CHRISTIAN BAPTISM
A
Study By
Gary
Ray Branscome
Lesson 17
Before ascending unto heaven, Christ
commissioned His followers to make disciples “of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).
Although baptism did not originate with that
commission, it did establish baptism as an ongoing part of the work of the
gospel while at the same time providing a direct link between Christianity and
John the Baptist. As the originator of baptism (and the last of the Jewish
prophets) John called the nation of
On the day of Pentecost Peter carried out Christ’s
commission by calling on his listeners to, “Repent and be baptized… in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts
However, even though God uses the ceremony of
baptism to give us His promise of forgiveness in Christ, it is only through
personal faith in Christ that we receive what is promised (Galatians
Since we outwardly confess our need for forgiveness
(and faith that there is forgiveness in Christ) by agreeing to be baptized “in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” If Paul (Saul) had refused
to be baptized after his encounter with Christ on the
While it is true that we can accept Christ by faith,
prior to baptism, baptism was intended to strengthen our faith by assuring us
that when we came to Christ our sins were washed away. In order to better
understand the role that God intended for baptism to play, put yourself in the
place of someone who has just heard the gospel for the first time. Because he
has already been convicted of his sin, and knows that he needs God’s
forgiveness, when he is told of Christ’s sacrifice, and the forgiveness that is
ours through His death, he eagerly agrees to be baptized in the name of Jesus
for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Therefore, even though there are many
things that he does not understand, he goes away from baptism assured that when
he accepted Christ his sins were washed away (Acts 22:16).
At the same time, because baptism was instituted as
a way of pointing people to Christ for forgiveness, those who point people to
baptism, leaving them with the impression that the ceremony conveys forgiveness
irregardless of whether one has faith in Christ or not, are perverting the
gospel. In order to avoid that error, we must always make it clear that Christ
is the source of forgiveness, and baptized believers who are troubled by their
shortcomings should always be pointed to Christ and His finished work, not
baptism.
[NOTE: Those who come to baptism are to come in the “name of Jesus”
(because He obtained forgiveness for us) while those who do the baptizing do it
in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (because we are forgiven by all
three persons of the Trinity) Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:19.]
Since the Bible draws a parallel between baptism and
Christ’s burial, it seems fairly clear immersion was the customary mode of
baptism during the time of the Apostles (Romans 6:5). At any rate, immersion
clearly depicts the fact that we are cleansed of all sin through the death,
burial, and resurrection of Christ (Acts
Since the Bible clearly portrays baptism as a “baptism
of repentance,” we should never knowingly baptize someone who is unrepentant.
That does not mean that we are to act skeptical of their sincerity. In fact,
because we cannot look into the heart, an attitude of skepticism would be sheer
arrogance. However, it does mean that before they can be baptized for the
remission of sins, they must be sorry for their sins and desire forgiveness,
believing God’s promise of forgiveness in Christ. [1Peter
In fact, because repentance is incomplete without
faith in Christ, it is important that those who come to baptism understand the
way of salvation, for “without faith in Christ baptism avails nothing” (Luther,
Mark
Because baptism is a washing of repentance, the
candidate for baptism has traditionally been asked if he renounces the devil
and all of his ways. That question reflects the fact that those who are truly
repentant do not want sin in their life, but instead want to be delivered from
it. For that reason, the fruits of repentance should be evident in the lives of
those who come to faith in Christ. And, the most important of those fruits is a
daily willingness to acknowledge one's sin and look to Christ for forgiveness.
[Luke 18:9-14, John 1:47, Galatians 5:4, Matthew 3:7-8.]
Since God intended for baptism to play a key role in
the work of calling the world to repentance and faith in Christ, it relates to
repentance and faith in ways that we often fail to understand. For example, the
very act of coming to baptism is a way of calling on God for mercy, while the
fact that God has connected it with coming to faith in Christ, makes it an
expression of faith. At the same time, because the promise of forgiveness that
it conveys must be accepted by faith, only those who trust in Christ receive
what is promised (Galatians 3:22, Romans 5:2).
1-
Who did John the Baptist bear witness to?
2- What did Christ establish baptism as?
3- What was for the remission of sins?
4- What does baptism convey?
5-What are we accepting when we agree to be baptized?
6-What was baptism intended to strengthen?
7- What does the Bible portray baptism as?
8- Should we apply the water in a way that conveys confidence, or doubt?
9- What have those who are truly repentant renounced?
10- What is important for all who come to baptism to understand?