Walk

338. Baptism

According to Strong’s Concordance ‘baptize’ is defined in as follows:

Baptizo. Not to be confused with bapto. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptised' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution, but the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change.

When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g. Mark 16:16. 'He that believes and is baptised shall be saved'. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle!

Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.

Baptism is the outward physical act of what happened inside of you, that is, death, burial and resurrection.

Matthew 28:19 says, “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.” This literally means to immerse into the name of, the character of God Himself.

If you were put into a pool of water and died from suffocation, and then were born again with the life of God in you that would be a good example of what happened to you in the spiritual realm. This is why Jesus wants us to be baptized; in order to show to the world, the demons, our flesh and body and mind what actually happened to us in the spiritual realm. The actual act of going into the water and coming out really does not do anything for you, except gives you an opportunity to obey God.

Baptism does give you salvation.

It is an act of obedience to take you on to further salvation. Salvation does not just mean the initial born again experience. Salvation, or being saved, is from a Greek word that means to be delivered from danger and made whole. After our initial salvation experience, we need to move on to further “being made whole”, or salvation. The first act of obedience that opens the door for more with God is baptism. It is very important, but not vital to our going to Heaven.

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

Paul talked about us being baptized with Christ when we were born again. Romans 6:4 says, “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.”

Colossians 2:12 says, “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.”

Jesus was baptized. He had no sin but this was a sign that He was going to identify and absorb our sin.

Matthew 3:13-17 says, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

Jesus spoke about His crucifixion as another one of His baptisms. Matthew 20:22 says, “But Jesus answered and said, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able.’”

Some argue about being sprinkled or about being dunked. It is not worth arguing about! All I can say is that in Muslim countries when people come to the Lord, the ones that are baptized by being immersed into water are the ones who are killed and persecuted.

You do not need to be baptized by some special religious or spiritual person. A friend baptized me in a backyard swimming pool. I have baptized some of my children in a river.

John spoke about the baptism in the Holy Sprit as another type of baptism. Luke 3:16 says, “John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

This baptism is covered in another lesson.

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