Baptism - June 27, 2010
Paster Bill NicholsToday's Scripture reference is Acts 2: 38
Introduction
This morning I want to speak to you about a topic that I believe is often overlooked and in many churches misunderstood. Let me preface my message this morning with this disclaimer. The information I am going to share with you this morning is what I believe based on many years of study and ministry, having been schooled in both a Baptist College and a Christian Church College, and having read much on the subject by authors of many different theological perspectives. I cannot say that I fit into anyone else's round hole on the subject. I believe what I believe based on my convictions which came as a result of reading the Scriptures, reviewing the arguments of scholars, and just plain common sense.
You are free to disagree with me concerning the subject, as long as you agree to disagree agreeably. I will state that it took me seven years to come to the convictions that I did, and that my convictions concerning this topic have not changed since that time. That does not mean that I have closed my mind to other possible conclusions, but to date I have not been persuaded otherwise.
The topic I want to share with you this morning is Christian Baptism.
Baptism Defined
The word baptize means a lot of different things to different people. To a Catholic it means to be sprinkled by the Priest as an infant. To some denominations it means to have water poured on their head. To many it means to be completely immersed in water. To find the real original meaning of the word baptize you have to look at the Greek word, from which we get our English word baptize. In the Greek the noun is baptisma and the verb is baptizo. It was a word used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another." (Vines Expository Dictionary) The literal translation into English is to dip or immerse. As a matter of fact, the word baptize is not even a translation of the Greek, it is a transliteration into English. In other words, rather than translate the word immerse or dip, they created a new word, baptize, and this transliteration has caused a lot of confusion concerning the biblical mode of baptism.
When the Restoration movement began, baptism was one of the hot issues that were debated by the founders of the movement. Alexander Campbell had been baptized as an infant in the Presbyterian Church. After the birth of his first child he undertook a comprehensive study of baptism and concluded that he had not been baptized according to the teaching of the Scriptures. On June 12, 1812, he, his wife, mother and father and others were immersed by a Baptist minister, Matthias Luce, upon a simple confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. (From Baptism and the Restoration by Alan E. Highers)
Alexander Campbell later debated Presbyterian ministers on the topic, and he also wrote on the topic. My understanding of his position leads me to believe that although he believed that immersion is the proper method taught in the Scriptures, he was not conclusively dogmatic on the subject. I conclude that this is one of the reasons that the Disciples of Christ church practices baptism by immersion, yet allows people who have been baptized by sprinkling or pouring to transfer their membership without having to be re-baptized, as is required in some other denominations. If you want to read more about Campbell or Stones position on baptism, there is plenty of information concerning the Restoration Movement and baptism available on the web.
The next time that you are reading your Bible and you come across the word baptize, baptizing, etcetera, you take a moment to replace the word baptize with the word immerse and you will gain a clearer understanding of the original intent of the passage.
For or Because Of?
When you study the subject of baptism you have another issue at hand besides the proper mode.
There are two camps that are at opposite extremes concerning the purpose of baptism. On the one hand there are those who hold to the teaching that baptism is strictly an act of obedience to the teaching of the Scripture. They would argue that it is not necessary for salvation because salvation is by grace through faith, not as a result of works. (Ephesians 2: 8 – 9) Baptism in this camp, is an act of man, and therefore is considered a work of man. Since a person is saved by grace through faith, not as a result of works, then baptism, being a work of man, is not necessary. However, if a person refuses to be baptized, then there would be a question to the authenticity of their confession of faith. When the person is baptized, it is simply an outward sign of an inner faith, expressed by their obedience to the commands of Scripture.
The other camp says that baptism is a necessary part of the salvation process. They agree that baptism is an act of obedience by the person that believes the gospel and receives Jesus into his life, but they would go a little further and state that it is necessary in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. They believe that it is a requirement of God, and therefore is not a result of works by man.
