Introduction – WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH ABOUT BAPTISM
Baptism must be viewed from two perspectives: God’s view, and our view.
- Ephesians 1:3-4, God has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world,
therefore we are saying that “saving us” is His business, not ours. - Thus, when we hear the Word of God and respond to our call for baptism; we do that because of the seed that God planted in us that responds, so that we want to serve Him and our desire to be holy.
- The book of Acts provides a model of how the Church should proceed concerning our Salvation, Repentance, and our Induction into Christ and His Body the Church and of receiving the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
- Every instance of someone coming to the knowledge of salvation explicitly included one or more of the following: the hearing God’s Word; believing and/or confessing that Jesus is the Christ; repenting of their sins, being baptised for the remission of their sins.
FACT IS, THAT BAPTISM WAS A CENTRAL THEME THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF ACTS
So, what does the New Testament Scriptures reveal about baptism?
A passage by passage look at the topic of baptism reveals…
What it is likened to… What it symbolizes… and how it relates to our standing, and our relationship “in” the Lord.
Passage by Passage Look at Baptism
Romans 6:3-5 explains what baptism signifies…
- The Book of Acts reveals that people were to be baptised “in the name of the LORD, Jesus Christ’” (Acts 2:38; 10:48); or “the Lord Jesus” (8:16; 19:5)
- The Titles – Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matt 28:19) were never used for baptisms, for it was understood by the early church that the titles of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost represented the actual name the “Lord, Jesus Christ”.
- Also, when we baptise, it is not in the name of “Jesus” alone, for we distinguish Him from the other Jesus’ (of which there are many), and so identify Him with the same Jesus that was made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
- Baptism is done very much in the same manner that a wedding would take place, as the woman would traditionally take the name of their husband; so does the candidate who is baptised take on the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
- When someone is baptised “into Christ” they are symbolically baptised “into His death” signifying that they are abandoning their rights and their life, to now live for Him.
Therefore, “we are buried with Him through baptism into death.”
However, just as Christ was raised from the dead…we, too (when we come out of the watery grave of baptism) should now likewise be walking in newness of life.
Why? If we have come united with Him (Christ) in the likeness of His death (through baptism), certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection (after we are raised from the dead to newness of life)
Subject of Unity
1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Christians were exhorted to be united together as one body…
and not to have the divisions that currently existed among them.
- Thus, the apostle said he was glad he personally didn’t baptise any of them, lest they said that they were baptised in his name, which would have resulted in further divisions among them.
- The purpose of Paul was to preach the Gospel (Ref: 1 Cor 15:1-4) – the Great Commission (Ref: Mark 16:15-16) – which included baptism.
FACT: Being baptised “into Christ” is not essential to one’s salvation, but those who are “saved” will desire to be baptised if it is possible.
(e.g. The thief on the cross was not baptised but would see Christ “This Day in Paradise”)
So, Believers who are serious about their commitment to Christ will want to be baptised. Acts 2:41
UNITY
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (KJV) Points to Ponder
- By the one (Holy) Spirit we were all baptised into one body. v. 13
- This spiritual body of Christ is to have unity…like a real physical body. vs. 13-27
- This body (v. 13) represents the Lord’s Church, His Bride. v. 27-28.
- Thus, being baptised (into Christ. Rom. 6:3-4) signifies that you are part of “one body” which represents the Lord’s Church Body…which should be unified in the Lord.
Galatians 3:27
- Those baptised into Christ (as seen in Rom. 6:3-4) signify that they have been clothed with Christ.
- What this implies is that those who intentionally are not baptised, are either not ready to be identified fully with Christ, or that they are just struggling with understanding the scriptures on the matter.
Ephesians 4:5
There is “one baptism” that brings into the unifying covenant of the Lord.
This baptism also calls the body of Christ into unity in Christ. 1 Cor 1:30
Compare with: 1 Cor. 1:10-17; 12:13
Colossians 2:12 (CONTEXT: vs. 8-14. Similar phrase to Romans 6:3-4)
Unity with God’s people under the Old Testament came through circumcision. V. 11
But unity with God’s people under the New Testament comes with the “circumcision made without hands” … “the circumcision of Christ” (v. 11), having been buried with Him (Christ) through baptism. V. 12
Through the figure of baptism (death, resurrection) were “raised up with Him” 1 Peter 3:21
Those in Noah’s day that were saved by water… which served to illustrate a truth when coming into the New Testament regarding salvation. v. 20
Paralleling the salvation of Noah (in the midst of water) was baptism, which “now saves you.” (This “now saves you” is in the sense of a metaphor, as we know that we are saved by faith alone. Ephesians 2:8) This baptism is NOT the removal of dirt from the flesh or your sins, but it is an outward demonstration to others of an answer to God from a good conscience.” v. 21
Moses also took his people through baptisms of water and of the cloud, but few of them could claim secure salvation because of their baptism, simply because of their disobedience. 1 Corinthians 10:2
Summary
What baptism is likened to?
Being buried with Christ… and raised from the dead like Christ. Rom. 6:3-4
Putting on Christ. Eph. 4:5. A type of circumcision…made without hands. Col. 2:11
What it symbolizes:
Putting to death “the old man of sin.” Rom. 6:6. Likewise, our baptism is “the removal of the body of flesh” because we have “put on Christ.” Col. 2:11
How it relates to our standing/relationship with the Lord.
Those baptised into Christ for the remission of sins… are signifying that they are “in Christ”… meaning that they are in fellowship with Him in their spirit. Eph. 2:12-16
Baptism signifies that the individual believes the gospel and have chosen to identify with the burial and resurrection and have now become one with Christ. Gal. 3:27
Conclusion
The Bible teaching of Water Baptism by immersion “In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ” is according to Acts 2:38.
Anyone coming to the fellowship, that desires to be baptised and understands
the principles of baptism, may at any time request to be baptised by the Pastor.
Water Baptism inducts the candidate into the fellowship of the believers and
symbolises a new beginning in newness of life (Rom 6:3-4).