Shepherds College: Systematic Theology Session 20

Baptism It is for you. Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 1 What is a Sacrament? Baptism Lord’s Supper or Communion These are outward signs of inward actions Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 2 Two Issues: Mode and Subject Mode Baptism: Greek, “bapto, “immerse” to put or go under water in a variety of senses, Sprinkle: Greek, “rhantizo,” “to sprinkle liquid on something” Hebrews 9:19 Pour: Greek, “ekcheo” “pour out”  William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 164. Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 3 The Case for Immersion It is the meaning of “bapto.” It was practised for the first 1000 years of Christianity, although exceptions were made for the weak and ill. It became politically expedient following the Reformation to baptize (sprinkle) infants. Immersion demonstrates the death and burial of the Christian (Romans 6). It was the practise of the church at its founding. Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 4 Ancient Baptistries Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 5 Baptism terminology in Greek The English word “baptize” is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizō[1]. This term can mean “to dip,” “to dip repeatedly,” “to submerge,” “to immerse,” “to immerge,” or “to wash”[1]. For the specific terms related to pouring and sprinkling, the search results identify distinct Greek vocabulary. Chéō means “to pour,” rantízō means “to sprinkle,” and baptízō means “to immerse”[2]. Additionally, lóuō refers to bathing or washing the whole body, and níptō means washing some part of the body[2]. The significance of these distinctions becomes apparent when examining how early Christian writers employed them. While baptízō is universally recognized as ordinarily indicating mode, all the other terms except the first appear in the New Testament used in their ordinary sense[2]. This suggests that when the New Testament authors chose baptízō rather than rantízō or chéō, they were deliberately selecting terminology that conveyed a specific action—immersion— rather than the alternatives available to them. The search results reveal ongoing theological debate about whether baptízō exclusively denotes immersion or permits broader application. Early Christian consensus for more than a thousand years held that baptízō means “immerse” and that immersion was the ordinary baptismal practice[3]. [1] R. Stanton Norman, The Baptist Way: Distinctives of a Baptist Church (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 143. [2] James Chrystal, A History of the Modes of Christian Baptism (Philadelphia: Lindsay and Blakiston, 1861), 37. [3] Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology: Church and Last Things, Reformed Systematic Theology (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024), 4:1181. Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 6 Subjects of Baptism Credobaptism Paedobapism Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 7 What Baptism is It is believer’s baptism (credobaptism) It is water, not spiritual It is one who can believe, not an infant, or one who otherwise has no knowledge, idea, or awareness. It is for believers. Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 8 It is the command of Jesus “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:16–20 Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 9 It is the practice of the First Christians, and therefore for us. “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’” Acts 2:37–40 Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 10 How Baptism is to be Understood It is for people who believe: “ . . . they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?” Baptism applies to those who believe the message To believe is to have faith in the work of Christ  “ . . . yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16 Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 11 The Meaning of Baptism Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 12 How Baptism is to be Understood It is for people who repent: “‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” Sorrow Turning Change of mind Change of heart—Conversion Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 13 It is the beginning of the Christian Life So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Acts 2:41 Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 14 It is the death of our old life and the beginning of our new life “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3–4 It is a participation in the death of Jesus It is a participation in the resurrection of Jesus It is an identification of the believer with the risen Christ It is the promise of death to our old life It is the promise of a new life—an eternal life with Christ Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 15 It is the death of our old life and the beginning of our new life “ . . . having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,” Colossians 2:12–13 Note the past tenses Note the promises! You were dead—you still are You were made alive –and you still are! Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 16 It is a Burial Colossians 2:11–14 (ESV) 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 17 It Is an Act of Putting On Christ We are now sons (children) of God “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:27 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:17–24 Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 18 It Is an Act of Putting Off the Old Person “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:5–11 Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 19 Conclusions Baptism is immersion in water Baptism applies to believers—those who have faith in Christ Baptism follows repentance Baptism is “for the forgiveness of sins” Baptism is when you Are buried with Christ Are raised with Christ When you have put off the old life When you have put on the new life Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 20 Conclusions God’s promises to the baptised: Are always positive Salvation (Mark 16:16) The forgiveness of sins The gift of the Holy Spirit Death of the old person, the flesh Resurrection now and in the future. Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 21 Shepherds College Systematic Theology 2026 22