____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ May 5, 1991 ____________________________________________________ The Purpose of Baptism by Tom Edwards There are three views that different people take when it comes to the purpose of water baptism: The most common is that it is ``an outward sign of an inward grace for those who have already been saved.'' Next, there is the position that ``Baptism is part of God's plan for becoming a Christian; and is, therefore, necessary for the penitent believer in order to be saved from his past sins.'' (This is the view I believe the Bible to be clearly teaching.) And lastly, there is a belief held by a minority -- such as some Quakers -- that ``baptism is not even for today -- for any reason.'' Concerning this first view, let us keep in mind that what the majority accepts is not always what is right, but their particular teachings -- though in conflict with the Scriptures -- might seem more persuasive and often easier to espouse simply because of the great number who already hold to those beliefs. People generally find strength and security in large numbers: ``How could the majority be wrong?'' is a question often proposed. It would do us well to remember the warning Jesus makes in Matthew 7:13,14: ``Enter by the narrow gate; for wide {is} the gate and broad {is} the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow {is} the gate and difficult {is} the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.'' Since water baptism is a command of God, let us look to His word (and not to the mere doctrines of men) in order to see what the Lord has to say about the reason why one is to be baptized in water: MARK 16:16, ``He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.'' JOHN 3:5, ``Jesus answered, `Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.''' ACT 2:38, ``Then Peter said to them, `Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.''' ACT 22:16, ``And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'' ROMANS 6:3-4, ``Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.'' GALATIANS 3:27, ``For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.'' COLOSSIANS 2:12, ``buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with {Him} through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.'' TITUS 3:5, ``not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,'' 1 PETER 3:21, ``Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,'' COMMENTS ON THE ABOVE PASSAGES: In Mark 16:16, it is obvious that one is not saved and then later begins believing. Rather, the individual is to believe first, for it is one of the requirements toward the remission of sins. Not only, however, does this passage show belief as preceding salvation, but it also shows that baptism does, too. For since both of these terms -- ``believes'' and ``is baptized'' -- are conjoined with the little conjunction ``and,'' then both are just as essential toward the forgiveness of sins. We can make an analogy of this grammatical construction with a mathematical equation: Belief + Baptism = Salvation. Would salvation be the result if ``Belief'' were taken away? Of course not. Neither should one expect the outcome of salvation if ``Baptism'' is excluded. Mathematically speaking, 5 + 5 = 10; eliminate either one of the first two numbers and the sum will be altered. The same is also true when man begins tampering with God's plan of salvation and eliminates that which God shows to be a prerequisite towards redemption in Christ. In John 3:5, the Lord taught Nicodemus that one must be born of ``water and the Spirit'' in order to enter the kingdom of God. Some have speculated that this ``water'' pertains to the ``water'' surrounding the embryo during the gestation stage. But this isn't ``water''; it's embryonic fluid. For sake of argument, though, let us assume that it is referring to the water surrounding the fetus prior to birth. If this were so, then it would seem that Jesus is teaching that one must be born before one could be ``born again,'' but why would He even bother mentioning that one must first be physically born? Nowhere else have I read that any of the apostles or the Lord ever instructed the Christians to be sure that those whom they teach have first experienced a physical birth. Does not this sound nonsensical? In other words, would the Lord have to exhort His apostles that if they happened to see anyone who has not been born into the world then don't bother teaching that one? Clearly, there is a much more logical way to view this passage. The only way in which ``water'' is ever seen in the Bible in connection with one's entering the kingdom of God or obtaining salvation is with reference to water baptism, as we have seen in the above passages and will continue to consider. In Acts 2:38, we are again made aware that baptism is to precede the remission of sins; and it is just as essential as repentance; for, in this verse, repentance is conjoined with baptism, and the remission of sins is the result. Some have made the argument that the ``for'' in ``for the remission of sins'' means ``because of'' rather than ``unto'' (which conveys the idea of ``in order to obtain''). The Greek word translated as ``for'' in the passage is ``eis.'' Beside me, on my desk, I have The Englishman's Greek Concordance of the New Testament. This is an interesting tool for tracing particular Greek words through the New Testament because, unlike a regular concordance, this book will take you to all the passages where a certain Greek word can be found, even though it might have many different English renderings. It, therefore, can help one to gain more insight into the various shades of a particular word's meaning. For example, the word ``eis'' (``for'' in Acts 2:38) is used in over a thousand different passages, and its most common translation is ``into.'' Consider some of these examples: ''...came wise men from the east TO Jerusalem'' (Mat. 2:1); ''...when they were come INTO the house'' (Matt. 2:11); ''...enter INTO the kingdom of heaven'' (Matt. 5:20). Each of these emphasized words is from this Greek word ``eis.'' This particular word is not used to mean ``because of.'' If that were to be intended, then the Greek word ``dia'' would carry that meaning. Incidentally, the same expression -- ``for the remission of sins'' -- is also seen in Matthew 26:28, wherein the Lord states: ``For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'' Christ did not suffer and die on the cross because sins had already been forgiven; He did so in order that they could be by making His atoning