Why Should You Take Baptism?

Where did baptism come from?

Ritual cleansing has been part of religious life in many cultures.   In the Bible, it originated in the Jewish mikvah, which is a ritual washing. Some Jewish men take a mikvah every Friday in preparation for the weekly Sabbath and before every holy day. It’s also done before one’s wedding or the circumcision of a son, or at the beginning of a great undertaking on the Lord’s behalf. Jewish women take a mikvah each month after their menstrual period. All converts to Judaism take a mikvah upon entering the faith. So like the mikvah, a baptism symbolizes purification. But unlike the mikvah, one baptism lasts a lifetime.

The Jewish priest started his day bathing himself in water. Even then he had to wash his hands and feet before he could start his ministry (or duties) in the tabernacle, which was the first place of worship or in the temple that was later built in Jerusalem. A laver was placed in the tabernacle or temple for this purpose.

Other religions also believe in ritual cleansing.  The Hindu priests are supposed to immerse themselves in running water before they start their priestly duties. Even the pious Hindus wash their hands and feet before they sit for prayers. Before Praying Muslims go through a routine washing ritual, cleansing themselves in preparation for prayer. The ritual washing, called Wudu, can be done in any clean place where there is water. 

Thus, it seems that ritual cleansing was part of almost all religions of the world. If that is the case, is there any special significance to Christian baptism?

The Historical Connection

Baptism, as it is practiced today started during the inter-testamental period. Every synagogue had a baptistery like the ones we see today in the main line churches.

After the dispersion of the nation of Israel, immediate succession of world powers brought many in contact with the Jewish religion. Jewish faith was one of the few monotheistic faiths in the world. Others became curious about their worship system and especially the detailed prophetic accounts in the Bible. Translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek since the time of Ptolemy II of Egypt (the Septuagint Bible) also helped in this process. Many were converted into Judaism.

Since all gentiles were considered sinners, they needed cleansing from their sins. They were brought before the laver (or the baptistery as we call it now) and the holy water was sprinkled over them. Thereafter, they were declared cleansed and accepted into the Jewish community. 

John the Baptist

John the Baptist is the person responsible for starting baptism in the New Testament. His account is fascinating as we see in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.  He was the son of a priest. As such, he was supposed to start his priestly duties at the age of 25 in the temple in Jerusalem. But his call was to be a prophet. He became a prophet crying out in the wilderness, leading people to repentance. He addressed his audience as sinners who needed repentance. He also asked them to take baptism as a sign of repentance. 

People in his generation understood his methods and message more than us. Prophets were often strange people with strange outfits and habits. (A cursory reading of the Old Testament prophetic books will confirm this. Some of the things they did would offend us today, so I spare the details here. But you are welcome to read them in your Bible and find out for yourselves). So the strange outfit of John the Baptist made out of camel skin did not bother them. Neither was his diet of locusts and wild honey. People still flocked to listen to him, because they respected him as a prophet. There was no prophetic voice in Israel for almost four hundred years. We read that a broad spectrum of people came to listen to him. 

They were not offended that he called them sinners- at least the general public. They went into the Jordan river to be baptized by him. But it was a different story with the religious leaders of the day. We read that, “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.” (Luke 7:30). Why was that?

A careful analysis will show a number of reasons for their objections. (1) John was a priest’s son who was supposed to become a priest like his father. But he became a prophet. Baptizing someone was a priest’s job. So why is John, who did not want to be a priest, doing a priest’s job? (2). A priest always wore priestly garments while conducting baptism. So why is John giving baptism to people wearing coat made of camel’s skin? (3). Baptisms at that time were generally given in synagogues. Why was John giving baptism in an open river? (4). Baptism was for people who considered themselves sinners and who needed to get right with God. Why would the Pharisees who were meticulous in their religious practices need to take baptism? Why would Sadducees who were the Bible expositors of the day, need to take baptism?

