Baptism: Overview

1. Baptism: Overview “Authority of the Bible” study (Man's “authority” vs. God's “authority”) “False Doctrines of Man”, 8-18-2016.

2. The eternal importance of baptism “The only way people enter Christ is by baptism: "Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:3-4). Again, "For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ" (Gal. 3:26-27). This is the way one enters the church. One cannot be in Christ and not be in His church. Neither can one be in His church without being in Christ. The church is His body.” from “The New Testament Church” by H. Leo Boles.

3. “Is baptism essential to the salvation of my soul?” • There can be no more a direct and simple question for Christians, and likewise, there is no query within modern Christendom which has spawned more debate and division. • What is the “role” of baptism within the Christian faith? • Is baptism an indispensable facet of obedience as a Christian? • Are Christians “saved” and THEN baptized, or are they baptized and thus “saved”? • Multiple “faiths” and “denominations” hold very differing and opposing views on this topic, which often leads to bitter debate between opposing camps. • What does the Bible say?

4. Examples of baptism being deemed “non-essential” • “Baptism is not a requirement of salvation, but it is a requirement of obedience. • Jesus Himself was baptized by John the Baptist – and He requires that His followers be baptized as well”….. • Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas.

5. Examples of baptism being deemed “non-essential” • “Baptism is a picture and an illustration—a symbolic act. It illustrates the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf and our subsequent faith in Him. • It is not necessary for salvation, but is strongly associated with salvation as it best illustrates our new identity with Jesus Christ."...… • Second Baptist Church, Houston, TX.

6. Examples of baptism being deemed “non-essential” "Missionary Baptists believe that salvation is entirely by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning work for our sins, which salvation cannot be obtained by any other means whatsoever, not by baptism, nor by personal good works of any kind"... MISSIONARY BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES by John R. Blalock.

7. Examples of baptism being deemed “non-essential” • “Do I have to be baptized in order to be saved? • No, but baptism is a gift of God's grace to be received as part of the journey of salvation....”. • From “FAQs: Baptism”, United Methodist Church, www.umc.org

8. Examples of baptism being deemed “non-essential” • "...we are saved by grace..… • Baptism is a response to God's gift, not a way to earn God's gift..." • Max Lucado, from “God's Grace versus Man's Grace” by Bobby H. Holmes.

9. Examples of baptism being deemed “non-essential” "There are those who have taught that baptism is necessary for salvation, as if baptism adds to the finished work of Christ. We have felt that baptism is necessary for obedience, but that baptism doesn't add to what Christ does for us in the cross, and doesn't add to what a person receives by faith....I came to a better understanding of grace that I didn't have before....There was some latent legalism in me—and there probably still is. So we started studying the Gospel, and I personally found out that I was kind of overlaying the Gospel with regulations and rules. And so I repented of that, and we began teaching the Gospel." from Max Lucado, www.the-churchofchrist.org. “Is it possible for an unbaptized believer to be saved? Yes, definitely. Should every believer be baptized? Yes, definitely”, from www.christianquotes.info.

10. Examples of baptism being deemed “non-essential” “In a television interview in Nashville, Tennessee, July 2, 1997, Max Lucado said: I believe in baptism. Jesus was baptized. The Bible teaches baptism. I just don't believe that baptism saves you. I believe that Jesus Christ saves us. And baptism is one of those ways we celebrate our salvation. It's really the initial step of the faithful believer.” From “Max Lucado on Baptism” by Larry Ray Hafley, Guardian of Truth, 11-6-1997.

11. Examples of baptism being deemed “non-essential” "Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and is your public declaration that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Baptism does not save you, but shows the world that you have already been saved. And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ"...… Rick Warren, from his website.

12. Mark 16:16 • “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (King James Bible). • “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned”, (NIV). • “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (NASB).

13. Mark 16:16 • This seems to be as direct, simple, and understandable as any verse in the Bible could be…. • Belief, followed by baptism, results in salvation, while a lack of belief would make every other facet of a Christian’s salvation irrelevant, a dead issue. • Note not just the command of this verse, but the order that Christians are to follow….this verse, regardless of the translation one uses, does NOT say “a person is saved and THEN baptized”, nor does any other verse in the New Testament. • Baptism precedes salvation, not vice versa.

14. Mark 16:16 “Jesus commanded baptism and that it was practiced in the book of Acts by the very first disciples of Christ. For what purpose did they preach and practice baptism? The simple answer to that question is found in Mark's account of the Great Commission. In Mark 16:15-16 Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." This passage gives us the importance and purpose of baptism. Jesus commanded it because He requires it of those who want to be saved. This is one of those “un-get-aroundable” texts”. Jerry Brewer, NE Church of Christ, 3-21-2015.

