How Should We Look on Baptism?

Richard Hollerman

We know that this is a subject that probably should be considered somewhat simple and easily understood. It is rather straightforward in Scripture and should be accepted in this way. But, probably we all know that it is very confusing, extremely divisive, exceedingly disturbing, and utterly puzzling. What can we make of baptism? What about this act that our Lord surely must have chosen. This one that we and others would accept without doubt and without any disturbance.

I can recall that when I was going to a school many years ago that this became a doctrine to me that needed to be answered. Therefore, I consulted a local denominational preacher—one who supposedly had the answers that I thought could help. I asked him about the many scriptures that showed baptism to be related to faith (therefore, it was not for infants or the unrepentant). I also inquired about the fact that there are many passages that link faith or belief to salvation in some way. To such inquiries, this well-meaning pastor simply said that this is the way it was and is, thus we must accept it without question. In short, we must have faith (something that we both agreed on), we must immerse a person in water (to which we both agreed), but the final matter was the “sticking point” that needed answers.

This had to do with the purpose, the significance, or the reason for immersion. Why was a person to be baptized? We know that in God’s mind, this was very important. What reason we do have for being immersed in water? Particularly, was it (1) to show others that we are followers of Christ, or (2) to be saved from sin, or (3) to become part of a church, or (4) to show our past salvation? Or was and is there some other reason? As you can see, these are very divisive ways and they are often overlooked.

Not only did I consult with this pastor, but I have read one book after another book. Perhaps 300 or 400 or 500 books have been consulted in my studies. How was and am I to understand this matter of baptism’s meaning and purpose? I recall one well-known opponent of any idea that baptism was for God’s forgiveness (some of you may know his name), and he earnestly sought to persuade me that salvation was through Christ alone—and not through a “ritual” of any sort. I also remember a soft-spoken and pleasant person who said that we are to seek salvation through Jesus and not through the act of baptism. Many others have said likewise. Not only have I encountered those who vociferously oppose any idea that baptism is for God’s forgiveness, but how are we to consider all of this?

Just today I sat down and went over the main “baptism” verses that have to do with the connection between baptism and salvation—and it is true that there are not many of them. Often it has been pointed out that there are many more verses (perhaps 100?) that show the unmistakable connection between faith or belief and salvation. But, in this case, there surely must not be more than a dozen of them. I have a book before me now that looks at thirteen (13) different Biblical passages that show this relationship. These are only main and uncontested ones. But, of course, even these are dismissed by those who would deny baptism’s essentiality.

As for the subjects of baptism (the persons who are baptized), we believe that there are many such people. Of the perhaps two billion professing Christians in the world, perhaps 1.2 of them believe in infant baptism. Or it may be 1.4 or 1.5 billion do, with 800 million or only 500 million who would say that we should only baptize believers. We say “believers” for not all “adults” are believers, thus we refer to “believing baptism” or “believer’s baptism—and not “adult baptism.”

But the question arises: Who is to be baptized? We know that only believers are to be baptized; we also know that baptism is an immersion (a dipping) into the water; but, the question arises, what is the meaning, the significance, and the purpose of baptism?

We must recognize that in the second, third, and following centuries, the purpose and meaning of baptism was “for the forgiveness” of sins—or to use the old KJV terms, “for the remission of sins.” The early “church” writers thought that baptism was part of the “new birth” experience, something that is needed to be “born again” or saved. One well-known church historian has pointed out that the most commonly used passage (that proves baptism is connected to salvation) came from John 3:3-5.

But, just concluding that they thought that baptism was needed for salvation, didn’t make it so. Does it? We must go to Scripture to discover what God would say about this. We are not to conclude that just because Justin, Tertullian, Cyprian, Barnabas, or others may have thought baptism was for salvation or essential doesn’t make it so. We must discover what God, through Christ, taught about baptism to discover the mind of God. We are referring to God’s Word itself rather than any well-meaning historical documents sometimes called the “Church Fathers.”

We do ask you to read these Biblical passages in context and to consider them and even pray about them earnestly:

Matthew 28:18-20

Based on Christ’s authority, we are to baptize (immerse) people into [eis] the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Of course, this is speaking of immersing people who have believed into the name of God the Father, Christ Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This shows the importance—the utter importance—of yielding in faith to all that Christ said here.

Mark 16:16-17

We are aware that there is a textual problem and manuscript issue here, but otherwise, people who respond to the gospel in faith and immersion are promised salvation. This again shows the utter importance of this response according to Christ!

John 3:3-5

Although the Greek term “baptize” is not used here, this was the favorite verse of the “early church” of the second, third, and fourth centuries. In light of this, we know that being born again is vital. And, if it was true that the “early church” was correct, we definitely should recognize that being immersed was and is vital!

Acts 2:38-39

Perhaps this is the clearest passage that shows some relationship between repentance, baptism, and the forgiveness of sins. It is nothing to be passed off as inconsequential or without meaning. Those who cried out “What shall we do?” were people who had killed the Messiah. After Peter spoke to these people that they should repent of their sins such as the sin murder, and based on this, they were to be immersed (in water) “for the forgiveness of their sins.” Only then could these convicted and guilty people claim the blessing of forgiveness. Or as the KJV says it, “remission.” Some 3,000 people were forgiven that one single day. (Perhaps there were not only 3,000 but 100,000 or 200,000 people in Jerusalem that day for it was a special, yearly feast day.)

