Transcript
An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening church service when she was startled by an intruder. As she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled, ‘Stop. Acts 2:38!’ And the burglar stopped dead in his tracks.
The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer handcuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, “Why did you just stand there? All she did was yell a Scripture verse to you.”
“Scripture?” replied the burglar, “She yelled she had an AXE and two 38’s!”
This intruder misunderstood the meaning of Acts 2:38 which the elderly woman shouted, a passage which reads, “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.”
Many people who read, or even teach, the Bible also misinterpret Acts 2:38, whether by believing that this passage is binding on the church and that one must be water baptized in order to be saved, or by explaining away its obvious meaning.
There is no consensus in professing Christendom as to who should be baptized with water, how, or why. But they can’t all be true:
You have some say that infant baptism is necessary and that it washes away original sin, and that it makes the infant a child of God’s covenant so they can be saved later.
Others say water baptism is a requirement for salvation, but then you have many who say baptism is an outward sign of an inward happening of grace.
Then as to how the water should be applied, you have some who defend sprinkling, but others object and say immersion, while still others say pouring is the proper method.
Then with immersion, some think you are to be placed under the water once in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Others require a person be placed under the water three times: once in the name of the Father, once in the name of the Son, and once in the name of the Holy Spirit.
Some require water baptism for church membership while others do not.
There are strong, passionate, but differing convictions among Christians about these things. We don’t question the sincerity of these differing groups, but something isn’t right.
1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is not the author of confusion but of peace, and yet there is confusion and conflict regarding baptism. So the problem has to be with the understanding and interpretation of God’s Word.
The ironic thing is that the Apostle Paul teaches that baptism is what unites the Body of Christ and makes us one, but because there are so many beliefs about it, baptism has arguably been the single greatest reason that the Church is divided and not united.
1 Peter 4:11 tells us, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” So with that in mind, we’ll let God’s Word speak to us on this important subject of water baptism.
Hebrews 9:8-10: “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
“Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.”
The subject of baptism is one in which we see God progressively revealing His will. And we’ll walk together through Scripture to demonstrate this.
Hebrews 9:8-10 refers back to the times of the tabernacle in Israel’s history.
The chapter shows how the Law contained numerous “ordinances” for the worship of God in the tabernacle, as stated in the first verse of the chapter: “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.”
In verse 10 of this chapter, we find that one of those ordinances imposed upon Israel under the Law is described as “divers [meaning differing or varying] washings.”
The word “washings” here in the original language is the Greek word baptismos, from which we get our word baptism.
This shows that baptism did not begin with John the Baptist as many think. Baptisms, or “washings,” were being practiced under the law for 1500 years before him.
Exodus 29:1 and 4 describe one of these washing/baptism ceremonies. It reads, “And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office.… And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.”
Later, in Leviticus 8:5-6, we find Moses doing this very thing with Aaron and his sons: “And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done. And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.”
Also, we see this being done to the Levites, the Levitical priests, in Numbers 8:6-7: “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.”
Under the law, God ordained that the priests were to be inducted into the priesthood by being brought to the door of the tabernacle and washed, or water baptized, publicly before the congregation of Israel. In ministering in the holy things of God, they needed to be washed and made clean.
An Israelite who refused or disobeyed the laws of washing and baptisms would be deemed unclean and, in Numbers 19:20, were warned that they would be cut off from God:
“But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.”
So we see that the washings or baptisms were required under the law. The washings of the law were called “the water of separation.” It separated the cleansed priests from those who were unclean for the service of God. And the mode of washing was sprinkling.
Washing in the OT was emblematic of cleansing from sin. For example, the prophet Isaiah told Israel to wash and thereby make themselves clean: “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil” (Isa. 1:16).
And in Psalm 51, David prayed, “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin…Purge me with hyssop [hyssop branches being used to sprinkle the water of washing], and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
But in all the washings and baptisms under the law, there is never any mention of receiving the Holy Spirit with water baptism. This was something God added as part of water baptism later.
We read in Matthew 3:1-2,5-6: “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”
When John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan River, in John 1:25 we learn that the Pharisees went out and “they asked him, WHY baptizest thou then…?” They asked WHY he was baptizing, not WHAT he was doing. Baptisms had been going on for 1500 years. It was nothing new.
In understanding the subject of water baptism, Exodus 19:5-6 are key: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people…And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”
Israel as a nation was promised to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. As we saw from the law, to be inducted into Israel’s priesthood they needed to be washed, cleansed, they needed “the water of separation” to be separated unto the service of God.
Israel needed to be washed and separated out as a kingdom of priests as God’s nation in His service, “for,” as John the Baptist preached at that particular time, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
In that kingdom, Israel would serve her Messiah as priests, as intercessors or mediators. They would be God’s chosen vehicles to represent their Messiah and the true and living God to the world.
As priests, Israel would be in the service of God and lead the nations to find life eternal in her Messiah and King and then lead them in the proper worship of Him.
