Jesus said: "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, 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" (Matthew 28:18-19, NKJ) It was the Lord Himself who said, "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 will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16, NKJ). Even though it may not be a popular subject, baptism is a vital part of preaching and teaching the gospel. It is indeed worthy of a closer look.
Scriptural baptism is a burial, an immersion or submersion. Romans 6:4 declares: "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." In the Colossian epistle, the apostle Paul writes: "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" (Colossians 2:12).
When Philip was sent by the Holy Spirit to meet the Ethiopian Eunuch he "preached Jesus to him" (Acts 8:35). We continue on in the immediate text: "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?" (Acts 8:36). In preaching Jesus, Philip had taught the necessity and urgency of baptism in water. When the Eunuch saw the water, he posed his question.
At the household of Cornelius in Acts 10, Peter and those who had traveled with him were made aware of God's desire for the Gentiles to also share in the salvation through Christ by the Holy Spirit coming upon those at the house of Cornelius. As a result, Peter asks, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" Water baptism was essential to their salvation, for in the very next verse he commands them to be baptized (see Acts 10:48).
To do something in "the name of" someone is to do it by their authority. We noticed in the first paragraph of this article that Jesus had commanded the gospel be preached and included in it the fact that baptism would be involved. The Scriptures show us that baptism must be by the authority of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19 declares:"baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". The entire Godhead is represented in such a statement and that should not surprise us. There is a harmony of will between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-16). In the book of Acts, baptism was in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; 8:12-16; and 10:48). Paul in the Colossian epistle declared: "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:17).
On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus said of the contents of the cup that He was about to drink of, "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28). His blood had not yet been shed, but when it was shed it was "shed for many for the remission of sins". After Christ's death, burial, resurrection and ascension Peter who preached the message of salvation through Christ said: "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" (Acts 2:38). Just as the blood of Jesus was for the remission of sins, so baptism is for the remission of sins. It is essential to understand that we are not saved before baptism. In Mark 16:16, Jesus placed the word "saved" after belief and baptism. Peter tells us, "There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism..." (I Peter 3:20-21). Just as water stood between the old condemned world in Noah's day and the water cleansed, pure, and sinless world after the flood, so also baptism stands between our old man in sin and our new life in Christ. Paul talks about "death" in baptism in Romans 6:3-4, and our rising (from the watery grave of baptism) to walk in newness of life. When Ananias the preacher arrived at the place where Saul of Tarsus was waiting, he instructed him with the words: "And now, why are you waiting? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). We are not baptized because we are saved, but in order to be saved.
Philip's work at Samaria helps us see that baptism is for people old enough to understand and to determine to respond on their own choice. It is said of Philip's preaching: "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized" (Acts 8:12).
Back in Acts 2, we see that the preaching of Peter made those people fully aware of the fact that the one they had called for the death of just a few short days before was the Very One, the Son of God. When he announced "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ"(v. 37); they wanted to know what to do. Peter continued: "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" (Acts 2:38). Those who gladly received his word "were baptized" (v. 41). Notice that Peter made it very clear that those who believed must "repent and be baptized..". Repentance is essential to our salvation (Luke 13:3). It will involve a recognition of our sin, a regret for the hurt we have brought upon God by our sin, a resolve of mind to quit sinning, a reform of life that will demonstrate that we have quit our sins, and a return to God's favor by our obedience to His will. After the Ethiopian Eunuch saw the water and wanted to know what stood in the way of his baptism, Philip declared: "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37). He was baptized immediately after that confession of faith in Christ. One must be capable of believing, repenting and confessing in order for them to be scripturally baptized.
Baptism is not the end of one's journey in response to God, it is only the beginning. Those people in Acts 2 "continued steadfastly" (see Acts 2:42-47) after their conversion. It is only at the end of a faithful life that we can look forward to a home in heaven. May we encourage you to respond to Christ in the way the Bible says? Look seriously at your own conversion experience and see how it compares with that which we have presented from the Scripture record. Could we help you obey the Lord in the Lord's way? Contact us.