What is Christian Baptism?

Turn with me then to the book of Acts chapter 8 and we read the conversion and baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts chapter 8 and verse 26 to the end of the chapter. Acts 8 verse 26. Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, Arise! and go toward the south along the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning and sitting in his chariot He was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, go near and overtake this chariot. So Philip ran to him and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, do you understand what you are reading? And he said, how can I unless someone guides me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the scripture which he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation his justice was taken away, and who will declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. So the eunuch answered Philip and said, I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at the scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more. and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus, the Hebrew word is Ashdod, and passing through he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. Thus reads the word of God. May he bless it to our understanding. Baptism is one of two ordinances, the other being the Lord's Supper, that Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to observe in every age until he returns to judge the world. Unfortunately, however, in the third century AD, differences of understanding began to appear among Christians as to the meaning and practice of baptism. And it is therefore now incumbent upon every professing Christian to ascertain the biblical doctrine of baptism and make sure that they have faithfully carried out the Lord's command. And of course, the way to do this is not simply to ask, well, what is the practice of the church that I am presently attending? but to ask, what is the teaching of Scripture? A sincere Bible-believing Christian has no wish for a doctrine of baptism that is distinct and different from that handed down to us by Christ and His apostles. Our primary concern should be to understand what the Bible teaches, and then to conform our thinking and practice to that and to that alone. In seeking then to discover what the Bible has to say regarding Christian baptism, I think it will be helpful to ask and try to answer three basic questions. The first is, who should be baptized? Some Bible scholars of great repute and I do say they are great men of God, thoroughly steeped in the scriptures, say that believers as well as their infant children should be baptized, while other scholars of the Bible say it should be for adult believers only. A cursory study of the Bible, however, will show that the age for baptism cannot be settled in the abstract. Baptism is not regulated by our birth certificate. You can't say, well now my child has turned 14 and it's time for him or her to be baptized. The question is not how old the baptismal candidate is, but whether they are able to make a credible profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that is backed up by a changed life that pleases God. So there is no age limit to who may be baptized as long as the candidate meets these two requirements laid down in Scripture. Because all who were baptized in the New Testament were required to repent of their sins. In Acts 2, Peter's reply to those who became convicted of crucifying Jesus and wanted to know how they could be forgiven and saved, his reply was, 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. To repent literally means to change your mind, and as a result, to turn away from a life of sin, to begin living for God. And you know, there's a lovely children's hymn that sums it up well. It's not enough to say, I'm sorry and repent. and then go on from day to day just as I always went, repentance is to leave the sins I loved before and show that I in earnest grieve by doing them no more. As an example, Zacchaeus, a dishonest tax collector, encountered Jesus Christ and He immediately realized he was a sinner and repented of his sin, saying to the Lord, Look, Lord, I give half my goods to the poor, and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation or fraud, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house. Repentance, I say, is a change of mind which leads to an immediate change of life. Not to a sinless life, but to a life of overcoming sin. If a candidate, whether he or she be a child or an adult, has had no change of life, They surely have not repented of sin and therefore are not qualified to be baptized. Repentance is repeatedly stressed in the Gospels as a prerequisite for entering the kingdom of heaven. Matthew says, in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And after his baptism by John the Baptist, we read, from that time Jesus began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And while Paul was in Athens, he told the Gentiles there that in the past God had overlooked the ignorance of the Gentiles who worshipped idols. He didn't judge them. by putting them in hell immediately. He only was concerned or was dealing with the sins of his people, the children of Israel. But now, says Paul, but now God commands all people everywhere to repent because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness. by the man whom he has ordained, and he has given