In light of that future for Israel, Peter reminded his countrymen: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…” (1 Pet. 2:9).
John also wrote of Israel’s priesthood: “but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6).
So in preparation for the Messiah’s glorious kingdom, in which Israel would be the priests of God, John the Baptist washed and baptized Israel with water.
And those who were baptized with John’s baptism were thus identified with the coming prophesied kingdom of Christ.
The Lord lived and ministered to Israel under the law, and as He was keeping the law, He received water baptism, telling John the Baptist, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness,” as we read in Matthew 3:15.
This was one of the things necessary to the fulfilling of all righteousness under the law. Christ had to be baptized at the start of His earthly ministry to Israel as a Priest.
Many who are water baptized today, do so because they want to follow Christ in baptism.
Now I can appreciate one’s heart in wanting to follow their Savior, but to do this is to place yourself back under the law like Christ was under the law during His earthly ministry.
But our risen and exalted Lord through the Apostle Paul teaches us that we, the Body of Christ, “are not under law, but under grace.”
The issue with the confusion over water baptism is stopping short and not following the progressive revelation of God’s will on this subject all the way through to what applies to us under grace.
Israel’s washing was to induct them into their priesthood, and it was also to make them “an holy nation.” John’s baptism, therefore, was also for the purpose of cleansing and washing away their sins. As Mark 1:4 says, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission [or the forgiveness] of sins.”
Water baptism during the times of the Gospels and in early Acts was not optional; it was required: Mark 16:16 says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”
Luke 7:29-30 reads: “And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.”
Salvation back then required a person to repent, confess their sins, believe Jesus was Israel’s Messiah, and be water baptized.
However, in the times of the Gospels, it is important to note that believers did not receive the Holy Spirit in conjunction with water baptism.
This is borne out in Acts 19:1-7. There we read that Paul came across some disciples in Ephesus and he asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed. They responded that they hadn’t even heard whether there was a Holy Spirit, so Paul asked them, “Unto what then were ye baptized?” And they responded, “Unto John’s baptism.”
So this tells us that the Holy Spirit did not accompany the many water baptisms of John the Baptist. At the time of John the Baptist’s baptisms, the Holy Spirit had not yet come and would not come until Acts 2 at Pentecost.
Acts 2:36-38: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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.”
The purpose of Peter’s speech at Pentecost was that Israel might believe that Jesus was “both Lord and Christ,” or Israel’s Messiah. At that time, that was what they were required to believe for their salvation: believing in the “name” of Christ and Who He is.
Those present at Pentecost were pricked in their heart in realizing that they had crucified their Messiah. They believed it, so then they asked Peter what they should do. He responded that they should first, repent of, or have a change of heart and mind about crucifying their Messiah.
Second, that they should be water baptized in the name and authority of Christ.
As a result, they would receive the “remission [or forgiveness] of their sins.”
And with the Holy Spirit now having come from heaven and being sent by the Father at Pentecost, as a new blessing in accordance with the new covenant, they would also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This was something new.
The Holy Spirit’s ministry at that time was accompanied by signs and wonders, and thus by the Spirit those who were saved at Pentecost were supernaturally enabled to “have all things common.”
And Mark 16:17-18 further describes the sign-gifts that accompanied the Spirit’s indwelling at that time, things such as speaking in tongues, healing the sick, and casting out demons.
According to Acts 2:38, water baptism was REQUIRED in order for them to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and be forgiven of their sins.
Acts 2:38 means what it says and says what it means, that they needed to receive the Spirit through water baptism.
But how did you receive the Holy Spirit? Was it by repentance and water baptism or by faith alone in Christ? We receive the Spirit by faith alone today.
But why not water baptism? The answer is that the baptism of Pentecost is not for us today, because God progressively revealed His will regarding baptism and things changed after Israel’s fall.
Moving forward in time, after Israel continued to reject Christ in spite of the Holy Spirit’s ministry, Israel was temporarily set aside at the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7.
Peter was then sent to a Gentile, a Roman centurion by the name of Cornelius in Caesarea. Peter spoke to him and his household about Jesus of Nazareth being Israel’s Messiah.
In Acts 10:43, when Peter said “that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins,” suddenly, the Holy Spirit came upon all them that believed.
But something changed here. The order changed. First, they had faith in Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, they received the forgiveness of sins, and THEN they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then signs followed and they spoke in “tongues,” in accordance with faith in the gospel of the kingdom.
After all that, water baptism was last, after salvation, as a tack-on rather than as a requirement.
After Peter and his entire entourage got over their astonishment that these Gentiles received the Spirit by faith alone without water baptism, Peter shrugged his shoulders in effect and asked, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?”
In other words, Peter was saying, “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. But since it DID happen this way, can anyone think of a good reason not to baptize them in water?” No one could. And neither could Peter, so he water baptized them.
Baptism’s place in the order of things shifted to last. In Acts 2, the order was 1) faith, 2) repentance, 3) water baptism, 4) remission of sins, 5) receiving the Holy Spirit, and 6) exhibiting signs and wonders.