John’s dialogue in Mathew 3 shows us his reasoning for expecting the leaders also to take baptism. Even though they prided themselves as children of Abraham, they did not possess the God pleasing qualities that Abraham had. He told them not to hide behind their religious identity as children of Abraham. His contention was there was no spiritual fruit in them that identified them with Abraham. So he told them that axe is already the roots of the tree (which spoke of the judgment that was coming upon them). Since they had no fruits of righteousness in them, they were no better than the sinners and tax collectors and gentiles who were taking baptism there. They did not show ‘fruits worthy of repentance.’ But Pharisees did not accept that evaluation by John and refused to be baptized by John.

Why did John do baptism?

It was because of a clear understanding of his role in the scheme of things. John was born to an elderly priest couple named Zacharias and Elizabeth. They did not have any children for many years. One day an angel appeared to him in Jerusalem temple as Zacharias was ministering and told him:

The angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1: 13-17, NKJV)

 John surrendered himself to God’s will when he grew up and accepted the role of a prophet instead of a priest. He identified himself as the forerunner to Messiah foretold by prophet Isaiah. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” (Isaiah 40:3). His message was about ‘someone coming after me.’ 

‘There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.’ (John 1: 6-8, NKJV)

He told his disciples that he did not know who he was talking about initially. Even though he and Jesus were relatives, they grew up in two different areas of the nation. But he was given a sign. “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water… And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:30, 32-34, NKJV).

This was fulfilled at the baptism of Jesus, as we read in Matthew, chapter 3. Thus, John was sent to do baptism as a means of introducing Jesus to the world.

The Kingdom Connection of Baptism

His message in Mathew, chapter 3 shows us another reason. John called himself a ‘herald.’ A herald was a messenger sent by a royal court to announce things. Let us say that a king wanted to visit a part of his kingdom. He generally would not just show up. He would send a herald to that area. The herald would come on a horseback and announce that the king is coming and be ready to receive him. Then the citizens would go out and either cut a new road for the king’s chariot to travel or widen the existing road and clean it up nicely. 

John considered himself a herald announcing the arrival of a king- the king of righteousness, the Messiah. His job was to prepare people to enter into the kingdom of God.  “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” People in his generation did not need to go out and cut a new road for this king.  This king ruled the hearts of men. So their hearts needed to be cleansed. Their lives needed to be straightened out. The way to do it was through repentance. And as a sign of repentance, they would take baptism in Jordan river. 

Thus we see that John’s baptism was related to entering into the kingdom of God. Even now, baptism is given as part of the message of the kingdom of God. Jesus asked his disciples to ‘go into all the world and preach.’ (Matthew 28:20). People who accept the gospel message and put their trust in Jesus Christ will repent of their sins and confess them. Through repentance they become worthy of the kingdom of God. Such people would be given baptism in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. 

John’s baptism and the Christian baptism are different in many other aspects. John’s baptism was based on the understanding in the Old Testament about ritual cleansing. But Christian baptism is given to a person who is already cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. 

“What can wash me white as snow? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!”

I must add that John baptized only the people who repented of their sins. We will see later that the Apostles followed the same pattern. They only baptized people who repented of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ.

The Righteousness Connection of Baptism

If this is true, where does the baptism of Jesus fit in? Why did he take baptism?

People who took baptism by the hands of John were the ones who responded to his call and accepted themselves as sinners in need of repentance. While he is doing this, Jesus came forward to take baptism also. John could not understand it. So John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” The reply from Jesus shows an important aspect about baptism: “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” 

Righteousness in the Bible means right standing before God. When you study the Bible, it is people who have walked in the ways of God and surrendered themselves to God’s will, that have right standing before God. Jesus had surrendered himself to the will of the Father already. In the tests that Satan presented in the desert, he gave Jesus a more dramatic entrance. Satan asked Jesus to jump from the pinnacle of Jerusalem temple to prove that he was divine. We see superheroes doing that always in the cartoons and movies to generate awe. But the real Superhero turned that offer down. Instead, he went to a desert place where John was baptizing people and presented himself.

