Baptism: The End and the Beginning- Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Okay, we have two goals tonight:
Finish last weeks lesson, by working through Romans 6:1-8.
Answer some questions that have been posed since last week and if time, any others that come up during the evening.
But before I get started, we all make mistakes, especially when answering off the cuff and I made a few last week. So, I want make some clarifications.
Clarifications:
I spoke quickly last week and did not realize that I said “we are told baptism is our outward sign of this inward decision and commitment we have made to count the cost with God.” That is not what I meant to say. I meant to say “Baptism is more than a symbol alone; it is the moment Scripture repeatedly connects with entering into Christ, forgiveness, and participation in His death and resurrection.”
So towards the end of the night I said, “believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. So the language here not in the NIV but in the Greek indicates that this was tongues of fire that fell on them and then they began to speak in tongues.”
I want to clarify that “It is in Acts 2:3 that the Greek tells us that it fell as tongues of fire. Most scholarly commentaries indicate that since the recognized that they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit, it could be either they saw tongues of fire like in Acts 2 or that it was because they heard them speaking in tongues.”
Just wanted to clarify those points as I did not feel I did them well last week and for those who are wondering about Holy oil and Holy water, we will address that during the Q and A.
The last section we will read is Romans 6:1-8
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 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.
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. 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.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Paul is beginning his discussion with a diatribe he uses 6 times in the book of Romans, “What shall we say then?” Indicating his bringing up something that they have asked or an issue of theology that is going on in the church in Rome.
He begins by telling us that we should not, because we have died to sin.
Paul states that these disciples had at one time “died to sin.” What do you think he meant by “we died to sin” and “how can we live in it any longer?”
He then goes on to explain how we dies to sin. In baptism, by faith, we participate in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection
In Romans 6:5, what does it say will happen “if” you die to self at baptism?
What happens if you do not die to self at baptism?
I would like to rephrase this question as, Can someone truly follow Christ while refusing to surrender to Him?
This participation through baptism has brought us a new life, just like it brought about a new life for Jesus. Being united with Him through baptism which is a visual representation of Jesus death, burial and resurrection because by participating in baptism, we have died to sin and that death brings freedom from sin.
In verse 7, what happens if you do not die to sin at baptism?
From what we have looked at so far, does it make any sense for your to be baptized if you are not ready to die to self, to surrender your life?
A few verses later we read in Romans 6:11
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
What is this linked back to our participation in baptism, because of what Jesus did on the cross. And in Romans 6:14
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
So, Jesus death and our participation in that through baptism brings us out from under law and puts us under God’s grace.
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
What is the pattern of teaching that you now claim allegiance to according to this passage?
What has this brought about in you?
We can use this infographic to break this down a little more.
Now, that we have finished that, let’s get into the Q and A time. We will start with the questions that were handed in and if we have time, open it up for some more questions.
Questions and Answers:
If I am studying the Bible with someone, and they don't think they need to be baptized, what should I say or how should I handle that?
Start by understanding their specific hesitation. Are they uncertain about its necessity, uncomfortable with the public nature of the act, questioning its theological significance, or something else entirely? This distinction matters because your approach should address their actual concern rather than a general objection.
If it is about it’s necessity, the New Testament consistently presents baptism as integral to Christian commitment. Peter instructed believers to “repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,” (Acts 2:38) linking it directly to spiritual transformation. Baptism represents being “baptized into Christ Jesus” and “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.” (Rom 6:3–4) This isn’t merely symbolic—it’s presented as participation in Christ’s death and resurrection.
Review these details, but do not argue about the necessity, help them see baptism as an act of obedience and identification. Christ commanded his disciples to make disciples by “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matt 28:19–20) establishing it as a foundational practice. When someone believes, baptism becomes their public declaration and personal commitment—a concrete step that anchors faith in action.
You might also explore what baptism does spiritually. Through baptism, believers “clothe yourselves with Christ,” (Gal 3:27). It’s not just about forgiveness; it’s about being a part of the community and entering into a new identity.
Listen carefully to their underlying concern—whether it’s fear, doubt about readiness, or theological confusion—and address that directly. Sometimes people need reassurance that baptism isn’t about perfection but about taking a decisive step of faith.
Can you use Genesis 1:1-8, 20-23, with a reference of water being from the beginning to aid in a baptism study?
I have never used it this way, but yes, Genesis 1:1–8 and 1:20–23 provide powerful foundation material for a baptism study centered on water’s primordial role in creation. The Spirit of God hovering over the waters at creation’s beginning establishes water as fundamentally connected to divine presence and life-giving power from the outset.
Early Christians often saw Genesis imagery as foreshadowing baptism and the Spirit’s life-giving work. Jerome saw baptism foreshadowed in this passage, while Tertullian emphasized that water, sanctified by the Spirit, received “the capability of itself becoming sanctifying.”[1] This theological interpretation transforms water from a mere physical element into a vessel of divine grace.