The problem lies in a little word in the Greek language that we find in Acts 2: 38. Acts 2: 38 reads (NIV)
"Repent and be baptized (immersed), every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
That little Greek word translated "for" here is the word "eis". It is a preposition that can be and is translated elsewhere (on account of, or because of).
If translated because of or on account of, it definitely changes the meaning of the command of Peter concerning baptism.
"Repent and be baptized on account of the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Now let me tell you, this one little word has put much of Christendom at opposite extremes concerning the importance of baptism in relation to salvation. Both translations are legitimate, but there are additional arguments that need to be considered if you want to go to the time and trouble to study them.
After many years of considering the two positions, I came to my own position. You can take it for what it is worth.
Both camps would agree that the words "repent" and "be baptized" are commands in the Greek. Everyone agrees that a person must repent in order to be saved, why? Because it is a command in direct response to the peoples question to Peter; "What must we do?"
What many forget is that the word "be baptized" is also a command in the Greek. Everyone gets caught up in the argument of whether baptism is for the remission of sins or because of the remission of sins and they lose sight of the fact that either way, Peter's command under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is "be baptized" or more technically, "be immersed."
The position that I finally came to and am comfortable with is that it does not matter whether it is for the remission of sins or because of the remission of sins, it is a command that is to be obeyed in response to the peoples question, what must we do (to be saved is implied). Call me a fence sitter if you want to but I do not think it is worth arguing about. Another thing is that if God, through the Holy Spirit commands it, then how could it be a work of man? And to disobey would call into question the sincerity of your decision to follow Christ.
Five Scriptures That Teach the Importance of Baptism
Finally this morning, there are five Scriptures that I want to share with you this morning that I believe speak of the importance of baptism. I know there are others, but these five I believe will show you how important it is that you be baptized.
1. The Example of Jesus (Matthew 3: 13 – 15)
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented."
Now, did Jesus need to be baptized for repentance of sin? No, for Jesus was sinless. But Jesus' own words indicate that somehow His baptism would "fulfill all righteousness." What does that mean? I do not know and to my knowledge, there is no indication in the Scriptures what He meant by that. But if baptism somehow helped fulfill all righteousness in His life, I have to believe that it does in ours too.
2. The Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19 – 20)
"Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.'"
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He met with His disciples and told them to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. In the Greek there are two participles that explain the process of making disciples. They are the words "baptizing" and "teaching". Part of the process of becoming a disciple or a follower of Jesus involves being baptized, in accordance with His own instructions.
3. The Command of Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2:38)
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
I think I have said enough about this passage already, but I would just remind you that the words "be baptized" are a command in the Greek. I would just add from verse 41 that it says that "those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their numbers that day."
4.New Believers in the New Testament Were Always Baptized.
The believers at Pentecost, the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8: 38), Saul who became Paul, (Acts 9: 18), Cornelius and his family, (Acts 10: 48), Lydia and her household, (Acts 16: 15), to name a few.
How can we ignore the consistent example provided by us in the Scriptures to the importance of baptism in a new believer's life?
5. Our Identification with the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ. (Romans 6: 3 – 7)
"Or do not you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."
In this passage, the Apostle Paul tells us that baptism (by immersion) is an identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus died and was buried. We die to sin when we accept Jesus as Lord, and immersion into water pictures our burial with Christ. Jesus was raised from the dead, conquering sin and death. When we come up out of the water, often called the watery grave of baptism, it pictures our resurrection to a newness of life in Christ.
Therefore, baptism is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us, having died, been buried and having been raised from the dead. You just cannot get this same picture, this same identification with Christ through any other means of baptism except full immersion in water.
Conclusion
So there you have it. The word baptize means to immerse completely in water. Baptism is a command of the Scriptures, either for or on account of the remission of sins. Either way, it is a command to be obeyed. And I have given you several examples from the Scriptures as to why you should be baptized. The only question remaining for you this morning is, do you believe? Have you come to a point in your life where you are ready to accept Jesus forgiveness, repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins?