Baptism
A Requirement for Salvation?
Should you be baptized? If so, how, and when? Does it matter whether you are baptized as a
child or as an adult? Does it matter whether you are placed under water, or
whether the minister or priest pours water over your head, or whether you are
just sprinkled with a few drops of water? Does it matter whether you understand
the symbolic meaning of baptism before you undergo the ordinance? Is baptism
ESSENTIAL for your salvation?
Many people
cannot see the reason to be baptized as an adult, especially if they were
baptized as a little baby. Others think it makes no difference for salvation
whether a person is baptized or not. All that is required, so they say, is an
honest heart and the will to live a good life.
There are,
indeed, endless arguments and perceptions of baptism, but in seeking the truth
on the subject and dispelling any false opinions, we must go to the source of
truth—God’s Word—the Bible. One cannot prove truth based on human opinion.
God’s truth is easily available to those who seek it, and truth stands up to
scrutiny.
The Need For Baptism
In
order to accept the biblical teaching on this matter, which we MUST do if we
are to be called Christians, we must admit that baptism is a godly ordinance—a
command by God Himself.
Peter “commanded” the Roman centurion, Cornelius, and his relatives and close
friends “to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts
Yes, God’s Word
makes it very clear that we need to be baptized if we expect to attain
salvation. Yet, we must fulfill certain requirements before we undergo
baptism. Let us examine what those requirements are.
Faith Is Required
Jesus Christ
commanded His early disciples to baptize those who believed. We read in
Mark 16:15–16: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe [and is therefore not
baptized] will be condemned [better translated: judged].’”
So, then, before
we undergo baptism, we must first believe. Faith is a necessary prerequisite to
baptism. Christ said, “Those who believe and are baptized will be saved.” How
can one believe unless one is old enough to believe? How can a little baby
believe? The answer is, it can’t. A little baby cannot
comprehend faith. It does not even realize what is going on when it is
“baptized.” That kind of “baptism” is not in accordance with Christ’s express
mandate that one “believe and [be] baptized.”
Repentance Is Required
In addition to
faith, repentance is required prior to baptism. When Peter gave his first
inspired sermon after receiving God’s Holy Spirit, his audience was moved with
fear. They were, in fact, shocked. They came to realize that they were
responsible for the death of their Savior. After having been convicted, in
their minds, of actually murdering Jesus Christ, they asked, in despair, what
they should do. Notice Peter’s answer in Acts 2:37–38: “Now when they heard
this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent,
and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission [forgiveness] of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.’”
So we see that
before being baptized, we need to repent of our sins and we need
to believe in the gospel (Mark
It is clear from
Scripture that a person must be old enough to comprehend the meaning of
repentance and faith. Baptism, in accordance with biblical teaching, is an
outward sign, or symbol, of inner repentance from sin, AND it is a
manifestation of our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. By the ordinance of baptism we outwardly express our inward faith in
our Savior—our acceptance of His death, burial, and resurrection for us, as
well as our repentance of the old life and burial of it, rising to a new life
and mindset. This thought process and change of heart is something a baby could
never engage in.
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
As Peter pointed
out to his stunned audience in Acts 2, upon proper baptism we WILL
receive the GIFT of the Holy Spirit. Without baptism based on biblical
teaching, we normally would not receive the Holy Spirit and we would not be in
a position to look forward to salvation. (An obvious and extremely rare
exception to this rule would be, of course, when it is physically impossible
to baptize someone, because the person is physically incapable of being
baptized.) We understand, of course, that the situation was different in Old
Testament times because God did bestow His Spirit on a few people without prior
baptism, so that they could fulfill His specific commission for them.
This is no longer
true in New Testament times. We read in Acts 8:16–17 [more fully discussed
later in this booklet] that the Holy Spirit was given to people only AFTER they
were baptized and had hands laid upon them—not before then. There is only one
recorded incident since the establishment of the New Testament Church where
someone received the Holy Spirit prior to baptism,
and that is the Gentile Cornelius and his household. This was an exception for
a specific purpose—God wanted to make it clear to the disciples that He had
called Gentiles into the Church, and indeed, to salvation. Before Cornelius,
only Jews had been accepted as Church members. As we noted in our earlier
discussion, God still required Cornelius and those who were with him to undergo
proper baptism (Acts
Notable
exceptions in New Testament times also include John the Baptist, who received
God’s Holy Spirit from birth (compare Luke 1:15), and, of course, Jesus Christ
Himself, who was brought forth by the Holy Spirit—possessing the Holy Spirit
from birth without measure (compare Luke 1:35; John 3:34, AV). Aside
from these specific examples of God’s Spirit being given without prior baptism,
we cannot find that any of Christ’s disciples in the New Testament, and
especially since the establishment of the
When Paul was
brought to conversion he had to be baptized before receiving the Holy
Spirit: “And Ananias went his way and entered the
house; and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who
appeared to you on the road [to Damascus] as you came, has sent me that you may
receive your sight [since Saul had been blinded after he had seen Christ on his
way to Damascus] and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell
from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he
arose and was baptized” (Acts 9:17–18; compare, too, Acts 22:12–16).
Accordingly, when
Paul baptized people, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit after Paul
had baptized them and laid hands on them, as stated in Acts 19:5–6: “When they
heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had
laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them.”
Were the Twelve Apostles Baptized?
Some claim that
the twelve apostles received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost without
having been baptized first. If so, this would have been another extraordinary
exception. The purpose for this exception would have been to prove to the
people in attendance that God had, indeed, given His Spirit to His disciples,
and that He had now begun to build His Church, thus making it possible for
others to enter into the spiritual body of Christ. Now, we know that God confirmed
the giving of His Holy Spirit to the early apostles on the day of Pentecost
through extraordinary signs and wonders, but it does appear that some, if not
most, of the apostles had been disciples of John the Baptist and had already
been baptized by John—a baptism of repentance (compare Mark 1:4).
As we discussed
earlier, repentance is one of the necessary requirements for receiving
God’s Holy Spirit, but it is not the only one. As such, the baptism of John—a
baptism of repentance—was not sufficient to receive the Holy
Spirit. Later, however, Jesus also baptized—through His disciples—as we read in
John 3:22: “After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the
It is safe to
assume, then, before Christ’s disciples baptized others, Christ had already
baptized them. This is not to say that baptized people received the Holy Spirit
at that time. The Holy Spirit was only given to Christ’s disciples on the Day
of Pentecost (Acts
This conversation
is full of meaning and there is much to be gleaned from it. While proper
baptism is to be done only once in a person’s life, the foot-washing ceremony
at Passover time is to be repeated year by year. Thus we show that we are
continuously willing to obtain forgiveness of the sins we commit after baptism,
and we show that we are willing to humble ourselves in our desire to help
others go the same way toward perfection that we are going. We are not better
than others. We are to serve others in whatever way we can.
Christ told Peter
that he and the other disciples (except Judas) were clean, since they
had been bathed. We read in Titus 3:5 that God saves us “through the washing
of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” We are also told that we are
“cleansed” or “made clean” from our old sins (2 Peter 1:9). At baptism, our
bodies are “washed with pure water” (Hebrews
Requirements Prior to Receiving God’s Holy Spirit
God has ordained
that certain steps be accomplished before He shares His Holy Spirit with
us. They are, in proper sequence: 1) repentance, 2) belief, and 3) baptism [the
elements of baptism are explained later]. After these are
accomplished, THEN, as it says in Act 2:38, “you shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit”—not before. It is only after we have
received the gift of God’s Holy Spirit that we are truly His children—belonging
to Him—and rightly called “Christians.”
Paul tells us in
the book of Romans that we are Christians ONLY if the Holy Spirit dwells
in us: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of
God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not
His” (Romans 8:9). Paul goes on to explain that God the Father will raise us
from the dead and change us to spirit ONLY if the Holy Spirit dwells in
us—whether we died having God’s Spirit, or whether we are still alive and have
God’s Spirit when Christ returns. He says in Romans 8:11: “But if the Spirit of
Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who [better
translated: which] dwells in you.”
