The Doctrine of Baptisms

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COURSE IN ADVANCED BIBLICAL DOCTRINES

Lesson #13

• The Doctrine of Baptisms
  • Definition of the word baptism:
    • Baptism means = to plunge, to immerse, to sink, to be washed or overwhelmed.
    • For the Jews, the word meant purification from all that might exclude a person from the presence of God.
      • In Old Testament times the practice of water baptism became a ritual for pagans who turned from paganism to Judaism.
      • This was a proselyte baptism that indicated a purification from pagan practices.
  • Throughout Christianity various types of baptism are practiced, and various kinds of baptism are mentioned in scripture.
  • Read Heb 6:2
    • Notice the use of the plural word “baptisms” which indicates more than one. There are actually five distinct baptisms in the New Testament.
    • =1= Baptism of Repentance or Regeneration (Mar 1:4 Luk 3:3 1Cor 12:13 Gal 3:27)
    • =2= Baptism with water (Rom 6:4) (Mat 3:11)
    • =3= Baptism in the Holy Spirit and with fire (Mar 1:8 Luk 3:16)
    • =4= Baptism of suffering and death (Mat 20:22-23 Mar 10:38-39 Luk 12:50)
    • =5= Baptism for the dead (1Cor 15:29)
  • Read Eph 4:5
    • If there are 5 baptisms, then why does Eph 4:5 say there is one baptism?
    • There is only one baptism that is the door into the kingdom of God, and that is the baptism of repentance and regeneration that all true believers experience.
    • Read 1Cor 12:13
  • We will consider each of the 5 baptisms mentioned in scripture:
  • =1= The Baptism of Repentance or the Baptism of John
    • Read Mar 1:4
    • Read Luk 3:3
    • Read Gal 3:27
      • The baptism of repentance is the born again experience. (Act 19:4)
      • This baptism births the believer into the kingdom of God.
      • At times in the gospels this baptism is called the baptism of John (the Baptist).
        • Before the crucifixion of Christ, John called the people to repentance.
        • The purpose of this baptism by john was to prepare the people for the first coming of Jesus Christ.
        • After the crucifixion, repentance leads to receiving Jesus Christ in the heart and results in a regenerated life or a born-again experience.
    • Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Why?
      • Jesus did not need to repent because he was without sin.
      • Jesus did not need to be born again because he was already in the kingdom of God as the only begotten of the Father.
      • Then why was Jesus baptized by john?
        • To demonstrate to us the importance of the baptism of repentance and obedience to God.
        • He is the model for us as to how to be part of the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.
    • Read 1Cor 10:2
      • What does “baptized unto Moses” mean?
      • The crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites was a type or prefigure of the baptism of repentance that we see in the New Testament.
        • Paul says in 1Cor 10:2 that the Israelites were baptized unto Moses.
        • In other words, they identified themselves with Moses in the same way as the New Testament believer identifies himself with Christ when he is born again.
  • =2= Baptism with water
    • The Biblical form of water baptism is immersion according to the meaning of the word baptism and the action that immersion demonstrates. Sprinkling the believer with water does not have the same intended meaning (Col 2:12)
    • Read Rom 6:3
      • Water baptism is the external action or symbol of identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
        • Read Col 2:12
        • As the believer goes under the water, he identifies with Christ’s death and burial.
        • As the believer comes out of the water, he identifies with Christ’s resurrection to new life.
      • Water baptism is a testimony to the congregation of his born-again experience.
        • He testifies to his personal identity with Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
        • He testifies to his personal identity with other believers in the body of Christ who have had the same born-again experience.
      • Water baptism is a commitment to die to the old flesh nature and to live for God guided by the Holy Spirit
        • Read Gal 5:24
        • As the believer goes under the water, he makes a commitment to crucify the flesh nature.
        • As the believer comes out of the water, he makes a commitment to live in obedience to Christ.
    • Is a person saved if he has never been baptized in water?
      • Yes he is saved if he has had a born-again experience.
      • Water Baptism does not save a person, and neither does it cleanse a person of sin.
        • Read Act 22:15-16
        • If water baptism does not save a person, why does the Lord tell Saul of Tarsus to be baptized to wash away his sins?
        • The voice of the Lord is instructing Saul to be baptized with the baptism of repentance.
      • If water baptism does not save a person, why is it so important to be baptized?
        • A believer in Jesus Christ should be obedient to Christ’s command to be baptized.
        • If he rebels against this initial command in his new life with the Lord, he inhibits his own spiritual growth from that point going forward.

Read 1Joh 2:23

Read Mat 10:32

• • • • In what name must a person be baptized?
        • In the book of Acts there are 15 incidents of baptism, some in the name of Jesus Christ, and some in the name of the Lord. (Act 2:38 Act 10:48)

Read Mat 28:18-19

Jesus tells us to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

• • • • • A formula of words is unimportant. What is important is the heart relationship to Jesus Christ and the individual’s motive to be baptized.
        • Read 1Cor 1:12-13
  • =3= Baptism in the Holy Spirit
    • Seven New Testament passages speak of this baptism as distinct from water baptism.
    • Read Luk 3:16
      • The phrase “with the Holy Ghost and with fire”:
        • Fire is a symbol of judgment and is a purifying agent.
        • It is the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts the believer of sin so as to move him to repentance and purification in the forgiveness purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross.
      • Read Joh 16:8
    • The difficulty with interpretation of this experience called the baptism in/with the Holy Spirit:
      • Christianity is divided in its interpretation of this baptism because it involves the Holy Spirit.
      • =1= There are those in Christianity that say when a person is born again and receives Christ as his Savior, he receives the Holy Spirit. This reception of the Holy Spirit is the baptism in/ with the Holy Spirit.
      • =2= There are those in Christianity that say the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate event from the born again experience. The Bible seems to indicate this interpretation of a separate event.
        • Read Joh 14:17
        • Read Joh 20:22

After the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, this is the point in time when the disciples were born-again.

