularly to the Jews and represented a ceremonial washing away of their sins. The truth of the relationship of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to the salvation of mankind was not yet fully declared during the Joh the Baptist era. Christian baptism was instituted by Christ Himself for all nations and peoples to represent the believer’s actual identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ for the remission of sins.
As the Biblical records show, especially in the Book of Acts, the practice of water-baptism continued in the early New Testament Church, as instructed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, historically, it is clear that water-baptism is an ordinance instituted by Christ, practiced by the first apostles, and submitted to by members of the New Testament Church. No religious or denominational hierarchy has the right to modify or dispense with this command of Christ. Also, no Christian believer has the right to exempt himself from it. The Church is here on earth to fulfil the Lord’s will and obey His instructions, not to adapt or modify the things of God to suit its fashions. If we are going to do the will of God, and, like Jesus, do the things that are right, then we must accept Christian baptism by immersion into water, as a personal identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as taught and practiced in the Bible.
Who should be baptized?
Now that we have established the Biblical meaning and significance of water-baptism by immersion into water, let us proceed to address the question: Who should be baptized. Who are candidates for baptism?
The question who should be baptized is indeed an important question which is answered clearly and straightforwardly in the Bible. Unfortunately, the question has genreated some controversy today because of the distortion of the Biblical concept and practice of baptism by religious traditions and rituals, which pervert the clear teachings of the Bible on the subject.
Jesus’ instruction to His disciples with regard to baptism was: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:1516). We notice in this Scriptural instruction that baptism is one of four important basic steps for salvation. First, the gospel is to be preached to every one; second, as a result of hearing the gospel some would come to believe in Christ; third, because of their belief in Christ some would be baptized; and fourth, those who believe and are baptized will be saved. It is clear to us from the Scripture that Jesus connected believing the gospel, or believing in Him, with baptism as fundamental to salvation — “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” We can rightly infer from that connection that when one truly believes the gospel one will accept baptism.
Of course, this is obvious when it is realized that the true and full message of the gospel is centred on the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to redeem and save mankind, and baptism itself signifies the identification of a believer in Christ with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus to believe the gospel is essentially to believe in what baptism signifies. Let us look at some more of these Scripture passages which present that integral relationship between believing the gospel and being baptized. This one refers to the people’s response to Peter’s first message of the gospel on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:3738: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” This next one is concerning the Ethiopian’s response to Philip’s teaching on the gospel. Acts 8:3638: “Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” And the last Scripture passage which we will mention here to demonstrate the integral connection shown in the Bible between believing in Christ and accepting baptism is in Acts 18:8: “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.”
In all of these Scripture passages which we have just read, and several others in the Bible, baptism seems to have followed belief in Christ in response to the hearing of the gospel. They heard, they believed and they were baptized. Furthermore, an implicit point is that the preaching of the gospel by the early disciples as recorded in Bible seems to have always included teaching on the truth of baptism. Thus to believe the gospel as it was taught by the early disciples of Christ invariably involved accepting baptism. Therefore, those who truly believed then had absolutely no scruples about being baptized.
So, the answer to the question who should be baptized is quite simple and evident in the Scripture. All who believe the Gospel and put their faith in Christ for their salvation should be baptized. In other words the basic condition for baptism is hearing the gospel and believing in the Christ whom the gospel presents as the Saviour of mankind. The full gospel therefore includes the truth of water-baptism as representing the believer’s identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the redemption and salvation of mankind.
A chief controversy which is associated with the question of who should be baptized is the practice of so-called infant baptism. Infant baptism is unscriptural. It has no foundation or origin in the Bible. Moreover, the necessary pre-condition of hearing and believing the gospel before one may be baptized cannot apply to an infant. In addition, in view of the true Scriptural definition and practice of baptism, that is, immersion into water, the so-called infant baptism, which is performed by the sprinkling of water over an infant, actually is not a genuine Scriptural form of baptism. An infant is innocent, and is justified by God through Christ on the basis of its innocence. However, if the child grows to an age of moral responsibility, that person is expected according to Scripture to hear the gospel, believe and be baptized for the remission of sins.
The Bible records the blessing of little children by Jesus, but does not record any instance of baptizing of infants by Jesus. Jesus Himself as an infant was brought to the temple to be dedicated according to Jewish custom, but when He became an adult he thought it was then the right time and the right practice for Him to be baptized. And so, we can conclude on the basis of Biblical examples and teaching that morally responsible believers, and not infants, should be baptized.
We will end here and continue this series of messages on water-baptism by addressing in the next part of the sereis the question: How Should One Be Baptized.
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