It was not Satan, but John who was given the commission to present Jesus to the world. It was not by impressing a crowd, but by the descent of the Holy Spirit that he would be identified as the Lamb of God to others including John. The place and the means were set by God himself and it was at the baptism site of John.

Thus when Jesus went to be baptized by John, it was indeed to fulfill all righteousness.

 The Obedience Connection of Baptism

Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” It was the commandment of Jesus that everyone who believes in should be baptized (Matthew 28:18-20). 

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[c] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This is exactly what his disciples did. They started preaching after they were empowered by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Baptism was part of Peter’s message that day. But not everyone gathered there were baptized. Only the 3000 who obeyed his counsel was baptized that day. Later we see that number increasing to over 5000.

Where ever that message has been preached faithfully, people have come forward in obedience to take baptism. Today there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who have taken that step of obedience. 

If you have not taken that step in your life yet, why are you delaying to obey God?

Baptism in the Early Christian Church

As referred above, the first baptism of the Christian church happened on the day of Pentecost, where three thousand people came forward to obey God in the waters of baptism. When we look at this chapter, we see that a pattern emerged very early. First there is the preaching of the gospel. Then, there is the call for repentance (altar call). Then the people who profess their faith in Jesus Christ are given baptism.

In Acts 8, we see another baptism where only one person took baptism. That was ‘a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury.’ (Acts 8:27). Philip was guided by the Holy Spirit to go and minister to him. The story is self-explanatory.

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”

30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;

And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away,

And who will declare His generation?

For His life is taken from the earth.”

34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 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?”

37 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.”

38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Again we see the same pattern. Fist Philip ‘Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.’ Philip did not just tell stories about Jesus to the eunuch. He explained his teachings to the eunuch. We know this because as soon as they came to some water, the eunuch was ready to take baptism. Upon his confession of faith, Philip gave him baptism. And the eunuch carried the message of Jesus Christ to Ethiopia in Africa. Here we see a proselyte (an outsider who embraced Judaism) taking baptism.

In Acts 9, we see Saul of Tarsus getting baptized. Even though he was a scholar in Hebrew scriptures and came from a noble family, he was not given a pass. Fist he had the encounter with Jesus at the end of which he was addressing the Nazarene who he derided earlier as ‘Lord.’ This shows that he had accepted Jesus as Messiah and Lord of his life. Ananias was sent to meet with the ‘converted’ Saul and give him baptism.

In Acts 10, we see the baptism of the family of Cornelius. From the story, we gather that he came from an Italian background. Peter was sent to his house as a result of the double visions both him and Cornelius had. Yet, Peter was very uncomfortable to be with a non-Jew and did not want to baptize anyone there. Until then, everyone who had taken baptism were either pure Jews or proselytes. Again we see the same classic pattern given to the church. First comes the message from Peter. It leads them to a divine encounter when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The response from the people who came with Pater is very telling: “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Acts 10:47). If God had not moved in that surprising manner, they would have gone back to Jerusalem without giving baptism to the family of Cornelius. Seeing what transpired, Peter commanded his friends to baptize them in water. Cornelius was the first European to take baptism.

In Acts 16, we see Paul and Silas in the city of Phillippi in Macedonia. The gospel is finally being preached in Europe. One of the first people to respond to the gospel in Europe was a woman named Lydia and she was baptized by Paul and Silas. Some say that she was a Jewish woman who lived in Macedonia for her business.  ‘She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God.’ (Acts 16:14). Whereas, later when they were apprehended and brought before the magistrate, the complaint against them was that “they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” So these were Europeans and Roman citizens. Later that night, when God visited the city and shook the foundations of the jail, Paul got an opportunity to share the gospel with the jailor. His heart was already prepared seeing the awesome power of the true living God which held back all the prisoners from running away, even though the prison doors were wide open. Paul used the occasion to share the gospel with him. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31). The jailor’s family believed and they were baptized the same night. Again, these were Europeans being baptized.