assurance of this to all men by raising him from the dead." So that's the first requirement, the need to repent of our sins. The other requirement is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. And so, when our Lord began his public ministry, his first recorded words in Mark 1 verse 15 are, The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel. Indeed, baptism is the God-ordained way of making our faith and repentance publicly known. In Acts 8, the beginning of the chapter, which we didn't read, Luke tells us that Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And when they believed, they were baptized, both men and women. Again, when the newly converted Ethiopian eunuch said to Philip, See, here is water. What hinders me? from being baptized, Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So Philip commanded the chariot to stand still, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. And yet again, in Acts 16 and verse 31, when the Philippian jailer had heard Silas and Paul singing hymns of praise to God and was becoming convicted of his sin and of his godlessness. And the earthquake shook the prison to its foundations and threw the prison doors open. And he feared that the prisoners had all escaped and he would now lose his life from the authorities. In anguish of soul, he was going to take his life and Paul said, don't do it, we are all here. And he said, he replied, what must I do to be saved? To be Christians like you. And the apostle replied, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your household. And immediately we read, he and all his household who believed with him were baptized. Now, to believe in Christ in the biblical sense means more than to give merely mental assent to the doctrine of Christ's person, who he is, and to his work. what he did on the cross and in his resurrection. It involves acting on those fundamental core beliefs. It means to commit your personality and your whole being to Christ whom you have come to believe in intellectually. It means to trust Him sincerely and wholeheartedly to forgive your sins and to come into your life by the gift of the Holy Spirit and conform you to Christ's image. That's what it means to believe. Repentance and faith, then, are twin requirements for Christian baptism. And friends, both ought to be emphasized in all the preaching that goes out from every pulpit in the world. Thus, in Acts 20, Paul says to the Ephesian elders, you know that from the first day I came to Asia, how I kept nothing back that was helpful, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks, repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, because babies and young children obviously do not understand what sin is, and cannot understand what God has done to save sinners, it is not easy, if not impossible, for them to truly repent and believe. So the New Testament does not command babies to be baptized, nor does it give an instance in which they were. To argue, as some do, that there were households who were baptized in the book of Acts and those households must have had some infants or some little children is rarely an argument from silence. It is a thin thread on which to hang the case of infant baptism. Because in every instance in the book of Acts there is clear evidence that these households consisted of responsible persons, both children and servants or slaves, who upon hearing the preached word did these things. They believed, they spoke in tongues, and they ministered to the saints. They washed them, they cooked them food, and looked after them. However, notwithstanding the biblical evidence, the practice of infant baptism slowly gained popularity as people more and more erroneously came to believe that baptism actually washes away a person's sins. Not faith in Christ and Christ's blood. And so they said, The earlier we baptize them, the safer they are. So they were baptized as newborn babies. And this gained in popularity as the superstition persisted until it was universally accepted by the end of the 5th century. And as to be expected, with every deviation from Scripture. It did not come without its problems, the most serious of which is the fact that it gives a false hope of salvation to many who accept it. For example, according to the Episcopal Book of Prayer, and I only have time to deal with them, we could go through the other denominations that practice infant baptism, but let me stick with the Episcopal Book of Prayer. The priest has to say after the child is baptized, and I quote, this child is now regenerate and grafted into the body of Christ's church. And then later on, when the child is catechized, he is taught to say, I was made a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven, when I was baptized." Now, whatever meaning theologians may try to read into these words, the obvious conclusion of the people who are sitting in the pew and listening to them is that this child is now a Christian. And sadly, as a result, many are led to think that they do not now need to repent of their sins or be converted. They are now bona fide Christians as far as the church is concerned. Well, so much for the subjects of baptism. Who should be baptized? Let's turn our thoughts now more briefly to the question of how should we be baptized. Just as there are no references in the Bible to the practice of baptizing babies, so it is also true that there is no reference in Scripture to