Truth about Baptism

The Truth About Baptism

Baptism is a Requirement

–David Sain–

Most religious groups, that teach and believe that Jesus is the Lord and Savior, teach and practice baptism. Consequently, most people in these groups believe that being baptized is something that they ought to do. However, as a careful examination of their denomination-based faith will show, most people do not believe that baptism is a requirement for salvation. Their conclusion is that baptism is important, but not essential to salvation.

The purpose of this writing is to show conclusively that the Bible teaches clearly and unmistakably that baptism is, indeed, a requirement for salvation. Specifically, we shall look at the fundamentals of what the Bible teaches about baptism -- things that we must understand about baptism to effectively discuss and give defense of that which we believe and practice.

Biblical Fundamentals About Baptism

Biblical Baptism Is Immersion In Water.

The person who is Biblically “baptized” is immersed in water, as indicated by the Greek word, baptizo, of which baptism is a transliteration. In teaching the saints in Rome, the apostle Paul taught that what one does in being baptized is in the likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. In that context, he wrote, “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 (Romans 6:4). And, in Paul’s epistle to the Colossians, he said that we are “buried with him in baptism” (Col. 2:12).

From these definitive statements that baptism is a burial, we must conclude that the practice of sprinkling or pouring water upon the head of the baptismal candidate is done without Biblical authority or divine approval.

A Biblical example of baptism (i.e., immersion) in water is recorded in Acts 8:35-39. There, it is written that the Ethiopian, after being taught about Jesus, saw water and requested that he be baptized. And Philip, the evangelist, who had taught him, went down into water with him and “baptized him.”

Biblical Baptism Is Action Taken By A Penitent Believer.

According to the Scriptures, the proper candidate for baptism is one who believes the Gospel (Mark 16:15-16), who has repented from his sins (Acts 2:36,38), and who has confessed that he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts 8:35-39). These truths require that the candidate be mentally capable and mature enough to understand and embrace the Gospel. These truths also require that repentance precede Biblical baptism. Furthermore, like the eunuch of Acts 8, the candidate for baptism must first confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus (Rom. 10:9-10).

Obviously, these divinely imposed requirements mean that the practice of baptizing babies, like the practice of sprinkling or pouring water upon the head of the baptismal candidate, is without Biblical authority or divine approval.

Biblical Baptism Is Done In The Name Of Jesus.

The apostle Peter proclaimed, “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” (Acts 2:38). Therefore, the candidate for baptism is instructed to take that action in the name of Jesus Christ, but what does it mean to do something in the name of Jesus?

To do something in the name of Jesus is to do that which he has authorized, in the manner and for the reasons that he has given. And a study of the teaching of Jesus about baptism reveals two very important matters:

(1) He directed that baptism be “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mat. 28:19). Biblical baptism puts one into a state of union and communion with God, the Father, Christ, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

(2) He taught that baptism is a prerequisite of salvation (Mk. 16:16). Therefore, one is to be baptized because Jesus declared it to be essential to salvation, a matter that shall be discussed in a later point.

Biblical Baptism Puts One Into Christ and the Church.

That baptism is a “requirement” is further understood by recognizing that salvation is in Christ (II Tim. 2:10), and baptism is that act that puts one “into Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27).

Also, when one, by faith in Jesus, is baptized he is saved (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38), and the Bible informs us that the Lord adds the saved to the church (Acts 2:47). So, baptism is also that act that puts one into the church. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…” (I Cor. 12:13), and that “body” is the church (I Cor. 12:27; Eph. 1:22-23).

Biblical Baptism Is For The Forgiveness Of Sins.

At this time, the reader is reminded of a point made in the beginning of this writing -- that most people do not believe that baptism is a requirement for salvation. Most religious people believe that baptism is important, but not essential to salvation. They contend that one must be baptized to “obey God,” but they believe that one is saved before one is baptized. In light of these things so commonly believed, this point that Biblical baptism is for the forgiveness of sins cannot be overemphasized.

The Biblical truth is that baptism is not something one does after he is saved. Instead, as the apostle Peter declared, baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). The prepositional phrase “for the remission of sins” in this verse is identical (in the Greek and English) to the words that Jesus used when he said that he shed his blood “for the remission of sins” (Mat. 26:28). The purpose for which Jesus shed his blood and the purpose for which man is to be baptized are one and the same. Jesus shed his blood so that man could obtain the remission of sins, and, likewise, the purpose of baptism is so that man can obtain the remission of sins.

