The Baptism Of Disciples

by John Drain, Belfast | Category: Contending For The Faith | Aug 1971

The word "baptize" in its various forms is found over one hundred times in the New Testament. The word does not always refer to the baptism of disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the subject matter to be examined in this article.

The frequent reference in the Scriptures to the ordinance of baptism has made it inevitable that most groups of people who profess to accept the Scriptures as the basis of their faith have been compelled to give some place to baptism in the statement of their beliefs. When these statements are considered it is easily seen that there are serious differences of mind as to who are to be the subjects of baptism, how they should be baptized and what is the significance of baptism. It is important, therefore, to study what the Scriptures say about this particular truth of the Faith.

THE AUTHORITY FOR BAPTISM

After His resurrection from among the dead, an event which itself proclaimed His triumph over Satan and sin, the Lord Jesus from time to time joined His disciples on earth and instructed them concerning their responsibilities and activities. On one such occasion He said. "All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth .. ." (Matt. 28:18). We note these words - "all authority ... unto Me". Here is the supreme Executor of the divine will. Here is authority beyond which there is no appeal. By this authority the Lord commanded His disciples, "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them .... The words of the Lord were mandatory. They held no optional meaning.

The historical record of the early years of this dispensation as given by Luke in The Acts reveals very clearly the unswerving faithfulness of the servants of Christ in giving effect to His command to baptize. To the importance of the authority of Christ for baptism is added the weight of apostolic practice. To reject baptism is to reject the authority of the Lord and the authority of apostolic example.

SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM

When the Lord gave His command to the disciples He indicated that those who were to be baptized were those who were disciples. It was not the nations that were to be baptized but those who out of all nations were made disciples. As therefore we trace the work of the faithful servants we observe that those who were baptized were those who had believed the message of God. We have such statements as, "They then that received his word were baptized ... When they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women ... Many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (see Acts 2 41 8 12 18 8) Nowhere in the Scriptures is there any evidence of the extension of the ordinance of baptism to include infants. It is sometimes claimed that the words in Acts 16:33, "and was baptized, he and all his, immediately" imply that infants, or at least very young children, were baptized. There is not the slightest proof that there were very young children in the Jailor's household. On the contrary, the record shows that those in the house could hear and accept the word of the gospel, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house". They were such as could listen to the word of the Lord, "And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house". Baptism is for those who personally 'have believed on the One whom God has made both Lord and Christ.

THE MODE OF BAPTISM

When John the Baptist, the forerunner who was to prepare the way for the coming of Israel's Messiah, was fulfilling his mission he preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins. We read, "There went out unto him all the country of Judaea, and all they of Jerusalem; and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins" (Mark 1:5). The Jordan was the locality where he was carrying out his work. Then we read of the Lord Jesus coming and He "was baptized of John in the Jordan" (Mark 1:9). The word "in" here is different from the word "in" in verse 5. The Revised Version margin shows that in verse 9 the word means "into". In the Jordan John baptized the Lord Jesus into the Jordan. This incident gives a clue as to the manner of baptism. The word "baptize" carries the meanings of to plunge, to dip, to immerse, to submerge. When our beloved Lord was baptized He was plunged into the river. He was buried in water and brought up again.

That baptism involves a burial is conceded by many outstanding scholars and teachers, though they themselves have accepted and practised the sprinkling of infants. We give two quotations that are relevant. Dr Lightfoot, commenting on Romans 6:4, says, "As Prof. Jowett rightly observes, the apostle introduces the phrase 'were buried' instead of 'died' in order to recall the image of baptism, a parallelism which disappears in our present practice of baptism by aspersion". Dr Handley Moule when giving his understanding of Romans 6:5 uses the expressions "the baptismal plunge", and "the baptismal emergence". In explanation he adds, "As to the plunge and emergence, we would only say, without entering further on an agitated question, that it seems to us clear that

baptism was at first, theoretically, an entire immersion, but that, also primevally, the theory was allowed to be modified in practice; the pouring of water in such cases representing the ideal immersion". We may ask, By whose authority was this allowed? In whom or in what is vested authority that supersedes the authority of Christ? Who has the right to alter what the Lord plainly commanded?

Those quotations confirm that when we examine the teaching of baptism it is clear that only the physical act of burying in water and raising again can adequately represent what baptism means.

THE TEACHING OF BAPTISM

In Romans 5 Paul demonstrates the triumph of divine grace, showing that "where sin abounded grace did abound more exceedingly". This assurance might lead some to a false conclusion which Paul poses in the question, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (Rom. 6:1). To this question Paul answers, "God forbid". Paul did not mean that it was not possible for a believer in Christ to sin. This was physically possible. But it was morally and logically impossible to persist in sin if there was a true understanding of the teaching of baptism. "We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:2,3,4). In the teaching of baptism we realize that when a person believes in Christ a union is effected which results in both life and death. In Christ we have eternal life. He is our life. But in Christ we also die. Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20). This death is a spiritual experience and it means that by reason of spiritual union with Christ the believer has died to all to which Christ has died. Sin, the law and the world are included. In baptism, which is a physical act, there is a pictorial representation of the believer's identification with Christ in death and resurrection. The baptized believer is buried and raised again to walk in newness of life. In agreement with this line of teaching are the words of Peter,

which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21). The word "interrogation" has the meaning of "appeal", "demand". One has written, "Baptism is therefore the ground of an appeal by a good conscience against wrong doing".

In Acts 22 we have an impressive testimony of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. When giving the narration of his experience Paul tells that when he was led into Damascus a devout man named Ananias came to him and, among other things, said, "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on His name". There can be no doubt that Saul of Tarsus was converted and saved when on the Damascus road he saw Jesus the Lord. Before telling him to be baptized Ananias addressed Saul as "brother Saul". Now that conversion had taken place and something of the purpose of the Lord for him had been revealed to Saul he was under an obligation not only to be baptized but also to bring his manner of life into conformity with the will of God. His life was to be ordered by the revelation and claims of the Lord, and this would mean the exclusion of things contrary to the will of God which were allowed to come into his former manner of life. This is what is meant by "wash away thy sins".

When the Lord Jesus gave His disciples the commandment recorded in Matt. 28:19-20 He instructed them to baptize "into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". The persons who were baptized were brought into a relationship of solemn responsibility to God the Father, to God the Son and to God the Holy Spirit. This responsibility demanded subjection, obedience and loyalty. When on the day of Pentecost Peter faced an audience of 'Jews and proselytes he demanded from them, "Repent ye and be baptized every one of you in the name of (or, upon the authority of) Jesus Christ" (Acts 2:38). This involved a tremendous radical change on the part of men who earlier in Peter's address had been solemnly accused, "Him (Christ) ... ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay" (Acts 2:23). For this inward change Peter asked manifest proof in subjection to baptism. Later in his service for the Lord, Peter went to the house of Cornelius to preach the message of God to Cornelius and his kinsmen and near friends. This was a crisis in divine activity. The purposes of God were about to reach out to the Gentile peoples seen here representatively in the group in the house of Cornelius. As Peter preached he saw the unquestionable manifestations of the Spirit's work in conviction and conversion, in Spirit baptism and indwelling. In light of such divine demonstrations Peter said, "Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 10: 47,48). By and in satisfaction of the full authority of Jesus Christ baptism in water followed baptism in the Spirit.

The baptism of disciples is an outstanding witness to the authority of Christ. It need not cause surprise that the adversary has made this a principal target in his attacks upon the Faith.

John Drain, Belfast | Aug 1971
Contending For The Faith