BAPTISM and RESURRECTION

 

The word ‘baptism’ is itself Greek - baptizo. In English it is properly ‘dip’, ‘plunge’ or ‘immerse’ (not sprinkle). We have taken over the Greek word un-translated for religious purposes. Immersion is the only NT practice. No other method is found in the NT.

 

Baptism has no saving value – Paul said he came to preach the Gospel, not baptise. 1 Cor. 1.17. Many Scriptures make it clear that baptism is only for believers.  Acts 8:12 and  Acts 10. 44-48.  The same applied to some who were baptised – Lydia and her household, the Philippians jailor, the household of Stephanus for example. It is not a means of salvation.  Nor does baptism have any spiritual effect, but demonstrates personal commitment.

 

Baptism became a major ‘means of grace’ in the Catholic church, and even children had to be baptised as soon as possible or  they would go to Limbo. The present Pope Benedict 16, (speaking ex cathedra) this year abolished Limbo.  Faith the RC say is not the cause of justification, and  the lack of faith in the child is replaced by the faith of the Church.  In Anglicanism is it replaced by godparents to believe for the child.  The RC position is that baptism – as a physical act – when complete is effective.  But it seems that it has little relationship with the Resurrection.

 

Theology for our dedication service. It is more than asking God’s blessing on the life of the child. We seriously hand the child  over to God, and having done so we give the child back to the mother as belonging to God  for her to nurse her or him FOR THE LORD and from God receive the wages. This should be expressed. A child has a Christian name because it is given or pronounced by a minister in a public service.  Pentecostals do not practice paedobaptism because children have no independent faith in Christ – parents may be keen for their children to display such precocious spiritual evidences, but their offsprings should reach some kind of firm maturity.  In the Methodist and other churches it is taught that paedobaptism is for the infant children of believing parents.

 

The RC church teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation. Children baptised are ‘regenerated’, spiritually reborn and become a member of the body of Christ, the church. In effect the Church claims the power to save. This was a central issue in the Reformation. But RC says that in emergency anyone can baptise a child – even an unbeliever, and so where it is performed in less than a sanctified manner, it still leaves a mark on the soul. 

 

We teach that baptism is not necessary for salvation, but it is necessary as a mark of obedience and love for Christ.   Mark 16:16. “He who believes and is baptised will be saved” …  but it does NOT SAY that those who are not baptised will be damned. It is written simply to be understood.  Baptism has always been normal in Christian churches – with one or two exceptions.  The first  people to baptise a second time were a worry to Luther, but  they seem to have been identified with a political movement also, producing the Peasants War and Luther was against them.  They would drown them in  rivers and casks of water. It is best for a pastor to baptise if possible to signify it as sacred to the church. We were commanded by Christ to Baptise – Matthew 28.

 

No ceremony bestows salvation. Col. 2.12 “buried  with him in baptism you were also raised by him through faith”. 1 Peter 3.21. “Baptism now saves you not as a removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience towards God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”.  It is not the equivalent of circumcision, which was a covenant sign between national Israel and God bringing a person into the community of Israel.  Baptism is not a covenant sign bringing anyone into the Christian community. Nor is the church ever spoken of in terms of a covenant community entered by a physical rite or  performance. It is by the ‘circumcision of the heart”.  The whole concept of the people of God changes in the NT from national physical-politico  to a spiritual relationship with God, about which almost nobody in the OT understood or experienced.

 

It is generally taught that when Jesus said “You must be born of water and the Spirit” he meant baptism into the church.  (I wrote to a member of the Iona community who said this, this week). That could not be however as there was no church then. It would be too long to fully explain here, but by ‘water’ he meant the water through which Israel in its formation passed as at the Red Sea, and John the Baptist said the nation needed to start again – His repentance baptism being the symbol of a national new start  through the waters.  But Jesus told Nicodemus it to be by the Spirit, not just water.

