Water Baptism

 The Unger's Bible dictionary says that baptism is “the application of water as a rite of purification and initiation.” I would agree with this but include the idea that baptism is consecratory; and by that I mean that it has the significance of setting apart (which is consecration) the person baptized for service to God. The person baptized is seen as being set apart for service to God (consecration), and this rite (ritual) is a kind of initiation into that service, and it has a purification significance (a washing) from any past defilement or associations. The book of Hebrews speaks of various washings, which could refer to baptisms that were done under the Old Covenant: the tabernacle service was “concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings [the Greek word is baptisms], and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.” Hebrews 9:10 The Gospel of John also speaks of a dispute over “purification” when the disciples of John and the Jews (probably the Jewish leaders) in a context about water baptism: “²³ Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. ²⁴ For John had not yet been thrown into prison. ²⁵ Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. ²⁶ And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" John 3:23-26

Unger goes on to say about Baptism: “[that it] is held by some scholars to mean 'to dip, immerse.' But this this meaning is held by others to be not the most exact or common but rather a meaning that is secondary or derived. By the latter it is claimed that all the term necessarily implies is that the element employed in baptism is in close contact with the person or object baptized.” I include this definition here, because the words “baptized” and “baptism” appear in Scripture with a usage that doesn't necessarily involve the ritual with water. Knowing this may remove some of the difficulty concerning the role baptism plays. Examples are where Paul says that Israel was baptized into Moses (1 Cor 10.2)—and just as Israel was Baptized into Moses, the Church is baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3; Gal 3:27). It speaks of a union or identification—like the second definition Unger gave. Jesus said he had a baptism to be baptized with (Mat 20:22-23). Paul said we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. Paul said was are baptized into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3).

Just as “baptized” or “baptism” can refer to something other that the ritual involving the application of water, so can words like “saved” or “salvation,” and words like “remission of sins” or “washed.” I bring this up because the difficulty we have is how should we understand the connection between the ritual of baptism and receiving remission of sins or being saved? In what sense do we receive remission of sins or are saved by baptism?

The bigger questions for me are not the mode of application of the water, though I believe immersion probably best portrays what the ritual intends to portray, and I'm not so concerned about who the recipients should be, because it just seems to me that only those who have responded personally to what the Baptism is associated with can be it's candidate, even though infant baptism was practiced early on in Christendom. My concerns are whether baptism is necessary to receive remission of sins and salvation (whether one has to believe it or not for it to be effective). And the other issue is concerning the early Church Fathers saying it is necessary for remission of sins and regeneration (to be “born again”). The issue in these things is that faith alone in Christ alone does not really save; and it seems difficult to know how the death of Christ takes away sin (yet Scripture says without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins: Hebrews 9:22), if we say baptism takes away sin, unless baptism is how the death of Christ is applied. But this would mean that until one gets baptized, their salvation is put on hold, unless an exception is allowed for those who intended to get baptized, but fail to for some reason. Obviously, the thief on the cross did not get baptized. Are there exceptions in Scripture for good intentions but failure to carry through when it comes to receiving eternal life?

I believe it is important to recognize that “salvation” and “remission of sins” (which also means forgiveness or release) can be understood in an eternal sense or a temporal sense. There is a once-for-all forgiveness of sins and an eternal salvation, but there is a temporal forgiveness of sins—because Christians still sin—and a temporal kind of salvation, spiritually or even physically. When a Christian sins, it doesn't change their eternal relationship with God, but it does affect their fellowship with God. First John says that if we sin, we can confess our sins and receive forgiveness (1 John 1:9). There is also a temporal kind of salvation in which we are being transformed—we are not perfected in this life ( 1 Tim 4:16). It could be that the remission of sins that follows baptism in Acts 2:38 is of the temporal kind, that it is the “purification” from their past association with the rebellious nation towards Christ—after all, the baptism was in the name of Christ, with whom they would be identifying and from that time forward would be vessels to proclaim Him. When Ananias said the Paul to be baptized and wash away his sins (Acts 22:16), he could have in mind a temporal kind of washing—as baptism has that significance of a washing—from his past associations in persecuting the Church and Christ. His baptism would be a starting anew as a vessel chosen by God (Acts 9:15) to proclaim Christ to the nations.

Following the baptism, we sometimes see the promise and receiving of the Spirit. I would suggest this is not about regeneration but about the special enabling for service. The Spirit descended upon Jesus after His baptism (John 1:32), and It drove him into the wilderness to prepare Him for His ministry—which began after His baptism and 40 days of fasting. Jesus didn't get baptized to receive remission of sin or salvation eternally, obviously. It seems to make sense to see the baptism as the ritual consecration for ministry to God: it was the start of His special ministry as a vessel chosen by God for service. Peter said in Acts 2:38 that those who repent and are baptized will receive the Holy Spirit. Ananias tells Paul that he will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17). I would suggest this is with reference to the special manifestation of the Spirit in equipping these chosen vessels for service to God.

So there are places that speak of baptism resulting in remission of sin and salvation or washing away of sins, but I would suggest these are speaking in a temporal sense, with reference to consecration as a vessel fit for service to God. To be disobedient to this after one believes is to suffer with a conscience that is not right with God. I would suggest that the “repentance” in Acts 2:38 is with reference to getting right with God, because after the Jews heard the message of Peter in Acts 2, it says they were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37) and asked what they should do, and Peter said they were to repent and be baptized. Maybe the repentance includes faith in Christ, or they already believed, but they wanted to know what they should do next. They needed to be baptized. Peter elsewhere speaks of baptism “saving” those who get baptized as an answer of a “good conscience toward God.” Their baptism disassociates them from the disobedient nation: “...the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God).” 1 Peter 3:20-21 Through the flood, God saved Noah's family from the corruption of the world, and through baptism, the believer disassociates from the nation that rejected Christ. Peter goes on to say in Acts 2: ^“And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation.' Then those who gladly received his word were baptized.” Acts 2:40-41

The early Church Fathers did believe that the ritual of baptism brought remission of sins and regeneration (the new birth). There were only a few who actually could have known the Apostles. I can only say that they had fallen into an error on this. Closeness to the Apostles doesn't guarantee that they couldn't depart from the truth. Paul had to address error to the churches he had led to Christ on these issues. The Galatians were turning to the Law and circumcision for justification, and Paul had to rebuke them. He even said that if we (including himself) were to preach a different gospel, they were to be cursed: “⁶ I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, ⁷ which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9 Lutherans actually think that baptism replaced circumcision, which isn't correct, but just as one was not justified by circumcision, one is not justified by water baptism. Paul goes to great length to demonstrate that Abraham was justified by faith alone, and before he was even circumcised. The Galatians were in danger of “falling from grace,” if they got circumcised for justification: “​¹ Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. ² Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ³ And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. ⁴ You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. ⁵ For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” Galatians 5:1-6

The ritual of water baptism could be understood as having an initiatory and consecratory significance with respect to service to God in identification with a ministry particularly sanctioned by God.