What’s This Baptism Thing All About?
Acts 2:22-41
22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
25 David said about him: "’I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.
30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.
31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.
32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.
33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "’The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ’
36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Sacrament: a divine observance; something sacred; something special, holy; something of God!
Early Christians called baptism a “sacramentum,” which is the Latin word for the Roman soldier’s oath of absolute devotion and obedience to his general.
Roman Catholic & Eastern Orthodox Sacraments
1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Eucharist
4. Confession
5. Anointing of the sick
6. Holy orders
7. Matrimony
They believe that these aid salvation.
Prostestants
Most Protestant churches recognize two sacraments--baptism and Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper). Quakers do not observe outward forms, but consider all life a sacrament.. Although Protestants observe sacraments in worship services involving many people, most Protestants see sacraments as signs of agreement between God and individuals.
Why Do We Only Have Two?
1. Both were instituted by Jesus
2. Both are outward signs indicating an inward work of God
3. Both inspire faith and obedience
4. In the Old Testament there were two major acts or ceremonies that were symbolic of an inward work of God:
Circumcision
Passover
Illus.: “You Can’t Practice Burying Me”
Shortly after a recent seminary graduate had assumed his first pastorate, he and his wife went to visit his family. His mother sensed that her daughter-in-law was unhappy, but not wishing to interfere, she pretended not to notice. As they were leaving, she heard her daughter-in-law say, “All right, we can go by the church and you can practice baptizing me just one more time. But remember this—when you have your first funeral, you are not going to practice burying me!”
Come to think of it, there is, in a sense, another way of describing baptism—the burial of the old man. In fact, that’s one of the meanings of the Greek word: baptizo: to suffer shipwreck, to sink, or to perish in the water. The story is told of a Greek sea captain who was torpedoed during the war. He broadcast this mayday message: “Baptizo! Baptizo!” (literally, “I’m sinking, I’m sinking”).
Baptisms I have performed:
- Several churches (including two baptist)
- Several swimming pools, including neighborhood pools, camp pool, the Y pool
- Lakes (stuck in the mud)
- Rivers
- Hospital
- Nursing home
Humorous baptism: cold water in tank
Most meaningful: man with a stroke who strove to be baptized
Types of Baptism
Figurative: I Cor. 10:1-4. Israel was under the cloud and passed through the sea; they were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; they identified with Moses as their deliverer; they submitted to his God-directed leadership.
Water Baptism: Many religions practiced it, including Jews and pagans. As a ritual it can be empty, but it doesn’t have to be. In England, there are some 26 million baptized Anglicans, but only 2 ½ million are church members. 88% of Latin American Catholics are baptized but few attend church. But in some countries it is very meaningful. In some, you lose everything—job, family, freedom.
One American president was baptized and received into church membership on confession of faith—Eisenhower! The event was televised and the leaders of 100 nations were present.
Mode: In the 73 references to water baptism, not a single one describes the specific way it was done. We dare not be too dogmatic here (paralyzed, lame, very ill, fearful).
Three choices: immersion, sprinkling, pouring (see Ex.29:4,7; Num.8:5-7).
I prefer immersion because of its symbolism—death and resurrection. A Methodist pastor says to a Baptist pastor, “If I immerse somebody just up to his ankles, it that enough?” “No,” answers the Baptist. “How about up to his knees?” “Nope.” “How about up to his shoulders?” “No sir!” “You mean I’ve got to get the water over the top of his head?” “That’s right.” says the baptist. “Good,” says the Methodist. That proves that it’s the top of the head that’s the important part to get wet and that’s what we do—sprinkle the head.
Age: none specific in Scripture; parents, don’t rob your children of this. Don’t make it too complicated or mysterious.
Baptismal regeneration: No! Some quote Mark 16:16: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” This may refer to Spirit baptism. It may also refer to public testimony being an evidence of one’s new life. Also, the oldest manuscripts (since 1611) do not include verses 9 – 20.
Baptism for the dead? I Cor. 15:29: “Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?” Paul was revealing an inconsistency in their logic. He was not indorsing their practice.
Years ago, a wealthy lady from the East made many trips to Salt Lake City to be baptized for the dead. Over the years she was baptized 30,000 times! She did it for relatives and friends and former people like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon. A Mormon elder commented, “I believe that this lady, in the day of judgement, through being baptized for the dead has saved more souls than Jesus.”
Spiritual Baptism
- At conversion: I Cor.12:13: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
- Romans 8:9: “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ
- At the time of full surrender: Matt.3:11: “I (John the baptist) baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
We need all three baptisms
Baptized into Christ at conversion
Baptized with water as a sign
Baptized with the Holy Spirit for cleansing and power
1. Baptism: The Command of Jesus
Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Jesus Himself was baptized—not as a sing of cleansing from sin, but as a witness that He was in complete submission to His Father’s will. This marked the official beginning of His ministry. Don’t miss that point!
2. Baptism: The Example of the Disciples
They were baptized, according to John 3:22,23
They baptized other believers according to John 4:1,2
3. Baptism: The Example of the Early Church
Believers were baptized on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38).
Philip baptized some Samaritans after he preached to them (Acts 8:12,13)
Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch after he became a Christian
Saul, who became Paul was baptized after his conversion (Acts 9:18)
Cornelius, Lydia, the Philippian jailor and his household
4. The Meaning of Baptism
Washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5)
Cleansing of sin (Acts 2:38)
New birth (John 3:5)
Identifying with Christ
Witness (testimony)
Signifies that one has died to sin and been resurrected to new life in Christ
To cleanse, to bathe, to purify, to intiate
We are baptized “Christians”—into Christ, not into or by a denomination
Never to be done privately, but in the open (Example: Irene Jordan)
Illus.: “Baptism, a Shadow”
A minister was trying to explain the significance of baptism to a new convert. He was gesturing as he talked and noticed that as he was using his hand, it’s shadow fell on the ground. So he said to the convert, “Do you see the shadow of my hand on the sand? Now that is just a shadow. The hand is the real thing. And when you came to Jesus, when you trusted Him to save you, that was the real
Baptism. You were joined to Him. And what happened to Him also happened to you. Jesus was alive, then He died and was buried and then He arose from the dead. That’s what happened to you when you believed in Him.” He pointed to the shadow on the sand and said, “When you go down in the water and are raised up again, that is a picture of what has already happened.”
Water baptism is a picture, a symbol to teach us what happened to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptism is also like a wedding ring. A wedding ring symbolizes marriage, just as baptism symbolizes union with Christ. Wearing a ring doesn’t make you married anymore than being baptized makes one a Christian. In our culture, if a person, especially a woman, does not wear a wedding ring, you can almost assume that they are not married.
So it is was in New Testament times. If a person was not baptized, you could probably assume that he or she was not a believer. On this we must be clear: baptism is a symbol of salvation and only a symbol. But, like a wedding ring, it is such an effective symbol that it should never be taken for granted.
