Baptism, A Study Of

Baptism, A Study on

The Great Commission is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. At the death of Jesus, the Law of Moses was fulfilled and done away with. On the Day of Pentecost we would have the beginning of the Law of Christ. The commission recorded in the Gospels was looking forward to the Day of Pentecost and would apply to us today.

Matthew 28.18-20 points out that in order to be a disciple one must be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we read "in the name of" we should think "by the authority of." The authority by which one is baptized is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If it is commanded, it is not optional. Most of our religious friends will argue that a person does not "have to be baptized", but they want to make it optional and for a different reason. But if baptism is not commanded, then a person should not be baptized at all. However, it is commanded in Matthew 28.18-20 and not optional. The reason is more clearly explained in the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 16.15-16 is perhaps one of the plainest scriptures. Verse 15 gives the command to go and preach the Gospel. Verse 16 says that a person that believes “and” is baptized will be saved. The “and” joins together belief and baptism. Most of our denominational friends will accept the requirement of faith in order to be saved. But they want to deny the act of baptism. Why? Their argument is based on the last of verse 16. There it reads, "He who does not believe will be condemned." Therefore, they say that baptism is not mentioned and not necessary to be saved since it is not mentioned a second time. According to this logic the last portion of verse 16 would have to read, "but he who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned." Here's the problem with this logic. If a person does not believe in Jesus then baptism will not save them. Therefore, it was not necessary to include the non-baptism for a person to be lost. All a person has to do to be lost is simply not believe and it does not matter if they are baptized or not. There have been numerous people baptized, but are still in a lost condition. A second look at verse 16 plainly teaches for a person to be saved they must believe and be baptized. This refutes the doctrine of faith only.

Luke 24.46-49 is the third account of the Great Commission. Luke tells us that repentance and remission of sins was to be preached to all nations beginning at Jerusalem . Keep in mind that when comparing scriptures our task is to take all of what is taught on a subject and not use one scripture against another. Taking the three Gospels together we can conclude that they were to preach the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. They were also to preach about repentance, remission of sins, and baptism, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Acts 2 records the first Gospel sermon. This is important because most people that do not believe baptism is essential to salvation will want to go back to the earthly ministry of Jesus when He forgave people of their sins. They will talk about the man in Mark 2.5 or the thief on the cross in Luke 23.43. Both cases were under the Law of Moses. Both men were Jews, in a covenant relationship with God, and they were in the presence of Jesus. Being the Son of God, Christ could forgive men of their sins. However, the Law of Moses was nailed to the cross, Colossians 2.13-14. We are under the Law of Christ. Peter told the audience they had killed the Son of God and He is now at the right hand of God. They responded in Acts 2.37 by asking what they should do. Verse 38 Peter tells them to "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." They already believed what Peter said so it was not necessary for him to tell them to believe. But they had to repent (turn from their sins) and be baptized for the remission of their sins. One argument people make is the word for means because. A person is baptized because they are saved. This is sometimes phrased that a person is baptized as a sign of being saved, or baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace. Nowhere in the Bible are we told that baptism is a sign of our salvation. However, the word for in the Greek is eis and means in order to receive. They were baptized in order to receive the remission of their sins. It is the same word used in Matthew 26.28 when Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper. He said they were to drink from the cup for it is His blood which is shed for the remission of sins. Was Jesus going to die on the cross because man was already saved or in order to receive salvation? Obviously, it is the latter and not the former idea.

In Acts 8.12 the Samaritans were baptized for the same reason as those in Acts 2. Later on in Acts 8 we read of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip preached Jesus to the Eunuch, Acts 8.34. This included teaching about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In verse 36 the Eunuch asked what hindered him from being baptized. Why would he have asked such a question if not for the fact that "preaching Jesus" included preaching about baptism? He was baptized in verse 38. Many of our denominational friends will say that a person is baptized into a local fellowship or denomination. What denomination was this man being baptized into? It could not have been into the Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, or any other denomination because they did not exist yet. What local fellowship was this man being baptized into? He was on his way back home in a deserted region! There was only one church and that was the one established by Jesus. In order to be a part of the Lord's body he was being baptized for the remission of sins. One is baptized into Christ, Galatians 3.27 "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Where is one before they are baptized into Christ? Obviously if they are baptized into Christ then they are outside of Christ before their baptism. By definition a person outside of Christ is lost. If a person is saved then they are in Christ. Romans 6.3-5 teach the same thing. A person is united with Christ Jesus when they are baptized into His death. As they come out of the watery grave of baptism they are to walk in newness of life.

Going on in the Book of Acts we read of the conversion of the Philippian Jailer in Acts 16. He asked what he must do to be saved. He asked this question because he was lost. A person does not ask what to do to be saved if they are already saved, it would be redundant and repetitive. Verse 31 he was told to believe and in verse 33 he and his household were baptized. They were baptized for the same reason the people in Acts 2 were baptized, "for the remission of sins."

In Acts 18 the people at Corinth heard the Gospel, believed, and were baptized, verse 8. In Acts 22 Saul of Tarsus recounts his conversion to Christ. Ananias was sent to teach Paul what to do to be saved. "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." His sins were to be washed away by the blood of Christ. When would that occur? Not at the point of faith because Saul already believe in Jesus being the Son of God. He talked with Jesus on the road to Damascus . Yet he was not saved until he was baptized into Christ.

The Book of Acts is sometimes called the Book of Conversions. We read of numerous people being converted to Christ. From the Day of Pentecost at Jerusalem to Rome the Gospel of Christ was preached. In every case those saved by the blood of Christ believed in His death, burial, and resurrection. In the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch we see where he confessed Jesus to be the Son of God. In Acts 2.38 they were told to repent. In every case they were baptized into Christ.

We are under the same Law today as they were from Acts 2 onward. Baptism is still administered today for the same reason as it was on the Day of Pentecost. -- Dennis Tucker

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