BIBLICAL BAPTISM
Calvary Baptist Church
May 11, 2003 and November 21, 2010
Recently my 7 year old son was baptized at nearby Lake Tahoe. With tears streaming down my face, I watched as he came out of the water, then excitedly asked if he felt any different. "Yeah, Mom, I do," he replied. "Now I have water up my nose!" (Leslie A. Williamson, Gardnerville, NV., Today's Christian Woman, "Heart to Heart.")
INTRODUCTION: Baptism served as the bookends of Jesus ministry. It started with his baptism, and ended with his order to baptize all nations! We can hardly call this insignificant!
JESUS COMMANDED BAPTISM
As a matter of fact, we must understand that not to be baptized, far from being a trivial matter, is a direct disobedience to the clear command of Christ!
Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
THE APOSTLES COMMANDED BAPTISM
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
I. The Method of Baptism
A. The Who of Baptism
1. Pedobaptism
The vast majority of the Christian world baptizes infants.
There are various arguments used to support their position.
Acts 16:31 34 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. [32] And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. [33] And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. [34] And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
This is the story of Paul and Silas and the Philippian Jailor.
Notice that Paul and Silas Preach to him (the jailor) and to those in his house.
He and his family believed God (Verse 34)
He and his family are baptized.
Believe it or not, this is the verse that those who believe in infant baptism use to make their case that infant baptism is biblical.
They say that surely this household included infants.
Where does one get the right to make that assumption.
If you operate on that hermeneutical principle, you could prove anything from the bible.
NOTICE: In our text, those who were preached to, those who believed, were baptized.
I have never in my life preached TO and infant. In the presence of, yes, but never TO.
So others resort to history or convenience as their justification.
We Baptists are biblicists! What does the Bible say?
2. Believer's Baptism
a. Those Who Have Repented
Acts 2:36 38 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
b. Those Who Have Heard the Gospel and Believed
Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and [FIRST] teach all nations, [THEN] baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Acts 8:12 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.
Acts 18:8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
Acts 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
c. Those Whose Life Evidences Conversion
Luke 3:7 8 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
d. Those Who Have Died to Self
Rom 6:1 3 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
NOTE: No person should be a candidate for baptism until he/she is able to understand these four truths!
B. The Way of Baptism
1. Non-Biblical Patterns
Affusion - the pouring of water on one’s head. Greek “ekcheo.” Never used for baptism in the N.T.
Aspersion - the sprinkling of water on one’s head. Greek “rhantizo.” Never used for baptism in the N.T.
These methods are used by Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists.
Yet they will have to look for other sources outside the Bible for their support.
There are two views of biblical obedience.
1) Whatever the Bible commands is to be followed and whatever the Bible does not forbid is acceptable.
2) We must try to follow what the Bible commands. Other practices are questionable.
2. Biblical Pattern - Immersion
a. The Testimony of History
In countries where Greek is still spoken, the churches (The Greek Orthodox Church) practice baptism by immersion.
b. The Testimony of the Word
ILLUS: Grady Nutt defined baptizo as "hold 'em under till they bubble."
No Baptist has written a lexicon.
Yet authoritative Greek lexicons like Lidell and Scott and Thayer’s list the meaning of the word baptizo as to immerse or to dip.
c. The Testimony of the Bible (The water passages)
Mark 1:5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
Mark 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
Mark 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
John 3:23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
Acts 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. [39] And when they were come up out of the water.
d. The Testimony of the Theologians
“The office of John the Baptist was to bind them to a new life symbolized by immersion in water.” (Alfred Plummer, Church of England Theologian, quoting from his commentary on Matthew 28).
e. The Testimony of the Symbolism
If, as we shall see, baptism identifies us with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, then no other method of baptism can replace immersion and keep the symbolism.
NOTE: Some are so proud of their history of being wrong that they cannot change to what they clearly see to be right! So their argument becomes not, this is what is right, but that the whole matter is unimportant!
II. The Meaning of Baptism
A. Stated Negatively - What Baptism Does Not Mean
1. Not a Replacement of Circumcision
This was done to babies, baptism is to believers.
This was done to males only, baptism is for male and female.
2. Not Salvation
ILLUS: Little Betsy had faithfully attended baptism classes. Her mother, wanting to be sure her daughter understood its significance, asked, "Honey, what does baptism mean?"
"Well, it isn't the water that makes you clean ..." she began.
Smiling, Mother thought, Yes, she understands.
Then the little girl said, "... it's the soap." (Verna Chambers, Willcox, Ariz. "Kids of the Kingdom," Christian Reader)
Thief on the cross.
Luke 23:39 43 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
B. Stated Positively - What Baptism Does Mean
IDENTIFICATION
• In the name of the Father, the name of the Son, the name of the Spirit
It is an outward symbol of an inward reality. The baptism of Romans 6 is not water baptsim, otherwise we would end up believing in baptismal regeneration! It is the reality of our spiritual baptism into Christ. Our water baptism pictures this. Death, Burial, Resurrection of Christ and our identification with Him!
Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
1. Identification with His Death
2. Identification with His Burial
3. Identification with His Resurrection
III. The Motive of Baptism
Why have you been baptized? What does it mean to you, to others, to God?
A. A Matter of Example
As Christ was baptized, so should we be!
You are being baptized tonight because you want to follow the Lord’s example.
1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
B. A Picture (Col. 2:12) (Of the greatest miracle of all history!)
Col 2:12 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.
C. A Matter of Obedience (Matt. 28:19)
You are starting your Christian journey by obeying the first command.
Without this, one should not partake of communion.
D. A Matter of Confession - The Believer’s Total Identification With Christ (Romans 6)
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
E. A New Beginning
Col 3:1 3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
ILLUS: From the cold climate of Iceland to the jungles of Brazil, baptism is done in warm water. I see a picture here. We need to be Christians that are warm hearted toward others and with a fire burning within to serve Christ. We dare not be the lukewarm believer that sickens the heart of God!
