Scriptural Facts about Baptism
Introduction. As clear as God has spoken about the “one baptism” (Eph. 4:5), it is amazing there are any disagreements. Yet some today proclaim baptism is completely unnecessary, while others see it as holding a minor role in salvation. There are just under 100 times baptism is used in the NT scriptures. In this article we will look at thirteen different things God has revealed about baptism.
Only by carefully considering all that the Holy Spirit has revealed about baptism can we “all speak the same thing and there will be no divisions among us” (1Cor. 1:10) about the importance of baptism.
One: God introduced baptism to all in the very “beginning of the gospel.” John the Baptist “went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” As he preached, “all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him.” Soon “Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John” (Mk. 1:1-5; Lk. 3:3-4; Jn. 4:1). Why would God introduce baptism as bringing “the remission of sins” and Jesus use it to make disciples if it was destined to become unimportant after Jesus’ death?
Two: When Jesus gave the great commission, He decreed that the gospel must be preached to every nation in the whole creation. Jesus showed He had no intention for baptism to fade into insignificance. He commanded them to “baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” to make them disciples. He also commanded that after preaching the gospel, only those who “believe and are baptized will be saved.” (Mk. 16:15-17; Mt. 28:18-20). It is impossible to conclude from these commands that Jesus expected baptism to be viewed as unimportant.
Three: Peter preached the first gospel sermon after the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in Acts 2. As the crowd was cut to the heart by the gospel, they asked what God expected. Peter’s answer was very similar to what John had preached: “Repent and let everyone of you be baptized for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:36-41). The remission of sins Jesus promised through His blood is only given after one hears the gospel, repents and is baptized.
Four: When the angel was sent to Cornelius he told him to “call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your house will be saved.” (Acts 10-11). Peter ended his words of salvation with: “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized... and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” Why would Peter include baptism if it was not an essential part of what one must do to be saved?
Five: A closer look at three and four reveal even more. First, Jesus promised Peter he would be given “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Peter used those keys for the Jews to enter the kingdom in the first gospel sermon (Acts 2). Later the same keys were used to bring in the Gentiles (Acts 10-11). In both sermons the command to be baptized was given. Baptism is a part of the keys to enter the kingdom. A second proof is Jesus’ promise to Peter. “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” (Mt. 16:18-19). Peter clearly bound water baptism for remission of sins on all Jews and Gentiles. By Jesus own words, since Peter bound baptism, it is now bound in heaven!
Six: After Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus, his faith in Jesus was strong. Yet when he asked Jesus what he must do next, Jesus said: "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." When Ananias arrived he told Saul the same thing Peter bound so “he arose and was baptized.” (Acts 9:6-18). Many years later, Paul told us exactly what Ananias’ had said: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins.” (Acts 22:16). If Paul’s baptism washed away his sins, only our own baptism will wash our sins away today.
Seven: The full power and importance of baptism is seen in the gospel itself. Paul revealed: “the gospel which I preached” was (1) “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” “and (2) that He was buried”, “and that (3) He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” once we believe this gospel, baptism is the next step. After faith, but before baptism “we were dead in our trespasses.” Though we heard and believed the gospel, even as we entered into the water, we were still dead, so we were “buried with Him through baptism into death.” While buried in that water “our old man was crucified with Him,” and as we came out of the water, “God made us alive” and “you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God.” Even though we believed, before baptism we were still “dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh.” Only after baptism: “He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” Just as no one can be saved without His death, burial and resurrection, no one can be saved without baptism, for in baptism we die with Him, are raised with Him, and are made alive together with Him. (Rom. 6:1-8; Col. 2:11-14). In baptism, we make Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection our own.
Eight: Only in baptism do we put on Christ: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal. 3:27). If we believe but are not baptized, we have not yet “put on Christ” and we are not yet “in Christ.” Thus this close fellowship with Jesus is only through baptism. Since God “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3-4), not only is our fellowship lost, but so also are all spiritual blessings in Christ until we are baptized.
Nine: Jesus revealed: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” and “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Without both water and the Spirit the entrance is barred. Since the Holy Spirit through Peter directly tied baptism to water (“can anyone forbid the water that these should not be baptized”), baptism is the water Jesus commanded. The Holy Spirit as the author of the word of God is the Spirit. Thus, believing the gospel and being baptized in water is how we are born of water and the Spirit. (Jn. 3:5; 1Pet. 1:22-24; Eph. 5:25 Titus 3:5). Only in faith and baptism are we born again.
