20 Apr Biblical Teaching on Baptism
In this article we will discuss the amazing and vital teachings God has provided on the gift of baptism.
Jesus spoke these words to his disciples after his resurrection, just before God took him back to heaven:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus gave an exciting plan for the Eleven to follow, a plan that extends to all who would one day become his followers: We are to teach others to become disciples of Jesus, then we are to baptize them and help them continue to grow in faithful obedience. The word baptize is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo, which means “to immerse.” A biblical baptism is full immersion into water, not just a sprinkling. (See Matthew 5:3-6).
Soon after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the Eleven begin to carry out the commission the Lord had given them. On the day of Pentecost, they began to preach to a large crowd that had gathered, telling them about the life and death of Jesus. Peter’s sermon concluded with rousing words that inspired a sincere response from the crowd:
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all of whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.“ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:36-41)
Three thousand people responded and were baptized that very day. Baptism swiftly follows a radical decision of faith and repentance!
Note that Peter’s statement that the promise of baptism was “for you and your children and for all who are far off ” does not mean that young, immature children are to be baptized by their parents. Many New Testament examples show us that baptism is for people who are mature enough to repent of sin and to decide to follow Christ for a lifetime.
After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to Saul, a young Jewish teacher who was zealously persecuting Christians because he thought Jesus was a fraud. The moment Jesus confronted Saul, Saul realized the error of his ways and came to faith in the Lord. Saul spent three days in the city of Damascus in a state of temporary blindness. For three days he prayed, repented, and awaited further instruction from Jesus. Paul records his experience like this:
“A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
“Then he said: ‘The righteous God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words form his mouth. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:12-16 emphasis added)
Even though Paul had come to faith and repentance, he still needed to be baptized in order to have his sins washed away! Baptism is a powerful moment of salvation and transformation. Like Paul, anyone who wants to become a follower of Jesus also needs to be baptized in order to be forgiven and united with Jesus.
Later, Paul writes more about baptism in a letter to the church in Rome:
Or don’t 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. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:3-8)
Our baptism into Christ is the way we share in his death for us on the cross. In baptism we are buried with Christ—dying to our sins and our old way of life—then as we come out of the water, we are raised with him to a new life free from sin!
I will never forget the joy of my own baptism when I was nineteen years old. A month later I met a beautiful young woman, Geri Guba, at a retreat for college students. Shortly after we met, Geri moved to Gainesville, Florida, where I was going to school, and she soon asked me to baptize her. We soon began dating, and several years later, we were married. Over the years, our church in Gainesville saw hundreds of people baptized as zealous and loving disciples of Christ. During those years I was also able to baptize my mother and one of my sisters after studying the Bible with them in my hometown. I also studied with another of my sisters over the phone, and she was baptized by a church in her home state. My wife and I had four children who were all baptized as faithful disciples of Christ in their teenage years. They later married other faithful Christians, and they are all still servants of God today. Just last year, my older brother was baptized into Christ as well! These moments represent some of the most joyful blessings in my life. What a privilege and joy it is not just to experience our own salvation, but to share it with others we love—by the glory and grace of God!
No Comments