From these scriptures the following conclusion is logically inescapable -- baptism is a command of God that one must obey in order to be saved, and one is not saved until he is baptized for that purpose! And a study of four related scriptures verifies the conclusion:

1. In Acts 22:16, the instruction from Ananias to Saul of Tarsus was, “…be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” No honest reader of this divine record can ignore the connection of baptism to the washing away of sins.

2. Twice in Romans, chapter six, the writing of Paul, the apostle, illustrates the importance of baptism. First, he told the Roman Christians that, when they were raised from the waters of baptism, they were to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-5). Second, later in the chapter, he thanked God that they had “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine,” adding that it was “then,” i.e., when they obeyed that form of doctrine, that they were made “free from sin” (Rom. 6:17-18). When they heard and believed the gospel, and were baptized in the likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Rom. 6:3-5), their sins were forgiven.

These two texts clearly show that one is “free” from the guilt of sin and walks in “newness of life” at the moment that one is baptized,

3. In I Peter 3:21, Peter declared that Noah and his family were “saved by water,” referring to the fact that the waters of the flood saved those in the ark from the destruction that came upon those who were outside of the ark. Then he added that baptism, in a true likeness, “doth also now save us,” i.e., the waters of baptism save us from the eternal destruction that is sure to come upon those who are outside of Christ and the church, at the end of time (II Thes. 1:7-9).

4. Another significant scripture that verifies the conclusion that baptism is a command of God that one must obey in order to be saved is Mark 16:15-16. In this text, Jesus decreed that, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Considering the words of this text without any preconceived ideas, let us ask, where did Jesus place being “baptized” — before or after salvation?

It is undeniable that, according to Mark 16:16, Jesus placed being baptized before salvation, which means that being baptized is required in order for the believer to be saved. In order to say that one can be saved without being baptized or before being baptized, one would have to change the words of Jesus. And surely no one would contend that a doctrine is correct when it changes that which Jesus said.

A careful examination of these texts solidifies the conclusion that baptism is essential to salvation!

DOES THIS MEAN THAT WE EARN SALVATION?

When we contend that baptism is essential to salvation, a common objection such teaching is that it means that we earn our salvation. The objection might be worded like this, “Baptism is a work. If we are saved by baptism, then we are saved by works, but the Bible teaches that we are saved by grace, not works!”

Indeed, the Bible teaches that “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). Make no mistake about it. We do not, and cannot, earn our salvation. God owes us nothing! Salvation is by grace. However, that does not mean that our salvation is unconditional. Instead, the Scriptures clearly teach that obedience is essential to salvation.

Note three examples of such teaching. (1) Jesus taught that the one who shall enter the kingdom of heaven is the one who does the will of the Father which is in heaven (Mat. 7:21). (2) The author of Hebrews identified the one whom Jesus saves as the one who obeys him (Heb. 5:8-9). (3) The apostle Paul gave the sobering warning that the Lord will take vengeance upon all who do not obey the gospel (II Thes. 1:7-9). However, when we obey the gospel, including our obedience to the command to be baptized, we do not earn our salvation!

The “work” that we do in response to a promise or command of God is a work of righteousness, not a work of merit. The merit is in the Lord who commanded the work, and in whom we place our trust as we obey him! To illustrate, repentance is an act of faith, relying on the Lord to save (Acts 17:30), and confession is an act of faith, relying on the Lord to save (Romans 10:10). Likewise, baptism is an act of faith, relying on the Lord to save (Acts 2:38).

The truth is that the grace of God is appropriated to us when we, by trust in the Lord, do the works that God has commanded!

Helpful Questions Regarding Baptism

Finally, here are four questions that, when answered correctly, according to the Bible, will further equip us to discuss and defend our belief that baptism is required for salvation. Following each answer is a conclusive statement of an undeniable Biblical fact about the role of baptism.

Question: Can one be saved without having his sins forgiven? The correct Biblical answer is “No,” according to Romans 6:23. Well, it is a Biblical fact that baptism is commanded in order to obtain the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16). Therefore, we conclude that baptism is a requirement for the forgiveness of sins.

Question: Can one be saved without being in Christ? The correct Biblical answer is, “No,” according to II Timothy 2:10. Well, it is a Biblical fact that it is when one is baptized that he is in Christ (Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 6:3). Therefore, we conclude that baptism is a requirement for one to have salvation in Christ.

Question: Can one be saved without being in the church? The correct Biblical answer is, “No,” according to Ephesians 5:23. It is a Biblical fact that it is when one is baptized that one is saved and added to the church (Acts 2:38-47; I Cor. 12:13). Therefore, we conclude that baptism is a requirement for one to be saved and in the church.