Biblical baptism,
though clearly an outward ritual, is, in fact, an ordinance established by God
and IS ESSENTIAL for our salvation.
Proper Baptism
What is the
proper, biblical way to be baptized? Do we need to be fully immersed, or is it
sufficient to just be sprinkled with water?
The English word
“baptism” is derived from the Greek word, “baptizo.”
The meaning of this Greek word is “to immerse,” “to place completely under
[water],” or “to plunge into.” The Bible shows that the New Testament method of
baptism was one of immersing the person under water. “Sprinkling” or “pouring”
was never used because the symbolism attached to baptism only makes
sense with complete immersion (Note that the Greek word for “sprinkle” is “rantizo,” while the Greek word for “pour” is
“cheo”—completely different words NOT
used in the Bible when describing baptism).
The Symbolism of Baptism
Paul explains the
symbolism of baptism in Romans 6:3–4, 8, 11: “Or do
you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through
baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life… Now if we
died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him… Likewise you
also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Baptism is likened
to burial in a watery grave. Just as Christ died and was laid in a tomb,
so we—by analogy—die in baptism, having first repented of our sins and having laid to rest our old habits and our old desires. (As will be
fully explained later in this booklet, it is God, of course, who leads us to
baptism and who enables us to repent and to change.) Just as God raised Christ
from the dead and brought Him out of the tomb, so we are to be brought out of
the watery grave, in a figurative sense and, upon receiving God’s Holy Spirit,
we begin to live a new way of life. We certainly know that if we were to stay
under water long enough, we would literally die of drowning. Baptism by
immersion is, therefore, a perfect symbol of the death and burial of our
old sinful self.
Notice Paul’s
further explanation in Colossians 2:12–13: “[You were] buried with Him
[Christ] in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in
the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in
your trespasses…He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all
trespasses.”
Sprinkling or
pouring with water clearly does not exhibit this important symbolism of being
dead and buried in a watery grave, and then being raised to life from the dead
out of the watery grave. Only full immersion under water can adequately picture
this.
How the Early Church Baptized
When the
disciples in the New Testament were baptized, it was done so by immersion in
water. In John 3:23, we read how John baptized: “Now John also was baptizing in
Aenon near Salim, because
there was much water there.” Much water was needed in order to immerse the body
fully under water. If baptism were accomplished by sprinkling, much water
wouldn’t be needed.
In Matthew 3:16,
we read that Jesus, after His baptism, “came up… from the water.” He was fully
under water for a moment, and He came up from under it. John did not just
sprinkle Him with a few drops of water, nor did he just pour some water over
His head.
We also find
baptism by immersion described in Acts 8:36–39: “Now as they went down the
road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What
hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all
your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God.’ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip
and the eunuch WENT DOWN INTO the water, and he baptized him. Now when they
came up OUT OF the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that
the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.” Philip placed
the eunuch fully under water when he baptized him. He did not just pour some
water over his head, nor did he just sprinkle a few drops of water on him.
Counting the Cost
We have already
seen that a person should not be baptized unless he or she fully understands
what this ordinance symbolizes. Jesus Christ admonishes us to “count the cost”
before we make important decisions, such as baptism. For instance, we read in
Luke 14:25–33 that we must consider the matter and know the consequences before
we decide to “follow Christ”:
“Now great
multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to Me [when we undergo baptism, we come to Him], and does not
hate [love less by comparison] his father and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And
whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me [he
needs to be willing to suffer for righteousness’ sake] cannot be My disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count
the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the
foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king,
going to make war against another king [once we follow Christ, we will be
fighting a war against Satan and his demons], does not sit down first and
consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him
with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he
sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you
does not forsake all that he has cannot be My
disciple.’”
Baptism is not an
ordinance to pursue hastily. It requires prior meditation as to the full
meaning and symbolism, as well as what all is entailed in becoming a true
disciple of Jesus Christ. It requires a “counting of the cost.”
True Repentance
What is true
repentance? People commonly feel sorry when they are caught doing something
wrong, but prior to being caught, they had no thought of “repentance.” True
repentance is more than just an emotional feeling or a temporary regret that
one has done something wrong and must now suffer the consequences.
True repentance
means to stop doing what is wrong, and begin doing what is right. True godly
repentance will produce a change in a person. The person will cease doing wrong
things because the heart and mind of the person is changing. The Greek words
for “repent” and “repentance” are mainly “metanoeo”
and “metanoia.” They literally mean, “to have another mind,” and, “a change of mind,” respectively.
This kind of godly repentance—a change in the way we think—leads to a new kind
of action, and, in fact, brings about obedience to God’s Word. Such change must
ALREADY be evident in a person’s life BEFORE baptism.
When the
multitudes came to be baptized by John the Baptist, he refused to do so,
because he did not see evidence of repentance in their lives. We read in Luke
3:7–9: “Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him,
‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear
FRUITS WORTHY OF REPENTANCE, and do not begin to say to yourselves,
“We have Abraham as our father! For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now
the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not
bear GOOD FRUIT is cut down and thrown into the fire.’”
John expected to
see good deeds in those who wanted to be baptized. He looked for fruits worthy
of true godly repentance. The multitudes understood what John was talking
about. They responded by asking, “What shall we DO then?” (verse
10; compare also verses 12 and 14). They began to understand that repentance
was a prerequisite of baptism and that it must be EVIDENCED BY OBEDIENCE TO
GOD’S WILL. As John explained to them, this obedience would become evident in
their daily living.
Later, the
apostles would explain to the high priest and the Sadducees that God gives His
Holy Spirit ONLY to those who have already shown, prior to their
baptism, that they are willing to obey Him. We read in Acts 5:29–32:
“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God
rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up
Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right
hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to
Again, we see a
designated order: 1) repentance, 2) forgiveness of sins [as a consequence of
repentance and faith], and 3) the giving of the Holy Spirit [as a consequence
of baptism].
Repentance must
be accompanied by obedience to God’s will. Only then is our repentance true,
genuine and godly. Temporary remorse is not true repentance. Paul calls this
kind of regret “worldly sorrow,” which is only fleeting. Godly repentance,
however, will lead to eternal life. We read in 2 Corinthians 7:9–10: “Now I
rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.
For you were made sorry in a godly manner… For godly sorrow produces repentance
leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces
death.”
We might think of
Judas, in this context, who betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver. When
he fully realized what he had done and that he was responsible for Christ’s
murder, he “was remorseful.” He “brought back the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent
blood’” (Matthew 27:3–4). So far, so good. He was
SORRY for what he had done, and he even DID something relevant—which was
right—he gave the “blood money” back, with the hope that this might somehow
free Jesus. Of course, the chief priests and the elders were not interested in
the least about letting Christ go, so they claimed that they had no
responsibility for Judas’ actions. Judas’ further reaction shows that he did
not have true godly repentance, but only worldly remorse. He felt so devastated
and helpless that he “departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5). By
doing this, Judas added to his prior sin of betrayal, the sin of
suicide—murdering himself.
Contrast this
with Peter’s conduct. He denied Christ three times, but when he realized what
he had done, he “went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75). He was truly
repentant of his actions, realizing that he could do nothing to reverse his
actions, but, unlike Judas, he did not proceed to add another sin to his
previous ones. His repentance led to the gift of the Holy Spirit and ultimately
to eternal life.
True repentance
does not try to hide wrong actions, nor does it refuse to accept
responsibility. True repentance does not blame others for one’s sins. True
repentance makes us realize how rotten and carnal we are. It lets us break down
and cry bitterly at times over our own shortcomings, weaknesses, and failures.