Acts 22:16

Those of you who know your Bibles are aware that these words were spoken by the devout Jew named Ananias to the lost but zealous Saul (who later was known as Paul). He said to this radical proponent of killing Christians: “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized [immersed], and wash away your sins, called on His name.” In other words, Ananias said to Paul, to paraphrase, “Why are you waiting? Get up or arise [perhaps Paul was kneeling?] and undergo the meaningful act of baptism/immersion. In doing so, “call” on Jesus name [for salvation?]. Again we see the importance of baptism. As we know the account, Paul became a life-long follower of Jesus and eventually was martyred for his commitment.

Romans 6:3-4

In this significant passage, we read the question: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” In other words, when we are immersed into Jesus, we are immersed into His death or crucifixion for our sins!

He then goes on to say: “We have been buried with Him [with Christ] through baptism [immersion] into death [death to sin].” He then plainly says, “. . . so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” He was able to live a new life since he was a new creature in Christ—2 Corinthians 5:17. Apparently Paul knew that these truths were something that the Christians in his reading audience should know.

1 Corinthians 12:13.

In this passage, the apostle says, “By one Spirit [the Holy Spirit] we were all [even Christians] baptized [immersed] into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” Nor much could be added to these words, but again here we see that one is baptized into the body of Christ when he or she is immersed.

Galatians 3:26-27

These two verses constitute two different points that we can briefly notice. First, Paul says, “You are all [every Christian in Galatia] sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (verse 26). Here we see that all the Christians were saved or became sons of God “through faith.” This shows the utter importance of faith in our response. He then says, “For [gar] all of you [all of the Christians] who were baptized [immersed] into Christ Jesus clothed yourselves with Christ” (v. 27). We not only see the importance of faith here, but we also see the importance of baptism. When one is Biblically baptized, he is “clothed” with Christ.

Colossians 2:11-13

Here the apostle speaks of a spiritual “circumcision” in which there is a “removal of the body of the flesh” through the “circumcision of Christ.” Probably in the past there would have been no doubt about baptism’s place here. And when did this “circumcision” take place? Verse 12 tells us: “. . . having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (v. 12). With some similarities to Romans 6, here we discover that we are “buried” with Christ Jesus in baptism [immersion] but also “raised up” with Him through “faith.” We see again the place and importance of faith [pistis]. This was according to the working of God. Verse 13 emphasizes that we are given life through Christ in baptism.

Titus 3:5

This is another of those passages that doesn’t mention the Greek word baptismos or baptizo but probably most acknowledge that it indeed is speaking about the Christian action of baptism. We read, “He [God our Savior] saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

In other words, God “saved” us not by personal deeds or deeds of righteousness, but He saved us by His mercy—but how? “By the “washing of regeneration” or the washing effected by this act of the new birth. Was this baptism? We surely don’t want to fall into the “trap” that half of the “Christian” world believes (that of “baptismal regeneration”) but we do want to be true to what Paul has written.

1 Peter 3:21

Here we read, as the author connects the salvation of the Christian with the experience of “salvation” that Noah and his family experienced about 2450 years before Christ (and before 1 Peter as well). Just as Noah was “saved” through the water that drowned the world at the time of the Noaic flood, so the Christian is “saved” when he is delivered by the water of baptism. Thus, Peter can say that “baptism now saves you.” We know that there is no saving merit, worth, or benefit to the water of baptism, yet we are “saved” at the time of baptism with the water involved.

We may wonder about the many other Biblical passages that link faith or belief to salvation, apart from baptism. We refer to such passages as John 1:12-13; 3:14-18, 38; 5:24; 6:47; 11:25-26; 20:30; Acts 13:39; 20:21; Romans 3:22-31; 4:3-5, 11-12; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Timothy 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 11; etc. Yes, these are needful, powerful, important, and essential! Yet we must also remember that the earlier ones that we examined are also important. And all of these come from God. He is the Giver and the Inspirer of all of these! As God has said, “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).

There are other passages also. For example, the Hebrew writer (whoever it was) is able to say that “our bodies” were “washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). But since the verse doesn’t employ any form of “baptism” we’ll not use it. Other passages (such as 1 Corinthians 6:11) won’t be used either for it doesn’t use “baptism” in its various forms. We must be content with what Scripture simply affirms.

We may wonder why the Bible doesn’t refer to baptism more in regard to salvation or forgiveness. I have wondered this. Even though the scriptures that we have noticed seem clear enough, we must admit that these 10 or 12 or perhaps 15 verses are minimal compared to the many that speak of receiving forgiveness, salvation, or eternal life through faith. There must be a hundred of these. This must be viewed as the major way of referring to salvation.

We know also that there are just as many or more verses that refer to baptism’s relationship to salvation as repentance or confession of Christ (Romans 10:9-10, for instance). Thus, the number of times something is specified must not be confused with the importance of the act. We know that confessing Christ is absolutely vital for salvation (in the passage above) even though it is mentioned only this one time in the New Testament.

Therefore, let’s embrace Scripture for what it says, regardless of the number of times we can count regarding this. If God has said something we must accept it as true—regardless of whether something is mentioned 100 times, ten times, or only once.

Note: There are many other articles on this website on baptism but this is a helpful resource in itself to show the importance of this commend and act.