The baptism account in Acts 19 is different from all others. A disciple of Paul called Apollos was the one who started the church in the city of Ephesus. He was originally a disciple of John the Baptist. So the teachings he had about baptism was that of John the Baptist. We already saw that it was based on the ritualistic washing systems of the Old Testament. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (Luke 3:3).  It did not contain the entire teaching of the New Testament church. In fact, the believers in Ephesus told Paul, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 

So Paul taught them the doctrines of the New Testament and re-baptized them. Afterwards, he laid hands on them to be filled with the Holy Spirit and they received it. 

This incident shows that it is scriptural to re-baptize someone, if the original baptism they received was not in line with the doctrines of the New Testament and teachings of the Apostles.

Why Should Anyone Take Baptism?

In the New Testament, a number of reasons are given for taking baptism. It is more than a ritual washing. It is a spiritually rich experience.

i.                    It is obeying the commandment of Jesus. In Mathew 28, Jesus gave the last commission to his disciples. It is often called the Great Commission, since the scope of it is great. Jesus expected his disciples to go into all the known world and preach the gospel.  People who accepted the message and were ready to follow Jesus were baptized and accepted into the church.  There is nothing more noble for a follower of Jesus than to obey his specific commands.

ii.                  It is identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus. (Romans 6:4). The early church practiced baptism only by immersing a person in water. When a person was under the water, it was identifying with the death and burial of Jesus. When he comes back up from the water, it is identifying with the resurrection of Jesus. Just like the resurrected Jesus had a different body, a baptized person should ‘walk in the newness of life.’ Behold, the old things have passed away; all things have become new!

iii.                It is the point of acceptance into the church. According to Bible, a person becomes the member of the church of Jesus Christ, when he takes baptism. A person’s name is written the records of heaven the moment he or she accepts Jesus as savior. So a person need not take baptism to go to heaven.  But after professing faith in Jesus, such persons are expected to be part of a local faith community. Many churches do not allow people who are not baptized to participate in the Holy Communion. 

(I realize that everyone understands this point. Recently I attended a christening service of a baby girl in our family in an Orthodox church. I was watching everything very carefully since this was the first time I attended such a service as an adult. I was surprised to see the vicar taking that baby girl in his hand and putting a drop of the communion wine on her lips and even a crumbled piece of the communion bread. He was accepting her as a member of the church family, now that she was baptized).

iv.                 It is to maintain a good conscience with God. (1 Peter 3:21). The reason for the good conscience is that one has obeyed the commandment of God. So there is no guilt feeling in mind. One is free to worship God in full confidence.

v.                   It opens the door for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2: 38-39). Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one 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. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” What caught the attention of the crowd on the day of Pentecost was hearing a group of people from Galilee speaking in so many different languages. They wanted that experience. Peter asked them to repent of their sins and take baptism. Three thousand of them did. 

The Mode of Baptism

In all the accounts we saw from the Book of Acts, people were immersed in water at the time of baptism. The early church continued this practice. After the conversion of Constantine, many elaborate baptisteries were built in Italy and some of them are still around. The baptistery of the Lateran must be the earliest ecclesiastical building still in use. It was founded by Pope Sixtus III.

The Lateran Baptistry

5th Century Cathedral of Frejus, France with baptistry

All of them feature a deep basin for full immersion. The Byzantine Basilica of Emmaus Nicopolis, which was built near the ancient city of Emmaus in the Holy Land in the fifth century had a baptistery. The oldest Christian building in France, which is in the city of Poitiers, had a baptistery for immersion. Almost all of the oldest cathedrals in Europe shows a baptistery for immersion.  When Apostle Thomas went to India and established a faith community there, each of the churches he started had a pool next to it to conduct baptism by immersion. 

The word ‘baptisma’ itself means to immerse something in water. The word pictures used in the Bible for baptism also conveys the idea of immersion. 1 Corinthians 10 likens baptism to the crossing of the Red Sea by ancient Israelites. In that story, the water stood like high walls on both sides as the Israelites passed through the dry land in the middle. In 1 Peter 3:20-21, Peter uses the image of Noah’s family in the ark during the deluge as a picture of baptism. We already looked at Romans 6 where baptism is likened to a burial service. Thus, all the word pictures used for baptism in the Bible hints at baptizing people by immersion only.