True repentance
leads us to make right decisions and to engage in right actions. It motivates
us to leave behind what is bad for us. We read a good example in Acts 19:18–19
of right conduct following godly repentance, “And many who had believed came
confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic
brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all.”
They did not want
to keep those books, perhaps fearing that they might be enticed later to return
to their habit of practicing magic. That is why Christ encourages all of us to
break completely with our sinful past. He tells us, “If your right eye causes
you to sin, pluck it out and cast if from you… And if your right hand causes
you to sin, cut if off and cast it from you” (Matthew
Ongoing Spiritual
True repentance
does not stop at the time of baptism. True repentance is an ongoing process,
because even after baptism, we will still sin at times. Overcoming sin is a
life-long spiritual battle. However, as we will see later in this booklet, upon
receiving God’s Spirit at baptism, we acquire a new mind and a new heart. Our
focus in life will become different. From then on, it will be God’s Holy Spirit
within us that leads and guides us in a different direction, inspiring us to
make right choices and exhibit right actions that are based on God’s will
instead of our own carnal will. We will fully comprehend that what we did in
the past, as well as what we were, was totally wrong, and we will recognize
that we need to become a different person. This is not easy. It is an ongoing
spiritual battle as the old carnal nature in us keeps trying to dominate our
thoughts and actions.
Note the inspired
words of Paul, an apostle of Christ, in describing his ongoing fight with sin.
Paul actually wrote this many years after his baptism. He says, “I don’t
understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I
do what I don’t want to—what I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing
is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am
breaking. But I can’t help myself, because I’m no longer doing it. It is sin
inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things. I know
I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No
matter which way I turn I can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t.
When I want to do good, I don’t; and when I try not to
do wrong, I do it anyway. Now if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain
where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.
“It seems to be a
fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is
wrong. I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned; but there
is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my
mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within
me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant but instead I find myself
still enslaved to sin.
“So you see how
it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still
inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in!” (Romans
7:15–24, Living Bible).
Paul is
describing here the ongoing spiritual battle of a converted person to overcome
sin. Some claim that Paul is describing his spiritual fight prior to his
conversion. This is not correct. The context shows that he is pointing out his
ongoing fight with sin after his baptism. We read in 1 John 1:8 that we
deceive ourselves and that the truth is not in us if we say that we have no
sin—that we don’t sin—even after baptism. It is true that the realization that
we do sin and must repent of sin begins when God calls us and grants us
repentance. However, without God’s Spirit in us, it is IMPOSSIBLE to
overcome sin. Even WITH God’s Spirit in us, the fight is still difficult, as
our old sinful nature in us does not want to die. Notice that it is Christ
WITHIN US (through His Spirit in us) who fights our battles FOR us. That is why
Paul can confidentially exclaim, “Who will free me from my slavery to this
deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord! He
has set me free” (Romans
With God’s Spirit
in us, the fight against sin CAN be won, since it is Christ who is fighting for
us. Still, we must YIELD to Christ. We must LET HIM fight our battles.
We must reject our own carnal selfish nature within us. Notice James 4:5, 7–8:
“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who [better
translated: which] dwells in us yearns jealously’? [God—through His Spirit
within us—wants us to submit to Him and He wants us to resist our carnal
desires.]… Therefore submit to God… Draw near to God and He will draw near to
you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you
double-minded.”
We have to be single-minded,
having as our focus, a fervent desire to live God’s way of life. We have to
continuously repent of following the evil desires of our heart. Yes, we DO have
a part to play in the process. We DO have responsibilities. Notice 1
Corinthians 9:24–27, Living Bible: “In a race, everyone runs but only
one person gets first prize. So run your race to win. To win the contest you
must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An
athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but
we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So I run straight to the
goal with the purpose in every step. I fight to win. I’m not just shadow-boxing
or playing around. Like an athlete I punish [or discipline] my body, treating
it roughly, training it to do what it should, not what it wants to. Otherwise I
fear that after enlisting others for the race, I myself might be declared unfit
and ordered to stand aside.”
We CAN become
successful! We CAN conquer sin! How? By following the lead of God’s Spirit that
dwells IN US. Otherwise, we CANNOT become victorious! Without God having
called us and granted us godly repentance (Acts
God did not call
them at that time (John 6:65: “… no one can come to Me
[Christ] unless it has been granted to him by My Father”). Consequently, they
are not yet judged for their conduct because they are basically “ignorant” of
what they are and what they are doing. Paul reflects on his own carnal conduct
prior to his conversion and his subsequent change in this way: “And I thank
Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful,
putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a
persecutor, and an insolent [violently arrogant] man; but I obtained mercy
because I did it ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:12–13).
Prior to our
calling, all of us were ignorant of God’s values and standards. Peter confirms
that the murder of Christ was done “in ignorance” (Acts
Paul adds this
important fact, in Acts 17:30–31, “Truly, these times of ignorance God
overlooked, but now commands all men [all who have been called, compare
Acts 2:39] everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He
will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has
given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Most people today
are still living in ignorance. Their time of salvation has not come yet. We
read in Ephesians 4:17–18, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord,
that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the
futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated
from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because
of the blindness of their heart.”
Before our
calling, we were no different. God has called us OUT OF this lifestyle—not to return
to it again. Notice 1 Peter 1:13–15, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind,
be sober… as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as
in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in
all your conduct.”
The time will come when God WILL remove
from ALL of mankind the ignorance and blindness of their hearts and grant them
an understanding of His way. This time has not yet come for most people, but it
will, in accordance with God’s great plan and purpose. (Regarding this
little-understood aspect of God’s plan for all of mankind, please read our free
booklets, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” and “God IS a Family.”)
What to Repent Of…
What, exactly, is
it that we need to repent of prior to baptism? Simply put, we must repent of
the sins we have committed. What is sin? The biblical definition is: “…sin is
the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, AV). Which law? The law of God’s Ten Commandments. James calls it the “royal
law according to the Scripture” (James 2:8). It defines our love toward God and
our love toward neighbor. When we break even one of the Ten Commandments, we
are guilty of having broken them all and have become a transgressor of the law
(James
The spiritual
intent of the law of the Ten Commandments regulates what is in our heart,
subsequently leading to either right or wrong actions. Christ tells us in
Matthew 15:19: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”
Sin is the
transgression of God’s spiritual law of the Ten Commandments. The penalty—the
wages (what we earn)—of sin is eternal death (Romans
We must come to
the realization, prior to our baptism, that we have been living a life contrary
to God. God says that we have been His enemies in times past, prior to our
conversion (compare Romans
This applies to
every human being prior to conversion, whether or not he or she grew up in a
Satan’s Nature in Us
All of us have
acquired, to some degree, Satan’s nature. We were all influenced and, in fact, held
captive by Satan to do his will. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2:24–26, “And a
servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach,
patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps
will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth, and that they
may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken
captive by him to do his will.”
We all walked at
one time “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit [Satan the devil] who now works in the sons of
disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:2–3). Remember, we
all “were once darkness” (Ephesians 5:8). That is exactly what we were,
having acquired Satan’s nature. When God calls us (Romans
At the time of
Christ, many of the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and other “noble people”
refused to repent. They didn’t think they had anything to repent of. It was
very difficult for them to recognize that they were sinners and that they had
to repent. On the other hand, “sinners,” such as tax collectors and
prostitutes, could easily see how badly they had lived their lives. Christ said
that they would enter the
The same can be
said today. Some have a hard time understanding that they, too, must repent.
They think they have led a pretty good life, so what should they repent of? The
answer is that ALL must repent, because ALL HAVE SINNED (Romans 3:9–19; 1 John
Even if we have
not engaged in such glaring sins as idolatry, dishonoring parents, drunkenness,
fornication, adultery, killing (including war), or Sabbath-breaking, are we not
familiar with hot tempers, wrong emotions, feelings of hate, judgmental
attitudes, jealousy and envy toward others, or desire for physical things that
are harmful for us? Haven’t we all lied “a little” at times, “shading the
truth” somewhat? Haven’t we all spent too much time on wrong thoughts and
actions?