Ten: In the new birth by the power of God, we are adopted as Abraham’s seed. When we are “baptized into Christ” and “put on Christ,” “then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29). Only after baptism are “we brethren, as Isaac was, children of promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29; 4:28). This makes us “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 4:4-7). Only baptism can change us into Abraham’s seed, and a child of promise just as Isaac.
Our final three points are Historical Parallels (Parables) that Reveal the Power of Baptism
Eleven: God wanted us to know that baptism saves us exactly the same way the ark saved Noah: “while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also a true likeness which now saves us even baptism.” (1Pet. 3:20-21). The true likeness between the ark and baptism is clearly salvation. Noah was saved by the ark and Christians are saved by baptism. Just as Noah needed the ark to be saved, we need baptism to be saved. Faith alone would not save Noah and it will not save us either.
Twelve: Israel’s passing through the Red sea was a baptism: “All our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” (1Cor. 10:1-2). There is only one reason the Holy Spirit would call passing through the sea a baptism. The parallel is obvious! Everyone must be baptized into Christ to become a disciple under Christ just like everyone in Israel had to be baptized into Moses to become disciples under Moses. When God opened the sea, they left the bondage of Egypt. When we are baptized we leave the bondage of sin. Just as Israel had to go through the water of the sea we must go through the water of baptism.
Thirteen: God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision when he was 99 years old. This covenant “sealed” him as the father of many nations (us too) and made circumcision the “sign” of the covenant. All who were circumcised became God’s people while the uncircumcised were “cut off from His people.” The Holy Spirit used circumcision to reveal another powerful effect of baptism. “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism.” (Col. 2:10-13). Thus not only are we buried, crucified, made alive and raised in baptism, but we are also circumcised with a spiritual circumcision (without hands). Unless we are circumcised in baptism, we remain “dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh.” Until we are baptized, we are still uncircumcised and dead in sin. Only after baptism are we circumcised in Christ.
Conclusion. This is not all that opens our eyes to the importance of baptism. “By one Spirit we were baptized into one body.” (1Cor 12:12-13). We are not in Christ’s body by faith alone, but only through baptism. There is also the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:35-39) and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:30-34). The essential function of baptism in the gospel is fixed and absolute. Man can say what he wishes about baptism, but he can’t undo all the points above. The Holy Spirit clearly revealed the consequences of those who rejected John’s baptism, why would it be any different if we reject Jesus’ baptism?
Only by carefully considering all that the Holy Spirit has revealed about baptism can we “all speak the same thing and there will be no divisions among us” (1Cor. 1:10) about the importance of baptism.
One: God introduced baptism to all in the very “beginning of the gospel.” John the Baptist “went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” As he preached, “all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him.” Soon “Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John” (Mk. 1:1-5; Lk. 3:3-4; Jn. 4:1). Why would God introduce baptism as bringing “the remission of sins” and Jesus use it to make disciples if it was destined to become unimportant after Jesus’ death?
Two: When Jesus gave the great commission, He decreed that the gospel must be preached to every nation in the whole creation. Jesus showed He had no intention for baptism to fade into insignificance. He commanded them to “baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” to make them disciples. He also commanded that after preaching the gospel, only those who “believe and are baptized will be saved.” (Mk. 16:15-17; Mt. 28:18-20). It is impossible to conclude from these commands that Jesus expected baptism to be viewed as unimportant.
Three: Peter preached the first gospel sermon after the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in Acts 2. As the crowd was cut to the heart by the gospel, they asked what God expected. Peter’s answer was very similar to what John had preached: “Repent and let everyone of you be baptized for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:36-41). The remission of sins Jesus promised through His blood is only given after one hears the gospel, repents and is baptized.
- My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for the remission of sins. (Mt. 26:28)
- Repent and let everyone of you be baptized for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).
Four: When the angel was sent to Cornelius he told him to “call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your house will be saved.” (Acts 10-11). Peter ended his words of salvation with: “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized... and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” Why would Peter include baptism if it was not an essential part of what one must do to be saved?
Five: A closer look at three and four reveal even more. First, Jesus promised Peter he would be given “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Peter used those keys for the Jews to enter the kingdom in the first gospel sermon (Acts 2). Later the same keys were used to bring in the Gentiles (Acts 10-11). In both sermons the command to be baptized was given. Baptism is a part of the keys to enter the kingdom. A second proof is Jesus’ promise to Peter. “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” (Mt. 16:18-19). Peter clearly bound water baptism for remission of sins on all Jews and Gentiles. By Jesus own words, since Peter bound baptism, it is now bound in heaven!
