There are three specific water baptisms mentioned in the New Testament:
· Baptism administered by John the Baptist: This was indicative of one’s repentance of sins and anticipation of the Messiah (Mathew 3:2). It was not accepted as valid in the Church age (Acts19:1-7)
· Baptism of Jesus Christ: This was different from the rest as no repentance of sin was involved. Jesus Christ was simply fulfilling the righteousness of God by identifying Himself with the lost humanity (Mathew 3:15)
· Believers Baptism: This was instituted by Jesus Christ and is meant for all believers in Christ until the end of the age.
This study is limited only to Believers Baptism.
Who is to be baptised?
In Acts 8:36,37 we read of the Ethiopian Eunuch asking Philip: ‘What prevents me from being baptised?’ Philip replies: ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may...’ This was the one and only condition. To this the Eunuch replied: ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’...and he was immediately baptised.
Only those who have put their personal trust in Jesus Christ for salvation are qualified to be baptised. Every instance of baptism in the New Testament clearly proves this point. (Mathew 28:19; Acts 2:41; 2:37,38; 8:12; 8:36,37; 18:8, etc.)In the New Testament there is no provision for baptism of the unsaved. There is no provision for baptism by proxy. There is no provision for baptism of the unbelieving children of believing parents. Baptism is only for born again believers.
Why be baptised?
Jesus Christ commanded it in Mathew 28:19,20 as an ordinance that would continue to be applicable till the end of the age. In that verse itself, Jesus Christ emphasised the need for the disciples not merely to be taught, but to be taught to obey. If we love Him, we will obey Him (John 14:14; 1 John5:3). Plain and simple, baptism is an act of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and doing so leads to a clear conscience (1 Peter 3:21).
What does Baptism signify?
Baptism symbolises spiritual regeneration (Romans 6:3,4,11, Colossians 2:13). Baptism does not regenerate anyone. It displays symbolically and outwardly a spiritual reality that that has taken place within. In baptism the believer identifies with the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Declaring himself dead with Christ a believer steps into the waters of baptism. Going down into the waters, he proclaims his burial with Christ. Rising from the water after immersion is a picture of his resurrection with Christ.
Mode of Baptism
Baptism is to be by immersion and not by sprinkling for the following reasons:
1. Being true to the Word Meaning
The English word ‘baptism’ is a transliteration of the Greek word ‘baptismos’. The verb form ‘baptizo’ means in Greek to dip, to plunge or to immerse. Those who translated the King James Version of the Bible were Anglicans. They knew that if they translated the word as ‘immersion’ they will face the fury of the Anglican Church which practiced infant baptism by sprinkling. To avoid the conflict, they transliterated the word as ‘baptism’ and left it to the denominations to interpret the doctrine. The Greek Orthodox Church, though practicing infant baptism, does so by immersion of their infants for they know the meaning of the Greek word ‘baptiso’!
2. Being true to the Biblical Symbolism of Baptism
The symbolism of baptism which was detailed earlier can be justified only by immersion and not by sprinkling.
3. Being true to the New Testament Indicators
When we look at Mathew 3:13-16 and Acts 8:36-39 we see that the baptiser and the one to be baptised went into the water for baptism. This would not have been necessary if baptism were by sprinkling. In John 3:23 we read of John baptising at a particular location because there was plenty of water there – a requirement not needed if the mode of baptism was by sprinkling.
Baptism does not save
A sinner is saved only by faith in Jesus Christ. This is by grace and not by works. At the same time we do not find in the New Testament cases of a believer who having put his trust in Jesus Christ, remains un-baptised, except of course the thief on the cross. This exception cannot be used to justify a norm. But the exception does stand to prove that baptism was not necessary for salvation. Jesus Christ assured the thief in Luke 23:43: ‘I tell you with certainty, today you will be with me in Paradise’.
Baptism in whose name?
Baptism must be administered ‘in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’. There are some who teach that baptism ought to be in the name of Jesus Christ alone. As proof they cite Acts 2:38. This verse is part of the gospel message by the Apostle Peter. It means ‘by the authority of Jesus’ or as per the commandment of Jesus which. The right formula for baptism was given by the Lord Jesus Christ himself in Mathew 28: 19, 20.
What does the New Testament teach about Infant Baptism?
Those who advocate infant baptism justify the practice by misinterpreting certain portions of the New Testament like:
Acts 10:47, 48: There is no indication that the household of Cornelius included infants. To base a practice of the church on silence is very dangerous. The passage instead indicates that Peter ordered only those who had received the Holy Spirit to be baptised.
Acts 16: 31-33: The Philippian Jailor was baptised along with his household. But does that prove that the household included infants? Instead everything in the passage indicates that all in the Jailors household were old enough to listen to the preaching of the gospel (v.32), to fulfil the requirement for salvation (v.31). The gospel was accepted by the Jailor and all in his household (v.34). The whole family was baptised because the whole family had believed.
Acts 16: 14, 15: Lydia and her household were baptised. It is true that it is not stated that the ‘household’ believed. However it is purely presumptuous to say that there were infants in the house.
The principles of interpretation of Scripture require that the unclear or doubtful passages be explained by the clear passages on the subject. When the New Testament clearly indicates elsewhere that believing in Jesus Christ is the one requirement for baptism, it would be wrong to forgo this requirement to include infants who are unable to put their personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as eligible candidates for baptism.
Circumcision
The advocates of infant baptism sometimes claim that infant baptism replaced the Old Testament ritual of circumcision done in accordance the Old Testament requirement for every Jewish boy on the eighth day. This argument reflects a very faulty understanding of the Scriptures. With the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, the Old Testament circumcision, temple, altar, sacrifices, priesthood, Sabbath, etc. were all done away. God was no longer dealing with the Jewish nation exclusively but had opened up His programme for all nations and language groups, irrespective of their sex. Moreover why is it that those who came to the faith from a Jewish background, who had already been circumcised, were again baptised by the early Church?
Conclusion
Baptism has no saving merit. However, baptism as an act of obedience is meant to have a logical and chronological priority among all that Jesus Christ has commanded (Mathew 28:19, 20). Baptism is not an act of getting membership into a particular church, but those who got baptised continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer (Acts 2:42). In Acts 10:46-48 we read Peter ‘commanded them to be baptised’. Baptism was not left as a matter of option or left to the choice of those who had put their faith in Jesus Christ.
