TOPIC: THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISM 

Anchor text:“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. Matt. 28:19.

Aims:

• To understand what it means to be baptized by the Holy Spirit
• To know the significance of baptism by the Holy Spirit

Introduction

Strictly speaking, defining baptism wholly can be an Herculean task from the very beginning as it has to be void of any shred of human opinion or supposition. However, we must stay within the confines of God’s word, rightly dividing it. 2 Tim. 2:15 

Baptism: Context Relativism

One of the many reasons we miss the meaning of baptism is in the efforts to contain its meaning in a single sentence, whereas it is applied depending on its context of usage. However, we’ll let the word of God define it for us. Thus, let’s follow intelligently as we study the meaning of the word together. 

The term “baptise” appears 59 times in the Bible, of which majority of it refers to one person—John, the Baptist. Moreover, baptism is used 23 times in the Bible. 

The word “baptism” is a derivative from the Greek verb of baptise which is “baptizō,”  meaning “to immerse, dip, or plunge”. It does not necessarily imply water. Pay attention; this is the literal definition of that term. However, that, in itself, is not sufficient in understanding its meaning; hence, we’ll thoroughly consider it in the Bible to study the implications of the same. 

The General Opinions On Baptism

It has been defined across different climes of the Christian faith with divers meaning and emphasis. For us to know what it is, we must know what it is not. 

• Christian baptism is the means by which a person makes a public profession of faith and discipleship by immersion in water.
• An ordinance symbolizing the believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection—performed only on professing believers via immersion. 
• An initiatory sacrament involving triple immersion, conferring regeneration, forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

As much as there is a shred of truth in the above, it is not representative of the wholesome truth of baptism. Hence, we must define what it really is. 

A Brief Insight into the Meaning of Baptism

Acts 10:37. Acts 19:1-4. 

The baptism of John is a message of repentance through water. Moreover, Peter called John’s baptism a message. Hence, baptism is a teaching. That means baptism is preached. Thus, the meaning of baptism is a message. 

John’s baptism is not the water. Rather, the water is the medium. It can be easily said as “when you believe something, you’re baptised into it”. Furthermore, Romans 10:14-15 explains that preachers preach for people to believe. In technical language, we can say preachers baptise. Additionally, your belief is your baptism. This will get clearer as we examine John’s ministry and the instruction of Jesus to baptise. 

Baptism In The Old Testament

Majorly, the practice of water baptism stems from the Jewish religion of ceremonial, divers washings in water and sprinkling of blood for the temporary atonement for sins. Thus, it is the process of cleansing and purification of men and vessels of ministry. Heb. 6:1 – 2. Mark 7:4,8. 

Lev. 13-15 talks about various cleansing and washings—women after childbirth, lepers, etc., all done for ceremonial purification. 

Also, 2 Kings 5:1-14. Naaman dipping of himself in Jordan River to be healed due to prophetic instructions. 

Heb. 6:1-2. Heb. 9:7-10. 

The Bible exhorts that the doctrine of baptisms and divers washings in the Old Testament was because the access to the holy of holies was not yet made manifest. Hence, the practice of baptisms or divers washings was a type and shadow of the baptism in Christ. It was the message of God’s cleansing under the old covenant. 

All those things were for that time and it could not make them perfect. It was carnal. It was imposed on them. It was not meant to be forever. Thus, the Bible says we should not lay these foundations again, of which water baptism is part. It has an expiry date. Therefore, we’re to leave them because Jesus the reformation has come. 

Examining The Intent And Extent of John’s Baptism

Current day baptism is rooted in the baptism of John. John, the Baptist as many called him, has a practice of baptising people in water. He became popular with this practice. It is therefore, very paramount that we understand the intents and extents of his baptism. Interestingly, none of the prophecies about his ministry included water baptism. That’s an intriguing fact. Isa. 40:3-5. Mal. 3:1. Mal. 4:5-6. Luke 1:76-77. 

• The Ministry of John

Matt. 3:1-3. Mark 1: 3 – 4. Luke 3:3 – 4. John 1:23. 

