Volume 4, Number 3(1) Baptism
by John Bennett, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, EnglandConsidering this subject I want us to
explore a number of simple questions and
see what answers we can find in the Bible.
 It is important that we can answer all these
questions from the scriptures and be clear
in our own minds why these things are the
practice of New Testament assemblies. What is baptism?
It would be helpful to cover the technical
bits first for we need to understand exactly
what the word baptism means. The word baptism originates from the
Greek words baptisma (the noun) and baptizo (the verb). These words
were not translated but transliterated into the English. If you look back
to the Greek, the word was used in two main ways. It was used in the
process of dyeing garments and it was used in the process of drawing
liquids from one vessel to another. To dye a garment completely that
garment has to be submerged in the dye so that the colour is the same
throughout. To draw water out of a large vessel into a cup for drinking,
the cup has to be submerged in the liquid before being drawn out.
The Christian method of baptism is to submerge a person in water, the
person going under the water before emerging out of the water. This
means that the person is dipped completely under the water before
being raised out of it and out of the baptistry as a whole.
This is confirmed to us by Romans chapter 6:‘we are buried with him by
baptism into death’, v. 4.To bury a body means to submerge it under the
earth completely.This is a point we shall return to when we consider the
question: How should we be baptized?
In reading Romans chapter 6 it is important to notice Paul’s choice of
words:
‘like as Christ’, v. 4;
‘in the likeness of his death’, v. 5;
‘in the likeness of his resurrection’, v.
5.
This suggests that Paul is drawing a
picture. He is drawing a parallel
between the concept of death, burial,
and resurrection and the New
Testament practice of baptism. The
language of the early verses confirm
this,‘baptised into his death’, v. 3;‘buried
with him by baptism’, v. 4.
It is important that we appreciate and
understand the meaning of this picture.
Paul says that in our baptism we were:
‘baptized into his death’, v. 3. In our
baptism we died with Christ.The life
that we once lived before we were
saved has ended. That life was
characterized by sin but the
pleasing of self is now at an end.Our
old life and our old man should both
be dead. Literally, our baptism was
the funeral service for our old life.
‘buried with him’, v. 4. To signify the
reality of the death of our old life we
have buried it.As we went under the
water in baptism our old manner of
life was buried. All that characterized
that life remains
under the water. It is
buried and, as such,
should remain out of
sight forever.
‘so that we should
walk in newness of life’,
v. 4. As we came out of
the water we came out
in newness of life. Our
new, spiritual man has
emerged from the
baptistry. We are, or
should be, a new
person.
we identified ourselves
with Christ –
‘baptized into his death,
v. 3; ‘buried with him’, v.4; ‘in the likeness of his resurrection’,
v. 5. It is said of some that ask for
baptism in Albania that they bring a
tank of water to the gate of your
home. The person is baptized in
front of their neighbours and
friends as a genuine witness and
clear identification with Christ.
This is the real challenge to our hearts.
We may have been baptized recently or
many years ago but are we living in the
good of what that baptism meant? Are
we walking in newness of life? Are we
really a different person and
increasingly so?
 What is this new person like? We can
see the negatives and the positives:
‘the body of sin might be destroyed’,
v. 6. That old life has been rendered
powerless.We are ‘dead indeed unto
sin’, v. 11.
‘we should not serve sin’, v. 6. This
means that we are no longer slaves
to sin. We are no longer controlled
by sin, sin being our master and we
being its willing slave. We may fail
but that is not the manner or
principle of our life.
we are ‘freed from sin’, v. 7. The
penalty that we should have borne
because of sin has been removed.
We are justified, made righteous and
fit for the presence of God. Sin no
longer has any legal rights over us.
‘we shall . . . live with him’, v. 8.
Whilst we may think this refers
solely to a future in heaven and
glory, it also means that we live in
the enjoyment of His fellowship
now and that we should live a life
that is consistent with the presence
of the Lord.
we are ‘alive unto God’, v. 11. In this
verse ‘to reckon’ means to consider
or count ourselves as alive unto
God. This is not a mental exercise
but one that affects our lives. Paul bids us maintain our Godconsciousness
and God-centred
lives.
This is a transformation and one that is
not short-term but long-term. As our
salvation is an event that changes our
lives forever, it is also a change that
cannot be reversed. Baptism should
give testimony to the change that has
taken place within. It is the outward
testimony to the inward change and
that is why it is so important that our
baptism shows that our lives are
changed.