15. Mark 16:16 • Let each of us pay special attention to this point… • The attributed speaker is Jesus Christ Himself. • If a person claims to be a “Christian”, then by definition, one must thus also be a follower or adherent of what Jesus SAID. The confusion and debate over baptism seems nonsensical, at best, based simply on this verse, which is negated NOWHERE else in the Bible. • This verse is not a matter of one person’s “bias”, “interpretation”, or agenda…Jesus Christ said these words. Jesus Christ equated baptism with salvation. Therefore, those who argue otherwise, that baptism is NOT an essential facet of salvation, by definition, oppose Jesus.

16. Mark 16:16 “The preaching of the gospel imposes duties and responsibilities upon those who hear it. Here (Mark 16:16), it imposes faith and baptism. Water baptism is a command, not a promise….Baptism in the commission is an act of obedience performed by the believer, and therefore it is a command….”. from “The Gospel According To Mark”, by CEW Dorris, Gospel Advocate, page 387.

17. Mark 16:16…..saved and THEN baptized? “The doctrine of salvation before baptism changes the order and tenses of the verbs in Mark 16:16. The passage reads : “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” To fit the doctrine of faith salvation without baptism it would read : “He that believeth and is saved shall (or may) be baptized.' But Jesus did not say is saved nor shall be baptized. He said is baptized and shall be saved. The change in the order necessary...to get salvation before baptism involves a change in the tenses of the verbs the Lord used. That is simply too much change for anybody to make who has an ounce of respect for the word of God" (Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Bible Banner, Dec., 1941).

18. Mark 16:16….saved THEN baptized? “In every place in the Bible where baptism and salvation are mentioned in the same connection, baptism is always mentioned before salvation. Mark 1:4. "John came, who baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins. 1. Baptism. 2. Remission of sins. Luke 3:3. "Preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins." 1. Baptism. 2. Remission of sins. Mark 16:16. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." 1. Believe. 2. Baptized. 3. Saved. Acts 2:38. "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins." 1. Repent. 2. Baptized. 3. Remission of sins. Acts 22:16. "Arise, and be baptized and wash away thy sins." 1. Baptized. 2. Wash away sins. 1 Peter 3:21. "After a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism." 1. Baptism. 2. Save.” (C. R. Nichol and R. L. Whiteside, Sound Doctrine, Vol. 1).

19. Matthew 28:18-19 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…”. Here, in the midst of “The Great Commission”, Jesus instructs his followers to spread the word of the Gospel, and to baptize, and how to properly baptize. These are the words of Christ, as stated earlier, and it seems difficult to fathom why supposed “followers” of Christ would deny/ignore/object to such clear and unambiguous wording.

20. Acts 22:16 “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”. Saul is NOT told to simply “believe”…..he is NOT yet saved. He is told, quite clearly, what he is to do, and being baptized is his directive.

21. Acts 22:16 “Do you think the apostle Paul later went about telling folks that baptism was, "necessary, but not essential to be saved...? Did Paul ever teach that one should "get saved" then be baptized? No. Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) and Paul declared "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:26). Saul of Tarsus---Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ---was saved when he was baptized into Christ, as all men must do if they are ever saved from sin”…. from “The Baptism of Saul of Tarsus” by Jerry Brewer.

22. Acts 10:48 “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord…” Was Cornelius ALREADY saved, as many denominations now believe and teach, or was he saved AFTER baptism?

23. Acts 10:48 and the “order” of baptism • “Just before our Lord ascended to Heaven He plainly said that belief plus baptism equals salvation. Moreover, every conversion account in the book of Acts places baptism before salvation. • As Peter wrote “baptism doth also now save us” (1 Peter 3:21). And, that is the reason the believing Saul of Tarsus was told to be baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16), and the reason Peter commanded the believers, Cornelius and his household, to be baptized (Acts 10:48).” • Contending for the Faith—July/August/2015, page 23, Howard Daniel Denham

24. Romans 6:3-7 “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.”

25. Commentary on Romans, on 6:3, by David Lipscomb, page 114. “We were baptized into his death to sin, became partakers of his death, and so died to sin as he did, and, as members of the body of Christ, we cannot live in sin. [The union with Christ, into which we enter by baptism, is thus more closely defined as union with his death….by being “baptized into Christ”, we become, as it were, one with him…We are, then, dead to our former state].

26. 1 Peter 3:21 “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…”. If baptism “now saves you”, how can any of us possibly refer to baptism as irrelevant, optional, or unnecessary??

