Christian faith is built on certain essential foundations; once these foundations are established, the believer no longer needs to question them.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 6, the apostle Paul sets out these foundations, in other words the basic doctrines upon which the believer must stand to advance in his walk with Christ. One of these doctrines is the so-called «baptisms doctrine ». The term «baptisms» being plural leads us to believe that there are several types of baptisms.
Let us return first of all to the origin of the word “baptism”: this word, as used in the Holy Scriptures, comes from the Greek “baptizô”, which means to plunge, bathe, immerse (Strong Greek n. 907). So there is an inherent notion of total immersion of the body.
The notion of water baptism by immersion is present in the Gospels (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:6, 7; Luke 3:7, 11; John 1) and we also find it in the Epistles several examples where the verb baptise is used.
When we go through the New Testament, we discover three types of baptisms mentioned:
1. BAPTISM IN CHRIST
When we receive Jesus in our hearts as Savior and Lord, we receive in ourselves the Spirit of God. Through the presence of the Spirit of God in us, we unite with Christ: it is the “New Birth”. The Holy Spirit then comes to establish His dwelling place in us; it is in this sense that we are said to be baptized “IN CHRIST”. We are now part of the family of God, of the body of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27-28).
2. BAPTISM IN WATER
The baptism in water is a manifestation of our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us take a moment to present the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Mark 1:4-5 « 4John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. » KJV
Matthew 3:5-6 « 5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. » KJV
In these verses, we see the people of the Old Covenant confessing their sins and being baptized by John the Baptist. It was not yet Christian baptism. At the time, Jesus was neither dead nor risen. John did not baptize in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; he only baptized in the Name of the Father. The people who were baptized by him were Jews under the Law.
Acts 19:4 « 4Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. » KJV
The apostle Paul later confirmed in this verse that the baptism of John was to bring the people to Jesus, to lead them to believe in His Name.
We are among those who pass through the waters of baptism after the death and resurrection of the Lord. Those to whom Peter, in Acts 2:38, said : « Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. »
BAPTISM IN WATER IS BOUND TO SALVATION
Baptism is an unavoidable stage of Christian life because it is intimately linked to salvation. It is not us who affirm it, but Jesus Himself !
Mark 16:16 ” He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” KJV.
In other words, baptism is a demonstration of our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Moreover, Jesus Himself was baptized, not that He sinned but in order to identify Himself with us and to fulfill all righteousness. He had no need to be saved.
Luke 3:21-22 « 21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. » KJV
• THE MEANING OF THE BAPTISM WATER
1 Peter 3:21 « 21The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: » KJV
From a spiritual point of view, baptism is the burial of our “old man” with our Lord, as we can read in the Letters to the Colossians and the Romans:
Colossians 2:12 « 12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. » KJV
Romans 6 3-4 « 3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. » KJV
To pass through the waters of baptism, we must first be aware of the meaning of the act we wish to take. It is about a change of lifestyle after the passage through the waters of baptism.
This brings us to a parenthesis on the baptism of children: it is not the parents to baptize their children, but parents must teach, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the importance of baptism to their children, until the day when they are fully aware of the meaning of baptism for their lives.
WHY IMMERSION BAPTISM?
John 3:23 « 23And John also was baptizing in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. » KJV
Philip will also baptize the Ethiopian eunuch by immersion. One can easily imagine that the latter had one wineskin filled with water in his tank, and that Philip could have opened it and poured a few drops of water on the head of the Ethiopian.
There is no trace of baptism by sprinkling throughout the Gospel. This is what leads us to baptize only by immersion.
3. THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
It is, after the New Birth and the water baptism, a third baptism.
John the Baptist affirmed :
Mark 1:8 « 8I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. » KJV
Luke 3:16 « 16John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. « KJV
Matthew 3:11 « 11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. » KJV
John proclaimed that it was Jesus Christ who baptized with the Holy Spirit.
To live a fruitful Christian life, it is imperative to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. We see that this was one of the major concerns of the apostles. Let us read what they did when they arrived in Samaria:
Acts 8:14-16 « 14Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.). » KJV
Jesus himself confirms the need for baptism with the Holy Spirit in John 3:5 :
« 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. » KJV
Water baptism is not enough to enter the kingdom of God ! We must also be born of the Spirit. We also know that there is no chronological order between water baptism and the baptism with the Holy Ghost. God acts freely. One can be baptized with the Holy Spirit before passing through the waters of baptism; this was the case in the house of Cornelius, as we can read in the Book of Acts:
Acts 10:47 « 47Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? » KJV
SPEAKING IN TONGUES AS A SIGN OF BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
One of the manifestations of baptism with the Holy Spirit is the ability to speak in other languages. This is not the gift of tongues which the apostle Paul speaks of in the Letter to the Corinthians, and which will not be the subject of our study.
We notice several times in the early Church that baptism with the Holy Spirit was always accompanied by speaking in tongues.
Acts 2:1-4 « 1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. » KJV
Acts 10:44-46 « 44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. « KJV
Acts 19:6-7 « 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7And all the men were about twelve. » KJV
Acts 22:16 «16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. » KJV
Have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?
Are you ready to follow and obey Him?
So don’t wait any longer ! You are ready for baptism.
Be blessed !