Question: Can one be saved without obeying the gospel? The correct Biblical answer is, “No,” according to II Thessalonians 1:7-9. And it is a Biblical fact that being baptized is a command of the Gospel (Mark 16:15-16). Therefore, we conclude that baptism is a requirement for one to be saved by the gospel.

How Shall We View the Bible?

PDF versionHow Shall We View the Bible?

David Sain

The Need For This Study

                         In recent years, the landscape of religion has undergone numerous changes, including such things as the use of pragmatic methods of evangelism, the shift from the traditional to a contemporary style of worship, and the sanctioning of appointing gay people to positions of leadership in denominations.

                        In my judgment, all of these and other unscriptural changes are the result of a growing disregard for the authority of the Bible. And, regrettably, I have witnessed this growing disregard for the Word of God among my brethren. As I have stated previously, when I first began preaching the prevailing sentiment in the average listener was, “Well, if that is what the Bible says, that settles the matter.” Now, however, the alarming and growing sentiment is, “Well, I know the Bible says that, but …” At that point, the listener’s subjectivity takes over and he begins to interject his personal point of view instead of submissively accepting what the Bible says.

                        As we witness the changes that are taking place in religion and we ponder which direction the church shall go in the midst of the current challenges, it is vital to know the role that the Bible plays and how we should regard it.

                        Some view the Bible as a devotional guide. Some view it as a source of comfort and consolation in times of sorrow and distress. Some view it as a collection of ancient literature that is “out of date” and irrelevant to modern man. Some people say the Bible is the Word of God, while others think it only contains the Word of God (unwilling to accept the accuracy of everything in it, and unwilling to believe that every word of it is inspired of God).

                        So, how should we view the Bible? Here are seven answers to that important question.

We Should View the Bible as the Word of God

                        Inspired writers, in thousands of verses, affirmed this to be the case. Jeremiah does so nearly five hundred times in his two Old Testament books. Ezekiel does so more than three hundred times in his book. Zechariah does so more than eighty times in his book of prophecy. And on and on the list goes.

                        The Bible declares that God spoke by the prophets. David said, “The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, and his word was upon my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2). Jeremiah recorded that God spoke unto him, saying, “Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jer. 1:9). Throughout the pages of the Bible we are told, “thus saith the Lord” (e.g., Isa. 45:11; Jer. 17:5; Ezek. 2:4).

                        In the New Testament we are assured that God has spoken to us through His Son (Heb. 1:1-2). Jesus told his disciples,

“But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matt. 10:19-20).

In further instruction to them, he promised,

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

                        When Paul wrote the Corinthians he affirmed inspiration, declaring, “…we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth…” (1 Cor. 2:13). And that, of course, was a fulfillment of the promise of Jesus that the Spirit would teach all things and bring all things to their remembrance.

We Should View the Bible as Authoritative

                        If the Bible is inspired of God, then it is his word - the Word of God. And that means that the Bible is authoritative.

                      If one accepts the above affirmation that the scriptures are inspired of God, then one would, logically, conclude that the scriptures are authoritative — simply because they come from the one in whom all authority resides (1 Cor. 11:1). Surely, no one would argue that God could give his word and that his word would be powerless.

                        The authority of God’s word is indicated in the words of the apostle Paul when he said to the Galatians,

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8). 

Since Paul’s words were by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:13), his words became the standard of authority by which the Galatians were to measure anything preached to them.

                        The well-known words of John also indicate the authority of the word of God. He wrote,

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (2 John 9-11).

The Hebrew writer declared that God has spoken unto us, in these last days, by his Son, and Jesus said that whatever he spoke came from the Father (John 17:8, 14). Thus, John said the “doctrine of Christ” was the standard by which we are to measure that which is preached.

                        Indeed, the Bible, the Word of God, should be viewed as authoritative.

The Bible Should Be Viewed as the Truth

                        To say that the Bible is God’s word is to say that it is truth. This is the case because God cannot lie (Heb. 6:18; Tit. 1:2). And since God cannot lie, then the Bible cannot lie—that is, it cannot teach that which is not true.                

Whatever the Bible teaches is true is absolutely true. Whatever the Bible teaches to have happened actually happened. In other words, what the Bible teaches to be the case, actually is the case because what the Bible “says” is what God “says,” and what God says is the truth (John 17:17).

                        The Psalmist wrote often that the Word of the Lord is right (Psa. 19:7-9; 33:4; 119:104, 128).

