Has Justification By Faith Minimized The Immediacy Of Baptism
Sep 24
Twice in the span of 6 months, I have engaged in some pretty heated discussion on baptism. The first was with a brother who is of the Church of Christ persuasion, the second brother is what is coined as the “Apostolic” denomination. Both have gone to a level where I have to firmly disagree in which they say “unless a man is baptized in water He will endure the wrath of God on the day of judgment”. Again I firmly disagree with this statement and position, due to the fact we now draft a “new law” that people have to obey to be justified. There are too many scriptures, and Paul risked His life too often for the doctrine of “justification by faith”, in which the Reformers rightfully risked their lives for also and it is too important of a doctrine not to fight with tears to defend it.
However, after discussing with these brothers about the importance of baptism, my own position has went from a moderate passiveness in relation to disciples being baptized to a burning immediacy of believers baptism. Here is why…..
In the instructions to the disciples in Matthew 28:16-20 and Mark’s angle on this in Mark 16:14-20 there is full expectation that all who profess Christ will baptized. Mostly all believers quote Matthew 28, but I wonder how important is this. In Mark 16 Jesus’ statements makes baptism and salvation seamless. He says:
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Now most of us understand that the emphasis is based on “belief” and not baptism; however, Jesus mentions both in the salvation process. These two sections of scripture should of utmost important as it is our life mission to make disciples and this process is conducted by proclaiming (belief), teaching (understanding the Master’s ways) and baptism (identifying with the Master’s death, burial, resurrection). That moves me into Acts.
EVERYTIME we see someone come to faith in Acts that person is IMMEDIATELY baptized. There isn’t a 2 month waiting period. There isn’t a “I need to get my family together so they can take pictures”. There isn’t a “I am just not ready yet”. What Jesus commanded before His ascension and what the Disciples understood was that baptism was to accompany faith as fast as that person could find a body of water to me immersed in. Peter’s first sermon is a commandment to “repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38), and the people are immediately baptized upon repentance, we see through the rest of Acts this same urgency to testify of the new birth, through the practice of baptism. We then see in Acts 8 the Ethiopian’s attitude and understanding of baptism. He says:
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
Again we see that Phillip in his proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus must have somehow got the Eunuch to understand that as part of his faithfulness to Christ, baptism was a necessary step. We come to Acts 19 where Paul is in Ephesus:
1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
These men were disciples of Christ and were in a transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, they had heard of the Messiah to come, but somehow had not understood that the fullness of the promise was upon them, having not been baptized under the Gospel age. Upon Paul proclaiming to them Jesus they were baptized and received the Spirit.
There are numerous examples of this, so I hope the point I am trying to make is clear. Today because we have been so conditioned to not dwell on works but faith, we have in the process began to minimize the importance of baptism. What has contributed to this is the false notion that baptism belongs to the “local church” versus being a command given to every disciple as they make disciples. Many have been taught that baptism can only be performed under the “local authority” of the church. Or that only qualified men can baptize. Both of these are wrong. Every believer is given the Great Commission and every believer is to “proclaim, teach and baptize” as God has called him/her to do. This was another mistake that the reformers refused to correct when they broke from Rome. And it is mistake today perpetuated by many who have been influenced by the Reformers.
I close with this. Baptism is seamless in the process of Salvation, much like professing Christ is seamless. My “order of salvation” is heavily Calvinistic, so I believe that regeneration (born again/born from above/saved) happens at the point of a person being brought into the knowledge of sin and repentance occurring in the heart. Profession is just an outward work and so is baptism, so a person is saved before they do anything to prove that salvation; however, as true disciples of Christ we are to ensure that we are obeying His commands and He made sure we understood that baptism is a command. Because He is our Lord and has given His life as a ransom for many, we are to respond in obedience produced by faith and baptism is one of the many commands given for us to prove our faith is genuine, this would be especially critical during the Roman empire, but we can talk more about that later.
Good insight regarding the fact that most local assemblies merely pay lip service to the critical New Covenant doctrine of the priesthood of the believer and how that leads to delayed baptisms.
Think of the Ethiopian’s question what prevents me from being baptized…Phillip did not say, “first you need to go through our 9 week new believers class covering the NT scriptures that do not even exist at this time” nor did he say “our next scheduled baptism service officiated by our ordained Senior Pastor is the second Sunday of next month”. He said, if you believe with all your heart you may…the Ethipians responded, I believe that Jesus Christ is teh Son of God.
Lionel,
I think this is a very good post. I like your definition: “baptism is one of the many commands given for us to prove our faith is genuine”.
I have a question about this. This is not a rhetorical question. This is a question that I’ve discussion with people in person before. What if someone was not baptized immediately after salvation/profession? (Perhaps the person was not baptized because they were taught it was not necessary.) Now, the person has been living as a Christian for many, many years. This person’s faith has been proven to be genuine in many, many ways. Is baptism still necessary or even beneficial in this case? Could it be that baptizing this person would lead to a misunderstanding of baptism for those who witness the baptism?
-Alan
Alan,
Can I answer with a question? What about those who were baptized as infants and who belong to a specific group of believers who believe that? I am actually going to write about that next. But before I do what do you think?