Why should we be baptized?
As the Lord is about to depart from the
earth and return to the glory He bids
His disciples to ‘teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded
you’,Matt. 28. 19-20. Baptism is:
a command of the Lord. The King,
departing this scene for the glory,
gives command to His servants. It is
not an option but a command to be
obeyed. If we are not yet baptized,
the command of the Lord is to us.
Obey His command and submit to
the testimony of the waters of
baptism. part of the doctrine that the Lord bid
His disciples to teach. Clearly, as it is
linked with, so it is part of, the ‘all
things’ that the disciples were to
teach new converts to ‘observe’. We
see throughout the Acts of the
Apostles that this teaching was not
only communicated to new converts
but was also part of the practice of
the early church. It applied to Jew
and Gentile for, as Peter said in the
case of Cornelius, ‘Can any forbid
water, that these should not be
baptized’, Acts 10. 47.
‘the answer of a good
conscience toward
God’, 1 Peter 3. 21.
That is, a good
conscience, created
by our salvation,
would want to follow
the Lord in the
waters of baptism.
The scripture never
envisages a believer that is not
baptized, except, perhaps, those
that are close to death when they
are saved.
Who should be baptized?
If we read Acts chapter 2 from verses
37-42,we see that baptism is for:
those that are saved – ‘they that
gladly received his word were
baptized’, v. 41. This reception of
Peter’s preaching was demonstrated
by faith in Christ. They
witnessed to that faith in Christ by
being baptized.
It is important to notice too that they
had been taught the need for baptism.
‘Peter said unto them, “Repent, and be
baptized every one of you”’, v. 38. Peter
didn’t mention it to believers but to
those who were not saved but anxious
enquirers after the truth.
In Acts chapter 10 verses 44-48,we have
a further example. There we can see
that baptism is:
for Jew and Gentile – ‘he commanded
them to be baptized in the
name of the Lord’, Acts 10. 48.
Peter did not distinguish between Jews
and Gentiles. Cornelius was saved and
Peter encouraged him to be baptized.
There are no national or cultural
differences. All believers should be
baptized.
In Acts chapter 16 verses 30-34, the
account of the conversion of the Philippian jailor shows us that baptism
is:
for young and old alike – ‘and was
baptized, he and all his, straightway’,
v. 33.
It is remarkable to see the Spirit of God
at work in Philippi. This passage shows
us that: the gospel was preached to all
that were in the house – ‘they spake . . .
to all that were in his house’, v. 32; they
were all believers – ‘believing in God
with all his house’, v. 34; they were all
baptized as believers – ‘baptized, he
and all his’, v. 33.
Finally, in Acts chapter 19 verses 1-5 we
see that baptism is:
for those who may have
experienced other forms of baptism
– ‘they were baptised in the name
of the Lord Jesus’, Acts 19. 5.
It is important to appreciate the
formula. Baptism is an act of witness
and an act of will of a believer in Christ.
The use of what appears to be a
different form of words,‘in the name of
the Lord Jesus’, v. 5, was to distinguish
the baptism from the baptism of John
not to suggest a different form of words
from that commanded
by the Lord in Matthew
chapter 28.
How should they be baptized?
We said, as we started
our study of this
subject, that baptism
was by immersion.That
is the principle of scripture.
That principle is
based upon the
meaning of the word
baptism and it is based
upon the truth that
baptism indicates, the death, burial, and resurrection of the
believer as identified with Christ.
But our method of baptism is not based
only upon a principle. It is clearly based
upon the practice of the early believers
as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.
If we read of the baptism of the
Ethiopian eunuch we will notice that
‘they went down both into the water’,
Acts 8. 38. It was in that water that Philip
baptized the eunuch.We are then told
‘when they were come up out of the
water’, v. 39.
It may be that you have seen pictures
that purport to show this scene and
they have Philip and the eunuch
standing in the water whilst Philip
pours water over the eunuch’s head.
Such portrayals might be called
examples of artistic licence.We believe
that the scripture would clearly teach
baptism by immersion.
Considering our questions again:
What is baptism?
It is identification with Christ in His
death, burial and resurrection.
Why should we be baptized?
Because the Lord commanded that
we should.
Who should be baptized?
Believers in the Lord only
How should they be baptized?
They should be baptised by
immersion in water. Do you agree or disagree with this article do you have any questions? If so then please click here and fill out the comments form as we would love to hear from you. |
