And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Baptism

The single disagreement among Bible students can be found on whether baptism is necessary for salvation. There is nothing more crucial for the defense of error than to deny the necessity of baptism and for those believing in its requirement to defend it at all costs. Being ready to give a defense for the hope that lies within must be found in an honest heart that accepts and defends the Biblical teaching on baptism.

Over the past two thousand years, the term baptism has become a meaning that, while accepted in the religious world, defies the meaning of how the Holy Spirit used the word in the writing of the New Testament. Baptism, defined in modern terms, means “A Christian sacrament marked by ritual use of water and admitting the recipient to the Christian community” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, 2014). The word can be defined as “dip, plunge, sprinkle, pour, and immerse.”

These terms are common in the modern language but do not find their companions in the New Testament. Tom Hamilton writes, “On the other hand, we could acknowledge honestly that our English word ‘baptize’ was created after the ecclesiastical establishment had already adopted several forms of ‘baptism’ which the N.T. does not mention. When the time came for the first English translations of the Bible to be made, ‘baptizo’ was forbidden to be translated into its true meaning, ‘immerse,’ because this would explicitly condemn and expose the practices of the ecclesiastical establishment. Instead, ‘baptizo’ was transliterated, and it was implied that the theological meaning for ‘baptism’ which had developed over the centuries, was intended by the N.T. wherever ‘baptizo’ occurred.”

The transliterated word ‘baptizo’ has become so common that it is hard for most people to recognize the original intent of the word to mean immersion. John the Baptist baptized in Aenon near Salim because there was much water there (John 3:23). Jesus went down into the water when He was baptized (Mark 1:9-10). Philip and the man from Ethiopia “went down into the water, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:38). Paul would later describe baptism as a burial (Romans 6:3-7).

Clearly, baptism cannot be a sprinkling or pouring. Tom Hamilton concludes, “It is only because people have been convinced that ‘baptizo’ has this theological meaning that they can say such things like, ‘Sprinkling is just another, equally acceptable way of baptizing.’ If they said, ‘Sprinkling is just another, equally acceptable way of immersing!’ they would see this statement for the silliness it is.”

Jesus taught the necessity of baptism in the commission given to the eleven (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:46-49). The book of Acts is a testimony to the work of the apostles to carry out the commission of Jesus.

There are eight main stories of conversion in the book of Acts and every case of conversion involved baptism: the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2); the Samaritans (Acts 8:5-13); the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:35-38); Saul’s conversion (Acts 9 & 22); Cornelius and his household (Acts 10-11); Lydia (Acts 16); the Philippian jailor (Acts 16); and finally the Corinthians (Acts 18). There are twenty-one other stories of conversions in the book of Acts describing how believers (disciples) were added and multiplied.

The most convincing texts for the necessity of baptism come from Romans 6:1-7 and Colossians 2:11-13. Baptism is a burial into the death of Jesus Christ. Without resurrection, there is no hope of eternal resurrection. The only way to be resurrected is to be buried, and the only way burial occurs is in the waters of baptism.

Paul convinced the saints at Colosse of the necessity of baptism when he showed them how baptism is spiritual circumcision. A man could be in covenant agreement with God under the Law of Moses without circumcision. No man can be saved without putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism.

Baptism is where the blood of Christ washes away sins (Acts 22:16). Jesus said at the institution of the Lord’s Supper His blood was shed for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28). Peter told those on Pentecost to repent and to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). The Hebrew writer declared there is no remission of sins without blood (Hebrews 9:22).

There is no remission of sins apart from the blood of Christ and the only place a man finds the blood of Christ is in the waters of baptism. Many deny baptism because they say it is a work. When the crowd asked Jesus what they must do to work the works of God, the Lord replied, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him who He sent” (John 6:28-29).

They would not deny belief as necessary but sadly deny the very thing that washes away their sins: baptism. The words of Jesus have not faded over time. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)