Six: After Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus, his faith in Jesus was strong. Yet when he asked Jesus what he must do next, Jesus said: "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." When Ananias arrived he told Saul the same thing Peter bound so “he arose and was baptized.” (Acts 9:6-18). Many years later, Paul told us exactly what Ananias’ had said: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins.” (Acts 22:16). If Paul’s baptism washed away his sins, only our own baptism will wash our sins away today.
Seven: The full power and importance of baptism is seen in the gospel itself. Paul revealed: “the gospel which I preached” was (1) “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” “and (2) that He was buried”, “and that (3) He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” once we believe this gospel, baptism is the next step. After faith, but before baptism “we were dead in our trespasses.” Though we heard and believed the gospel, even as we entered into the water, we were still dead, so we were “buried with Him through baptism into death.” While buried in that water “our old man was crucified with Him,” and as we came out of the water, “God made us alive” and “you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God.” Even though we believed, before baptism we were still “dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh.” Only after baptism: “He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” Just as no one can be saved without His death, burial and resurrection, no one can be saved without baptism, for in baptism we die with Him, are raised with Him, and are made alive together with Him. (Rom. 6:1-8; Col. 2:11-14). In baptism, we make Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection our own.
Eight: Only in baptism do we put on Christ: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal. 3:27). If we believe but are not baptized, we have not yet “put on Christ” and we are not yet “in Christ.” Thus this close fellowship with Jesus is only through baptism. Since God “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3-4), not only is our fellowship lost, but so also are all spiritual blessings in Christ until we are baptized.
Nine: Jesus revealed: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” and “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Without both water and the Spirit the entrance is barred. Since the Holy Spirit through Peter directly tied baptism to water (“can anyone forbid the water that these should not be baptized”), baptism is the water Jesus commanded. The Holy Spirit as the author of the word of God is the Spirit. Thus, believing the gospel and being baptized in water is how we are born of water and the Spirit. (Jn. 3:5; 1Pet. 1:22-24; Eph. 5:25 Titus 3:5). Only in faith and baptism are we born again.
Ten: In the new birth by the power of God, we are adopted as Abraham’s seed. When we are “baptized into Christ” and “put on Christ,” “then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29). Only after baptism are “we brethren, as Isaac was, children of promise.” (Gal. 3:27-29; 4:28). This makes us “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 4:4-7). Only baptism can change us into Abraham’s seed, and a child of promise just as Isaac.
Our final three points are Historical Parallels (Parables) that Reveal the Power of Baptism
Eleven: God wanted us to know that baptism saves us exactly the same way the ark saved Noah: “while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also a true likeness which now saves us even baptism.” (1Pet. 3:20-21). The true likeness between the ark and baptism is clearly salvation. Noah was saved by the ark and Christians are saved by baptism. Just as Noah needed the ark to be saved, we need baptism to be saved. Faith alone would not save Noah and it will not save us either.
Twelve: Israel’s passing through the Red sea was a baptism: “All our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” (1Cor. 10:1-2). There is only one reason the Holy Spirit would call passing through the sea a baptism. The parallel is obvious! Everyone must be baptized into Christ to become a disciple under Christ just like everyone in Israel had to be baptized into Moses to become disciples under Moses. When God opened the sea, they left the bondage of Egypt. When we are baptized we leave the bondage of sin. Just as Israel had to go through the water of the sea we must go through the water of baptism.
Thirteen: God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision when he was 99 years old. This covenant “sealed” him as the father of many nations (us too) and made circumcision the “sign” of the covenant. All who were circumcised became God’s people while the uncircumcised were “cut off from His people.” The Holy Spirit used circumcision to reveal another powerful effect of baptism. “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism.” (Col. 2:10-13). Thus not only are we buried, crucified, made alive and raised in baptism, but we are also circumcised with a spiritual circumcision (without hands). Unless we are circumcised in baptism, we remain “dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh.” Until we are baptized, we are still uncircumcised and dead in sin. Only after baptism are we circumcised in Christ.
Conclusion. This is not all that opens our eyes to the importance of baptism. “By one Spirit we were baptized into one body.” (1Cor 12:12-13). We are not in Christ’s body by faith alone, but only through baptism. There is also the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:35-39) and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:30-34). The essential function of baptism in the gospel is fixed and absolute. Man can say what he wishes about baptism, but he can’t undo all the points above. The Holy Spirit clearly revealed the consequences of those who rejected John’s baptism, why would it be any different if we reject Jesus’ baptism?
- “the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.” (Lk. 7:29-30)