Water-Baptism: What the Bible Teaches about It

Part Three

By G A N James

Introduction

This is the third and last part of the series of messages on the topic: Water-Baptism: What the Bible Teaches about It. This series on water-baptism examines the Bible’s answers to four very common questions asked about water-baptism: (1) what is baptism; (2) what is the significance of water-baptism to the Christian faith; (3) who should be baptized; and (4) how should one be baptized. In the two previous messages, we covered the Bible’s answers to the first three of these four questions (what is baptism; what is the significance of water-baptism to the Christian faith; and who should be baptized) and began addressing the fourth question (how one should be baptized). In this final part of the series, we are continuing to examine the Biblical perspective on how one should be baptized.

How Should One Be Baptized, Cont.

In addressing the question, how one should be baptized, we mentioned in the previous message that there are two main controversies which have arisen regarding the procedure for water-baptism. One concerns the question: should one be immersed into water or should be sprinkled with water for water-baptism? The other concerns the question: what should be recited by a minister while performing water-baptism?

Regarding the first controversy about water-baptism by immersion versus sprinkling, we pointed out in our last broadcast that from a Biblical perspective, where it is seen that the word baptize used in the Bible is baptizo, which means to immerse, the controversy vanishes completely. The Greek word rhantizo which means to pour or sprinkle has not been used in the New Testament in connection with baptism. Moreover, the practice of the early Church as recorded in the New Testament indicates that water-baptism was always performed by immersion of the candidate into water.

What Should Be Recited

The other controversy about the procedure for water baptism is what, if anything, should the one doing the baptism recite over the person being baptized. For instance, there is much controversy concerning whether the one doing the baptizing should recite over the candidate being baptized: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”; or “I baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ”; or “I baptize you in the name of the Lord”; or “I baptize you into Christ”; or “I baptize you into the death of Christ”; and so on.  These statements are all Scriptural statements which refer to water-baptism. However, the truth is that when one truly understands the real meaning and purpose of water-baptism as taught in the Bible, one realizes that it matters not which ever, or whether or not any, of these statements are said over the candidate being baptized.

The real essence and significance of water baptism is the believer’s immersion or baptism into the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ by faith, whereby he recognizes that his sinful nature becomes crucified and buried with Christ, and he rises into the resurrection life of Christ to walk in newness of life. Therefore, it is the understanding and faith in what water-baptism really signifies according to the Bible both by the one doing the baptism and the one being baptized that makes water-baptism a meaningful baptism, and not what is ritually recited over the candidate for baptism by the one doing the baptism. There is no where in the Bible that it is taught that the effectiveness of water-baptism depends on what the one doing the baptism recites over the candidate being baptized.

It seems to be wrongly understood that when Jesus instructed His disciples in Matt 28:19 to baptize believers “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, He was proposing some ritual statement which they were to recite over all whom they would baptize.  However, when this Scripture passage is closely examined in the light of the emphasis the Bible puts on the motive and objective of baptism, it becomes clear that Jesus was instructing His disciples on the authority with which they were to baptize believers and the mystical relationship with God in Christ that water-baptism represents to a believer.  In other words, the disciples were being commissioned to baptize believers in the authority of and into the God-head — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. It matters not whether or not they ritually recite in whose name they would be baptizing or what it is that they would be doing , but what really matters is that the ones performing the baptism, as well as the ones being baptized, recognize in whose name or authority the water-baptism is being performed and what the water-baptism actually represents.

Today, this is still a very relevant instruction in the light of the various other motives with which some ministers seem to baptize.  For instance, there are those who baptize people simply to boast of the numbers which they baptize – they baptize in their own names or egos; others baptize to make membership for their church or denomination — that is, they baptize in the name of their church or their denomination.  In fact, a minister may even recite very piously over the candidate for baptism: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”; or “I baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ”; or “I baptize you in the name of the Lord”; or “I baptize you into Christ”; or “I baptize you into the death of Christ”. Nonetheless, if the minister’s motive is not right or the candidate is not clear on the true meaning and purpose of water-baptism, the entire ceremony of water-baptism is simply a vain ritual. Jesus is not concerned with our mentioning His name saying, “Lord!”, “Lord!”; “I do this or that in the name of the Lord.” Jesus judges us as to the intents of our hearts and thus whether or not we actually did what we did in His name.