Honestly, I don’t know what I think. I will gladly baptize someone who has been a professing believer for a long time (like someone who was baptized as an infant but has now decided they should be baptized as a believer, even though that person has been a believer for a long time). Unfortunately, Scripture doesn’t tell us whether or not that person must be baptized or not (at least, I don’t think it does).
-Alan
Alan-
Regarding the question you posed, I think every activity can be a teaching moment for a local assembly, when such an individual is baptized, I think if one were to give a basic explanation of Baptism and when it should normally occur and then follow that up with an explanation indicating that this individual has decided that it is important for him/her to be baptized at this later date in order to follow Christ in obedience regarding this issue, I think that not only would this suffice, but would also be a great encouragement to everyone present.
Lionel-
Can you clarify your question?
You asked: What about those who were baptized as infants and who belong to a specific group of believers who believe that?
What about them? What did you have in mind with that question? Can you be more specific?
Hutch,
It was a response to Alan’s question. Should that person be rebaptized in a “believers” baptism, when they feel their baptism is sufficient.
Lionel-
Oh, I would says yes, but what if they won’t? Should we withdraw fellowship? I would say no.
@Alan: I believe baptism is still necessary because the command from scripture doesn’t give us an expiration date.
@Hutch: I think you’re right on when you say that situation would be a teachable moment.
@Lionel: I was baptized as a child (9yrs) before I was a believer. I became a believer at 16, and expressed a desire to be baptized but my church said no because I had been baptized as a child already. No one had ever taught me about baptism, what it meant/symbolized, so I just took their word for it. When I was taught baptism from the Scriptures at 23, I felt compelled to be baptized AS a believer because my former baptism was really no baptism at all. So to answer the question, I think those who are baptized as infants are just wet sinners in need of a believer’s baptism should regeneration happen….which leads me to this question…
What if an infant was baptized but they never become regenerate. Does the “baptism” still stand?
Vetta,
Those who baptize infants don’t believe that the baptism has any salvific implications, in other words they are not regenerate babies, just babies in the “Covenant”. This flows from Covenant Theology and would take a lot of space to explain; however, as the child becomes older that child must display faith and fruit and continue in such for their salvation to be “sure” 2 Peter 1:10. But just like us, if we don’t display faith and fruit then our baptism is of no avail either.
Javetta,
Necessary? Are you sure that baptism is necessary?
-Alan
Yes, Alan I do believe or I am sure (to use the language of the question) that baptism is necessary
Wait, let me clarify Alan…I don’t think it’s necessary to “complete” or “prove” one’s salvation…
I was about to say Javetta
What were you about to say HC?
Okay. So I’m studying 1 Peter and ran across this verse (that I’d never really paid attention to before):
18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Peter directly ties baptism to salvation and brings together the beautiful illustration of the Old Testament with that which Jesus accomplished in His own death. Peter says “baptism saves you…as an appeal to God for a good conscience.” I’m sure that he is not insinuating that baptism IS salvation but that it is certainly A VERY IMPORTANT component to it….maybe like a 1a and 1b??????????? I’m still wrestling with this, but I wanted to share my thoughts and get yours (whoever’s reading)…
Javetta,
I agree!
Javetta,
That verse alone shows us the great importance and why someone should never wait as if baptism is some ceremony, it is a proclamation of our identifying with Christ’s death and resurrection.
I have hadthe same conversation with a brother from the apostolic faith as well and your approach is beatiful. But I wreste with this issue myself becasue I was baptize at 12 years old becasue I say others do it. But I was no more saved than a man on the moon. I Consistently wrestle with the notion of getting baptized again. I don’t wrestle with my salvation but I wrestle with the intent of the baptism mush the same as a baptizing an infant.
Javetta,
You stated:
” I’m sure that he is not insinuating that baptism IS salvation but that it is certainly A VERY IMPORTANT component to it….maybe like a 1a and 1b??????????? I’m still wrestling with this, but I wanted to share my thoughts and get yours (whoever’s reading)…”
My response:
In this verse Peter is referring to the baptism of the Spirit of God not water baptism. He is simply relating the Spirit baptism with old testament types such as Noah and the flood and water baptism. Some people tend to get this confused when reading scriptures in the New Testament epistles that speak of baptism. Remember what John the Baptist and Jesus spoke of under the old covenant. They spoke of the coming baptism by Spirit/Fire which seems to have first started on the day of Pentecost. Water baptism is not necessary for salvation at all it was simply another old testament type/shadow of the coming reality which is now present with us.
Hope that helps to clear up some of the confusion.
Lionel,
You stated:
“That verse alone shows us the great importance and why someone should never wait as if baptism is some ceremony, it is a proclamation of our identifying with Christ’s death and resurrection.”
My response:
God is not interested in outward professions such as this but is interested in inward renewal that produces outward profession by way of manifested fruits (love, peace, mercy, righteousness). This is the proclamation that will result when one is truly baptised in the Spirit and communing with Christ (eating His flesh and drinking His blood/abiding in the vine/walking in the spirit/crucifing the flesh daily). The fruits will proclaim for themselves. Afterall, anyone can orally profess Christ and then get water baptized.