Q. How should we baptize? What does the word “baptism” mean?
A. The word literally means to be “submerged.” It refers to the “act of immersion or dipping” or “to put or go under water” (See the following Lexicons: Moulton-Milligan, BDAG, and Mounce). In sum, the normal mode of baptism is by immersion. The person to be baptized should be completely submerged in the water. We see that implied in the fact that John the Baptist chose to baptize in an area with much water:
“Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.” (John 3:23, emphasis added).
John needed plenty of water to submerge people under it. Full immersion is implied in the scene where Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. The two men traveled by chariot when the eunuch came to faith in Jesus. When they spotted water—perhaps a river or spring—the men stopped the chariot, went down into the water, and then came up out of it:
“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away… (Acts 8:36-39b).
While the Anabaptists and Baptists revived the practice of baptism by immersion in Western Europe, interestingly, the Eastern Orthodox churches have always practiced baptism by immersion.
However, immersion should not be considered an iron-clad rule or law. Churches have usually allowed for common-sense exceptions, especially in places lacking water (e.g., dry or desert areas). The Didache, an early Christian text, recommends baptism by immersion in running water, but allows for pouring water on the head if not enough is available (Didache, chap. 7).
Q. Who should be baptized?
A. Believers should be baptized. Some traditions deny that faith must come before baptism. These churches will baptize an unbeliever (e.g., a baby), hoping they will come to faith afterward. That’s not the Biblical practice. Consider three passages: Acts 2:41; 8:34-38; and 16:30-33.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (Acts 2:41).
Who was baptized? Those who accepted Peter’s message, i.e., believers. Faith precedes baptism.
We see the same order in the scene with Philip and the eunuch. Although the text does not explicitly say so, the eunuch believed the good news and was baptized (cf. Acts 8:34-38).
And, very clearly, the Philippian jailer and his household believed and then were baptized:
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized (Acts 16:30-33).
From these three texts, and from all the relevant passages in the New Testament, it is clear that only believers should be baptized.
Q. When should someone be baptized?
A. People should be baptized the same day they come to faith. This point may be controversial, but the Biblical evidence is clear. Let’s look at the three verses we already examined. When were the people who believed Peter’s message baptized?
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (Acts 2:41, emphasis added).
Believers were baptized the same day they believed.
That was also the case with Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch was baptized on the same chariot ride where he came to faith, as soon as they came across enough water to do it:
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him (Acts 8:34-38).
And finally, the Philippian jailer and his household were baptized that very “hour of the night”:
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized (Acts 16:30-33).
The New Testament practice was to baptize someone “immediately” (parachréma, immediately, at once, straightway). Baptism was not delayed by days, weeks, or years. Understanding the close timing between faith and baptism helps us interpret what the apostles taught about its meaning.
Q. What does baptism mean?
A. Baptism means that the believer has been united to Christ in His death and resurrection and now has potential to live a holy life in resurrection power.
We read about the meaning of baptism in Romans 6. Keep in mind the close connection between faith and baptism that would have been assumed by Paul. The apostle can speak so strongly about baptism because, as we already saw, for all practical purposes, it was concomitant with the moment of faith. Baptism happened immediately. Thus, as Douglas Moo writes, “Just as faith is always assumed to lead to baptism, so baptism always assumes faith for its validity” (Moo, Romans, p. 366). For Paul, water baptism is shorthand for the conversion experience (Ibid.).
The context of Romans 6 is that after teaching that salvation occurs apart from our works, people may raise the objection that grace can become a license to sin. Paul could have taught salvation by works at this point. Obviously, he didn’t. Instead, he responds by saying that continuing to sin makes no sense because of baptism:
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (vv 3-4).
Paul asks, “Don’t you know?” Water baptism is meant to teach us truths about who we are in Christ. For example, we’ve been baptized into Christ and therefore united to Him in His death and resurrection. Just as Christ was raised to new life, that means Christians don’t have to keep on sinning but can live holy lives.
Baptism also promises that we’ll be resurrected in the future:
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his (v 5).
The Christian life is “eschatological”—we live in light of the resurrection to come, which further motivates us to holiness.
The flipside of that eschatological reality is that baptism also proclaims to us that our old self—what we were apart from Christ—has been crucified, so we are now set free from sin:
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin (vv 6-7).
In union with Christ, all that we were apart from Him has been crucified. We’re no longer under the reign of sin, but under the reign of Christ. Baptism means we’re free!
In sum, baptism challenges our thinking. It teaches us about our new identity and our new reality in Christ. We’re called to believe it and live in light of it (cf. Rom 12:1-2).
I like to say that water baptism is the gospel preached with visible words. It’s a re-enactment of the gospel itself—we were dead, but when we believed, Jesus gave us life.
If you believe in Jesus, you should be baptized immediately, not because your salvation depends upon it, but because it reinforces who you are in Christ and what is possible living through Him.
_______________________
Send your questions or comments to shawn@freegrace.in.
Read his latest book, The Myth of Tithing and the Joy of Grace Giving by getting it from us or from Amazon.
This reminds of a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived around 200 B.C. It’s a recipe for making pickles and was helpful to me. Nicander said that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be
'dipped' (baptô) into boiling water and then 'bap-tised' (baptizô) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is only temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change.
I love those last two words, permanent change. It got me to thinking though about the "VeggieTales" series and Larry, one of the lead characters. Isn’t Larry a cucumber?
Does this mean Larry was never converted? My heart sank to think that I allowed an unconverted cucumber to teach my children biblical principles and values. Should we be praying for Larry? Just kidding! Just a little humor. Thank you Shawn for your service to our Lord. Blessings to you all.