Remember, sin is
not only what we do—it is what we think and what we are.
We all need to acquire a new heart and a new mindset. Even after baptism and
receiving the Holy Spirit, we have to continuously let God’s Spirit lead us,
thus purifying us and making us acceptable to God (Titus 2:14). The “old man”
in us (Romans 6:6) does not want to die, and he will try, instigated by Satan,
to come back out of the grave where we have buried him in baptism, to creep
back into our lives and to take over, like a zombie (compare Romans 7:18–24).
All of us must always be on guard and not allow that to happen (1
Corinthians
“Re-”Baptism?
As we have seen,
godly repentance is a prerequisite to baptism. A young baby, who has no concept
of repentance, or a young child who is not mature enough to make a valid,
irreversible decision after first counting the cost, should not be baptized.
The same is true for an adult who does not yet know what sin is. If we don’t
know what sin is, how can we repent of it? How can our baptism reflect the
burial of our old nature with its lusts and evil desires—including the natural
desire to break God’s law—if we don’t know how we have been breaking God’s law?
How can our being raised out of the watery grave reflect our dedication to walk
in newness of life and to live obediently to God’s law, if we don’t even know
what God’s law requires of us?
People who have
been baptized as a baby or as a young child would need to be “re”-baptized,
that is, properly baptized for the first time, when they are called by God to
genuinely repent of their sins. The same would be true for adult persons who
were baptized without realizing what they were really guilty of and what they
needed to repent of. For instance, people who do not know the importance of
keeping ALL of God’s Ten Commandments, including the commandment to keep
God’s Sabbath holy, the commandment not to fight or kill in war, not to worship
idols, and not to pray to “Mother Mary” or other “heavenly saints,” have not
really repented of their sins. They lack understanding of what sin is and,
therefore, do not cease from their sins. They continue to engage in the same
wrong conduct, showing that they did not begin to live in “newness of life.”
When someone is
in doubt whether his or her prior “baptism” was valid in God’s eyes and
resulted in receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, he or she needs to look at
the fruits after that “baptism.” Since God’s commandments regarding idolatry
and Sabbath-keeping are of such fundamental importance, the Holy Spirit would
lead a person who is called by God to immediately recognize and accept this
truth before or at the time of baptism, or very shortly thereafter. The person
would immediately feel a compelling desire to keep the Sabbath and to cease
from committing idolatry. If such an action did not take place at the time of
“baptism,” or at least within a reasonably short time thereafter, we can safely
say that such a “baptism” was not valid in God’s eyes and did not lead to the
pouring out of God’s Spirit on the person. If the person begins to understand
now the importance of keeping all of God’s commandments, is repentant of
his or her prior conduct, believes in Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of
his or her sins, and is willing to obey whatever God’s Spirit might reveal to
him or her in the future, then that person should now consider being properly
baptized.
In order to
determine whether a previous “baptism” of an adult person was valid in God’s
eyes, we should ask ourselves the following questions:
If we cannot
substantially answer all of the above questions with “yes,” then our previous
baptism would not be valid in the eyes of God and we would not have received
God’s Holy Spirit at that time.
Again, godly
repentance is a necessary prerequisite for proper baptism and receiving God’s
Holy Spirit. We need to know WHAT WE ARE and WHAT WE DID so that
we can REPENT of our carnal ways and set our course to become a different
person—to think, to speak, and to act differently from then on. We need to
know, additionally, that based on human strength alone, we will NOT be able to
accomplish this perfectly. That is why we NEED to have God’s Holy Spirit
dwelling in us, directing us and giving us the needed power and strength to
live a life in subjection to God. There is no promise in the Bible that we will
receive God’s Spirit, unless we are first properly baptized.
What to Believe In…
As mentioned
before, the second most important prerequisite of baptism is belief, or faith.
Christ said in Mark 16:16, “He who BELIEVES and is baptized will be saved.”
What exactly are we to believe?
Prior to that
statement, in Mark 16:15, Christ had pointed out that the disciples had to
preach the GOSPEL to every creature. He then said in verse 16, “He who
believes…will be saved.” Obviously, before being baptized, we must believe the
GOSPEL. What is the gospel? Paul warned us that if we preach another gospel,
other than the one that was preached by Christ and the early apostles, we are
accursed (Galatians 1:6–9). It is imperative that we preach and believe in the
gospel of Christ—Christ’s gospel—the gospel that He preached (verse 7, “[some]
want to pervert [or distort] the gospel OF Christ.”). What was the gospel that
Christ preached?
Mark 1:1, 14–15
tells us: “The beginning of the gospel OF Jesus Christ, the Son of God… Now
after John [the Baptist] was put in prison, Jesus came to
Before we can be
baptized, we are to repent and believe in the GOSPEL of the
The gospel of the
Our free booklet,
“The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” describes in detail what the true
gospel message entails. It includes the wonderful message that we can become
full members of the
The gospel of the
It explains that
Jesus Christ was God before He became a human being, but that He gave up His
divine nature to become a human being—flesh and blood—so that He could
experience human suffering and so that He could die for us, thus paying the
death penalty that we had earned because of OUR SINS. It shows that God
the Father resurrected Christ from the dead and brought Him back to the
glorified state of the God being that He was before His human birth. It reveals
that through Christ’s suffering and death—through His supreme sacrifice—we can
have forgiveness of our sins. It explains that the death penalty for our sins
can be removed from us, if we accept, in faith, Christ’s sacrifice for us.
Believe In the Gospel
The gospel of the
We must also
believe that there is NO OTHER WAY TO BE SAVED than through Jesus Christ (John
14:6; Acts
How many people
who were baptized in times past really believed all of that? If they
believed in a false gospel, then God did not accept their baptism.
For instance, did
they believe that God is a Trinity? (Our free booklets, “The Gospel of the
Kingdom of God,” “Is God a Trinity?” and “God Is a Family,”
prove from the Bible who and what God really is.) If they believed that God is
a Trinity at the time of their baptism, how could the true God consider their
baptism as being genuine? Did they have a clear understanding as to what will
happen to them when they die? Did they believe that they go to heaven when they
die or that they have an immortal soul? (Our free booklet, “Do You Have an
Immortal Soul?” explains from the Bible what man really is and what man is
to become.)
Did they know and
believe what God says about sin? Did they understand and believe that sin is
the transgression of the law? That the observance of Sunday, as well as certain
annual holidays derived from paganism, such as Christmas and Easter, is sin
because it violates God’s law? (Our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas,”
proves from the Bible why we are not to keep such annual holidays as Christmas,
Easter, or Halloween.)
Further, did they
know and believe that it is sin NOT to keep the weekly Sabbath—the seventh day
of the week—as well as God’s annual Holy Days—Passover, the Days of
Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Atonement, and the Feast of
Tabernacles? (Our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” explains in
detail the biblical command to keep these days holy.)
Now, this may
seem like a lot to believe in if you have never heard the true gospel message
as Christ preached it. There’s even more!
