SHOULD
CHRISTIANS BE BAPTISED?
by
HAROLD E. CORMANY
In Acts 2:38 the apostle Peter said, "Repent and be baptized, everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
We ask the question, what is baptism? Why does it seemingly play such an important part in a Christian's life?
However , perhaps we need to ask, why are there different types of baptism where water is used? Are all approved by scripture? What does baptism have to do with salvation?
I can remember years ago when the Baptist minister used to joke with the Methodist minister about the differences in their baptism. The Baptist minister would joke and say "the Methodists only baptize on rainy days when it sprinkles." He was, of course, alluding to the Methodists sprinkling water on an infant.
I can not recall an adult being baptized in the Methodist church. We find both the Catholics, and most Protestant denominations baptizing by sprinkling.
On the other hand, the Baptist church and a few other non-denominations baptize with full immersion into the water, deep enough to submerge an adult person.
In most of these churches, the person must be an adult, or one who has reached the age of accountability before they can be baptized.
I have a copy of an old newspaper that has a picture of about half a dozen fully clothed women standing in a river, waiting to be baptized. One wonders, how would they be baptized?
So again, what is baptism? And why is there such a difference of opinion on who should baptize, and how one is to be baptized? Is baptism necessary for salvation?
In Strong's Exhaustive Concordance we find that the English word baptize, comes from the word "baptizo" , which is translated as "to cover wholly with fluid". The word baptizo is also shown as: "make overwhelmed , to wash, to make fully wet, or of ceremonial ablution."
The word "ablution" means a washing or cleansing as a religious rite.
Although we don't read of baptism in the Old Testament, we do find in the New Testament of an Old Testament people being baptized. This was referring to ancient Israel when they left Egypt and crossed over the Red Sea.
In I Corinthians 10 we read:
v. 1 - Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
v 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
v 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
v 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
The word baptize in this chapter is the word "baptizo". So in a sense when Israel marched through the parted Red Sea, this was a type of whole nation being baptized, because if the sea would have covered them, they would have died in a watery grave, as did the Egyptians who followed them.
We again read of baptism in the New Testament where we read of John the Baptist, baptizing in Judea in the river Jordan.
John's baptism was different in that his baptism was a baptism of repentance only. We read of this in Matthew 3:
v 1- " In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
v 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
v 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
v 4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
v 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,
v 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins."We read of the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to his baptism. He refused them and called them a generation of vipers. He told them in:
v 8 - " Bring therefore fruits meet for repentance." (In other words, show evidence that you have truly repented.)
v 11 John says- " I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Then someone else came to John to be baptized and John was taken aback.
v 13 " Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."
Again, the word baptize here is "baptizo" - which is to be fully immersed in the waters of Jordan. But John was hesitant and said in v 14 -"But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
v 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him."(Jesus was referring to Isaiah 61:1 :" The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to that are bound."
We read in Matthew 3:16: And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Jesus was not making his way to shore, he was lifted bodily out of the water as the dove descended on him.
Then the Father said:
v 17 - " And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Jesus baptism was not for repentance, because Jesus was without sin, it was to fulfill prophecy and to set an example for his followers in the future; But most of all, with the Spirit of God lighting upon him, He received the power to fulfill his calling; and the ability to perform great miracles.
We read of the apostles and Phillip the Evangelist also baptizing those who had accepted the Word and had repented of their sins.
We read of Philip's baptizing in Acts 8. Saul had persecuted the church in Jerusalem, making havoc of the church, so much so that the new Christians had to flee Jerusalem. But they didn't hide elsewhere.
Notice in Acts 8: 4- " Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
v 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
v 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
v 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
v 8 And there was great joy in that city.Then in v 12- " But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
However, Philip it seems had not completed the process.
v. 14 - " Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
v 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
v 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
v 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
We see they received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the hands of the apostles , who obviously had the Holy Spirit in them.
In Acts 19 we read of the Apostle Paul encountering disciples of John the Baptist.
v 1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
v 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
v 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.[Remember John's was the baptism of repentance only. He did not baptize in Jesus name as Philip had.]
Iin v. 4 - "Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
v 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."v 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
WHAT HAPPENS AT BAPTISM?
What happens to us when we are baptized? Should we also be fully immersed in water? Notice Paul's words in:
Romans 6:
v 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
v 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
v 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
v 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
v 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:So we can see baptism is a type of death and resurrection for us. We bury the old person in a watery grave, and a new person, free from sin, comes up out of the water as a type of the resurrection of those who die in Christ Jesus.
v 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
v 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
v 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
v 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
v 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
v 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
v 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
v 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
We see that full immersion baptism, as a type of burying the old sinful man, and with this a new creature, or person, coming up out of the watery grave, as a type of the resurrection of those who die in Christ.
