By Mark W. Christy, PhD
Jesus Himself instituted the practice of Christian baptism by having John the Baptist baptize Him (Luke 3:21-22). Unlike the others whom John had baptized, Christ’s baptism included the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and even a public statement of divine acceptance by God: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:22).[i] This central importance of baptism can be seen further in its inclusion into the Great Commission. In giving this to His disciples, Jesus commanded to, among other things, “baptiz[e disciples] in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). Peter, in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, demonstrated his understanding and obedience to Christ’s command by telling his audience, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). In response, “those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). From that point forward, the pattern of prompt baptism upon confession of faith became the standard for all churches to follow.
Acknowledging the firmness of Christ’s command and the example of the first church in Acts, John MacArthur made this admission, “I’d be afraid not to be baptized.”[ii] Unfortunately, this is not the case for all Christians. Some of these may indeed be false believers, but that most likely not the case for all of them. Among these, their failure to receive baptism may be due to ignorance arising from poor instruction, pride associated with embarrassment for whatever reason, apathy, and rebellion. For those who lack instruction, the church itself may need to reexamine how they teach baptism. On the other hand, any ignorance over the biblical imperative of baptism can also come from a believer’s failure to make efforts to receive such teaching. As for the others, all of them are in one way or another associated with sins. Should a new believer continue to resist baptism after receiving proper instruction, that believer is most likely stuck in sinful obstinacy whereby they are actively resisting the Holy Spirit by failing to obey the clear teaching of Christ. Such a stance could indeed mean that this person is actually unregenerate.
For those who are ready to submit to baptism, it is important to understand biblical instruction regarding this ordinance. As a ceremony, baptism is act by which we follow the command and personal example of Jesus by being submerged or immersed into water. The Greek word for baptize (baptō, baptizō, baptismos) typically requires a translation into the following English words: to immerse or submerge in water. Throughout the New Testament, water is never thrown onto people; rather, people who are baptized must act upon the water by being submerged into it.
In further support of immersion being the biblical method of baptism, one should consider the meaning of the ceremony. Through this practice, converts are able to go below the water which symbolizes their identification with Christ’s death (Rom 6:3-5; Gal 2:20; 3:27; Col 2:12). As they arise from the point of submersion, they are likewise demonstrating their identification with Christ’s resurrection (Rom 6:4-5). Given this, it is common for Baptist pastors to utter the following while administering baptism: ‘Buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life.’
This symbolism of baptism ensures that each Christian baptism becomes a testimony for one’s confession of faith. As an overt act, it allows for the passing on of truth to all in attendance, especially the young children of the Christians who are present. Moreover, it offers a solid, overt, and public act whereby the believer testifies to their absolute commitment to Christ.
The connection between baptism and commitment can be seen easily when one considers the situation of the first 3,000 converts on the Day of Pentecost. At that time, Christ had just been crucified, and the Jewish officials would have certainly continued their hostility to any who dared to worship Christ whom they had crucified. The potency of their hatred can be gauged in part by just examining their treatment of believers as the early church sprang to life in the pages of the New Testament. For new Christians to follow their confession by a public act of baptism in a local river, they would have been making a choice to become alienated from their relations and cast out of their synagogues.
In conclusion, baptism is necessary ceremony whereby a believer publicly identifies with the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a basic and clear act of obedience in line with Christ’s command and His own example, any believer who fails to receive baptism is likely demonstrating a significant spiritual issue within his/her soul. Unlike these, those who do faithfully follow Christ’s command by being themselves immersed in the waters of baptism are demonstrating their resounding commitment to the Lord Himself.
[i]All Scripture references are taken from NASB1995.
[ii]John Macarthur, “John Macarthur on the Importance of Baptism,” ed. GTY staff (January 20, 2013), available at: https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B130130/john-macarthur-on-the-importance-of-baptism.