We also need to
believe that we must have additional power, from God, in order to be able to
keep God’s laws after our baptism. We must understand and believe that God the
Father will give us the Holy Spirit—the very SAME SPIRIT that emanates
from both the Father and Jesus Christ—when we come out of our “watery grave” at
baptism, followed by prayer and laying on of hands (see discussion below). We
must believe that God’s Spirit in us enables us to begin the process of
changing our hearts and minds, replacing our carnal nature that we acquired
from Satan with a divine nature that God will give us. This is the ONLY way we
can become more and more like God and Jesus Christ. We must believe that God’s
Holy Spirit will actually dwell in us from that time on, that it will lead us
and guide us, and that we can and MUST follow the lead of the Holy Spirit in
us. We must also believe and understand that we are considered true Christians ONLY
when God’s Spirit lives in us. We must believe that the Holy Spirit in us is a downpayment, or earnest, or guarantee (2 Corinthians
We must believe
and understand that we must obey God. True godly belief in the gospel means
obedience to Christ and His words. We must believe that we have to GROW
in the knowledge of Christ—the same knowledge that Christ has—and that baptism
is just the BEGINNING of our converted walk toward total obedience (compare 2
Peter
Believe In Christ
You may have
heard the expressions, “Believe the gospel,” or “Believe in Christ.” To
believe IN Christ means to BELIEVE Christ—believe what Christ taught—the
message that He preached, the gospel message, the good
news about the
Again, we ask,
“How many really understood and believed the TRUE gospel message before they
were baptized?”
As we have
explained, “repentance” is a life-long process. It does not cease at the time
of our baptism. Repentance is a godly change of mind from breaking God’s law to
obeying God. To say that God accepts us “as we are” if we only “believe in
Jesus” is a total misinterpretation of Scripture. Such a statement denies the
need for change on our part.
When we believe IN
Christ, then we BELIEVE Him and will OBEY Him. Paul spoke about “OBEDIENCE to
the faith” on numerous occasions (Romans 1:5; Romans
Faith and
obedience are not exclusive of each other. They are very much connected. James
speaks about a “dead” or useless “faith,” and, conversely, a “living” faith. Faith
without works—without obedience—is dead (James
Christ told those
who believed in Him that they had to “abide in My
word” in order to be “My disciples indeed” (John
If we say that we
believe in Christ and that we love Christ, we must also keep His word. He tells
us in John
Christ is the
light of the world (compare John 1:9) and He wants us to come to Him. How do we
do that? John 3:20–21 gives the answer: “For everyone practicing evil hates the
light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he
who DOES the TRUTH comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that
they have been done in God.”
Coming to
Christ—believing in Christ as our Savior, the one who DIED for OUR
sins—means that we must be willing to live a life obedient to God’s law. Just
believing in Christ, while continuing the practice of sin, is useless.
Christ will NOT accept us that way! He tells us that we are His friends IF we do
whatever He commands us (John
It is very clear
that to believe in Christ means to obey Him. Notice John
When To Be Baptized?
Consideration for
baptism requires an in-depth personal examination. It is not something to rush
into. It is not a decision to be made based on emotions. We don’t simply “give
our heart to the Lord.” We need to understand, repent and believe, as
previously discussed. Why? Because baptism is a covenant—a
contract—with God. Baptism represents an agreement that we make with God
to obey Him—a promise to live by His requirements for the remainder of our
lives. If we break that promise later, God certainly holds us accountable for
doing so.
God does require
us to be baptized in order to receive His Holy Spirit. The question of whether
or not to be baptized depends on whether or not a person is old enough to
understand and believe in the gospel. This includes the following: an
understanding of what sin is; the fact that the death penalty hangs over our
heads because of our own sins; the fact that Christ died for us so that we can
have forgiveness of our sins when we truly repent of them and accept His
sacrifice as payment for our sins; the fact that we need to put our carnal
nature into the watery grave, and leave it there; the fact that we can acquire
God’s divine nature ONLY through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us; and the
fact that we must be baptized in order to receive God’s power to be able to
change the way we think, speak and act. If you can grasp the meaning of the
aforementioned and genuinely believe these things, then we say, “yes, you ought to go ahead with baptism as soon as
possible.”
True, we must not
rush into baptism. On the other hand, once we understand what sin is and have
truly repented of our sins, and once we believe in the gospel message of Jesus
Christ and all that it entails, we are to be baptized
immediately. We must not make the mistake of lingering and avoiding our
responsibility to be baptized. Thoughts and ideas can easily come into our mind
to discourage us from doing so. You can be sure that these ideas DO NOT come
from God.
God WANTS us to
be baptized. He COMMANDS us to be baptized. Satan, on the other hand,
HATES nothing more than seeing one of “his children” leave him in order to
place him- or herself under the government and rule of God. Satan will attempt
to thwart our intentions by putting into our minds certain concepts, ideas and
arguments in order to make us think that we should not get baptized—at least
“not yet.”
These diverting
ideas come in different disguises. For instance, we may think that we don’t
even need to be baptized because, after all, we are not such a bad person. Make
no mistake, EVERYONE SINS, and EVERYONE MUST REPENT. Another
argument might be that, if we are baptized now, then all the fun stops, so,
let’s have our fun now and repent of it and get baptized later. A third line of
reasoning may go this way: “I need to be perfect before I can get baptized. I
am still trying to get rid of a particular bad habit or a sin and I don’t want
to get baptized before I have got rid of it.”
All of these
arguments miss the entire point as to WHY we must get baptized.
Perfection will not be achieved in this life based on our own strength. That is
why we MUST HAVE GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT OF POWER to help us to overcome our
problems. We must, of course, WANT to change. That means, we must not
engage deliberately in wrong conduct, knowing that it is wrong. Our weakness
and inability to overcome our bad habits only proves that we must get baptized
and that we must receive God’s Holy Spirit to HELP us with our battle against
our sins.
If we reason that
we don’t want to get baptized yet because we don’t want to miss the fun, then
our concept of what “fun” is must be corrected immediately. If baptism is a
hurdle to us because we don’t want to give up “fun,” then we are, indeed,
missing the point. Perhaps we have a false concept of what it means to be a
Christian. For instance, some teach that a Christian must not dance, watch
television or movies, drink alcohol, or play cards. None of these prohibitions,
however, are biblical. Rather, they are based on human traditions and simply
constitute self-imposed religion. On the other hand, if baptism would be
contrary to certain habitual actions of “fun,” then our
concept of “fun” is contrary to God’s word—with or without baptism.
Anyone, who KNOWS better, actually SINS by engaging in sinful “fun.” When we
know to do good and to avoid evil, and don’t live
accordingly, we sin, whether baptized or not. As we explained before, SIN must
be repented of BEFORE our baptism. To delay repentance is dangerous. God holds
us accountable for what we know and what we do with the knowledge we have been
given.
When we examine
the biblical record, we find that when people were ready for baptism, they were
baptized immediately. They did not delay, nor did the ministers have the
disciples go through time-consuming “courses” of baptismal “requirements”
before they were willing to baptize the person.
We find that on
the day of Pentecost, 3,000 believers were baptized the same day when they
heard Peter’s inspired sermon and were motivated to come to genuine repentance
(Acts 2:41). We find that Philip immediately baptized the eunuch who had
worshipped God in
When an adult
person has genuinely repented and believes, he or she should be baptized
without the necessity of prior laborious requirements. A person who has
repented and believes and obeys the gospel, who believes in, and keeps the
Sabbath and the Holy Days, who has shown fruits worthy of repentance in his or
her life, who tithes and gives offerings according to God’s commandments, and
who understands the future that God has in store for us, should get baptized.
It is simply unconscionable to require of such a person—as some ministers have
done—to first study a laborious Bible course or watch lengthy biblical videos
that begin with a simple lesson as to whether or not “God” exists!
Who Should Baptize?
Once a person is
truly ready for baptism, a true minister of Christ should perform the baptism,
though it may sometimes require a waiting period by virtue of the fact that a
minister of Christ is not immediately available. We need to understand, though,
that God is in charge and that when He calls someone and leads them to baptism,
He will also work out the necessary details to send one of His ministers to
perform the baptism. For instance, God sent Peter to Cornelius, and He sent Philip
to the eunuch so that they could be baptized.
The biblical
record indicates that only ordained ministers of God should perform baptisms.
The reason is that the baptism is done for the purpose of receiving the Holy
Spirit. We need to remember that following baptism by immersing under water,
the minister is to pray over the person and to lay his hands on their head so
that the person can receive the Holy Spirit. The Bible shows that without the
laying on of hands, a person normally does not receive the Holy Spirit.
