Introduction:
Now here in Acts
chapter 2 we have the record of Peter preaching on the
day of Pentecost. In v 41 we read.
”then they
that gladly received his word were baptized: and the
same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls.”
You see, baptism
is one of two ordinances delivered to the local New
Testament church, the other being the Lord’s supper.
Now folks, there
are two extremes amongst people concerning the ordinance
of baptism.
1. There are those
who greatly over emphasize it making it a requirement
for salvation! That is called baptismal regeneration
and is totally unscriptural.
2. Then there are
those who totally ignore it deeming it non-essential.
Those who believe the ordinance of baptism to be non-essential
believe that at the time of salvation a person is baptized
by the spirit into the body of Jesus Christ and that
is good enough.
So in our message this morning we are going to examine
a number of ideas surrounding baptism and endeavour
to discover if it really is important. Or maybe it is
just something certain church groups such as the Baptists
have added. And if they added the ordinance of baptism
simply to be different and distinctive from others!
But let me also
add, if you are here today and do not believe as we
do then please do not take offence. I most certainly
will never button hole you about the issue, it is entirely
a matter for your own self to consider and do with,
as you believe God would have you do. You are answerable
to your Heavenly Father as to how you accept or reject
His word. Therefore if you are not baptized you are
not a member of this house and neither the office bearers
nor I have any rule over you. Please remember that scripture
reminds us to obey them who have the rule over you!
1. Baptism and its
Origination!
A. This is something
that commenced with John the Baptist!
In Matthew 3 v 1-2. & v 6 we read.
”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.”
V 6 “And were baptized of him in the Jordan, confessing
their sins”
John was sent by God to baptize!
B. This is something
that continued with the apostles!
The converts on the day of Pentecost were baptized.
Acts 2 v 41.
The converts in the revival at Samaria were baptized.
Acts 8 v 12.
The apostle Paul was baptized. Acts 9 v 18.
The Gentile converts were baptized. Acts 10 v 47-48.
In the book of the Acts all that embraced Christianity
were baptized.
Throughout the epistles we find that the early churches
practiced baptism.
C. This is something
which is carried out by New Testament Baptist churches
ever since!
2. Baptism and its
Explanation!
I read the story
of two little girls who went to grandmother’s church
and witnessed their first baptismal service by immersion.
When they returned home they were telling mom all about
it. One of the girls said, “it was really neat
mom. Grandma’s church has a swimming pool in it
right under the pulpit.” The other girl spoke up
and said, “and the preacher got in there with another
man, he held the man’s nose and said in the name
of the father, the son, and in the hole you go!”
Now that is simply
a child’s definition of a baptismal service!
And it has a funny
side to it where children are concerned, but to those
of us who are older God expects us to take a more serious
view.
A. By Definition,
Baptism means to Immerse!
The English word
“baptize” is derived from an original greek
word, “baptizo”, that both the Lord and his
disciples used, which, means to dip fully, immerse,
or plunge” only!
The Greeks had
original words which meant “sprinkle” or “pour”,
and the Lord and the apostles used those words, but
never with reference to baptism.
In the more than
the 50 times that the Lord and his apostles used the
word “baptize” with reference to individuals,
they never one time used any form of the Greek word
which meant to sprinkle or pour upon. More than 50 times
they used the word “baptizo” which meant immersion
beneath water!
B. By Declaration,
Baptism means to Immerse!
It’s interesting,
even non-Baptist scholars, in declaring the meaning
of baptism, say that it means to immerse. A Roman Catholic
by the name of Bellermine said, “ordinarily baptism
is preformed by immersion, and that to represent the
burial of Christ.” (Disputations, vol.111, p 279.)
Bishop Bossuet,
a French Catholic said, “to baptize signifies to
plunge, as is granted by all the world.” (quoted
by Booth, Pedobaptism examined, I, p 48.)
R. Wetham, a Catholic,
in Annotationa on the New Testament said, “the
word baptism signifies a washing, particularly when
it is done by immersion, or by dipping, or plunging
a thing under water which was formerly the ordinary
way of administering the sacrament of baptism.”
End quote!
Martin Luther,
the founder of the Lutheran church, said, “first,
the name baptism is Greek; in Latin it can be rendered
immersion, when we immerse anything into water, that
it may be all covered with water. And although that
custom has now grown out of use with most persona (nor
do they wholly submerge children, but only pour on a
little water), yet they ought to be entirely immersed,
and immediately drawn out. For this the etymology of
the name seems to demand.” End quote!
J. J. Van Oosterzee,
a Dutch Lutheran, said in practical theology, p 419:
“history teaches that baptism at a very early period
degenerated from its primitive simplicity. It was originally
administered by immersion.”