Another similar misunderstanding concerns Paul’s re-baptism of the disciples who were baptized by John the Baptist but had not yet heard the gospel of Christ.  We can read the account in Acts 19:15: “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John's baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

There are some who misinterpret the account in this Scripture passage to infer that the real difference between John’s baptism and Paul’s baptism of these disciples was Paul’s assumed reciting over them while baptizing them: “I baptize you in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Again, if we closely examine the account in this Scripture passage, we will notice that it gives us no reason to assume that Paul recited anything over them while baptizing them.  What is true is that Paul discovered that while they were baptized with John’s baptism, they did not have a proper knowledge of Christ and the gospel of salvation, and he therefore taught them the gospel that they could have put their faith in Christ, and be properly baptized into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and receive the Holy Spirit.  Only subsequent to their hearing and believing the gospel and putting their faith in Christ could Paul truly baptize them in the authority of the Lord Jesus and into God in Christ.

Thus, in this incident, it was not what Paul recited over them during their water-baptism that was of concern, but the believers’ faith and motive — they needed to know about Christ in order to be truly baptized in the name of Christ.  It must be mentioned also here that when the Bible refers to baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, or baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus, it means the same essential baptism, which is the identification of the believer through immersion into water with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Indeed to be baptized into Christ is to be baptized into the God-head – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our baptism into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ represents the same experience referred to in Col 3:3, where Paul states: “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

The following illustration should clarify this point and show the absurdity of the idea, which some propagate, that the effectiveness of baptism depends on what is recited by the minister who is performing the baptism.  In Col 3:17, Paul instructs the believer that whatsoever he does he should do it in the name of the Lord. Does that mean that a believer only effectively does things in the name of the Lord when he repeats during every act he performs: “I do this in the name of the Lord”?  Oh no. Rather, it is the person’s faith and submission to the Lord in every act that makes it an act done in the name of the Lord.

Conclusion

In closing, we conclude by summing up briefly what we have said in this series of messages on the subject of water-baptism. According to the teaching of the Bible, water-baptism is the immersion of a morally responsible believer into water signifying his identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Two things are obvious from the Biblical meaning and practice of water-baptism. One is that water-baptism is immersion into water and not pouring or sprinkling water upon someone. The other is that responsible people, and not infants, are eligible for water-baptism. This is because one is eligible for water-baptism, according to the Scriptures, only subsequent to having heard the Gospel, repenting of sin and believing in Christ for the remission of sin and for salvation.

Moreover, water-baptism is to be performed, as the Bible instructs, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, or in the name of Christ, or into Christ, or into the death of Christ, and that does not require the one who performs the baptism to ritually recite any of these statements over the person being baptized. Genuine water-baptism is a meaningful experience which signifies the identification of a believer with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ into the newness of the Christian life. It does not involve any ritual recitation that one carefully repeats word for word over a candidate during baptism.  What is actually necessary is that that every candidate for baptism must be aware and believe what water-baptism represents and that through faith in Christ the Spirit of God baptizes him into Christ, into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ in whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily.  It is this awareness and faith of the believer in Christ that makes his baptism genuine and effective, not whether or not the one who is baptizing the believer recites some ritual statement: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost”; or “I baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ”; or “I baptize you into Christ”; or “I baptize you into the death of Christ”; and so on.

Therefore, we can truly see that water-baptism, a believer’s immersion into water, represents and confirms a glorious experience in Christ for believers, and its truth transcends human or religious traditions and rituals. My dear friend, the Lord Jesus Christ instituted water-baptism to give us a glorious opportunity to identify ourselves with His death, burial and resurrection in order that we can be truly washed and freed from our sinfulness and walk in a new life in Him. If you are not yet baptized by immersion into water, in the manner the Bible teaches, you need to humble yourself and seek water-baptism. The Bible tells us that Naman, a proud military officer, had to humble himself and obey the prophet’s instruction to dip or baptize himself seven times in the muddy water of the Jordan River in order to be cleansed of his leprosy.

If you have not been baptized in the proper manner described in this series of messages, please make that decision to do so now. Jesus said: He who believes and is baptized shall be saved (Matt 16:16).  I pray that the Holy Spirit will enable you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and take that necessary step of water-baptism by immersion into water for the remission of your sins and for your soul’s salvation. Amen.

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