Baptism is discussed numerous times throughout the New Testament. There are also different baptisms that are mentioned. John the Baptist mentioned three baptisms – the baptism of John, the Holy Spirit, and fire (Matthew 3:11). In his letter to Corinth, Paul made reference to baptism for the dead (1 Corinthians 15:29). There is also the baptism that is done in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). It is this baptism that is repeatedly referred to in the New Testament as being applicable to men today (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:48; 19:5).
Many people have various opinions about baptism. Some believe baptism is unnecessary because they believe we are saved by faith alone. Others believe baptism is merely a confession of faith – an outward sign of an inward grace. Some see baptism as necessary for gaining membership into a local church, but that one is already saved before being baptized. Still others believe that baptism is for the remission of sins and through it one gains entrance into the universal church. It is important that we understand what baptism is. Part of our “platform for unity” is the “one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). Let us consider what the New Testament teaches about baptism so we can unite around that teaching.
Baptism is Immersion in Water
The Greek word from which we get our English word baptize is baptizo. This word means “to dip” [Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words], or “to immerse, submerge; to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet)” [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible]. We can see from the definition of the word used in the original language that the act of baptism is immersion. It may be true that some English dictionaries include the acts of sprinkling and pouring in the definition of baptism, but this is because languages evolve over time. The New Testament was not written in our modern English language. We need to be sure we are defining words in the way they were defined to their original audience.
The fact that baptism is immersion in water is also indicated in Scripture. John “was baptizing in Aenon near Salim” (John 3:23). Why was He baptizing there? It was “because there was much water there.” Regarding the baptism of Jesus, Matthew recorded, “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water” (Matthew 3:16). In order to come up from the water, He first had to go down into the water. We also see this type of language in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch: “And they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water…” (Acts 8:38-39). Paul spoke of being “buried with Him [Christ] through baptism into death” (Romans 6:4). From these passages we see that baptism required “much water,” the one baptizing and the one being baptized both going down into the water, and that baptism is a burial. Add to these passages the definitions for “baptize” that we noticed (to dip, immerse, submerge), and we have a clear picture of what the physical act of baptism is to be. Baptism is immersion in water.
Baptism is for Believers
If we go back to the example of the Ethiopian eunuch, we see that baptism is for believers. Philip joined this man in his chariot and “preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:35-36). Notice that the preaching of Christ naturally led to a knowledge of and interest in baptism. Also notice Philip response. What was standing in the way of this man being baptized? Philip said nothing about waiting to take some baptism class or anything like that. He said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may” (Acts 8:37).
In fact, every example of baptism in the New Testament is preceded by belief. Jesus said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). On the day of Pentecost when many of the Jews believed that Jesus was “both Lord and Christ,” they were “pierced to the heart” and asked, “What shall we do?” They were told, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:36-38).
The fact that belief precedes baptism is how we know that infants are not to be baptized. Infants are unable to believe. Some in defending the practice of infant baptism have pointed to examples that speak of all in a certain household being baptized. Lydia “and her household had been baptized” (Acts 16:15). Later in the same chapter we see the conversion of the Philippian jailer: “Immediately he was baptized, he and all his household” (Acts 16:33). For one to use these passages to defend the practice of infant baptism, he has to assume that there were infants in these households and ignore every example of baptism being preceded by belief.
Baptism is an Act of Obedience
We are to obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8). When the gospel was preached, baptism was commanded. Peter told the Jews on Pentecost, “Repent, and each of you be baptized” (Acts 2:38). Later when he spoke to Cornelius and his household “he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:48). When Paul told of his conversion, he said that Ananias came to him and told him, “Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16). Baptism is commanded. Commands must be obeyed. To be fair, there are many in the denominational world that do believe that baptism is an act of obedience, but many do not believe the next point.
Baptism is a Prerequisite of Salvation
Many in the denominational world believe that one is saved at the point of faith (mere belief in Jesus). They acknowledge that baptism is an act of obedience and that we should be baptized. They understand that baptism is for believers, but they also believe that baptism is for those who have already been saved. However, we will notice that the Bible teaches that baptism is for the purpose of obtaining salvation, not because one has already been saved. Those who believe baptism comes after salvation are not practicing the “one baptism” that Paul mentioned in his letter to Ephesus (Ephesians 4:5).
When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Notice He did not say that he who believes shall be saved and later is to be baptized. For one to be saved, he must first believe and be baptized. Other passages teach that baptism precedes the forgiveness of sins. “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Paul was told, “Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16). If we want to be forgiven and have our sins washed away, we must be baptized.
Salvation is in Christ (Romans 3:24). We are “baptized into Christ” (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). Salvation is in the church, the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23). We are baptized into this body (1 Corinthians 12:13). If we want to be in Christ, in His body, where salvation is, we must be baptized. Baptism is a prerequisite of salvation.
Opponents of this teaching will often bring up many “what if” scenarios. For example, if someone was driving to the church building to be baptized and was killed in a car accident on the way, would they go to hell? Questions like this one are raised to try and make it appear that baptism is not really necessary. But ultimately, it is up to God to judge these cases, not us. It does not matter for us whether God chooses to save an individual in such a case or not. What does the Bible say? The Bible teaches that in order to be saved, we must be baptized. Peter plainly said, “Baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21). If one uses a “what if” argument to justify his own willful rejection of that clear teaching, I am afraid he will find himself as one of those “who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Instead of making excuses, we should simply do what the Bible teaches is necessary in order to be saved. This includes baptism.
