The Church; Its Baptism I Pet. 3:21
INTRO.: Alexander Campbell was a Presbyterian minister from Scotland who immigrated into the United States in 1809. His father, Thomas, had come to the new world two years earlier. Thomas had settled in the area of Washington, Pa. And had begun The Christian Association of Washington and established the Brush Run Church, an independent congregation. After a separation of 2 years, each discovered the other had been engaged in an intense examination of their religious beliefs in the light of the Bible and had come to many of the same conclusions. They combined their efforts to strengthen the Brush Run Church and preach a powerful plea for Christian unity based on the Bible.
Both Campbells were intensely interested in the biblical teaching about baptism but did not wish to make it an issue because they were afraid it would interfere with their efforts toward the unity of all believers. They sort of "put it on the back burner" while concerned about things they saw as more urgent.
One day, while calling, the elder Mr. Campbell became acquainted with a carpenter named Brown and he promised to lend Mr. Brown some books. Instead of delivering the books personally, he sent them with his son Alexander. The Browns had a daughter named Margaret and she and Alexander fell in love and married. Their first child was a daughter they named Jane, after Alexander’s mother.
This presented a problem to Alex and Margaret. Reared Presbyterians, they were faced with the question of whether or not to have little Jane sprinkled in accordance with Presbyterian teaching. No longer able to ignore the subject, Campbell became passionate in his study. He carefully studied, in the Greek, every passage where the word "baptism" or any of its variations appears. He came to the conclusion that only believers were candidates for baptism. He was also convinced from his studies that baptism is properly immersion. Not only did they decide not to baptize Jane, they became doubtful of their own baptism and decided to be immersed.
Interestingly, Thomas Campbell had come to the same conclusion. He and Jane would also be immersed. Alexander’s sister, Dorothea, also had confided a desire to be immersed.
The baptismal service was conducted in 1812 at the farm of David Bryant on the banks of Buffalo Creek near Bethany, Virginia. The service lasted 7 hours as both Campbells were lengthy speakers. A Baptist preacher named Matthias Luce immersed a total of seven persons that day on the basis of a simple confession of Jesus as the Son of God.
An interesting sidelight; One of David Bryant’s sons had time to leave the service and go to town to be sworn into the army for the War of 1812, and returned in time to hear an hour of the preaching and witness the baptisms.
In regard to the Church’s baptism, three questions are important; Who should be baptized, how is it to be done, and for what reason. Let’s look at these:
I. Who is a valid candidate for baptism? Let’s see two examples from Acts 16:
A. Verses 13 -15 tells the story of Lydia, the first European convert of wham we have record.
1. Paul usually spoke first to Jews because they had the background in Old Testament Scripture. Evidently there was no synagogue in Philippi because there were no Jewish men. The women gathered to pray by the river on the Sabbath.
2. Lydia’s heart was opened to respond to Paul’s message.
3. Verse 15 indicates she was baptized because she was a believer.
B. Verses 25-33 recount the story of the conversion of the Philippian jailor:
1. He was either a Roman soldier or a Greek hired by the Romans to guard the prison. He was not a believer in God or in Jesus:
2. Paul responded to his inquiry of verse 30 with "believe in the Lord," then preached the Gospel to everyone in the house. It was after midnight and he preached to everyone. There wee no babies.
3. His belief immediately led him to repent and be baptized. 32, 33
C. Who, then, is a valid candidate for Christian baptism?
1. Those who have heard the preaching of the Gospel of Christ and have believed it and are willing to Commit their lives to Him.
2. Acts 8:37 has been omitted from newer translations because it isn’t in the oldest manuscripts. However, it is at least a testimony to what the primitive Church believed and practiced, i.e. baptism on the confession of Jesus as God’s son.
3. There is no case in the New Testament indicating anyone but a believer was ever baptized.
II. How should baptism be done? Some say it is enough to simply sprinkle a little water on one’s head. They say, it’s what’s in your heart that counts. Certainly, if your heart is not right, no baptism can save you.
A. If your heart is right, would you not want to do what God commands.
1. The Greek word "baptizo" means to dip or immerse. It is the actual meaning of the word that was never translated, but transliterated. Most of us are not Greek scholars, but the teaching of Scripture is clear anyway.
2. Baptism requires "plenty of water." John 3:23.
3. Both Phillip and the Ethiopian went down into the water and came up out of the water. Acts 8:38, 39.
4. When Jesus was baptized, He "went up out of the water." Mark 1:10
B. Let’s look carefully at Romans 6:4-6:
1. Paul is arguing for the thoroughness of true conversion and he says figuratively we share in the death of Christ through baptism.
2. He indicates baptism is a picture (an object lesson) of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When people see a baptism, they should see pictured a burial and resurrection.
3. When I die, I’m not interested in having a funeral director smear a little dirt on my face and call it burial. When I was baptized, I wanted to be placed in the watery grave of baptism and raised to new life.
III. Why should one be baptized? What are the benefits?
A. For forgiveness of sins: Acts 2:38
1. Here baptism is connected with repentance and forgiveness. It stands between them.
2. The Apostle Paul, following his repentance, was told to "arise and wash away his sins." Acts 22:16
3. Not the only thing we must do and not the first. It is nonetheless an essential part of the process.
B. Let’s look at I Pet. 3:18-21: The flood of Noah’s day is made a figure of our baptism.
1. Eight people in the ark were saved through water.
2. There came a time when God separated His people from those doomed with the world. What separated them was the water. Water saved them just as baptism saves us.
3. It doesn’t say "baptism only." baptism is used to stand for the entire process by which God brings men to Himself.
4. Thus, Jesus says, "he that believes and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16:15
C. Other benefits of baptism:
1. It is the means of getting into Christ and clothing ourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:26, 27
2. It is the door of entry into the Church. I Cor. 12:13. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we have been baptized into His body.
3. At baptism, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God comes to live in our hearts as a result of our surrender to Christ. Acts 2:38.
CONCLUSION: The story is told that when the Gospel was first preached on the island of Barbados, several accepted the invitation to be baptized. When they arrived at the water for the baptismal service the women were dressed in nightgowns and the men in striped pajamas. The missionaries were afraid this might be misunderstood and urged the candidates to change their clothes. They refuse. The missionaries allowed it reluctantly and decided to be sure this didn’t happen the next time. Before the next baptismal service, the missionaries attended a funeral and noticed the corpse was dressed in pajamas. It was explained, "We believe when a person dies, he goes to sleep, so we are buried in our sleep wear."
Then the missionary understood. The baptism had been explained as a burial and the candidates wore their burial clothes. (Missionary Illustrations p.76)
If you are ready to bury the old man of sin and begin a new life for Jesus, why not now?
