Sacri-what? Baptism as ordin 2

Lecture 5: Baptism as an Ordinance - Continued

We’ve been talking about baptism as an ordinance of the church.

Last time we saw that those who believe that baptism is an ordinance argue that all of the spiritual blessings that are attributed to baptism are also attributed to faith alone.

The second argument that is often given by those who defend a non-sacramental view of baptism is that when you look more closely at the New Testament, you find that water baptism does not necessarily coincide with baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Remember that for the sacramentalist these are co-incident.

It is in water baptism that one is baptized in the Holy Spirit.

These happen at the same time.

That is why water baptism is a sacrament – a means of grace.

You are baptized in the Holy Spirit when you are water baptized.

But the New Testament doesn’t bear that out.

Let’s just look at some examples of baptism in the New Testament.

First, let’s begin with John the Baptist’s baptism and then the baptism as practiced by Jesus himself.

In those baptisms, the Holy Spirit was not received.

The Holy Spirit was not given through John’s water baptism or in the baptism

that Jesus himself administered.

The Holy Spirit was promised only at Pentecost and in post-Pentecostal experience.

The sacramentalist will respond by saying that this was a unique situation.

It was only after Pentecost that the Holy Spirit was given.

These baptisms were all pre-Pentecostal and therefore of course John and Jesus’ baptism was unique in not conveying the Holy Spirit.

But notice that when Jesus gives the Great Commission to the disciples to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel, he commands them to teach all that he has commanded them, baptizing people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So it is a continuation of the baptism that Jesus was carrying out during his

ministry, and the disciples probably thought of this practice in exactly the same way.

It is an external sign of repentance and faith.

Let’s turn now to the baptism of the Holy Spirit that does occur at Pentecost in Acts 2.

In Acts 2 we read the story of how the Holy Spirit came upon the New Testament church.

Acts 2:1–4 BSB

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Notice that this did not occur in the context of water baptism.

The twelve disciples, and those with them, were not being baptized in water when the Holy Spirit came upon them.

It was quite apart from baptism.

The sacramentalist will say that this situation is unique because the disciples had already followed Jesus.

Perhaps they had already been baptized during his ministry.

So there was no need for them to be baptized again.

But even if that is true, the point remains that Spirit baptism didn’t take place in conjunction with water baptism for these disciples.

Now we skip ahead to Acts 10:43-48.

This is the story of the preaching of the Gospel by Peter to a Roman centurion named Cornelius and his household.

Acts 10:43–48 BSB

43 All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message. 45 All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.

Notice that the members of Cornelius’ household, upon hearing the Gospel, are baptized in the Holy Spirit prior to their water baptism.

While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were

amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the

Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God.

Then Peter declared:

Acts 10:47 BSB

47 “Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”

Here we see that these persons, upon hearing the Gospel and believing it, received the Holy Spirit, and then water baptism followed as a subsequent act. They are not simultaneous.

The sacramentalist will say that this was an exceptional circumstance because this is the first reception of the Gospel by the Gentiles.

It was to show that the Gentiles are also acceptable to God as well as Jews.

Granted.

But once again we see that water baptism and Spirit baptism don’t coincide.

Let’s look now at the case of the Ephesian disciples in contrast to Apollos in Acts 18:24-19:7.

Acts 18:24–19:7 BSB

24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and was fervent in spirit. He spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him in and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 When Apollos resolved to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. 1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 “Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied. 4 Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

Notice the similarity between Apollos and these Ephesian disciples.

They only knew the baptism of John the Baptist.

They had not been baptized in Jesus’ name.

But the Ephesian disciples were compelled to be water baptized – to be re-baptized – because John’s baptism was not adequate.

But in the case of Apollos they did not re-baptize him, did they? He knew only John’s baptism, but they didn’t baptize him in the name of the Lord

Jesus.

Why not?

The difference is that Apollos was “fervent in Spirit.”

He had the Holy Spirit.

He was regenerate.

But the Ephesian disciples hadn’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.

Therefore, they needed to submit to water baptism in Jesus’ name.

It was the presence of the Spirit that made the difference in whether or not a person was a genuine, regenerate Christian.

This shows that the key to being a Christian is the presence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life.

Look now at Acts 9:17-18.

This is the story of Paul’s own conversion.

Acts 9:17–18 BSB

17 So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized,

Here, again, Paul first receives the Holy Spirit and then he is water baptized. They are not co-incident.

Water baptism follows Spirit baptism.

Look at Acts 8, which is the reception of the Gospel by the Samaritans.

Acts 8:4–8 BSB

4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. 6 The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform. 7 With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

Acts 8:14–17 BSB

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

This is so strange a passage that it is difficult for any view of baptism to understand!

What you have here is people who believed in the Gospel, they were baptized in water in the name of the Lord Jesus (this was an authentic Christian baptism), but they didn’t receive the Holy Spirit until the apostles came down from Jerusalem and laid hands on them.

Whatever interpretation you take of this unusual circumstance, the undeniable fact is that water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ was not co-incident with their reception of the Holy Spirit.

Spirit baptism came later in this case, after water baptism.

In summary, when you look at the book of Acts carefully, what you discover is that Spirit baptism never coincides with water baptism!

Never!

There isn’t one case in which water baptism and baptism in the Holy Spirit are co-incident.

Rather, baptism serves as the culmination of a person’s act of faith.

It is the climax of a person’s conversion to Christ.

We might compare in this regard 1 Peter 3:21.

1 Peter 3:21 BSB

21 And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Baptism now saves you as an appeal to God for a clear conscience.

Baptism is an expression of the believer’s faith.

It is his appeal to God.

Baptism is an act of calling upon God.

So baptism is not a means of grace.

It is a means of faith.

It is an expression of a person’s faith in Christ and his being initiated into the Christian faith.

Baptism on the ordinance view, then, is not God’s gift to man, rather it is man’s calling out to God – an appeal to God.

It is placing one’s faith in him.

To summarize this second point then, water baptism doesn’t necessarily coincide with Spirit baptism.

In the book of Acts, it can come before, it can come after.

There is no suggestion that by being water baptized you are baptized in the Holy Spirit and regenerated.

So baptismal regeneration just doesn’t have any support, it seems to me, in

these instances in the book of Acts.

Coupled with the first point that we talked about last week that all of the blessings attributed to water baptism are ours in virtue of faith alone,

it seems to me that the view of baptism as an ordinance makes the best sense.

It is the culmination of a person’s conversion-initiation; an expression of that initiation into the Christian faith that is a sign of the inward conversion that has already taken place.

Next time we’ll look at the question of who should be baptized – a question that also divides Christians.

I look forward to being with you again next Sunday.