Baptism Involves the Work of God
One reason why many oppose baptism is because they say it amounts to salvation by works. The following passage is often used on this point: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). In this passage we see that salvation is by the grace of God. Grace may be defined as unmerited favor. None of us deserve to be saved, but God saves those who meet His conditions of grace. In this verse, those conditions are summed up in the word faith. If we do not have faith, we cannot be saved.
How do works play a part in our salvation? Some will say that this passage teaches that works are unnecessary and only faith is necessary. But Jesus told the Jews, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29). In this verse, belief is referred to as a work. In Paul’s statement, belief (faith) is said to be a condition to receiving God’s grace. But in the next verse, Paul said that salvation is “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
How do we reconcile these passages? Can we say that belief is a work yet works play no part in our salvation? Surely that interpretation cannot be correct. The works that we might do that would allow us to boast are the works of man. The works that we are to do are mentioned in the next verse: “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). The works that have been ordained by God are the works we are to do. We have already noticed that baptism, as an act of obedience, is such a work.
But more than just being a work that God has given us to do, baptism involves the work of God. Paul wrote, “Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God…” (Colossians 2:12). The saving work in baptism is performed by God. It is in baptism when God applies the blood of Christ to our conscience. The Hebrew writer said that “the blood of Christ” is able to “cleanse our conscience” (Hebrews 9:14). Peter explained that in baptism we are making “an appeal to God for a good conscience” (1 Peter 3:21). Because we have “faith in the working of God,” we believe that when we submit to God’s will in baptism, He will cleanse our conscience and wash away our sins (Acts 22:16).
Baptism is a Confession
Many believe that we are saved by faith, then are baptized as a confession of that faith. Some call this “an outward sign of an inward grace.” The problem with this idea is not that they call baptism a confession. In a sense it is. The problem is in the timing of salvation. We have already noticed that baptism precedes salvation (Mark 16:16), forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), and a clean conscience (1 Peter 3:21). So how is baptism a confession?
A confession is an affirmation of faith. Typically we think of a verbal confession like the one mentioned in the following passage: “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
However, James explained how our actions also serve as a demonstration of our faith: “But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works’” (James 2:18). By being baptized, we are showing our faith. Faith alone is not enough. James went on to say, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).
Jesus told His disciples, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Many try and make something out of the fact that Jesus did not say that he who does not believe and is not baptized will be condemned. They argue that since baptism is not mentioned in the second part of the verse, then one will not be condemned for not being baptized. Actually, Jesus taught that both belief and baptism were necessary to be saved. But if one does not believe, they will not be baptized. Just as not being baptized shows our unbelief, being baptized shows that we do believe. In this way, we can call baptism a confession because it shows that we believe.
Baptism is Our Entrance into the Church
Peter preached the first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost. Regarding this occasion, Luke wrote, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). To what were these people who had been baptized added? “The Lord was adding to their number [the church, KJV] day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). We already noticed that salvation is in the church which is Christ’s body (Ephesians 5:23) and that we are baptized into that body (1 Corinthians 12:13).
But the term church is used in two different ways in the New Testament. It is used in the universal sense to refer to all of those who have been saved. It is also used in the local sense to refer to a congregation of the Lord’s people. Into which of these are we baptized – the universal church, or a local congregation? Since baptism is necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21) and the universal church is the body of all who have been saved, then we can conclude that baptism is how we gain entrance into the universal church.
When the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized, he was not baptized into a local church. Philip met him on a “desert road” (Acts 8:26). There was no congregation here. If baptism was for entrance into a local church, there was no reason to baptize the eunuch at this time. When Cornelius, a Gentile, was baptized (Acts 10:48), it could not have been into a local church. At this point, the Jews did not even know to accept the Gentiles (Acts 11:2-3). If baptism were for entrance into a local church, the Jews would have to first have been taught that the Gentiles could be accepted before any Gentiles could have been baptized.
After the Philippian jailer believed, he went “that very hour of the night…and immediately he was baptized” (Acts 16:33). Most churches that use baptism as an entrance into their local church wait until there are several who wish to be baptized, then have a special baptismal service. At the very least, they wait until the congregation meets. But the jailer recognized the urgent nature of baptism. He did not wait until he met with a local church. Paul did not advise him to do so either. Why? It is because baptism is not for the purpose of becoming a member of a local church. It is to become a member of the universal church, the body of the saved.
Baptism is Parallel to the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ
Paul wrote to the saints in Rome, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4). We can see the symbolism involved here. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. In like manner, we become dead to sin, are buried in baptism, and are raised to walk in newness of life.
The next few verses explain why it is important that we do this: “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:5). If we are buried with Christ (in baptism), we can have the assurance of being raised with Him. “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Romans 6:8).
Conclusion
What we have seen from studying the New Testament is that the act of baptism is immersion in water. Baptism is for believers, is an act of obedience that has been commanded, and is necessary for salvation. Baptism involves not only the work of man, but also the work of God. By being baptized, we demonstrate our faith, gain entrance into the universal church, and parallel the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. This is the “one baptism” of which Paul spoke (Ephesians 4:5). This is the baptism to which we must submit if we want to be saved. No other baptism will do us any good.