sacrifice for the transgressions of the world. We are, therefore, baptized into Christ so that they will be. Hence, our baptism is "unto" or "into" the remission of sins. Before considering Acts 22:16, it's good to bear in mind the circumstances that had preceded this command for Paul to ``Arise and be baptized.'' Prior, the apostle had been on the road to Damascus in order to track down Christians and bring them into bondage. While on this road, he met the Lord and was blinded by the great light. After discovering that it was Jesus the Christ whom he was speaking with, he called out, ``What will Thou have me to do, Lord?'' The Lord instructed him to go to Damascus and there it would be told him. For three days, Paul waited for this message with fasting and prayer. On Ananias' arrival, whom the Lord had sent, Paul was finally commanded to ``Arise and be baptized'' in order to wash his sins away (Acts 22:16). By so doing, he would be making his appeal unto God or, in other words, ``calling on His name.'' Surely, Paul must have asked the Lord to forgive him many times while he fasted and prayed during these three days, but he wasn't forgiven until he obeyed the command to ``Arise and be baptized.'' Prayer is actually a privilege for the Christian and not the means whereby the alien sinner can obtain the remission of sins. The way in which Paul ``called upon the Lord'' was simply by his obedience to the gospel: by his belief, repentance, confession, and baptism. In like manner, those penitent believers in Acts 2 whom Peter told that ''...whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved'' (Acts 2:21), realized that this ``calling on the name'' did not mean simply ``pray through''; rather, the Divine response was ``repent and be baptized'' (Acts 2:38). This is why Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:21 by saying that ``baptism...now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body (not just by getting clean in the water, TTE), but as an APPEAL to God for a clear conscience....'' The term ``appeal'' has been defined as ``an earnest request or entreaty...an asking for help, mercy, etc.'' Again, baptism is shown as being part of the mode whereby one ``calls on the Lord,'' which is expressed by Peter as an ``appeal'' to God. Paul shows the purpose for baptism in Romans 6:3,4 to be in order that one may live ``in newness of life.'' This ``newness of life'' is not obtained until after baptism -- not before. As the Bible shows, one is made a ``new creature (or a ``new creation'' NKJ) in Christ Jesus'' (2 Cor. 5:27); and, since all spiritual blessings are ``in Christ'' (Eph. 1:3), it is imperative for one to know how to get ``into Christ.'' This is answered for us in Galatians 3:27, ``For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.'' The preceding verse teaches that ``you are all sons of God through faith,'' but then it is coupled with the need to be baptized into Christ. This is the same reoccurring thought that we have been encountering, such as in Mark 16:16 where Jesus teaches that one must believe AND be baptized. An interesting note can be made concerning Colossians 2:12. Here baptism is shown as being the ``in which'' that a person is raised up from with Jesus, and also involved in this is one's ``faith in the working of God.'' Prior to being baptized, the penitent believer must have faith that God is able to forgive him of his sins and raise him up to walk in newness of life if he submits to the Lord's plan of salvation. After baptism, one must believe that the Lord has done this and live accordingly. Paul reminds Titus that salvation is not on the basis of one's work in a meritorious sense; rather it is according to God's mercy, by the ``washing of regeneration'' and ``renewing of the Holy Spirit'' (Titus 3:5). Just as in another ``3:5-passage,'' in which Jesus teaches that one must be born of ``water and the Spirit,'' Paul is also showing that same connection here. ``Regeneration'' has been defined as ``spiritual rebirth,'' and Paul speaks of this in such a manner that it cannot be separated from the ``washing'' (the water). Jesus had said that one must be ``born again'' and had shown the manner to be by ``water and the Spirit'' (John 3:3-5); is it just coincidental that Paul also uses an expression that places the new birth (regeneration) with water (washing)? In what other sense could one think of water in connection with a new birth other than in the water of baptism? Peter is quite clear on the subject: ``baptism...now saves you'' (1 Pet. 3:21). Though we realize that baptism by itself does not save, it is, nevertheless, an important part in God's plan of redemption. I like the illustration of Namaan the leper in 2 Kings 5. He had been told to dip himself seven times into the muddy waters of the Jordan River in order to be healed of his leprosy. By so doing, he was cured. For Namaan to have argued that the water has no power to produce physical healing -- and, therefore, to have not taken heed to the prophet's instruction -- would have left him with his leprosy. Namaan did what God through the prophet had instructed, and God kept His word, thus healing this man. Since the establishment of the church to our time, it is God's instruction that one submits to water baptism for the remission of sins. In many passages, it is shown to be as important towards the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of one's soul as belief or repentance. Of all the rivers to choose from, it was only the Jordan that Namaan could be healed in. Let us be careful that we are not swimming up the wrong stream by listening merely to the false teachings of men when it comes to something as important as our soul's redemption. Rather, let us plunge into the sacred teachings of God's word that has the power to save us from our sins if we will simply take heed to the Lord's commands and do what we must in order to become His children and live as His children. Have you been baptized for the purpose God's word shows? Remember, there is only ``one baptism'' (Eph. 4:5), just as there is only ``one Lord,'' ``one faith,'' ``one Spirit,'' and ``one God'' (Eph. 4:4-6); and this was all said after the time of the last reference ever shown with regards to Holy Spirit baptism. This ``one baptism,'' therefore, which is to continue while time shall last is water baptism; and its purpose is so that, by it, the sinner may contact the blood of Jesus Christ and thus be forgiven of sin, become a Christian, and walk in the newness of life. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________