His ministry was to show Christ. Luke 1:76-77. Thus, John will make the ministry of Jesus plain to men. He will reveal Jesus to the people. Luke 3:16-17. John 1:33-34. 

The message of John is the preaching of repentance (which is to turn the attention of his audience from one to another) from sin and the preparation of their hearts for Jesus Christ.

John 1:19-34. This is very key. However, John is clear about his ministry. He baptised with water. Jesus baptises with holy ghost. Moreover, he says Christ is greater than him. Hence, holy spirit baptism is greater than water baptism. Matt. 3:13-17. The “fulfill(ING) all righteousness” is fulfilling of the words of the prophets which is John, the prophet is a forerunner of Christ.

Hence, the Real Purpose of John’s Water Baptism was to reveal Christ. Nothing more. Matt 3:11. John 1:31. 

Acts 1:4-5. 

Hence, the ministry of John which is repentance in the act of water baptism IS TO point us to the ministry of Jesus which is salvation that comes with holy spirit baptism. Thus, the baptism of water was to point us to baptism of the holy spirit.  Mark 1:7 – 8

Then, after John had already fulfilled his ministry which is to show Christ, he gladly left the scene by saying “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30. John 3:22-36. Verse 36, even John DID NOT ask us to baptise with water. It was his own ministry and it is to an end. Instead, he preached believing in Jesus. 

In summation, the end of John’s ministry is the end of water baptism. 

However, we saw that the baptism of John still continued in the book of Acts. Over time, it faded due to more understanding of it; even Apostle Paul said he wasn’t sent to baptise with water. 1 Cor. 1:14-17. Paul stated that he was grateful to God he didn’t baptise any other person. God did not send him to baptise. Which baptism? It is immersion in water. Thus, the meaning of baptism was misconstrued that it created a division and polarisation in the Corinthian church. 

By study , we now know that the Christian is not to baptise with water nor be baptised by any. 

The end goal of John’s ministry was to reveal Christ. The reason he baptised with water was to reveal Christ hitherto. It is not a practice to be adopted and practiced by anyone.

DEMYSTIFYING WATER IN BAPTISM

John 3:1-5. 

The usage of the word, water is symbolic. However, Jesus is not typifying two kinds of baptism. He used that term due to Nicodemus who was a teacher of the Jewish customs and practices. In the Jewish religion as it has been explained above, water symbolises cleansing, purification, newness of life and holiness as that was what it was used for. Numbers chapter nineteen exhaustively explains this. It was used for the purification of sin in the Israel camp. Hence, to clear the confusion of Nicodemus who was clearly confused, he likens being born again to being born of water. 

Note, in John 3:5, “and” functions as an explanatory conjunction. Hence, it can be rightly read as “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water that is, of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” 

Then, we are left with what it means to be born of the spirit since being born of water is being born of the spirit. 

John 4:14. John 7:37-39. 1 Cor. 6:9-11. 

Hence, it is clear from the scriptures above that water means the holy spirit which affects the heart, removes evil conscience and bestows the life of Christ. However, Jesus wasn’t referring to literal liquid called water. He didn’t have H2O in mind when he was saying this. Instead, he was referring to the baptism of the holy spirit. 1 Cor. 12:13. Heb. 10:22. Ezek. 36:24-27. 

BAPTISM INTO THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST

‎‎“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” Matt. 28:19. 

‎What the Lord is telling us here is to go and teach the Nations of the Earth who the true God is, based on His Gospel. However, it is not to go and be sinking people into the river. That would not bring the required change that the world needed neither can it affect the hearts of men. Thus, baptising them is teaching them. He never implied water. Mark 16:15 – 16.

‎‎‎‎What does it really mean to be having the Nations baptized into the above titles? The quickest way to get the answer is to look at the life of Moses. 

‎‎“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea” 1 Cor. 10:1-2. 

‎‎Look at Amplified translation.

‎‎“For I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that our forefathers were every one of them under and protected by the cloud (in which God’s Presence went before them), and every one of them passed safely through the (Red) Sea. 