Historically, baptism by immersion continued until early middle ages. When running water was not available, exception was allowed for ‘aspersion’ (sprinkling of water on the head) and ‘affusion’ (pouring of water on the head by the minister’s hand. ‘Immersion’ also started taking different meanings as time went on. In most of the early Christian arts and modern movies, one see the baptizer and the baptizee going into the water and the pouring of water on the baptizee’s head. This was actually considered ‘partial immersion.’ So a new phrase, ‘baptism by submersion,’ came into existence. Zwingli in the 16^th century denounced all practices of baptism except by submersion.  All of the full gospel denominations, Baptist denominations and some mainline churches like the Eastern Orthodox Church practice  baptism by submersion. (In this blog, when I say baptism by immersion, I am referring to baptism by submersion, not partial immersion). 

Today we see different churches and denominations practicing baptism in different ways. Some use aspersion, some use affusion, some use partial immersion and some use submersion. Since the teachings of the Bible and the Apostolic practices are clear in this matter, we believe that baptism by submersion is the right thing to do and practice it only in our baptism services.

The Biblical mandate for baptism is clear. Baptism is not universal in the Bible. Only the people who repent of their sins and profess their faith in Jesus Christ are required to take baptism. Since, these are not possible for an infant, there is no reason to baptize an infant.  Linking baptism to salvation and treating it as a sacrament has created the confusion we see in Christendom in this matter. Even Martin Luther who taught that salvation is by faith alone, treated baptism as a sacrament. 

The thought that people who are not baptized will not go to heaven has been around since the early times of Christianity. While the Roman persecution was taking place during the first three centuries, a number of martyrs did not get to take baptism before their death. Are they allowed into heaven without baptism was a major question in those days.  That is when the phrase ‘baptism by blood’ was coined. But the Bible is clear in this matter. A person’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life when a person is saved. I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:7). Baptism will not take a person to heaven.

As for the children, they are the standard of innocence. Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). If adults are challenged to become innocent as little children, will not the children go to heaven? So there is no need to baptize infants to make them worthy of heaven. Since every professing Christian is asked to take baptism, even the folks who were baptized as infants need to be re-baptized after their salvation.

Preparing For Baptism

The early Christian church took baptism very seriously. We have records of some abbots requiring a week of fasting before baptism. Everyone had to wear white on that day. Women were asked to take off all forms of Jewelry from their body before taking baptism. Many cultures around the world still follow the custom of women taking all the jewelry out before baptism. In some cultures, women are not allowed to remove certain ornaments as long as their husbands are alive. So this is not possible.

Baptism is an important step in a person’s Christian walk. It is saying final good bye to your old lifestyle. You are getting rid of your ‘old man’ and starting your life as a ‘new man.’ It is the point of no return in your Christian walk. You are willingly turning your back to the world and your face to the cross. So no one should take it lightly. 

Before the day of baptism, spend more time in Bible reading and prayers. If you can, read the chapters from the Book of Acts mentioned above that tell us the stories of others who took baptism. It will inspire you and encourage you. Since you are taking a step of obedience, an attitude of surrender is important. Use this season to ask God for special spiritual blessings. If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, ask for that special blessing in your life. Seek the will of God for your life after baptism. Every believer is an ambassador for Christ. God has plans to use your testimony and life to encourage others.

After Baptism

Baptism is the beginning of a new lifestyle. Before baptism, the person(s) have already repented of their sins and said good bye to their old lifestyle. He or she buries that old sin laden body in the waters of baptism. When they rise up from the water, they do so with the intention of walking in the newness of life. The model for that new walk can be seen in Acts 2. ‘And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. .. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.’ (Acts 2:42, 46, 47). This what is expected of people taking baptism today.  You must attend church regularly and learn from scriptures, be there for the prayers, be there at the time of Holy Communion, fellowship with other Christians. Yes, it is a new and exciting life style.

May God bless you as you take this new step in your Christian walk!