There are varying interpretations around baptism, including who should be baptised. I approach this from the perspective of believers baptism, however I respect and love those who think differently. Whichever way you go on this topic, I hope you can benefit from the following article.
Introduction
Baptism is an important topic for the Church today, one that enjoys good visibility in Scripture. Despite the many and varied references and descriptions in the Bible it is still a contentious topic between many Christians. For the sake of this article I will examine biblical notions of Baptism in a very brief sense, making many assumptions for which there is inadequate space to elaborate. What shall be noted is that Baptism is a sacramental replacement for circumcision, that Jesus both partook and commands Baptism, that Baptism is a loyalty pledge and lastly some implications for today in conclusion.
Like Circumcision only different
As with all New Testament concepts, Baptism finds its roots in the Old. Where the Church of the OT, that is Israel, were given two sacraments; Passover and Circumcision, the NT Church has been given the Lord’s Super and Baptism. As one replaces the other, certain aspects carry on while others fall away. In the case of Circumcision we see that this is something requested by God to mark out those who belonged to himself in a real and tangible way. This wasn’t just for the newborn, but even the foreigner who wanted to join Israel. This act did not sanctify anyone, but it represented the consecration of a person to YHWH. We well know that men who were circumcised fell in the wilderness; while it marked them out as Israelites, it did not circumcise their hearts.
Interestingly circumcision was only for a single gender. Even though it was granted to the nation as a sign and seal, there were still some who could not take part. Not because they were in anyway less valued, but because of the message God was trying to communicate through the sacrament.
When Christ came to fulfil the Old and herald in the New, the sacrament of Baptism comes into effect with similar restrictions. In the new sacrament, there are still some who cannot partake. No longer is the restriction on gender, but it becomes dependant on the declaration of allegiance to YHWH. No longer is it assumed that your ethnicity will characterise your religious convictions, but rather as citizens of a spiritual kingdom the sign and seal of their belonging must be spiritually demonstrated. Some, such as infants, cannot partake in this, not because they are in anyway less valued, but because of the message God is trying to communicate through the sacrament.
Baptism follows a heart circumcision. Circumcision was an outward sign of what should have been a lifelong reality for the Israelite. Now that this practise has faded to shadow, the greater heart circumcision takes it’s place. This however is still illustrated by outward actions in the ordinance of Baptism as sign and seal of belonging.
Good enough for Jesus, good enough for me.
As alluded to, Jesus Christ is the instituter of the new sacrament. He comes to fulfil the Law, making it not to disappear, but rather showing it as a shadow of the greater things in Christ.
John the Baptising[1] was the prelude to Jesus. He was sent to prepare the way, and one of those ways was introducing the people to a Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins. As the last and greatest prophet, John introduced the intertestamental audience to this public act of repentance and confession of sin. Following on with that post-exilic theme of national repentance, John applies it to the individual with the ceremonial washing which would be certified by Jesus as appropriate and necessary, both by example and command.
For Jesus, this ceremonial washing was so important that he undertook a Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins even though he had no sins to forgive. This public act identifies Jesus with the people he came to save but also illustrates his loyalty to YHWH. The Father responds to this act of allegiance and obedience by declaring his blessing for his Son via a vision of the Spirit. This act is something so important in the ministry of Christ that it warrants a theophany. If this caused such a reaction when Christ partook, and if it is something that the believer is called to do, the significance of the ceremonial washing would be hard to understate.
Jesus declared the absolute need for followers to be baptised in the Great Commission: “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”[2] As Jesus had partaken in a Trinitarian baptism, he calls his followers to do the same. The disciples of course follow his commands, and Acts is littered with examples of this taking place.
