Meaning in Baptism?

Richard Hollerman

Although you think that you understand the meaning of baptism, do you? Just in the last few days, I received a message that simply said, “I have been water baptized.” So what? We know that millions have been baptized in water, but they remain unsaved, unforgiven, and (from God’s standpoint) unbaptized!

We all know that baptism is an immersion or burial in water (so says the Greek scholar, W. E. Vine). It is not a baptism in the Spirit (which is another matter, Acts 1:5). But here we refer to an immersion or burial in water, such as was exemplified and taught in places like Acts 2:37-41; 8:12, 35-39; 9:18; 22:16; 10:47-48; 16:31-34; and elsewhere.

But when someone says to us, “I have been baptized,” what do we say? What do we think? Of course, the answer may be Yes or No, depending on what the person means by what he or she says. It is one thing to be immersed in water, and it is another additional matter to know why one is immersed in water. What was the purpose or significance of this immersion? This is the crucial matter.

On the website (www.Truediscipleship.com) we have an article or two dealing with the meaning of what we do. This would include baptism. God is not One to command nonsensical matters. He knows what He wants and has clearly expressed this. For example, He tells us the meaning of communion or the breaking of bread. He tells us the meaning of prayer, of singing, of reading Scripture. He tells us the significance of a woman wearing a veiling, our giving to the Lord in money, and many other matters. The same would be true here. Why were you baptized? It is good that you were immersed, by what was the meaning of this act?

We realize that many churches and denominations refuse to obey such passages as Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38-39; or Romans 6:3-5. They only baptize babies or infants, although they also will immerse adults. One time I entered an Orthodox meeting place or cathedral and there was shown their baptistery. They literally baptized people—but they baptized babies! (I refer to “baptism” here in an accommodative way to promote understanding). Was this really the baptism taught in Scripture?

In the Lutheran Church where I grew up as a child, there was a “font” toward the front to “baptize” babies. Of course, this font was meant to have water poured on the baby, thus it was not really a baptism. Even if they had sprinkled the baby (as we understand some infant-baptizers do), was this really a baptism (an immersion). We know the answer.

We know that a certain percentage (perhaps 30%?) of professing “Christians” do immerse a person, and they claim that the person is believing, thus this would be a “faith” or “belief” immersion. They would call this “believer’s baptism.” But was it, really?

You may wonder why all of these questions. Suppose that the person being baptized does believe in Jesus as God’s Son and our Savior (thus this would be “believers” baptism). Suppose that the person is immersed or dipped in the water (thus it is an actual immersion or baptism). We must also ask (if we wish to follow the Scriptural precedent, meaning, or significance), “What did the baptism or immersion mean to you?” “What was the purpose of the baptism?” Surely the person wasn’t baptized for an inferior or hypocritical reason, such as:

  • The person was baptized to please a religious authority
  • The person was baptized to satisfy the parents
  • The person was baptized to go along with friends
  • The person was baptized to obey the dictates of a rule book or submit to a theology that would require this.
  • The person simply obeyed the dictates of what he thinks was a “prompting” of the Holy Spirit
  • The person did what he did because it was a proper time or because of a traditional practice.

All of these reasons for baptism would be inferior. We hope that you can see this yourself. Thus, we must ask again, “What was the reason, the significance, or the purpose of your baptism/immersion?”

We hope that you will inquire further and seek answers on our website: www.Truediscipleship.com. You will find many articles to answer your questions. What is the true meaning or significance of New Testament baptism?