27. James Burton Coffman Commentary on 1 Peter 3:21 “The same water which destroyed the antediluvians was the water which bore up the ark and delivered Noah and his family into a new life. It is the water of baptism that destroys the wicked today, in the sense that they rebel against God's command, belittle and despise it, either refusing to do it at all, or downgrading any necessity of it, even if they submit to it; while at the same time, it is the water of baptism that buries the Christian from his past and "into Christ," from which he, like Noah, "rises to walk in newness of life…." "Even baptism doth now save you." This simple statement of truth should upset no one, for Christ himself said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16); and Peter here said no more than what the Lord said there.”

28. Acts 2:37-38 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, 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.

29. Acts 2:38 “Acts 2:38 is very clear in terms of hermeneutics and exegetical structure…this verse alone should settle beyond the shadow of any doubt the relevance and importance of baptism”. from Dr. Ed Enzor, retired professor of Communications and Bible faculty, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX, phone interview, 10-28-2015.

30. Acts 2:41 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

31. from “Is Faith All That Is Required For Salvation?” by Batsell Barrett Baxter. “In the book of Acts there are eight major conversions, given as models for all people of all time. In every case the gospel of Christ was preached, the people believed in their hearts, but they did not stop there. Their faith led them to make known their faith in some manner (confessing Christ as their Savior) and then they were baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Obedient faith is demonstrated very clearly in this example: They heard the gospel of Christ, they believed it, at which point they asked what they must then do. Peter told them to repent of their sins and to be baptized. When they had made their faith in Christ actual by obeying the conditions upon which salvation is given, the Scripture then tells us that they were added to the church or family of God. The same pattern is found in each of the other stories of conversion. But Biblical faith is more than mere belief. It is more than an intellectual commitment. It involves obedience: confession of Christ before men (Matthew 10:32-33), repentance for our sins (Luke 13:3), and baptism for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).”

32. “Eis” and the battle over Acts 2:38 The most common opposition for baptism from Acts 2:38 arises from Baptists, typically, who argue the following; that “for” (“eis” in Greek, G1519 in Strong's Lexicon) in “FOR the remission of sins” is in the PAST tense….. In other words, people are baptized BECAUSE their sins are ALREADY forgiven, not to HAVE their sins forgiven, thus making baptism “optional”, or a non-necessity.

33. “Eis” and the battle over Acts 2:38 “Also, the words "for the remission" in that verse is a bad translation. It really says "because your sins have been remitted" meaning because you are already forgiven, now you may do it if you so choose”….. Direct quote from “Once saved, always saved” Facebook page, 10-14-2015.

34. “Eis” and the battle over Acts 2:38 “Notice that both “repent” and “be baptized” are for the same purpose. Whatever repentance is for in this verse, so is baptism. The preposition “for” takes the accusative case, which denotes motion forward, and therefore means “in order to”, “unto”, and never means “because of”. The identical expression occurs in Mattthew 26:28, “For this is the blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins”. Surely no one would argue that Jesus died because men's sins were already forgiven; rather Jesus die in order that men's sins might be forgiven”…. From “Baptism is essential” by Max Patterson, Spiritual Sword, January 1998, page 17.

35. “The Greek term eis (for, εις) is found about 1,750 times * in the New Testament*. While it has a variety of meaning shades, it always is prospective (forward looking), and is never retrospective (backward looking) in its direction. It is “an indicator of direction toward a goal, not as an indicator of location without direction” (Balz, 398). The preposition is used with the accusative case, meaning it points to the object of verbal action. Thus eis generally is translated by such terms as in, into, unto, to, toward, etc. It is a goal-oriented term. Theologically speaking, the construction of the compound verbs — “repent and be baptized” — connected with the prepositional phrase — “for the forgiveness of sins” — demonstrates that the sense of eis cannot possibly be “because of,” thus conveying the sense, “on account of the forgiveness of your sins." And why is that? Because it would equally affirm that one is required to “repent” because of the forgiveness of his sins. Who in the world subscribes to the notion that one repents of sin because his transgressions are forgiven already? That makes no sense at all”. From “The Preposition “Eis” in Acts 2:38” by Wayne Jackson, Christian Courier.

36. “Eis” from www.biblehub.com Strong's Concordance (1519) eis: to or into (indicating the point reached or entered, of place, time, fig. purpose, result) Short Definition: into, in, among, till, for Definition: into, in, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among. NOTE THAT “BECAUSE OF” IS NOT OFFERED AS A DEFINITION

37. “Eis” from www.biblehub.com Strong's Concordance (1519) eis: to or into (indicating the point reached or entered, of place, time, fig. purpose, result) Short Definition: into, in, among, till, for Definition: into, in, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among. HELPS Word-studies 1519 eis (a preposition) – properly, into (unto) – literally, "motion into which" implying penetration ("unto," "union") to a particular purpose or result.