Conybeare and Howson,
who were Episcopalians, in their book, the life and
epistles of Paul, said on Romans 6 v 3-4; “this
passage cannot be understood unless it be borne in mind
that the primitive baptism was by immersion.”
I thought this
was quite humorous. H. H. Milman, also an Episcopalian,
in history of Christianity, 111, p 317 said, “the
danger of dipping in cold climates may be a very good
reason for changing the form of baptism to sprinkling.”
John Calvan, the
founder of the Presbyterian Church, in Institutes of
the Christian religion, B. IV. ch 15, said concerning
baptism by immersion, “the word baptize itself
signifies immerse, and it is certain that the rite of
immersion was observed by the ancient church.”
Adam Clarke, a
Methodist, in commenting on Romans 6 v 4 said, “it
is probable that the apostle here alludes to the mode
of administering baptism by immersion, the whole body
being put under water.”
Congregationalist,
G. P. Fisher said, in the beginning of Christianity,
p 565, “baptism, it is now generally agreed among
scholars, was commonly by immersion.”
Another Congregationalist
by the name of Coleman said, “in the primitive
church immersion was undeniably the common mode of baptism.”
(Antiquities).
Leonard Woods,
also a Congregationalist said, “our Baptist brethren
undertake to prove from ecclesiastical history, that
immersion was the prevailing mode of baptism in the
ages following the apostles. I acknowledge that ecclesiastical
history clearly proves this.” (Lectures)
And we could go
on with quotes from Swiss and German reformers, Dutch
Armenians, German and French Protestants, and even Quakers
stating the meaning of “baptize” is to be
fully immersed in water.
C. By Design, Baptism
means to Immerse!
Romans 6 v 3-5!
Burial! Col. 2 v 12 uses the phrase, “buried with
him in baptism.” The design of baptism is to show
forth the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
As Christ was buried for a short period, and then rose
Again, so in baptism we are buried, we stay buried for
a short period, and then we are brought up again. This
illustrates our death to sin, the destruction of its
power, and our resurrection to a new course of life.
D. By Demonstration,
Baptism means to Immerse!
Matt. 3 v 13-17. “up,
out of the water”
John 3 v 23. If John was not immersing why would he
need “much water”?
Acts 8 v 35-39. “went down into” and “came
out of”
1. Baptism and its
Administration!
In the administering
of the ordinance of baptism there are four requirements
that must be met. In addition to the appropriate application
which is immersion, there must also be an:
A. An Acceptable
Aspirant!
The one desiring
baptism must first of all be saved. The order is always
salvation then baptism!
Matt. 28 v 19-20,
“go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you
always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Acts 2 v 41, “then
they that gladly received his word were baptized: and
the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls.”
Acts 8 v 12-13,
“but when they believed Philip preaching the things
concerning the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then
Simon himself believed also: and
when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and
wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were
done.”
Acts 8 v 36-37,
the Ethiopian eunuch asks, “what doth hinder me
to be baptized?” Philip’s answer was, “
if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.”
What was he to
believe? He first of all had to believe that Jesus was
the Son of God, which he did.
B. An Approved Agency!
This area of baptism
is deemed to be the least important by most people,
and is, consequently, the one most often violated. Baptism
is a church ordinance, and consequently, the only agency
that is approved of God to administer it is His church.
The question may very well be asked just here, well
if that is so where did John get his authority to baptize?
He got it from heaven!
Matt. 21 v 23-27.
The question here is about authority. Notice when asked
about John’s authority to baptize that the chief
priests and elders said, “we cannot tell.”
They did not say, “we do not know.” They said,
“we cannot tell.” They knew full well that
John had received his authority from God, but they were
not willing to acknowledge it.
In Matthew 28,
we discover that the Lord delivered sole authority for
administering scriptural baptism to his church.
Listen, listen,
the only agency that is approved by God to administer
scriptural, New Testament, water baptism is his church.
And this is where the rub comes in. Which church is
His church? I am convinced, confusion on the question
of authority to baptize comes from ambiguous and erroneous
thinking on the church. Well, which is the true church?
Now! There are two methods by which a person can determine
which church is the church that Jesus started!
1. Historical elimination!
Jesus said in Matthew
16 v 18 “and I say also unto thee, that thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Now that promise
says, there will be a church just like the one I am
starting and it will be in existence for a very long
time.
Well, what church
today is most like the church Jesus Christ started?
And folks, I have
to say that is complete fallacy and totally unscriptural.
Baptists, and I guess I should say, those who practice
New Testament Church Government, still continue to practice
baptism by immersion as originally performed by the
Jerusalem Church.
Church government
is another area of comparison worthy of consideration.
There was no ecclesiastical authority over the church
at Jerusalem. Although some Baptists have departed from
this mode of church government, most of our Baptist
congregations are still self governing, who elect their
own officers, call their own ministers, and conduct
their own business and are responsible for their own
finance.