 

People testify to God’s presence and blessing in Baptism – including healing, but this is because of their faith and obedience.  It is only for believers – again only believers were shown as being baptised in the NT  in every instances in Acts.

 

The reference in 1 Cor. 15.27 to being baptised for the dead, is not mandatory nor is  the Greek in the imperative. It refers to a practice apparently which some followed but has no value or Scriptural support. Paul mentioned it  but it seems  he gave it no importance as he would regard it as an outward rite with no spiritual significance. Cults pick up unusual texts like this. It is a Mormon emphasis.  The RC Mass prays for the dead, but no RC practice of baptism for the dead. 

 

The purpose of Baptism is to identify with Christ, not just with His baptism. We  are not baptised because He was baptised, to copy Him, any more than we should be crucified to copy Him, or it turns baptism into a RC sacrament. He was baptised FOR US. We are not baptised FOR Him.  Being baptised is not our service to Him. He was ‘numbered with transgressors’ and said ‘it becomes US to fulfil all righteousness’.  We are baptised INTO Him and into the body of Christ – the church of the born again.  Identifying ourselves with Christ and His church in this physical manner, is a sign that He has first identified with us, that all He did for us we have, is ours. His birth, life, healings, ministry, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, appearance in glory and His return, are all for us – He gains nothing.  The work of the Holy Spirit bringing  the benefits of Christ’s work to us, is dynamic.  

 

John and Jesus at first preached baptism ‘unto repentance.’  So also did Peter in His first Gospel sermon. But Baptism had other meanings. In early times it took a brave heart as it demonstrated that a person had become a Christian and marked them for persecution.

 

Baptism is a sign of our (previous) experience – it is not necessarily a spiritual resurrection itself, though of course it might coincide.  To say we are spiritually raised with Christ is as a sign, not as an experience.  We do not give sacerdotal - sacramental - priestly powers to those who baptise church folk. Baptism regarded as a physical act with a spiritual effect suggests it has sacramental value, which is Catholic.  We do not accept that any physical act has spiritual effects except performed with a faith motive.  With faith, all we do has spiritual value. Jesus  said that a cup of cold water to a disciple has significance with God. This ends  all sacramentalism but some churches – like the CoE call it a sacrament without teaching  RC doctrine.  

 

Baptism after the  apostolic period acquired much more significance and in early Christian times was considered a good way to wash away sins.  Constantine the Emperor would not be baptised till his death bed to get as many sins forgiven as advanced in life as possible. Acts 22:16 ”Rise and be baptised, and wash away your sins’, calling on His name”.  Baptism is there spoken of  as part of Paul’s conversion.  Peter preached (Acts 2.38:)  “Repent and be  baptised every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins.”   This  translation has come down to us began with versions affected by RC teaching. The Greek word is not ‘for’, but ‘eis’ -  ‘unto’,  ‘with a view to’, not ‘by means of’,  which is a different  Greek word -  ‘ina’.

 

An interesting fact, many of the baptism formularies in churches across the centuries included chrism – oil anointing to impart the Holy Spirit to a candidate. They all reckoned receiving the Spirit as a second experience after new birth like we Pentecostals say.

 

The major message  - the ‘ kerygma’ of  the  church – the Gospel, is that Christ died for us (symbolised in Communion) and that He rose for us (symbolised in baptism). This makes Him lord of all because He died and rose for all. 

 

The significance of Baptism has been confused often.  But the N T  stresses it as a re-enactment in the believer of what happened to Jesus, not at His baptism but at His death and when He rose again. Baptism is a public witness to resurrection – and candidates should have  shown some sign of resurrection in their lives- usually being saved.   

 

Again, this rite is physical, like bread and wine, and every doctrine and promise of the NT has the material, physical side – Christianity is for this world, its promises for this world, and it was produced in this world of hard reality.  That is the Pentecostal revolution and contribution of theology.

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  George Canty April  2009.