The baptism of repentance (new birth) when the believer gets a drink of the Holy Spirit.

However, Jesus Christ told the disciples to wait for the day of Pentecost to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Read Joh 7:37-39

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is when the Holy Spirit has control of the believer and the result is a river of the Spirit that flows out of the life of the believer.

The new birth is when the Holy Spirit enters into the believer and the baptism in the Spirit is when the Spirit flows out of the person.

• • • The evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
      • There are some theologians that say the evidence is always the ability to speak in tongues.
        • Read Jam 3:5-8
        • The tongue is the most unruly member of the human body and the last surrendered to Christ.
        • Therefore a surrendered tongue is the evidence of a life controlled by the Holy Spirit.
      • However, others are less dogmatic for the mention of speaking in tongues in the book of Acts is not universal.
        • There are only 4 distinct incidents in the book of Acts that mentions tongues accompanying the baptism in the Holy Spirit. (Act 2:4 Act 2:11 Act 10:46 Act 19:6)
        • A better guide than speaking in tongues is the abundance of the fruit of the Spirit in the life of a believer. (Gal 5:22-25)
        • A life changed and controlled by the Holy Spirit is the evidence of a total immersion in the Holy Spirit. In other words, the believer should ask himself, “how much of his life is controlled by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit?”
    • Why did Jesus not baptize people with water after John the Baptist was murdered?
      • Read Joh 4:1-2
      • The Bible clearly distinguishes a difference between the baptism of water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
      • Read Mat 3:11
        • Other believers baptize a person in water.
        • Jesus is the one that baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit.
      • We can best see the difference in these first three baptisms by the following chart:

	Baptism of Repentance	Baptism in Water	Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The Candidate	The New Convert	The New Convert	The New Convert
The Baptizer	The Holy Spirit	Another Believer or Pastor	Jesus Christ
Immersed In:	The Body of Christ	Water	The Holy Spirit
Purpose	To Receive New Life	To Witness of the New Birth	To Receive the Power of the Spirit
Scripture	Mar 1:4 Luk 3:3 Act 13:24 Act 19:4	Luk 3:16 Rom 6:4 Col 2:12 Joh 1:31	Luk 3:16 Act 2:38-39 Act 1:8

• • =4= Baptism of Suffering and Death
    • Read Mat 20:22-23
    • Why did Jesus refer to his suffering and death as a baptism?
      • Read 1Pet 3:18
      • Read Psa 42:7
      • Jesus Christ was immersed in our sin on the cross and rose up to live forever.
    • All the disciples but one (John) and the apostle Paul died a martyr’s death. They endured the baptism of suffering and death.
    • All believers in Jesus Christ are not called to endure this baptism. However, all believers should be prepared to answer this call if asked.
  • =5= Baptism for the dead
    • Read 1Cor 15:29
    • The phrase, baptized for the dead, does not appear in any other part of scripture.
      • Various interpretations have come to us down through Christian history. Let’s examine them.
        • = Interpretation #1= Believers are baptized in water to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.

This is the essential meaning of water baptism where the believer symbolically identifies himself publicly with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is one of the more common interpretations of verse 29.

The phrase, baptized for the dead, in Greek means = baptized in place of, or over the dead ones. The word, dead, is plural in the Greek and cannot refer to being baptized for the dead Christ. (Interpretation #1)

• • • • • = Interpretation #2= Baptized believers declare that they are dead to the flesh nature and alive to the Spirit nature.

This is true of the believer that is obediently following Christ, but it does not explain the text of verse 29.

• • • • • = Interpretation #3= There are some people who believe that water baptism is the means of salvation, and that without it a person is not saved. Therefore, because some person in their family died without water baptism, a family member could be baptized in his place and therefore gain the salvation of a dead family member.

This is the belief and practice of the Mormons.

Some Christian groups have adopted this false belief.

Scripture is clear to tell us that salvation is by faith in Christ and not by water baptism.

The Greek word, for, in this phrase (1Cor 15:29) cannot mean = in place of or for the benefit of. Therefore Interpretation #3 is impossible.

• • • • • = Interpretation #4= If Christ was not raised from the dead, then those Christians that were baptized before they died, were baptized for nothing, and through history we have more and more Christians being baptized to replace those who died.

Therefore, the phrase means, why would Christians continue being baptized in Christ hoping for resurrection, replacing all the dead believers that were baptized, if Christ had not been raised from the dead?

The phrase has a military significance. When soldiers die in battle, they are replaced by new living soldiers to continue the fight. However, if there is nothing to fight for, then those first soldiers died in vain. Today, those people that believe in Jesus and are baptized replace the believers that already died in this spiritual battle.

• • • • Your teacher prefers interpretation #4 as it is consistent with the theme of the whole chapter of 1Cor 15.