Public loyalty pledge
Dr Michael S. Heiser helpfully notes that “Baptism was—and still is—spiritual warfare.”[3] He sees the ceremonial washing as a loyalty pledge that casts off other gods and masters in an “appeal to God.”[4] Baptism is a declaration of the individual’s reliance and dependence of God to both cleanse and save. In the same way that Noah and his family went through the waters by faith, they gave up their own lives and trusted in God, and were then metaphorically resurrected to new life in the aftermath. So too the Israelites, in their inability entered the Red sea by faith in God, definitively pledging themselves to YHWH’s care and protection. Their active pledge of walking the sea bottom with dry feet is illustrative of the spiritual pledge of the Christian whose active pledge is illustrative of being “buried therefore with [Christ] by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”[5]
Baptism joins the Christian to Christ.[6] Baptism does not affect the work of Christ in forgiveness, but is so closely related to the work of God in the believer that baptism is said to save them.[7] The outward symbols of the cleansing, immersion and raising represent the inward purifying of Christ and dying to self, and being “raised with [Christ] through faith in the powerful working of God.”[8] Baptism illustrates to the believer and to the world the inward work of God in regeneration.
Significance today
There is no reason to diminish or discontinue the practice of Baptism in the life of the Church today. Some, such as the Salvation Army, would contend that the spiritual significance of baptism can be experienced without the need for the actual act, yet there is no word from God on this frivolous notion. To be fair there are some who appear to have escaped the need for baptism, such as the thief on the cross, yet it is undeniable that the commission for the disciples and by extension the Church, features the active act of baptism for believers as a rule. Beyond this, the assumption of the NT writers is that believers know and experience baptism, hence the writers can use it for illustrative purposes in their epistles.
Baptism today stands as the signifying mark of the Christian as joined to Jesus, sealed with him. As people publicly disavow their sin and are symbolically ceremonially washed, they pledge themselves to the God who can forgive sin and purify hearts.
Samuel Lindsay
[1] A better rendering in English of the Greek is ‘baptising’ rather than ‘baptiser’ or ‘baptist.’
Three Thoughts on Baptism
There are varying interpretations around baptism, including who should be baptised. I approach this from the perspective of believers baptism, however I respect and love those who think differently. Whichever way you go on this topic, I hope you can benefit from the following article.
Introduction
Baptism is an important topic for the Church today, one that enjoys good visibility in Scripture. Despite the many and varied references and descriptions in the Bible it is still a contentious topic between many Christians. For the sake of this article I will examine biblical notions of Baptism in a very brief sense, making many assumptions for which there is inadequate space to elaborate. What shall be noted is that Baptism is a sacramental replacement for circumcision, that Jesus both partook and commands Baptism, that Baptism is a loyalty pledge and lastly some implications for today in conclusion.
Like Circumcision only different
As with all New Testament concepts, Baptism finds its roots in the Old. Where the Church of the OT, that is Israel, were given two sacraments; Passover and Circumcision, the NT Church has been given the Lord’s Super and Baptism. As one replaces the other, certain aspects carry on while others fall away. In the case of Circumcision we see that this is something requested by God to mark out those who belonged to himself in a real and tangible way. This wasn’t just for the newborn, but even the foreigner who wanted to join Israel. This act did not sanctify anyone, but it represented the consecration of a person to YHWH. We well know that men who were circumcised fell in the wilderness; while it marked them out as Israelites, it did not circumcise their hearts.
Interestingly circumcision was only for a single gender. Even though it was granted to the nation as a sign and seal, there were still some who could not take part. Not because they were in anyway less valued, but because of the message God was trying to communicate through the sacrament.
When Christ came to fulfil the Old and herald in the New, the sacrament of Baptism comes into effect with similar restrictions. In the new sacrament, there are still some who cannot partake. No longer is the restriction on gender, but it becomes dependant on the declaration of allegiance to YHWH. No longer is it assumed that your ethnicity will characterise your religious convictions, but rather as citizens of a spiritual kingdom the sign and seal of their belonging must be spiritually demonstrated. Some, such as infants, cannot partake in this, not because they are in anyway less valued, but because of the message God is trying to communicate through the sacrament.