And every one of them (allowed himself too) to be baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (THAT IS, THEY WERE THUS BROUGHT UNDER OBLIGATION TO THE LAW, TO MOSES AND TO THE COVENANT, CONSECRATED AND SET APART TO THE SERVICE OF GOD;” Amplified. 

‎‎They were brought under obligation to the law. Thus, that is true obedience to the laws of God through Moses, as the Apostle of the Old Testament. Even so are we to bring the Nations into obedience to the laws of Christ as the Apostle of the New Testament, and that precisely is what it means for us to baptize the Nations into Christ. 

‎‎Paul himself threw some light on what it means to be baptized into a person’s name when he spoke thus to the Corinthians; 

‎“Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” 1 Cor. 1:13. 

‎‎To be baptized into, or unto any one, is to be devoted to him, to receive and acknowledge him as a teacher, professing to receive his rules, and to be governed by his authority. Being baptized into Christ—they had been solemnly and entirely devoted to the service of the only Saviour. Thus, the implication of all this is that, to be baptized into a person’s name is to be obligated to that individual as your leader to whom you can take instructions from. 

‎Jesus was asking us to go get the Nations obligated to His life and teachings, to build their faith in Him as they believe. Hence, that is what baptizing the Nations stands for scripturally speaking. 

‎‎So now it is easy for us to understand what Matt. 28:19-20 is really talking about. 

UNDERSTANDING THE TITLES

‎‎“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”  Matt 28:19 – 20.

• ‎‎To be baptized in the name of the Father would simply mean to acknowledge the Father publicly, by a supposed rite in order to receive the system of religion in this sense; to have one’s soul bonded to his laws; to be completely devoted and to receive Him both for guidance and the comfort of life; and to completely trust Him for His promises and provisions. Thus, this is where our true faith lies, having God as our Father and trusting Him for His daily provisions and promises as sons even as Jesus would teach us to pray ‘Our Father which art in Heaven’ telling us now that truly we do have a Father whose dwelling is in heaven from where we in faith could draw our supplies. 

‎‎“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Heb. 11:6 

‎‎This is what we are told to let the Nations know by way of their baptism. 

• ‎‎And to be baptized unto the Son, in the same way means to receive and acknowledge Him as the Messiah—our Prophet, Priest, and King. Here also we have to submit to His laws, receive Him as the only Saviour of our soul. Thus, by implication to be baptized into the son is to acknowledge the role of the son in the work of Redemption and to abide by His terms of Redemption in bringing back to the Father. 

It is the identification with Christ in his death to sin. Hence, this is the baptism the believer goes through. By faith, we have been baptised into Christ death and resurrection together with him. 

‎‎“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” 1 Pet. 3:18. Col. 2:12. Rom. 6:1-11. 1 Pet. 3:21 

‎Basically then, we must see beyond the issue of water. For no religious ritual can of a truth bring you to this realization except by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and as the Father reveals Himself to you through the Son. 

‎“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” Matt. 11:27 

• And finally, to be baptized unto the Holy Ghost equally means to receive and acknowledge the Holy Spirit publicly as one’s Sanctifier, Comforter, and Guide of the soul. 

‎‎“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” John 16:7 

‎“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;” John 14:16 

‎Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:17 

‎‎This is what Jesus commanded us to fulfill in Baptising the Nations by teaching the Nations and bringing them into full obedience and submission to the fullness of the Deity the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Ghost). Eph. 4:4. Titus 3: 3 – 7

Conclusion

‎The Christian baptism is essentially faith in the finished works of Christ Jesus which allows the indwelling of the holy spirit. Moreover, it is the identification with the works of Christ for our sins. Also, it is reception of a new life with its conducts and actions stemming from the character of the spirit.  The believer does not have through two or more baptisms. It is just one.

Every believer in Christ Jesus has already been baptised by His holy spirit. 

Thus, the Christian baptism is the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

All scripture quoted were taken from the King James Version (KJV) unless otherwise stated.