Notice this in
Acts 8:12–17: “But when they believed Philip [one of the original seven
deacons, Acts 6:5] as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and
the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized… Now when the apostles
who were at
We read later in
the same chapter that Philip was sent, through an angel, to the eunuch, and
that Philip baptized him. If this baptism led to the gift of the Holy Spirit,
then Philip, who by that time would have been a minister, would have prayed
over the eunuch and laid his hands on him. We note that Philip is called an
“evangelist” in Acts 21:8.
We cannot reach a
different conclusion by virtue of the fact that Christ’s apostles baptized
others before they received the Holy Spirit themselves. The twelve apostles
were in quite a different position than the rest of us are today, having been
specifically chosen by Christ for a very unique and particular purpose. They
were sent out by Christ to heal the sick, cast out demons and preach the gospel,
prior to their conversion (Luke
The fact that
Christ allowed His apostles to baptize does not mean that unordained
people have the authority to do so today. This would also include ministers
from churches that do not teach and practice the law of God, including
the observance of the Sabbath and the Holy Days. (Note that in unusual
circumstances, God might grant His Holy Spirit to someone who is baptized by a
minister outside the
Every example
pertaining to the
Baptism in the Name of Christ
Some wonder
whether baptism “in the name of Christ” is sufficient. They claim that a valid
baptism must include the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (compare Matthew 28:19). Is this claim correct?
Let’s notice, from the Scriptural record, how the early apostles baptized the
disciples.
One of the early
baptisms is described in Acts 8:14–17. This passage (discussed earlier in this
booklet) summarizes for us the exact ceremony of baptism leading to the gift of
the Holy Spirit. Let’s read it again: “Now when the apostles who were at
Notice carefully
that they first received or accepted the word of God. They heard the message,
accepted it, believed it and repented of their sins. They were then baptized
“in the name of the Lord.” Following their baptism, the ministers prayed for
them and laid their hands on them to set them apart for the holy purpose of
following God and His way of life. It was THEN that they received the Holy
Spirit.
So we see that
baptism in the name of Christ was sufficient. Some have said that this passage
just describes the fact that the apostles baptized the people with Christ’s
authority. Although certainly included, the Scriptural meaning is more
encompassing.
We must realize that in the phrase, “in the name of the Lord,” the Greek
word for “in” is “eis,” and the Greek word for
“name” is “onoma.” The Greek word “eis” can mean “in” or “into,” depending on the
context. Scriptures such as Matthew 2:23; 18:6; Mark 2:1; 13:16, translate the
Greek word “eis” correctly as “in.” Other
passages, such as Matthew 2:11, 12 and 13 (AV), correctly translate the
Greek word “eis” as “into.”
Additionally, the
Greek word for “name,” “onoma,” can
also mean, “possession.” It would therefore be accurate to render the phrase,
“baptism in the name of Christ,” as “baptism into the possession of Christ.”
This phrase not only describes the fact that baptism must be done with Christ’s
authority, it also shows the result of baptism—we become Christ’s property
because He died for us and bought us with His blood (compare Acts 20:28; 1
Corinthians 6:20; 2 Peter 2:1).
Now notice
another revealing passage in Acts 19:1–6: “And it happened, while Apollos was at
These disciples had been baptized into the baptism of John. That baptism
was not sufficient to receive the Holy Spirit. John’s baptism was an outward
sign of inner repentance, but it did not include the promised gift of the Holy
Spirit. Another baptism—baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—was
necessary to receive the Holy Spirit. This passage implies that Christ’s
baptism, which He accomplished through His apostles, was different from John’s
baptism (compare again John
Let’s notice again the distinction. The disciples were baptized “into
John’s baptism.” The Greek word for “into” is “eis.” After they learned of the need of
another baptism to receive the Holy Spirit, they were baptized “in [or into]
the name of the Lord.” In the Greek, the word for “in” is
also “eis,” which can also mean “into.”
As they were baptized into John’s baptism, they were now baptized into the name
or possession (“onoma” in Greek) of Christ,
that is, into Christ’s baptism. This passage shows that baptism in, or into,
the name of Christ is not only necessary, but is also sufficient,
so that the Father will forgive our sins and give us His Holy Spirit.
Speaking with Tongues
There are only
three recorded events in the Bible when people spoke with tongues after
receiving the Holy Spirit. These special events occurred to provide evidence
that the people had, in fact, received the Holy Spirit. This also provides
further proof that baptism in, or into, the name of Christ is sufficient.
The first event
is recorded in Acts 2, when the New Testament Church was born. God wanted to
make it very clear that His disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost. The second event occurred in Acts 10, when, for the first time,
Gentiles received the Holy Spirit. God did not want to leave any doubt that He
had now opened the door of repentance and faith to the Gentiles (Acts
We need to
understand, too, what actually happened when people spoke with tongues in these
given instances. Some claim that baptism with the Holy Spirit causes the
baptized person to fall backwards, begin rolling on the floor, and speaking and
screaming in an unintelligible way, allegedly showing that he or she has
received the gift of the Holy Spirit and can now “speak in tongues.”
However, that
kind of conduct is not what is meant when the Bible talks about speaking in
tongues. Acts 2 explains that speaking in tongues means
speaking in another language. In Acts 2:4 we read: “And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance.” Beginning in verse 6 and continuing in verses 8
and 11, we find the explanation of “speaking with tongues.” Verse 6: “…everyone
heard them speak in his own language… (verse 8)
‘And how is it that we hear, each in our own language [Authorized
Version: “tongue”] in which we were born?…
(verse 11) We hear them speaking in our own tongues
the wonderful works of God.’”
The Greek word
for “language” in verses 6 and 8 is “dialektos,”
from which our word “dialect” is derived. The Greek word for “tongue” or
“language” in verses 4 and 11 is “glossa.”
To speak in
tongues, then, simply means to speak in a different language or dialect—but it
is still a language or dialect “in which people are born.” They speak in a
dialect or language, which other people understand due to their background,
environment or upbringing. As mentioned, the Bible records only three incidents
when people were given that gift immediately upon receiving the Holy Spirit.
However, this gift has been given over the years to numerous baptized people,
not necessarily at the time of their baptism, but in time, as they matured in
their Christian lives.
Paul said
specifically that “speaking in tongues,” or speaking a different language,
should not be done unless someone is present to interpret what is said. The
concept that one can speak in a “different tongue,” or in a foreign language,
without understanding what the person is saying, is totally unbiblical and very
dangerous. We are told that angels have their own language (1 Corinthians
13:1). This means, demons—fallen angels—have their own language, too.
Note 1
Corinthians 14:4–5: “He who speaks in a tongue [Greek: “glossa”]
edifies himself… he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with
tongues [Greek: “glossa”], unless he indeed
interprets, that the church may receive edification.”
In other words,
if a minister preaches to the audience in a foreign language, the audience
won’t understand him. The one who is speaking the language knows what he is
saying (if he does not, then he is in all likelihood already in contact with
and under the influence of demons), but nobody else in the audience will
understand. Unless he or someone else who knows both languages interprets what
he says, the audience is not benefited.
Paul continues,
in verses 9: “So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue [Greek: “glossa”] words easy to understand, how will it be
known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.”
In the Greek, the
word for “tongue” and “language” is the same; i.e., “glossa.”
The translator decided to sometimes use the English word “tongue” and
sometimes “language.” Translations, however, are not necessarily inspired. The Living
Bible, for example, translates verse 9 this way, “In the same way, if you
talk to a person in some LANGUAGE he doesn’t understand, how will
he know what you mean?” Clearly, speaking in a foreign
tongue means speaking in a foreign language.
Let’s note Paul’s
command in 1 Corinthians 14:27–28: “If anyone speaks in a tongue [or
foreign language; Greek: “glossa”; the Living
Bible translates here, “No more than two or three should speak in an
unknown LANGUAGE…”], let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and
let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the
church, and let him speak to himself and to God.”