baptizing people by sprinkling. In fact, the overwhelming evidence in Scripture is that immersion in water is the only mode of baptism in Scripture. And there are at least four reasons why I say so. The New Testament accounts confirm this. The most detailed account of a person being baptized is the one we read in Acts 8 of the Ethiopian eunuch. And the relevant phrases there are, they both went down into the water and they came up out of the water. In the case of our Lord's own baptism, both Matthew and Mark record that Jesus came up out of the water after he was baptized. In other words, in each case, the baptizer and the baptized went deep into the river in order for the ceremony to take place. The water had to be sufficiently deep, you see, for the candidate to be immersed. Now, this is further endorsed by an aside by the Apostle John in his Gospel, chapter 3, where he says, and John the Baptist also was baptizing in Anon near to Salem, listen, because there was much water there. Now, if John was baptizing by sprinkling or by effusion, all he would need was a bucket of water to do so, or to stand on the bank of the river and put his hand down and lift the water. There was no need for him and the candidate to go into the water. Secondly, the Greek word for baptize, demands immersion. For the Greek verb baptizo means to dip or to submerge and the Greeks used it for the process of dyeing a garment or of drawing water by dipping a cup into a bucket or bowl. It is necessary to immerse the entire garment in the dye for it to be completely dyed. And it is necessary to put the whole cup beneath the water if you are going to fill it. Now, I know some theologians have tried to deny that this is the only meaning of the word. They say it can also mean to sprinkle or to pour. But there is a very simple answer to that argument, and it is this. The Greek Orthodox Church has always baptized infants by immersion, because Greeks, more than anybody else, better than anybody else, know the meaning of their own language, and that baptizo can only have one meaning, namely, to immerse. So it would be silly for the Greek Orthodox priest to take the infant in his hands and to say, I immerse you, or I dip you, or I submerge you into the water, and then put his hand in the bowl and sprinkle some drops on the infant's head. And then again, the symbol of baptism necessitates immersion. Because baptism, like the Lord's Supper, is a symbolic ordinance. It is the gospel visualized. What I am doing now is verbalizing the gospel. But in baptism it's being visualized, a sign for all to see. It pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and of the believer who is united now with Christ. And Paul makes this clear in Romans 6 where he says that a Christian has been baptized into Christ's death, buried with him by baptism, and raised from the dead. That is to say, just as Jesus Christ was buried in the tomb, so when we, as baptismal candidates, as professing Christians, are lowered beneath the water of the baptistry, our old life as a sinner is to be regarded as being buried. It's over. It's finished with. Our baptism is a kind of spiritual burial service, and our death with Christ, followed by burial in baptism, now prevents you and me from ever returning to that old way of pleasing self. And that's why Paul asks in Romans 6, how can we who died to sin still live in it? But Paul didn't stop there. He went on to say, we were buried with him by baptism into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. So just as Jesus rose again from the dead, so we are lifted from the waters of the baptismal pool to symbolize that we have risen with Him and we are finished with our old unconverted life of sin. And friends, nothing can better illustrate this great truth that through union by faith with Jesus Christ we are now dead to sin and alive to God than immersion. And then the great theologians agree with this understanding of the New Testament. Martin Luther said, I could wish that such as are to be baptized should be completely immersed into water according to the meaning of the word and the significance of the ordinance. Why didn't he do it? Why didn't he practice it? Because the change was too great to advocate. because it would have risked offending the German princes and their armies who were protecting him from the power of Rome who wanted him dead. Calvin said it is evident that the term baptism means to immerse and that this was the form used by the primitive church. And in a sermon on Romans 6 verse 4, we are buried with Christ in baptism. John Wesley says that this is a reference to the ancient manner of baptizing by immersion. Well, so far we have considered the subjects of baptism, who should be baptized, the mode of baptism, how should we be baptized, and now thirdly, we need to look at the reasons for baptism. Why should we be baptized? Well, to begin with, we should submit to the audience because Christ himself has commanded all his followers to be baptized. Just before he ascended into heaven, you remember, he said to the disciples, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So, the disciples, the apostles, were under divine orders. And as we read through the book of Acts, we see how implicitly Everyone carried out these orders conscientiously. In Acts 10 verse 48, Cornelius and his household are listening to Peter preaching the gospel. And while they are listening, he hasn't