Why do I quote the Early Church Fathers, should you not just use the Bible? I do use the Bible, but referencing the Early Church Fathers, especially in cases like this where I was unfamiliar with this line of thought, help me realize that early Christians saw this as a valid line of thought. This is not just something someone is making up today.
The subsequent account where God commands the waters to “teem with living creatures” (Gen 1:20–23) reinforces water’s association with life itself—a symbolism directly relevant to baptism’s promise of spiritual rebirth, the idea we saw Paul flesh out in Romans 6.
So, even if I do not use it, the progression works effectively: water exists before all else, the Spirit sanctifies it, and life emerges from it. Baptismal theology embraces water’s biblical inconclusiveness as both a principle of life and a force of death[2]—making Genesis 1’s creative use of water an ideal launching point for exploring how baptism participates in that same divine pattern of death and resurrection. So, again, where I do not typically use this line of thought, I did take you all through a journey last week about the way water is used for purification rights, salvation, cleansing, but I typically don’t incorporate that into my Bible study with people. Just thought that would help fellow Christians understand it more.
[1] Randy Stice, Understanding the Sacraments of Vocation: A Rite-Based Approach (Chicago, IL: Liturgy Training Publications, 2016), 47.
[2] Goffredo Boselli, Fire of Love, Water of Life: Exploring the Meaning and the Beauty of the Easter Vigil (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2024), 76.
Is there an ideal age to be baptized?
Do you think it is wise to baptize elementary or middle school teenagers who want to be baptized? What is too young?
This is a question that there is a lot of theological disagreement on, reflecting centuries of church debate.
The case for younger baptism centers on evidence of genuine conversion. Church tradition holds that while legal frameworks divide childhood into developmental stages, the church itself is not bound by such rigid categories and may baptize those showing authentic conversion and Christian character, regardless of age.[1] This principle would support baptizing elementary or middle school children who demonstrate sincere faith commitment. Remember, I was baptized at nine. I do feel like I was tooo young, but I also had an understanding of what Jesus did for me and a limited understanding of what it meant to be obedient and I am still a disciple of Jesus 45 years later.
An opposite would be a family member who asked their youth minister to baptize them at a middle school. The youth minister told them he thought they were too young and should come back when they are older. They have never returned.
The case for waiting draws from both historical precedent and theological reasoning. Tertullian opposed infant baptism, arguing that baptism should be deferred until children can “know Christ.”[2] Medieval theology developed this further: Christ’s baptism at age thirty was considered fitting because teaching and preaching require “perfect age,”[3] and this timing demonstrates faith through genuine human development and teaches humility by deferring authority until maturity is reached.[3]
You may have heard of the age of accountability. You were probably told as I was that was around 13 and that is true in later Jewish tradition. The Bible does not set a specific age, but distinguishes , an adult as someone who is 20 year old. At 20, you could serve in the army (numbers 1:3) had to offer a sacrifice after crossing the Jordan (Exodus 30:14) and was the age one begin serving at the temple.
The practical tension emerges in how churches have historically handled this. Even in the fourth century, not all Christian children were baptized in infancy—figures like Basil and Gregory of Nazianzus were baptized in their twenties—though infant baptism gradually became standard.[2]
For elementary and middle school candidates: the decisive factor isn’t age itself but understanding. Can they articulate what baptism means? Do they grasp the commitment involved? Elementary students (ages 6–11) typically lack the cognitive development for genuine theological comprehension, making baptism premature. Middle schoolers (ages 11–14) vary widely in maturity. If a young teen demonstrates real conversion, understands the covenant being made, and isn’t simply following peer pressure or parental expectation, baptism becomes defensible—though waiting until late teens allows for greater certainty.
[1] Augustus Hopkins Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907), 953.
[2] F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds., in The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 836.
[3] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, n.d.), 9:569.
When and where did Baptism by immersion come from?
The practice of both John the Baptist and the early church appears to have included the dipping of the participant in the baptismal water (as in Acts 8:38–39)1, establishing immersion as the foundational mode. The church has claimed the New Testament precedent of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist and Jesus’ command to baptize disciples as the origin and authority for the Christian rite. The Greek word “baptize” itself carries this meaning—a transliteration referring to the action of washing with, or plunging into (literally, “surrounding with”) water.
Early Church Practice
Immersion remained nearly universal in the early centuries. For at least four centuries, any form other than complete immersion was either unknown, or regarded, unless in the case of dangerous illness, as an exceptional, almost monstrous case. The Greek church has always baptized by triune immersion, and this practice persisted throughout Eastern Christianity.
In Acts 2:38, does the Greek word "for" mean the same as "for" in "wanted for murder?"