We should not
expect the immediate gift of being able to speak in a foreign language at the
time of our baptism. As we said, God granted this gift only on three separate
occasions, for a very specific and important reason. If, however, God were to
grant such a gift, it would be one that would manifest itself “decently and in
order” (1 Corinthians
Church Members Are Not the Property of a Man
God bestowed the
gift of speaking in tongues—foreign languages—on the disciples in Acts 19 in
order to show that baptism must occur into Christ, not into any man. Paul
reiterates the fact that baptism in or into the name of a minister is not
sufficient. (After all, there is no other name than the name of Christ by which
we can be saved; compare Acts
We read in 1
Corinthians 1:13–17: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were
you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you
except Crispus and Gaius,
lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized
the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know
whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to
baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of
Christ should be made of no effect.”
Baptism in the
name of a man is not sufficient to obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the
phrase, “in the name of Paul,” the Greek word for “in” is
“eis,” which can also mean “into,” and the
Greek word for “name” is “onoma,” which can
also mean, “possession.” Paul tells us here that it is not sufficient to be
baptized into the name or possession of a minister. We are not the property of
a man. We are the property, or possession, of Jesus Christ who has purchased us
with His own blood. (Compare again Paul’s words to the ministry in
Baptism in the Old Testament
Ancient
We read in 1
Corinthians 10:1–5: “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that
all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized
into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and
all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that
spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with
most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the
wilderness.”
They “drank” from
the Spiritual Rock—Jesus Christ—who was with them and who taught them, but they
were not baptized into His name or possession, and they did not subsequently
receive His Holy Spirit. We read that they were baptized “into” (Greek, “eis”) Moses. Such a baptism is not sufficient to
obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter draws an
analogy between true baptism and the flood at the time of Noah. While true
baptism saves us from eternal death, the “baptism” that Noah and his family
experienced saved them only from physical death. We read in 1 Peter 3:20–21:
“…when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark
was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through
water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of
the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God),
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at
the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made
subject to Him.”
The “baptism” of
Noah, his wife, his sons and his daughters-in-law did not, of course, lead to
them receiving the Holy Spirit. It appears from the biblical record that only
Noah—perhaps Shem—had God’s Holy Spirit at the time of the flood. It is also
strongly indicated in the Bible that Noah had received God’s Spirit prior to
the flood (compare Genesis 6:8–9, 22; 7:1). There is no biblical indication
that Noah’s other children and daughters-in-law had God’s Holy Spirit. The
“baptism” of the flood was not a baptism that led to spiritual salvation
because it was not a baptism “in the name,” or “into the possession,” of Jesus
Christ. However, Peter’s analogy points at today’s baptism and links it to the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. (We could not receive God’s Holy Spirit if Christ
had not been raised from the dead.)
The Elements of Baptism
To reiterate, baptism in the name, or into the possession, of Jesus Christ
is not only necessary, but is also sufficient to obtain
forgiveness of our sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We need to
remember that there is no recorded biblical incident where the early apostles
baptized people other than in, or into, the name of Jesus Christ. Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, explained this very well in Romans 6:1–4. Let’s
read this passage again: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue to sin that
grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer
in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Paul says that we are
baptized into (Greek, “eis”) Christ and
into His death. As Christ died a physical death, so we die spiritually
in baptism. As Christ was literally resurrected from the dead, so we, too, are
raised by the Father from the spiritually dead to live in newness of life. This
part of the symbolism of baptism—death in the watery grave—clearly compares
symbolically only with the death of Christ. Neither the Father nor the
Holy Spirit—God’s power—died in any way. Only Christ, as a human being, died.
Further, it is Christ’s death that is not only sufficient, but also necessary,
for our forgiveness (Matthew
Clearly, the
ordinance of baptism consists of several key elements:
As we have seen,
all of these parts are important, because without any one of them, the Holy
Spirit is not generally bestowed upon a person.
Let us also read
again Colossians 2:11–13: “In Him [Christ] you were also circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the
flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in
which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who
raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together
with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”
When we are
baptized into Christ—into His death—our old man dies, and we “put on”
Christ—the new man of God. Notice Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Compare, too, Romans 13:14.
Baptism pictures
our death and burial in a watery grave in the same way that Christ died and was
buried in a tomb. Baptism also pictures our resurrection from the dead
and our leaving the watery grave, just as Christ was resurrected from the dead
and left the tomb. Finally, it pictures walking in newness of life as we
put on Christ, who is now living in us through His Holy Spirit. 2 John 7 tells
us that only deceivers don’t confess Jesus Christ “as coming in the
flesh.” Christ is coming today in the flesh. He does so by living His life in us.
Christ lived in Paul (Galatians
Baptism in the Name of Christ
We read in Acts
2:38 that we must be baptized IN the name of Christ. Peter tells us to “Repent,
and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit.” The Greek word for “in” in this clause (“in the name of Christ”)
is “epi.” The Greek word for “name” is again,
“onoma.” Peter tells us, then, that we must be
baptized “in” the name, or possession, of Christ and then we will receive the
Holy Spirit. After all, it is Christ who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, as
Matthew
We also read in
Acts 10:48 that Peter commanded them “to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”
The Greek word for “in” within the phrase, “in the name of the Lord” is “en.”
We find here a biblical command, through the mouth of Peter, to be baptized “in
the name of the Lord.” In the passages in Acts
Laying On Of Hands
It is necessary
that the minister lay his hands on the person he has
baptized, before the person can receive the Holy Spirit. This shows that
the Holy Spirit of God, flowing out from God the Father and Jesus Christ
(Galatians 4:6; Philippians 1:19; Romans 8:9) through the baptizing minister
into the baptized person, sets the baptized person aside from the rest of the
world for a holy and righteous purpose. The baptized person is now
sanctified—set apart—to walk in newness of life. The power of God’s Spirit
within that person will now guide, lead and direct the person in the way that
he or she should go, giving the person the ability to walk in the right path,
as well as giving the strength to not give up and return to the world, thus
purifying that person from sin.
The Role of the Holy Spirit During Baptism
Notice the
important role of the Holy Spirit during the baptism ceremony. Without baptism,
we don’t receive the Holy Spirit. With proper baptism, we do receive it, as it
is a baptism WITH the Holy Spirit. We read in Acts 1:5: “You shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit…” Compare, too, Acts 11:16.
Baptism with the
Holy Spirit is done through the ordinance of water baptism, as was the case
with the baptism that John performed. John’s baptism, however, did not go far
enough, as we have already covered. It was not a baptism WITH the Holy Spirit.
Only baptism in the name of Christ—baptism into Christ—can accomplish this.
It is through the
baptism into Christ—the baptism WITH the Holy Spirit—that we become members of
the Church, the spiritual body of Christ. We are baptized into the Church, a
spiritual organism, not a particular human organization. We read in 1
Corinthians
We were baptized
“into one body”—the Church—by one Spirit. The Greek word for
“into” is “eis.” In the phrase, “by one
spirit,” the Greek word for “by” is “ek” and
can also mean “out of.” We are told here that it is “out of” the Holy Spirit of
God that we were placed into the Church. The Holy Spirit flows out of God—both
the Father and the Son—into us, making us thereby a part of the spiritual body
of Christ.
We are also told
in 1 Corinthians 12:13 that we were all made to drink of the same
Spirit. This means that we must continuously take in, or partake of, God’s
Spirit in order to remain in Christ’s spiritual body.
1 Corinthians
The Role of the Father During Baptism
The role of the
Father is also very important during the baptismal ceremony. It was the Father
who gave His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. It was the Father
who resurrected Christ from the dead. It is the Father who raises us from the
spiritually dead in baptism, and who gives us His Holy Spirit. Both the Father
and Jesus Christ begin living in the converted person, through the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of both the Father and of the Son—dwells in us,
and when we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit in making
life-changing choices, we begin to acquire the very nature of God—the divine
nature of both God the Father and God the Son (compare 2 Peter 1:2–4).
