Water Baptism

Leafrivermac · 09-25-2005, 12:26 PM

I don't see the bible presenting water baptism as optional. Jesus gave the command of water baptism in the great commission. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Mat 28:19). At the least. this command of Jesus requires the church to make disciples by baptizing believers in the name of God. So water baptism here and thruout the NT is associated with christian initiation. I see no alternative, we must baptize believers or disobey Gods plan of salvation.

Leafrivermac · 09-25-2005, 12:47 PM

It is obvious that the apostles were committed to Jesus' command to make diciples thru water baptism. Recorded in Acts is the baptizing of Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, an Ethiopian, Phillipians, Corinthians, and followers of John the Baptist. No believer was excluded, and there is no report of any believer refusing to be baptized. As the disciples preached Jesus Christ they proclaimed that thru repentance and water baptism a person can recieve forgivness of sins and the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:38 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.

Leafrivermac · 09-25-2005, 01:54 PM

Death , Burial , and resurrection , of Jesus Christ is the scriptural foundation of the gospel. (1 Cor 15: 1-4) In our regeneration we are to identify with Christ in each of these aspects. Repentance and water baptism identify with Christ's death and burial, and the infilling of the Spirit identifies with His resurrection (Romans 6:4). So water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is one way we identify with Jesus and His work of our redemption.

Rebel Hog · 09-25-2005, 02:14 PM

Once we are "born again" the Lord instructs us to be baptized in water as an act of obedience to typify what has happened to us spiritually.

Romans 6:1-18:
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Leafrivermac · 09-25-2005, 05:10 PM

Here's an event that shows the commitment that Paul had to water baptism in his ministry: Late at night, after midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises in spite of their chains and the darkness of the dungeon in the prison. Earlier, they had been beaten by orders of the city authorities, who then had them cast into the prison. But while they sang, a miracle occured. An earthquake shook the prison, the doors opened, and the chains fell from them. They witnessed to the jailer, who heard and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Often this is the ending of the telling of this story . . .neglecting to tell how the jailer expressed his faith. Paul and Silas told him about the plan of God's salvation, and upon the jailers confession of faith in Jesus, they ignored their pains, set aside needed rest, and did not wait for the morning sun to shine to baptize this Phillippian jailer . .and those of his household. (Acts 16:25-34)

Leafrivermac · 09-25-2005, 06:15 PM

The great commission as recorded in Mat 28:19 states that baptism is to be administered "œin the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Notice that the word "œname" is singular and the name is not given in this text. Father, Son , and Holy Ghost are not proper names . .but titles of relationship. If "œSon" were the name of the One born of Mary, why was she instructed to name Him Jesus? Of course we know that when we refer to the Son of God, we know of whom we"™re speaking, it is equally true that "œJesus", and not "œSon of God "œ is His name. . . . .Jesus indicated that His name was associated with the Father and the Holy Ghost, cause He said that He came in His Father"™s name and that the Holy Ghost would come in His name. ( John 5:43 and 14: 26).
Absolutley every reference to a baptismal formula in the Book of Acts and the references in the Epistles either explicitly states or indicates that the name of Jesus and not the titles of "œFather, Son, Holy Ghost" was used in a baptismal formula. (Acts 2:38; 8:16: 10:48; 19:5; 22:16; Romans 6: 1-4; Galations 3:27; Colossians 2: 12.)

LBR · 09-25-2005, 08:11 PM

Baptism is never stated as optional, or something we "should" do, or something that a Christian would "want" to do, etc. etc. etc.

The only opinion in this post that I don't agree with, at least to this point, is the statement given regarding Christ's command in the Great Commission. It can be looked at either way--it does say "name", but it is also worded "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (emphasis mine). Name is singular, as the name (not names) of the Father, the name (not names) of the Son, and name (not names) of the Holy Ghost. They are also capitalized, which is indicitive of a proper name. Perhaps Christ refers to himself as the Son here because we are not to be baptized in the name of the son of Mary, but the one and only Son of God.

I'm not trying to spin this off into another "oneness vs. trinity" thread, just showing there is a different way to view it just taking it as it is written.

You make a good point with the illustration of the Corinthian jailer. Quite often the story is cut short.Thereare no scriptures saying the jailer and his family were saved, then baptized, but that is often how the story is told. If we take into consideration when they rejoiced--AFTER baptism--that indicates something to me. The same with the Ethiopian eunich--he went on his way rejoicing AFTER his baptism.

Then there is the theif on the cross. I've often heard "he wasn't baptized, and Christ said he would be in paradise"; however, I've never seen any verse that states that the theif was not baptized. It's very possible he had repented and was baptized before he was caught, or before his sentence was carried out. That is a moot point though--the theif could not enter into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ because this had not yet happened. The theif lived and died under the Old Law. We know the theif did not live that long on the cross--partially because it would have been impossible for him to have been able to continue breathing for that long (crucifixion kills by suffocation), and we know that the Roman soldier was sent out to break their bones if they were still alive to hasten death.

Chad

Leafrivermac · 09-25-2005, 09:15 PM

Quote:

The only opinion in this post that I don't agree with, at least to this point, is the statement given regarding Christ's command in the Great Commission. It can be looked at either way--it does say "name", but it is also worded "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (emphasis mine). Name is singular, as the name (not names) of the Father, the name (not names) of the Son, and name (not names) of the Holy Ghost. They are also capitalized, which is indicitive of a proper name. Perhaps Christ refers to himself as the Son here because we are not to be baptized in the name of the son of Mary, but the one and only Son of God.

Thanks for reading my post LBR . . .and thats okey about the trinity /oneness thing . . .I'm not in a debating mood anyway. My viewpoint on the verse Mat 28:19 "œin the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." is contrasted with the examples of all actual baptisms being perfomed in "Jesus" name. Now either the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is Jesus, or the diciples ignored the instructions pertaining to baptism in the great commision.

LBR · 09-25-2005, 09:29 PM

I can understand someone that holds a "oneness" viewpoint seeing it that way--it's only logical due to what you believe. From my standpoint I don't look at a few verses and expect to get the whole truth. John 3:16 is, in my opinion, one of most used and abused verses in the Bible. Folks often quote it to "prove" baptism is not required or essential. I believe John 3:16 to be 100% true, but I know it's not 100% of the truth. The same goes for Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, etc.

Interesting post nontheless.

Chad

Snooky · 09-25-2005, 09:49 PM

We can only obey Matt 28:19 when we find outwhat the name of The Father is, what the name of The Son is, and what the name of The Holy Ghost is. It is the name of which the whole family in heaven and earth is named. There is salvation in no other name. No other name given among men whereby we must be saved. What ever we do in word or deed, (baptism is both) do all in the name of who?
The command was given to the apostles in Matt 28:19. How did they obey that command in the New Testament? Did the repeat the words of the command, or did they use a name? What name did they use? Luke 24:45 Jesus opened their understanding to the scripture, did they obey the revelation or were they disobedient to the revelation that Jesus gave them?
Whatever mode of baptism you imbrace, do you find an example in the written record showing that the early church used that mode any where? If it isn't found in practice anywhere then when and how did it find its way into the church? 1Cor 15:2 by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unles ye have believed in vain. Did Paul preach any other God beside Jesus? What name did Paul use in baptism?