Now a huge change had taken place. Here in Acts 10 the order was 1) faith, 2) repentance, 3) remission of sins, 4) receiving the Holy Spirit, 5) exhibiting signs and wonders, 6) and then, finally, as an afterthought, water baptism.
Water baptism was now AFTER salvation and AFTER receiving the Holy Spirit, not a prerequisite in order to receive the Spirit. Salvation occurred by faith alone and water baptism was shifted to last, after salvation.
In the account of the Philippian jailor in Acts 16, the same thing takes place. The Philippian jailor asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul responded just to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house.” It was just salvation by faith alone.
After the jailor and his house believed, Acts 16:33 says he “was baptized, he and all his, straightway.” It was water baptism after salvation.
Acts is a book of transition and change, away from the law, away from Israel, and away from the Kingdom program, to grace, to the Church, the Body of Christ, to the unprophesied mystery program. And changes regarding water baptism were taking place at that time.
1 Corinthians 1:14-17: “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”
1 Corinthians was written during the Acts period when Paul was at Ephesus for two years in Acts 19. This was during the time of gradual transition from law to grace.
Now, the twelve apostles were very clearly sent to water baptize. Christ told them in Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
But here Paul mentions only a couple people and the household of Stephanas that he baptized during the transition time in Acts, but he thanks God he didn’t baptize more.
The reason was that God progressively revealed His will regarding baptism, gradually revealing the program of grace to Paul, and Christ revealed to Paul that he was not sent to baptize. The 12 were definitely sent to baptize but Paul was not.
Paul stopped baptizing for a couple of reasons, first because of the growing divisions in the Corinthian church, and second because of the revelation of a dispensational change regarding water baptism.
Paul not being sent to baptize but just to preach the gospel shows a shift away from water baptism. It was a change demonstrating God’s progressive revelation regarding baptism.
1 Corinthians was written during the transition, during the Acts period, when at first water baptism was for salvation, then carried out after salvation. But by the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote that he wasn’t sent to baptize at all.
Then in chapter 12, verse 13 of this epistle, Paul wrote of a new, never-before-revealed baptism into a new, never-before-revealed church: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
This is a spiritual baptism, being spiritually baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ for those who receive Christ by faith alone.
By the revelation given to Paul, Christ revealed this distinct, spiritual baptism for the Body of Christ. Paul wrote of this spiritual baptism during the Acts period in Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Galatians.
Then, after the time of the Acts period was over, Paul made no mention of water baptism in his writings. And when baptism is referred to, it’s strictly a spiritual baptism.
Thus, in Ephesians 4:5, Paul wrote that there is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” And based on what the Lord revealed to Paul, and that he wasn’t sent to baptize, the one baptism that Christ revealed to Paul was a spiritual baptism performed by the Spirit.
Today, under grace, salvation’s terms and order is this: trust that Christ died for our sins and rose again, and instantaneously we have the forgiveness of all our sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit at that moment spiritually baptizes us and places us in Christ and into the Church, the Body of Christ and unites us with Christ forever.
No water ceremony whatsoever is involved with our salvation today.
During the Acts period, circumcision and the sign gifts of tongues, healings, and miracles were being transitioned away from and gradually passed away. In the same way, water baptism also gradually passed away as God set Israel aside and transitioned His program away from Israel to the Body of Christ with its one spiritual baptism.
Baptism was transitioned away from Israel who needed to be washed with water to be priests, and it was transitioned to the Body of Christ who are spiritually baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection and washed by the blood of Christ to be ambassadors for Christ with the ministry of reconciliation.
Salvation under Israel’s program required the works of the law, the work of confession, and the work of water baptism. Under grace, salvation is by grace through faith, not of any works whatsoever today. We just trust Christ and we are saved completely.
And Israel’s water baptism and cleansing from sin was replaced by something so much better: the spiritual washing and cleansing from sin with Christ’s shed blood.
Today we have the reality. The washing and cleansing of water baptism was a picture, a shadow, of the reality of the shed blood of Christ at the Cross, which is what really washes and cleanses anyone from their sins.
We don’t live in the shadows today; we have the real thing. When you believe Christ died for your sins and rose again, you are washed and cleansed by the shed blood of Christ, and all your sins are washed away, not by water, but by the reality of Christ’s blood.
God progressively revealed His will regarding water baptism. The confusion comes from stopping short of God’s will for today.
Some follow instructions in the Gospels or early Book of Acts when baptism was required for salvation, instructions that were meant for Israel under the law.
Many others imitate the baptism after salvation that was taking place during the transition away from water baptism in Acts.
And most stop short and don’t follow it all the way through to God’s will for baptism for today, under grace, as shown to Paul for the Body of Christ.
But to find the truth with this important issue, we need to follow God’s will all the way to what’s true for now, that there is “one baptism”: the baptism of the believer by the Holy Spirit into Christ that takes place at the moment of salvation.