Baptism Part 3
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Truth about Baptism and its relationship to Salvation Part 3
Truth about Baptism and its relationship to Salvation Part 3
Let us look at our next verse
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Paul is recounting the story of how he came to faith in Christ; this verse is a retelling of this verse
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and accepted Him as Lord with the help of a Jesus-follower named Ananias. Ananias called Paul to make his decision official be being baptized in Jesus’ name.
The language of baptism in the Bible can be confusing to a modern reader; some passages seem to suggest that we cannot be saved without it. The truth requires a deeper dive into the culture. in the first century, Judaism had several sects, including Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots. To publicly show alignment, a new convert would be baptized into that sect. This is why people were baptized “Into John’s the Baptist baptism”:
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
to publicly align with the message of repentance of sins. In Judaism, baptism followed such a decision immediately. So in a sense, baptism in that era was an external, overt sign that one just then and there become a member of that group.
The Greek of this passage is translated by Charles C. Ryrie as : “Having arisen, be baptized; and wash away your sins, having called on the name of the Lord.” “His name” means Jesus’ name of course. Jesus’ name is more than the sounds or letters we use to identify Him; it refers to His character, person, reputation, teaching, deeds, and everything about Him. To be baptized in His name means to accept everything about Him and agree to orient one’s life around Him.
Some people struggle with the wording here compared to Jesus’ words in the Great Commission when He says ,”baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Believers such be baptized in the name of all three persons of the Trinity; here , however, Paul is specifically talking about Jesus of Nazareth and how He led Paul to spread His offer of salvation to the Gentiles.
Let us look at our next verses.
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.
Romans chapter 6 is a great chapter that explains why as Christians we are dead to sin. Earlier in Romans, Paul has asked if Christians , those who have received God’s free gift of the forgiveness of our sin through faith in Christ, should keep sinning. No, we should not, he has responded. He posed a counter question to explain why: can those who have died to sin keep living in sin? Again his implied answer is no.
So what does it mean that we have died to sin, though? Part of that answer is found in verse 3. All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.
Paul does not seem to be talking about water baptism here. Paul is talking about the kind of baptism that happens when the Holy Spirit comes into a person at the time he/she becomes a Christian. In that spirit baptism, a new believer is spiritually baptized into Christ’s body.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
We enter into Christ’s identity, in a sense, becoming so closely attached to him that God gives us credit for Christ’s righteousness and accepts Christ’s payment for our sin. that baptism places us , our whole self, in Christ. Water baptism, on the other hand, is an outward sign of that spirit baptism. For those who practice believer’s baptism, it is a public declaration to the world around us that we belong to Christ and to belong with all the others who belong to Him, as well.
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
So, then Paul says here that a person trusts in Christ for salvation, that person is baptized in the Holy Spirit into Christ’s death. We die with Him. This death somehow breaks sin’s rule over us and frees us from our need to obey our sinful desires. Those urges do not entirely vanish however.
As we were baptized into Christ’s death, we were also buried with Him into death. Paul means to show that a real spiritual transaction took place when we experienced death and burial with Christ. Then God gloriously raised us from that spiritual death just as He raised Christ from physical death. The Father did all of this so we would be able to walk in, experience for the first time, spiritual life.
Think about it, this is a huge and mysterious idea, but it is at the heart of what it means to truly be a Christian. Those who come to God through faith in Christ do not merely sign some document and get their Jesus card. A real, spiritual transformation takes place inside of us. We do not remain the same as we were before. We come to life for the first time.
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
and God means for us to participate in this new life in a meaningful way.Not only profound, it helps explain why a life of persistent and willful sin is incompatible with a profession of faith in Christ.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Let us go to our next verse
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Paul has made an enormous statement . In the previous verse, he declared that all who are in Christ Jesus “by faith” are the children of God.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gentiles no longer need to think of themselves as God’s step children. The rights and privileges of a full son or daughter of God are available to all who trust in Christ for their salvation from sin.
Now Paul describes this connection we have with Christ, the Son of God, as even closer than siblings.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Those who trust in Him “put on Christ” like a garment. Paul likely has in mind the kind of robes worn in the Roman Empire during his day. To put on Christ is to be completely covered up by Him. To be “in Christ” is to be so closely identified with Him that we experience life through Him, in a sense.
