Post by admin on Aug 20, 2007 16:32:21 GMT -5
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
In Christianity today, there are two main views on baptism. One is that baptism is an essential step in obtaining salvation; the other is that baptism is a public demonstration of one's faith in an already obtained salvation. We know that baptism is important to the Christian faith and walk, but how important is it?
In this lesson, we want to explore fairly, and scripturally, what the Bible has to teach on baptism.
Almost 2000 years ago, Jesus told His little company of believers before His assention, "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." (Mark 16:15-16).
What we glean from this passage is that Jesus is saying that faith and baptism are BOTH required together. One without the other is insufficient for salvation. Faith without baptism isn't enough to save you; and likewise, baptism without faith is just getting wet.
But what makes baptism so important?
In Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:36-49; Acts 1:4-8), He told them to go into all the world and preach the gospel, baptize, and disciple people.
But, what is the gospel?
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 tells us what the gospel message is. "(1) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
Plainly put, the Gospel message is simply, "The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ."
Notice how Paul said this is what he preached unto them, "(1) ...I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you..." Paul preached the "Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ" to the church in Corinth.
He also said that they received it, and stand on it.
But he also said in verse 2, "(2) By which also ye are saved..." It's the Gospel of Jesus Christ that saves us!
But how? Paul says in Romans 10:16, "(16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel." What does Paul mean by "obeying the Gospel"? If the Gospel saves us, and not all have obeyed the Gospel, then it's OBEDIENCE to the Gospel that saves us.
I have to say that I personally love the Roman Road to Salvation. The book of Romans is one of my, if not my most, favorite books in the Bible. Paul makes his best defense for the Christian faith in the book of Romans.
That being said, most people who use the Roman Road to Salvation leave out one of the most important chapters in Romans while explaining salvation to people. That being chapter 6. In chapter 6 of Romans, Paul explains how the Gospel is translated to applicable steps to obey to obtain salvation.
Romans 6:1-6, "(1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4) 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. (5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. (6) 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."
Paul says that by being "Baptized into Jesus Christ" that we "were baptized into His death." That "therefore we are buried with Him by baptism."
In baptism, we take on the death and burial of Jesus Christ. "Our old man is crucified with Him." We are obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ by being baptized.
This is a LITERAL identification with the death and burial of Jesus Christ in the eye/mind of God. Nowwhere does Paul state that this is a PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION of faith. He said that WE ARE BURIED WITH HIM BY BAPTISM.
Colossians 2:12, "(12) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
Why is this so important?
Baptism has several analogies that it is tagged with.
A. BAPTISM IS FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.
Luke 24:47, "(47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
Acts 2:38, "(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."
B. BAPTISM IS FOR THE WASHING AWAY OF OUR SINS.
Paul, being commanded by Ananias, was told in Acts 22:16, "(16)...arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
1 Corinthians 6:11, Paul says, "(11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
Titus 3:5, "(5)...According to his mercy, he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
C. BAPTISM IS A BIRTH OF THE WATER.
John 3:5, Jesus said, "(5)...Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
D. BAPTISM IS A WASHING AND CLEANSING OF THE CONSCIENCE.
1 Peter 3:21, "(21) The like figure where unto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
Hebrews 9:14, "(14) How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
E. BAPTISM IS TAKING UPON OURSELVES THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
Galatians 3:27, "(27) For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
Romans 13:14, "(14)But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ..."
All of the above are synonymous terms referring to the complete work wrought in our lives when we are baptized. And no where do we read where it is a PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION of our faith. But we did read how baptism is for the REMISSION OF SINS, WASHING AWAY OF OUR SINS, BORN AGAIN OF THE WATER, WASHING AND CLEANSING OF THE CONSCIENCE, TAKING ON THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
There was another common thread in all the Scripture we read on baptism. There was a phrase repeated in some form in many of these passages.
Romans 6:3, "(3)...baptized into Jesus Christ..."
Romans 6:5, "(5)...planted together in the likeness of his death..."
Acts 22:16, "(16)...be baptized...calling on the name of the Lord."
1 Corinthians 6:11, "(11)...but ye are washed...sanctified...justified in the name of the Lord Jesus..."
Galatians 3:27, "(27)...baptized in Christ..."
All these Scriptures (and more) say that we are baptized INTO JESUS CHRIST.
Jesus told His disciples in Luke 24:47 to preach repentance and remission of sins in HIS NAME beginning at Jerusalem.
In Matthew 28:19, He said, "(19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
Notice the grammer in Matthew 28:19 (it is in the same grammatical form in the Greek too). "Of the Father," "of the Son," and "of the Holy Ghost" are ALL prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases (and ask ANY high school English teacher) refer back to, and point to, the previous NOUN in the sentence. The previous NOUN in the sentence is "name". Notice how "name" is singular in tense. It IS NOT NAMES, but NAME. There is ONE NAME that encompasses and fulfills the three prepositional phrases. That NAME is JESUS.
Colossians 2:9 says, "(9) For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
Colossians 1:19 says, "(19) For it pleased the Father that in him (Jesus) should all fulness dwell."
ALL of the Godhead is found in Jesus Christ. We'll cover more on the Godhead under the forum of "The Godhead."
Let's look at the fulfillment of the Great Commission, though, to see HOW the Apostles OBEYED Jesus' command.
(Continued with part 2)