The complexity
of the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Catholic Church
is far too complex to even consider.
Friends it is the
firm conviction of this Pastor and I hope of this church
that the authority to baptize was given to the church
that Jesus built, and that the church that Jesus built
was and is a church that practices the twin ordinances
of the Lord’s supper and baptism as related in
the New Testament.
I believe the whole
idea of the ordinances, whether it be the ordinance
of the Lord’s table or the ordinance of baptism
are given as a means of keeping the church spiritually
and doctrinally pure and may it ever be so.
When an observatory
is about to be built, the site selected is always on
some high mountain. The aim is to find a place where
there is a clear, unobstructed view of the heavens.
Similarly, faith requires for its heavenly vision the
highlands of holiness and separation, the pure sky of
a consecrated life. A. B. Simpson.
If you take seriously
the Lords table and baptism it can only call you to
a life of purity. On the other hand if you are only
fooling about with Christianity and have obeyed these
two ordinances simply because it was the thing to do,
because of a marriage or because of family or for some
other reason, friend I would not be in your shoes for
millions.
4. Baptism and its
Identification!
Another thing dear
friends we need to understand about baptism is that
the act of baptism is an act of identification!
Baptism identifies
us as:
A. Believers in Christ
Jesus.
When a person stands
in the Baptistry it is an open declaration to others
that they have repented of their sins, they have been
saved, and they are willing to take the first step of
obedience in following the Lord as commanded in his
precious word!
Baptism is the
outward manifestation of an inward transformation!
The story is told
of a machinist at the Ford Motor Company in Detroit
who became a Christian and was baptized. He began to
devote himself totally to the cause of Christ and had
a burning desire to put right some wrongs he had previously
done. He had been stealing tools and parts from Ford
for years.
One morning he
brought back all the stolen tools and parts that still
remained at his home and offered to pay for the parts
he had sold on to others. He explained to his foreman
how he had been saved and baptized, and asked forgiveness
of the company. To say the least this man’s actions
were without precedent. Henry Ford, who was visiting
Europe, was sent a message concerning the details of
what had happened and was asked to reply. In his reply
Mr. Ford said, “dam up the Detroit River and baptize
the entire city.”
Now it was not
this man’s baptism that made the difference. It
was the fact that he had been made a new creation in
Christ Jesus. Baptism is simply our way of testifying
outwardly about the change that has taken place inwardly.
B. Member of the church.
As we have already
seen in the book of the Acts, baptism is the door to
the church. It is through believing faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ and then through the act of obedience in
baptism that a person is admitted to the local church
and can then enjoy the privileges and responsibilities
of the church local.
C. Keeper of the Covenant.
Or as in our case
a keeper of the constitution, which of course is our
covenant.
Having been led
as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord
Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord, and on profession
of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, we do now in
the presence of God, the angels in heaven, and this
assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into a covenant
with one another, as one body in Christ.
And those friends
who have not joined the local church are breaking the
covenant of their baptismal vow.
You see in being
baptized you are covenanting with God and the church
local that you will be responsible for upholding unity
in the body, but if you have not joined the body you
are not upholding the unity of the body. Because you
are not a part of the church body, the body is incomplete
and needs you to be whole and wholesome. By being baptized
you are making a public covenant to live in newness
of life as Paul reminds us.
Although we become
Christians instantaneously by faith in Christ, knowing
God and developing faith is a gradual process. There
are no shortcuts to maturity. It takes time and obedience
to be holy.
Erwin w. Lutzer.
A few centuries
before Christ a man named Alexander conquered almost
all of the known world using military strength, cleverness
and a bit of diplomacy. The story is told that Alexander
and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly
fortified walled city. Alexander, standing outside the
walls, raised his voice and demanded to see the king.
When the king arrived, Alexander insisted that the king
surrender the city and its inhabitants to Alexander
and his little band of fighting men.
The king laughed,
“Why should I surrender to you? You can’t
do us any harm!” But Alexander offered to give
the king a demonstration. He ordered his men to line
up single file and start marching. He marched them straight
toward a sheer cliff
The townspeople
gathered on the wall and watched in shocked silence
as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without
hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths! After
ten soldiers died, Alexander ordered the rest of the
men to return to his side. The townspeople and the king
immediately surrendered to Alexander the Great. They
realized that if a few men were actually willing to
commit suicide at the command of this dynamic leader,
then nothing could stop his eventual victory.
Are you willing
to be as obedient to the ruler of the universe, Jesus
Christ, as those soldiers were to Alexander? Are you
as dedicated and committed? Think how much power Christ
could have in our area with just a portion of such commitment.
James S. Hewett.
My brothers and
sisters, Jesus said, “If YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.”
(“TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN TO SACRIFICE!”