How does that happen? Paul describes those who come “by faith” as being baptized into Christ. It is possible Paul is referring to water baptism, the outward public sign of faith in Christ. However I believe Paul is saying that Christians are baptized in (or into) the Holy Spirit when we trust in Christ for our salvation.It is the moment when God’s spirit comes to live with and in us.
Paul describes it in this way with this verse
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
He will use similar language to describe our oneness in Christ through the Spirit in the following verse.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Let us move on the our next verses.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
This verse begins the classic repetition of “ones”, forming a well-known passage from the New Testament, running through verse 6. By repeating the concept of “one-ness,””unity,”and so forth, this section emphasizes the closeness and harmony we are meant to demonstrate as believers.
First, the unity Paul refers to in verse 3 requires a common focus as a united body. In other words , there are not actually different churches, but one true , universal church of Christ. Every saved believer in Christ is a member of this one body, even if they consider themselves part of some secondary denomination.
Second, the Holy Spirit is the one and only spiritual force which unites all believers in Christ.
Third, all believers are called to the same hope of a future eternity with Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Paul discussed this calling in these verses
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
as well as at the very beginning of this chapter.
Interestingly, all three parts of the Trinity are again in view, This verse mentions the Spirit, Verse 5 mentions the Lord Jesus, and verse 6 includes the Father. Paul’s emphasis on all three persons of the triune God as equally divine has been developed multiple times in this letter.
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Fourth, Paul’s use of “one Lord” is a clear reference to Jesus. He is called “Lord” on more than 20 occasions throughout this letter to the Ephesians.
Fifth, there is “one faith”. Here , Paul is primarily referring to salvation.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
but the context also extends to imply the necessary foundational teachings of the church. There is room for liberty regarding non-essentials in the body of Christ (see Romans 14) However, there are some fundamentals which every Christian should accept. These foundations of the faith are important for true unity within the church.
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Sixth, baptism was closely associated with salvation, often taking place on the same day as a person’s acceptance of Christ. It identified a person as a follower of Christ.
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Seventh, Christians are all saved by the grace of the same God, uniquely defined and identified in the Old and New Testaments. Contrary to modern notions that Christians worship the same God as other religions, Christians worship a unique God of Father, Son, and Spirit. Legitimate Christianity accepts Jesus as God’s divine Son, as well as Lord.
Paul also noted this Father “is over all and through all and in all.” Each of this verse’s four references of “all” come from the same Greek root word, pas. This phrasing is used by Paul to cover every possible aspect which God could be sovereign over. There is no god or being higher than Him. Every legitimate follower of Christ adheres to this belief of “one God”. This concept is so fundamental, and so critical to the faith, that it can be traced to the first words of Scripture.
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
A foundational belief of the Torah is that God is one.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Let us now look at our last verse of this study.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Peter has just concluded several difficult to understand verses with a reference to the ark of Noah. In this craft, eight people were “brought safely through the water.”
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
In this verse, he writes baptism corresponds to the water of Noah’s flood.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
This is a controversial verse. Bible scholars offer differing interpretations of it. Part of the issue is that the New Testament clearly and repeatedly teaches that salvation from hell comes only through faith in Christ, by God’s grace.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Christians were expected and even commanded , to be baptized. However, the act of baptism is an expression of faith and obedience, not the means of salvation.
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Is Peter contradicting that idea when he writes that baptism now saves us?
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Clearly, based on his other writings, Peter is not suggesting that the mechanical act of being baptized is what makes a person saved for eternity. Instead, taking the verse as a whole, he seems to be saying that the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead saves us. It is the resurrection which Christians publicly express their faith in when being baptized.This is supported by Peter’s inclusion of the phrase “the like figure whereunto even” suggests a parallel rather than an identical purpose. This is the interpretation I think is correct.
Another possible reading is that the word “saves” doesn’t refer to eternal salvation, at all. Instead, by this view, Peter could be saying that the act of publicly identifying ourselves with Christ, through baptism, saves us from being tempted to hide our faith to avoid the suffering and persecution of Christians Peter has been addressing.
In any case, this water baptism is not about making a person clean in their flesh. It is about asking God for a good conscience, or standing identified with God with a good conscience.
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
Peter wrote that Christians should live in the world with a good conscience so that nobody can have a valid reason for accusing us of doing anything wrong. The act of being publicly baptized was part of establishing that good conscience with god and before a watching world.
And again, as the final phrase of the verse states , this is all made possible through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead that reveals the power of God to give eternal life.
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