38. Eis, from “A Second Look at Acts 2:38”, National Road Church of Christ “Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: “to obtain the forgiveness of sins, Acts ii.38.” (P. 94) Kittle’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: "Eis" in Matt. 12:41; Lk. 11:32 ("with a view to the preaching of repentance") states the reason and denotes a logical connection. “In Acts 2:38 eis denotes the direction of an action to a specific end as it does in Matt. 26:28; Mk. 1:4; Lk. 3:3.”  Bauer’s A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: “to denote purpose in order to; for forgiveness of sins; so that sins might be forgiven (Cf. Matt. 26:28; cf. Mk. 1:4; Lk. 3:3; Acts 2:38.” The Expositor’s Greek Testament (R. J. Knowling): “Eis… signifying the aim (that is, the aim of the command is the forgiveness of sins).”

39. “Baptism For The Remission Of Sins” by David Padfield. "I have never understood how Baptist preachers can make repentance a condition for salvation and then exclude baptism. They usually claim that repentance is "for" ("in order to obtain") the remission of sins and baptism is for ("because of") the remission of sins. However, the preposition "for" cannot express two different relationships to the two words-what it means to baptism it means to repentance. If repentance is essential to salvation, then so is baptism. A parallel passage can be found in Acts 3:19, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." Repentance occupies the same place in both passages. In Acts 3:19 "be converted" occupies the place that "be baptized" is given in Acts 2:38. They are therefore identical in act and purpose-whatever baptism is for in Acts 2:38, conversion is for in Acts 3:19"...

40. “Baptism and the Greek Word “eis””WWW.SIMPLYBIBLE.COM “….you will notice that Peter does not speak of baptism only, but of both repentance and baptism. "Repent and let every one of you be baptized... for the forgiveness of sins..." (Acts 2:38). If the argument places forgiveness before baptism, it also places forgiveness before repentance. In other words, a person should repent not to receive forgiveness, but because forgiveness has already taken place, and therefore repentance is not necessary to forgiveness. This would make all the translators wrong who make Peter say, "Repent and return so that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). If the argument is correct, then the translators are incorrect. They should make Peter say, “Repent and return because your sins have been be blotted out.”

41. Acts 2:38, eis, the bottom line We are baptized IN ORDER to BE saved…. We are NOT baptized because we are ALREADY saved. To suggest such flies in the face of logic, dozens of Greek scholars and studies, the definition of “eis” itself, the New Testament, and the very words of Jesus Christ Himself.

42. Matthew 3 and the baptism of Jesus Matthew 3:13-17 provides us perhaps our strongest rationale for baptism; the perfect example of the Savior of all mankind, Jesus, who approaches John the Baptist, requesting baptism…

43. Matthew 3:13-17 “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him…“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”.....

44. Matthew 3 and the baptism of Jesus Jesus had not sinned in any way, nor would he throughout his lifetime, and would thus have no need for baptism for “remission of sins”, but why would Jesus, our perfect example to follow, engage in an action which pleased God, and yet would be OPTIONAL for us today??

45. HOW are we to baptize? "Let every adult Person, and the Parents of every Child to be baptized, have the choice of sprinkling, pouring, or immersion" (Discipline of the Methodist Church, 1940 edition, p. 602)… Is this scriptural??

46. Baptism, as per multiple lexicographers.... (1) Bagster — "Baptizo, to dip, immerse; to cleanse or purify by washing." (2) Bloomfield — "Baptizo; to immerse or sink anything in water or other liquid." (3) Greenfield — "Baptizo: to immerse, submerge, sink." (4) Liddell and Scott — "Baptizo: to dip in or under water." (5) Robinson — "Baptizo; to immerse, to sink." 6. Sophocles — "Baptizo: to dip, to immerse, to sink." (7) Thayer — "Baptizo: to dip repeatedly, to immerge, to submerge." (“Bible Baptism” by M. C. Kurfees, 5-12-1955 Gospel Guardian).

47. Baptism in the first century “The ancient mode of baptizing was by immersion, or by dipping the whole body of the person, whatever his age, into the water...”. Christian Theology, Volume 2, page 452, Tomline.

49. “Bapto and Baptize mean to dip, plunge, or immerse, into anything liquid. All lexicographers and critics of any sort are agreed on this”….Mode of Christian Baptism, Moses Stuart, page 51. “The real action denoted by the verb baptize has been much debated in ‘the baptismal controversy’. There can be no doubt that the term, in its primary acceptation, denoted dipping, merging, immersing, whelming; this should never be disputed”, Commentary on Mark, James Morison, page 180.

50. Baptism or sprinkling? “Immersion for Baptism, not sprinkling or pouring water, is clearly taught in the Bible. “Much water” (Jn 3:23). “Burial in water” (Col 2:12; Rom 6:3-4). Only “one baptism” (Eph 4:5). Bring the candidates to the water, not the water to the candidates”…… Leroy Brownlow, “Preach what you practice”.