come to the end of his sermon. Suddenly they are baptized with the Holy Spirit and they begin speaking with tongues and Peter sees this is evidence that they have been converted, that they have believed in Christ even before he's come to the end of his sermon. And he commands them, all of them, the whole household of Cornelius, to be baptized. The Apostle did not view baptism as something that was optional, but as a divine command to be observed by Jews and Gentiles until our Lord returns. And friends, I ask, how can we disregard the command of Him who has been given all authority and all power in heaven and on earth and to whom our obedience should be given gladly, not grudgingly. Ours is not to question why, but to comply. If you love me, Jesus said, you will keep my commandments. But there is another reason why we should be baptized. It's the biblical way to confess what Christ has done for you. Baptism is often described as an outward sign of an inward faith, because faith is an invisible, an intangible thing, and it needs to be expressed outwardly. And so in baptism we show people what they cannot see. We declare what they may not have already guessed, that because of our faith in Christ our sins are washed away and we have been spiritually resurrected to live a new life to the glory of God. A young man may become a police officer without telling anyone. But people will soon know he belongs to the police force when they see him in his uniform. And in the same way, we may make a personal and private commitment to Christ in our home, but no one is really sure where we stand until we come out in the open and are baptized in the way he has commanded us. So the great Baptist preacher, C. H. Virgin, used to say, baptism is a way of getting into the uniform. It's a way of wearing the Master's colors. It acts as a mark of difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. And friends, if you go out onto the mission field in any of the Middle East, you go to Pakistan, you go to India, you go to China, And when missionaries are baptizing, or the church in those countries, are baptizing candidates in the river, there are hisses of disapproval from the surrounding and from the observing spectators. Every Christian should be proud to be identified in this way with Christ, the captain of their salvation. They should be eager to let the world know where they stand, not be ashamed or afraid. Ashamed to be a Christian? Afraid the world should know I'm on my way to heaven where joys eternal flow? afraid to wear thy colours or blush to follow thee? Forbid it, O my Saviour, that I should ever be." Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. And Jesus said, more importantly, Whoever confesses me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. When a girl becomes engaged, her fiancé gives her a ring, so that she can indicate to others that she is promised to another. What does she do with this outward sign of her inward attachment? Does she keep it secretly in the little box? Absolutely not. The ring is proudly worn on her finger and suddenly everybody notices she's left-handed. Let us be equally glad to confess that our lives belong to Jesus Christ. Well, I conclude. Baptism is important. Friends, so, so important that Jesus Christ, our God, Man, Saviour, walked sixty miles from Galilee to the River Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist. So important. that the Ethiopian eunuch couldn't wait to be baptized in the church in Jerusalem on his next visit to the city, but asked Philip to baptize him there and then at the side of the road. So important that God says to you and to me in the words of Ananias to Saul of Tarsus, why do you wait? arise and be baptized. And in the name of Christ, I beg you this morning, if you are still contemplating whether you should be baptized or not, in the words of Jesus, I would say, now that you know these things, you will be blessed. if you do them. Let's pray. Our gracious God and Father, we come to you now and we pray your blessing upon the ordinance of baptism as Matt Kaiser obeys Christ's command and is buried with him in baptism and raised with him into newness of life. This has already happened at his conversion, but we pray that you will bless his confession of these truths to us as a church this morning. And you will bless that confession in such a way that it will remind us as baptized Christians that we too are buried with Christ. by baptism into his death and raised by the power of Christ into a resurrection life, and that we will be stirred and encouraged to continue to live the baptismal life, the life of reckoning ourselves dead indeed to sin and alive to God. And we pray, Heavenly Father, that you will also use this ordinance as a seal as a pledge whereby you will assure Matthew as he goes into the water and is raised out of the water. Assure him, pledge to him by the sign, just as a wedding ring pledges, vows forever to a spouse. Father, pledge to him, we pray. that truly his sins are washed away, and you will not leave him nor forsake him, but bring him safe at last to glory, that you will resurrect his body at the return of Jesus Christ and present him faultless and blameless before your presence with exceeding joy. We ask you to do this, Father, not because we deserve it, but because Jesus planned for the ordinance of baptism to be such a blessing to all of us. Hear our prayer, for Jesus' sake. Amen.