Ultimately, we will be changed to immortal God beings through this same
Spirit and will become permanent members of the Kingdom—the Family—of God.
Does Matthew 28:19 Teach a “Baptismal Formula?”
We are all
familiar with the passage in Matthew 28:19–20, where Christ told His apostles,
“‘(verse 19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (verse 20)
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…’”
Much has been
written about whether or not Matthew 28:19 is genuine. We don’t need to be
concerned that much about it, as long as we understand that this passage does
not teach a mandatory “baptismal formula,” and that it most certainly does not
teach a Trinity and the personhood of the Holy Spirit. (Regarding the false
concept of the Trinity, please read our free booklet, “Is God a Trinity?”)
In
regard to the issue whether Matthew 28:19 sets forth a mandatory baptismal
formula, note the following: In the phrase, “in the name of,” the Greek for
“name” is “onoma,” and the Greek for “in” is “eis.”
Therefore, the phrase can also be translated as, “baptizing them into the
possession of…”
We need to
remember and bring into focus the symbolic meaning conveyed with the ordinance
of baptism and its different components so that we can properly understand this
passage. When the Bible speaks about baptism, it may not always mention all of
the different components in a given passage. For instance, the necessary
components of prayer to the Father, or of the laying on of hands, may not be
specifically mentioned in a particular passage. They are, however, necessary in
order to receive the Holy Spirit.
We have seen from
the biblical record that the disciples were baptized in, or into, the name, or
possession, of Jesus Christ. There is no biblical example where someone was
actually baptized in, or into, the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. We read consistently that disciples were baptized in, or into,
Christ, or in, or into, the name of Jesus Christ ONLY.
We discussed Acts
8:14–17 and Acts 19:1–6 as proof of this assertion. Note that in those passages,
the Greek term for “in the name of” reads, “eis
to onoma tou,” exactly
as it does in Matthew 28:19. (Compare, as proof, “The Englishman’s Greek New
Testament; giving the Greek Text of Stephens 1550, with the various readings of
the Editions of Elzevir 1624, Griesbach,
Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford, and Wordsworth: Together with An
Interlinear Literal Translation, and The Authorized Version of 1611.”) The
occasional claim that the expression “eis
to onoma” only appears in Matthew 28:19, is
therefore incorrect.
Is there a
contradiction, then, to Matthew 28:19 where Jesus commanded the apostles to
“make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”? How can we resolve this apparent
contradiction?
Some insist that
Christ was giving His apostles in this Scripture a “baptismal formula” to be
used during baptism. They even go so far as to say that baptism is not valid
unless the baptizing minister uses that exact formula. Does their reasoning
have biblical support?
If Christ had
given His apostles a command in Matthew 28:19 to use a particular “formula”
during baptism, then His disciples would have been in flagrant violation of His
command, as they never used that “formula.” At least, there is no biblical
record that they ever used it. Rather, we find that Paul told the disciples to
be baptized in, or into, the name of Christ (compare Acts 19:1–6), not, in or
into, the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Remember,
though, what happened after the persons came out of the watery grave.
The baptizing apostles prayed over them, and they laid hands upon
them (compare Acts
Rather than
viewing Matthew 28:19 as a “formula” to be used verbatim by the minister when
he baptizes a person into the death of Christ, the passage in Matthew 28:19
sets forth a description of what happens during the entire ceremony, including
the prayer for the person—after he or she has been baptized, and the
laying on of hands on that person. Note that Matthew 28:19 is not worded as a
command to be repeated as a formula, but as a clarification how to “make
disciples.” We are to make disciples by baptizing them and by
teaching them to observe all things that Christ commanded. Baptism into
Christ and His death is the beginning, followed by the “resurrection” from the
watery grave, the minister’s prayer to the Father for the gift of the Holy
Spirit, and the laying on of hands. It describes the total process. In the same
way, when Christ’s ministers teach “all things” that Christ commanded us, it
encompasses a lengthy process of teaching the entire Gospel message, rather
than a certain “formula” of words.
So, then, Matthew
28:19 does not set forth a particular word-for-word
“baptismal formula,” given as a command. Neither does it set forth a particular
word-for-word “teaching formula.” Rather, the command to “teach all things” is
a summary term, describing the process of teaching. The same is true for the
command to baptize. When a minister baptizes us in, or into, the name, or
possession, of Jesus Christ, we recognize that we are baptized into Christ’s
death. Note that the Bible nowhere states we are baptized into the death of
the Father or the Holy Spirit. Such an analogy simply does not
fit. It was ONLY Christ who died, and it was ONLY Christ who was
resurrected, by the Father, through the Holy Spirit. (Compare
again Romans 6:1–13.)
At the same time,
it is also recognized that the Father gave Christ, His only begotten
Son, to die for us; that the Father resurrected Christ; that the Father
raises us up, spiritually speaking; and that the Father gives us the Holy
Spirit. When we come out of the watery grave, God’s minister places his
hands on our head and asks God the Father for the Holy Spirit—the
same Spirit that emanates from both the Father and the Son. It is this Spirit
of God flowing into us that enables us to walk in newness of life. We also
recognize that, at that very moment, we enter into the Family of God as
begotten—not yet born again—children of God the Father, and brothers and
sisters of our elder Brother, Jesus Christ. In that sense, we become the
possession, or the “property,” of the God Family (Whatever Christ owns, the
Father owns too, and vice versa; compare John
Notice Christ’s
words in the parallel account in Mark 16:15–16: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He
who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe
[and is not baptized] will be condemned [better translated: judged].’” There is
not even a hint of a baptismal formula here.
Even some outside
the
The basis for
what we believe and do must be the Bible. In view of all the Scriptural
evidence presented in this booklet, the Church of the Eternal God
and its corporate affiliates, the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship
in Canada, and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom, have
concluded that Matthew 28:19 does not set forth a mandatory “baptismal
formula,” and that baptism in the name of Christ is both necessary and
sufficient. This means that baptism in the name of Christ is valid, as long as
the following requirements have been understood by the person to be baptized:
When we are
baptized, we also need to understand that baptism is the first step toward
entering the Kingdom, or Family, of God. The ordinance of baptism, then,
includes the following concepts:
Christians who
have been baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit,” however, do not need to worry that their baptism is invalid, as long
as they understood the proper meaning of baptism, including the facts that God
is not a Trinity and that the Holy Spirit is not a separate divine being. After
all, when one is baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit,” the baptism “in the name of Christ” is included, and, as we have
explained, the Father and the Holy Spirit have an important role during the baptismal
ceremony. As long as a person understands, at the time of his or her baptism,
the functions and the nature of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, his
or her baptism is valid.
Conclusion
We have presented
in this booklet the biblical proof that water baptism through immersion is a
necessary requirement for salvation. Without it, there is no promise in the
Bible of receiving God’s Holy Spirit, and without God’s Spirit dwelling in us,
we are not true Christians, and God will not grant us His gift of everlasting
life in His Kingdom.
If you are old
enough to understand the meaning of baptism, and what it entails, and if you
genuinely desire to begin a new chapter in your life, now is the time to
contact one of God’s true ministers for help and guidance. If you have been
baptized in the past, but wonder whether your baptism was valid in God’s eyes,
please don’t hesitate to contact us for counsel. We are here to help.
Don’t delay.
Remember the stirring words of Ananias to Paul, as recorded
in Acts 22:14, 16—words that apply to all of God’s called and chosen disciples,
“‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see
the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth… And now why are you waiting?
Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the
Lord.’”
If you understand what you have read in this booklet, God is
calling you. So, we say with Ananias, “…Why are you
waiting? Arise and be baptized…”