WHY THEN ARE INFANTS BAPTIZED?
The Catholics and most Protestant churches baptize infants and small children. However, this practice is not immersing the child into the water, but rather sprinkling water upon the heads of the infants.
Is this baptism? Is there Biblical examples of baptizing infants? Especially by sprinkling water on their heads?
Remember in Acts 2:38 Peter said: "repent and be baptized, everyone of you." He was not talking to children, rather to those who crucified our Lord. (v 36)
Yet the Catholic church believes that children are born with original sin. Is this true? Does an infant know the difference between right and wrong at birth? Is the sin of Adam born with them?
In I John 3:4 we read that sin is the transgression of the law.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible in I John 3:4 states everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.
Can a small child deliberately know that they are breaking the law and are thereby sinning?
Where then do these churches get their basis for infant baptism? What source alludes to baptizing ? Actually their baptism is more like the Blessing of Little Children, only they use water to sprinkle on the infant.
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DID JESUS BAPTIZE LITTLE CHILDREN?
In the churches of God, we have a ceremony of the blessing of little children. This is not baptizing them, rather it is using an example Jesus set forth in the New Testament.
We first read of this in Matthew 19:13 -"Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
V 14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
V 15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.We also read of this in Mark 10:13- "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
v 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
v 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
v 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.We can read of Luke's account of this in Luke 18:15 - " And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
v 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
v 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.In the Church of God, usually at the Feast of Tabernacles, it has become a tradition to have the blessing of little children. The parents bring the children up in front of the congregation, and the ministers take the children into their arms, laying one of their hands upon the child's head, and in prayer asks for God's blessing and protection to be on that child.
However, no water is used. It is not a baptism, but rather a blessing patterned after Jesus example.
WHO THEN SHOULD BE BAPTIZED"?
Peter in his command in Acts 2:38 did not specify what age the person should be who was to be baptized. But he said "repent." To do this, the person has to be mature enough to know what repentance is, and so the person should be at the age of accountability and responsible for what they do in life. A small child would not fit into this crtiteria.
I have known teenagers nearing age twenty who were more mature than some people in their 20s or 30s. The person should understand what sin is, and what repentance is before being put into the water. The person should also have accepted Jesus as their personal savior.
IN WHAT MANNER SHOULD WE BAPTIZE?
We have shown in this article that the word baptize is to immerse, to make fully wet, or to immerse fully in water. Why do we do this?
We believe that scripture tells us we are buried with Christ in baptism. The Apostle Paul said that we are planted together with Christ. For this reason our baptism should be a type of the death and burial of the old sinful person.
The new creature and individual who comes up out of the water has been totally washed of their sins. This new person is a type of the resurrection of the dead in Christ, which we read about earlier in Romans 6.
IN WHOSE NAME SHOULD WE BE BAPTIZED?
In a previous article we showed the disciples baptized people in Jesus name. This seems to be contrary to Jesus' instruction in Matthew 28:19 where Jesus said to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
If you haven't already read our article "Must Christians Pray Down The Holy Spirit", you need to read it in regards to that statement.
When we read what the apostles said at baptism, we find it is not in agreement with Jesus' words in Matthew 28:19. This makes me wonder if Jesus actually said this, as it is not recorded in the gospels of Mark, Luke or John.
In Acts 8 we find that Philip the evangelist had fled Jerusalem because of Saul's persecution and he went up to Samaria, and preached Christ.
In v 12 - we read:" But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."
However with Philip's baptism there was not the laying on of hands. But he had baptized in Jesus name.
v 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)In the first epistle that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, we see that some felt that only certain men should baptize them. Paul then set the record straight.
I Cor. 1: 9: "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
v 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
v11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
v 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ."
v 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
v 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
v 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.That would indicate they baptized in Jesus' name.
If we turn to Phillippians 2: 9 - Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
v 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
v 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Lets read in : Acts 10: 34-"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
v 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."
v 44 - " While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
v 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.This is one time God poured out His Holy Spirit before baptism. But let's continue and read v. 47 - "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
v 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days."Throughout the New Testament, we find Philip the evangelist and the apostles baptizing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and with the laying on of hands, those who were baptized received the Holy Spirit.
In closing, let's turn to Paul's words to the Church of God in Colosse.
Colossians 2: 11- "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
v 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
v 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;The scriptures show that those who have repented of their sins, and have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior, the next step that person should take is to be baptized with total immersion into the water, and afterwards with the laying on of hands, they shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When I baptize a repentant sinner who has accepted Jesus as their personal savior, I baptize them in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I then lay hands upon their head, and ask God to give them His Holy Spirit.
In closing, have you been baptized with full immersion baptism in Jesus name, and have you had hands laid on you? If not, you might want to consider it.