Baptism follows a heart circumcision. Circumcision was an outward sign of what should have been a lifelong reality for the Israelite. Now that this practise has faded to shadow, the greater heart circumcision takes it’s place. This however is still illustrated by outward actions in the ordinance of Baptism as sign and seal of belonging.
Good enough for Jesus, good enough for me.
As alluded to, Jesus Christ is the instituter of the new sacrament. He comes to fulfil the Law, making it not to disappear, but rather showing it as a shadow of the greater things in Christ.
John the Baptising[1] was the prelude to Jesus. He was sent to prepare the way, and one of those ways was introducing the people to a Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins. As the last and greatest prophet, John introduced the intertestamental audience to this public act of repentance and confession of sin. Following on with that post-exilic theme of national repentance, John applies it to the individual with the ceremonial washing which would be certified by Jesus as appropriate and necessary, both by example and command.
For Jesus, this ceremonial washing was so important that he undertook a Baptism for the Forgiveness of Sins even though he had no sins to forgive. This public act identifies Jesus with the people he came to save but also illustrates his loyalty to YHWH. The Father responds to this act of allegiance and obedience by declaring his blessing for his Son via a vision of the Spirit. This act is something so important in the ministry of Christ that it warrants a theophany. If this caused such a reaction when Christ partook, and if it is something that the believer is called to do, the significance of the ceremonial washing would be hard to understate.
Jesus declared the absolute need for followers to be baptised in the Great Commission: “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”[2] As Jesus had partaken in a Trinitarian baptism, he calls his followers to do the same. The disciples of course follow his commands, and Acts is littered with examples of this taking place.
Public loyalty pledge
Dr Michael S. Heiser helpfully notes that “Baptism was—and still is—spiritual warfare.”[3] He sees the ceremonial washing as a loyalty pledge that casts off other gods and masters in an “appeal to God.”[4] Baptism is a declaration of the individual’s reliance and dependence of God to both cleanse and save. In the same way that Noah and his family went through the waters by faith, they gave up their own lives and trusted in God, and were then metaphorically resurrected to new life in the aftermath. So too the Israelites, in their inability entered the Red sea by faith in God, definitively pledging themselves to YHWH’s care and protection. Their active pledge of walking the sea bottom with dry feet is illustrative of the spiritual pledge of the Christian whose active pledge is illustrative of being “buried therefore with [Christ] by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”[5]
Baptism joins the Christian to Christ.[6] Baptism does not affect the work of Christ in forgiveness, but is so closely related to the work of God in the believer that baptism is said to save them.[7] The outward symbols of the cleansing, immersion and raising represent the inward purifying of Christ and dying to self, and being “raised with [Christ] through faith in the powerful working of God.”[8] Baptism illustrates to the believer and to the world the inward work of God in regeneration.
Significance today
There is no reason to diminish or discontinue the practice of Baptism in the life of the Church today. Some, such as the Salvation Army, would contend that the spiritual significance of baptism can be experienced without the need for the actual act, yet there is no word from God on this frivolous notion. To be fair there are some who appear to have escaped the need for baptism, such as the thief on the cross, yet it is undeniable that the commission for the disciples and by extension the Church, features the active act of baptism for believers as a rule. Beyond this, the assumption of the NT writers is that believers know and experience baptism, hence the writers can use it for illustrative purposes in their epistles.
Baptism today stands as the signifying mark of the Christian as joined to Jesus, sealed with him. As people publicly disavow their sin and are symbolically ceremonially washed, they pledge themselves to the God who can forgive sin and purify hearts.
Samuel Lindsay
[1] A better rendering in English of the Greek is ‘baptising’ rather than ‘baptiser’ or ‘baptist.’
[2] Mt 28:19.
[3] Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (First Edition.; Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015), 339.
[4] 1 Pe 3:21.
[5] Ro 6:4.
[6] Ga 3:27
[7] 1 Pe 3:21, Mk 16:16
[8] Col 2:12.