Peter replied, “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.
The Greek word translated “for” is εἰς (eis). This word usually points toward, into, or for the purpose of something. In many contexts, it indicates movement toward a goal or result.
Some people compare it to the English phrase “wanted for murder,” where “for” means “because of” or “on account of.” The argument is that baptism happens because sins are already forgiven.
However, grammatically and contextually, that comparison is usually considered weak by many Greek scholars for several reasons:
εἰς normally points forward, not backward. In the New Testament, εἰς overwhelmingly carries a forward-looking sense:
into
unto
toward
for the purpose/result of
The immediate context of Bible connects repentance, baptism, and receiving forgiveness/responding to the gospel. Peter’s audience asks:
“What shall we do?”
Peter gives a response involving repentance and baptism connected to forgiveness and receiving the Holy Spirit. It is meant to be done concurrently.
A close parallel appears in Bible where Jesus says:
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for (εἰς) the forgiveness of sins.”
Most people do not read that as “because sins were already forgiven.”
That said, there are scholars and traditions that argue εἰς can occasionally carry a causal sense (“because of”), and they point to examples from secular Greek or certain English parallels like “wanted for murder.” So the discussion is not invented out of thin air.
But if you are asking strictly from the standpoint of normal Greek usage in Acts 2:38, most scholars would say the phrase naturally reads more like:
“unto forgiveness”
“for the purpose of forgiveness”
“in connection with receiving forgiveness”
rather than:
“because you were already forgiven.”
But on the Greek itself, εἰς in Acts 2:38 is not generally understood the same way as the English phrase “wanted for murder.”
What about Holy Oil and Holy Water?
There is biblical precedent for Holy Oil. In Exodus 30, beginning in verse 22, God instructs Moses on how to make an “anointing oil” or “Holy Oil” used to set apart priests, kings and sacred objects. The New Testament, though, doesn’t really establish a rigid ritual for oil. Instead, we see oil used in healing (like in James). So, we can trace the concept of holy or “set-apartness”, but the early church left room for interpretation on how oil was applied, not requiring to be made by a priest or requiring a certain formula or ritual in how it was used. So, The Old Testament contains holy anointing oil used in temple worship and consecration. The New Testament mentions anointing with oil, especially in prayer for the sick, but does not establish a formal ‘holy oil’ ritual for the church.”
Holy Water though is not biblically found specifically, but we can trace the idea to what we talked about last week to the rituals and ways that water was used for purification, salvation and cleansing. The New Testament does not describe Christians keeping specially blessed water for ongoing ritual use the way many later churches and the waters of baptism were not seen as anything holy or set apart. Ordinary pools and body's of water were used. The later church practice of “holy water” as commonly known today is more a development of tradition than an explicit New Testament command.
What is different between baptism of fire and water baptism?
We see Baptism of fire in one or two occasions in the New Testament?
In Acts 2:3-4
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
And Acts 10:44
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
2. Water baptism is command by Jesus for us to do as we follow Him. Baptism of fire or Holy Spirit baptism is described as a divine outpouring. Baptism is clearly shown over and over again in Acts, where we only have these two possible occasions and both of them are proceeded with water baptism.
Today, in Pentecostal/Charismatic traditions they would say:
Holy Spirit baptism is a distinct experience after conversion, often associated with spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues.
But I will call us to remember what Paul says in Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Finally, I had one more question come in this afternoon asking, “In Acts 8:14-17, why didn't the believers have the Holy Spirit even though they were baptized in Jesus' name and it was after Acts 2?
I was not able to get slides up for this, but there are some clues in the text that are important. One of my earliest mentors explained this distinction to me as the difference between the “gift” singular and the “gifts” plural.
It is understood that upon baptism, you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But the gifts of the Holy Spirit were the miraculous manifestations that were often transferred through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, like what we see here.
Acts 8:14-18
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money
Acts 8 is typically understood as a unique situation tied to the Samaritans being brought into the church. The Samaritans had already believed and been baptized in Jesus’ name, so there is nothing in the text suggesting their baptism or salvation was invalid. What appears to be delayed was the miraculous manifestation of the Holy Spirit that came through the apostles laying on their hands. This is what Simon the Sorcerer is after.
Throughout Acts, miraculous gifts are often connected to the apostles and the laying on of hands. God seems to delay this visible outpouring so the apostles from Jerusalem could witness and confirm that the Samaritans were fully accepted into the family of God. This helped preserve unity between Jews and Samaritans in the early church and prevented a divided movement from forming.
So, miraculous gifts would include things like:
casting out demons,
healing through the laying on of hands,
speaking in tongues,
prophecy,
and miraculous knowledge.
Paul tells us later, in 1 Corinthians, these gifts were given for the edification of the church.