The Bible Should Be Viewed as Absolute Truth

                         The truth of the Bible is absolute. That is, it is free from and independent of the conclusions of the reader/student. In other words, it does not depend upon individuals reaching some conclusion about it.

                        The truth of the Bible is truth regardless of what conclusions people reach. The truth of a proposition is not changed by the conclusion that someone reaches about a matter. This is, of course, in stark contrast to the theory of relativism, which holds that truth is dependent upon the conclusions that one reaches.

                        Someone may say, “I have been rethinking the matter of the role of women” or “I am rethinking the matter of baptism.” Well, one may “rethink” these and other matters and changes his mind about these subjects, but that will not change what the Bible actually teaches. To illustrate, if, when I am preaching, I look at a microphone before me and call it a pencil, does that change what it is? Of course not. I can say about it whatever I want, but it will still be a microphone. And so it is with the truth. Man may say what he will about a Biblical matter, but what the Bible says about it remains the same!

                        Furthermore, the truth of the Bible is constant. That is, what was truth years ago is still truth. I continue to hear and read things like, “What the Holy Spirit told the apostle Paul may not be what the Spirit is saying to you and me” but, that accommodative thinking notwithstanding, the message of the Bible remains the same. The Bible teaches now just what it taught before any of us were alive to study it, and it will teach the same thing long after we are gone from this earth.

                        Consider what is implied when one comments that the Bible is out of date and irrelevant to the culture of the twenty-first century and does not address the life of modern man. It implies that almighty, all-knowing God was incapable of writing a book that would remain relevant in all ages, or else he chose not to do so — in which case he has lied in scriptures like 2 Peter 1:3 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

                        The constant, unchanging truth of the Bible is clearly and unmistakably affirmed in the scriptures. Peter wrote that the word of God “liveth and abideth for ever” and that “…the word of the Lord endureth for ever”(1 Pet. 1:23, 25). The Psalmist praised the Lord with the words,

“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psa. 119:89).

And the Son of God proclaimed,

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35).

The Bible Should Be Viewed as Attainable Truth

                        Not only is the truth of the Bible absolute. It is also attainable. That is, men can learn the truth of the Bible.

                        In a world that is permeated with relativism, the growing sentiment, even among devout people, is that we can never know for certain what is the truth of the Bible. And, if you follow that reasoning to its ultimate conclusion, you decide, as multitudes have, no one has the right to judge another person to be wrong.

                        However, such reasoning contradicts what Jesus said. To those Jews that believed on him, Jesus said,

“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).

Since our being a disciple of the Lord depends upon abiding in his word, Jesus here implicitly teaches that one must be able to learn and “know” the truth. It would be impossible to abide in it unless we are able to first learn it.

                        In Ephesians 3:3-4, the apostle Paul said,

“How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) (Eph. 3:3-4).

He said they would “understand” when they “read” it. Later, in that same letter, Paul added,

“Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (5:17).

To Timothy, Paul wrote that God wants all men to come to know the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), which carries the obvious conclusion that all men can know the truth.

                        Does this mean that we can fully understand all that is the Bible? No. However, those things that are essential to salvation are, with proper study, easily understandable, and those things which are more difficult to comprehend are not essential to one’s salvation. Any person accountable to God can understand and know that baptism is essential to salvation, while the figurative language of Revelation will require more time and greater study to comprehend. However, one does not have to fully understand everything in Revelation, e.g., the mark of the beast, in order to be saved.

We Should View the Bible as All Sufficient

                        The Bible is a complete revelation of the Will of God for man. Peter said that God “…hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3). And the all-sufficiency of the scriptures is emphatically declared in Paul’s well-known words to Timothy.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

                        In recent years, we have been hearing that we need to be “more open to the leading of the Spirit.” Well, make no mistake about it. the Spirit does lead and influence us — but only through the Scriptures. Since, in the Scriptures, we have all that pertains to life and godliness, here is no need for any other revelation from God. Since the Scriptures completely equip us to all good works, what more can the Holy Spirit lead us to know or do that he has not already revealed in the Word?

The Bible Should Be Viewed As the Power of God

                        The Hebrew writer said,

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

Paul declared that the gospel is God’s power to save sinful man (Rom. 1:16-17;1 Cor. 15:1-4). In the epistle of James, he exhorted his readers to “…receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21). And, further indicating the power of God’s word, James said that God begets us through the Word (James 1:18), a truth that Paul also affirmed in his letter to the saints of Corinth (1 Cor. 4:15).

                        Indeed, what power the Bible has. It is the means by which God convicts us of sin and saves us from the guilt of sin. And that is why we must be diligent and persevering in making it known to all men everywhere (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15).