The Meaning of Water Baptism

Introduction:

The reason that I decided to study the meaning of water baptism was because I had some questions about it myself. (I originally did this study November 9, 2000; Footnotes are listed at the bottom).

I myself was baptized as an infant, but after learning more about baptism through my previous studies of the Bible, I began to believe that one must repent of their sins before being baptized — and I really doubt a baby knows anything about sin, let alone anything for that matter. But this does’t mean that I felt I didn’t belong to God. In Exodus 13:2, God told Moses, “Dedicate to me all the firstborn sons of Israel…they are mine.”(1) I believe that when I was baptized as an infant, I was actually dedicated to the Lord.

As I began to believe this more, I figured I may need to get baptized now, as a repented adult who’s chosen to give his life to Jesus Christ. But at the same time, I couldn’t figure out exactly why I needed to, or if I even did need to at all. So I guess the first question would be, why should somebody get baptized?

Why should somebody get baptized?

I understand that Jesus ordered His disciples at the end of the book of Matthew saying, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing(2) them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”(3) but why did He tell them to baptize? I always heard on the radio programs that if you just repent your sins to the Lord and ask Him into your life, you will be saved. So what’s with the extra stuff? To answer this, I thought I would look in the Bible for some help.

Meaning of “Baptism”

First, let’s look at what “baptism” means. If you look in the Greek New Testament, you will see forms of the word “βαπτιζω”, which means “baptize” or “wash”.

When I first began studying the Holy Bible, I realized that there were a lot of rituals mentioned that I didn’t understand, mainly because they were explained in the Old Testament and the readers of the New Testament didn’t need explanations, since they already practiced the customs. So let’s go to the Old Testament.

“Wash” in the Bible

I looked up “wash” in my Bible, and there are about 400 entries! Some examples include:

1. Exodus 30:17, where God told Moses to make a large “bathtub-like” washbasin for Aaron and his sons so they can wash their hands and feet before approaching the altar. If they didn’t wash, they would die;
2. Exodus 40:7-15 says that after washing, Moses is told to clothe them in the holy garments and anoint them, setting them apart to serve the Lord;
3. In Leviticus 16:3-4, Aaron is instructed to bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a whole burnt offering. Then, he must wash his entire body before getting dressed in his “holy-clothes”, before even entering the sanctuary.

My point is that “God is holy, but human beings are contaminated. Everyone, by biology, inevitably contracted uncleanness from time to time; therefore, everyone in this fallen world must be purified to approach a holy God.”(4)

Before one could engage in any ceremonial activity, God’s people had to wash or purify themselves. God wouldn’t let anyone anywhere near His altar or sanctuary if they hadn’t first washed themselves. I guess it could be seen sort of in the sense of getting all cleaned up before meeting somebody important. If you don’t wash yourself and get all dressed up in your special clothes, that person may feel offended (or avoid you if you smell bad). And you sure don’t want to offend God!

“Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.” (Psalm 51)

Hebrew 10:13-15 says,
“Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ritual defilement. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God! For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That’s why He is the One who mediates the new covenant between God and people, so that all who are invited can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of sins they had committed under that first covenant.”

The system of the old covenant couldn’t provide perfect purity to the people — that’s why the sacrifices had to be repeated over and over. Whenever somebody sinned, or became unclean, they had to offer something on the altar of God. But they had to do this each time they sinned, or became unclean. So God gave Jesus as the last sacrifice, which fulfilled the first covenant, in order to establish the new one so that we may be made holy. In other words, God wanted to make us presentable to Himself once and for all. So now, when it comes to washing ourselves before approaching the Lord, we only have to do it once, for “the blood of Jesus, His son, cleanses us from every sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Water Baptism and Circumcision

Another way of looking at water baptism, which I noticed in my research, is as the way of the new covenant, replacing that of the old, which in other words, is circumcision. In Genesis 7:10, God tells Abraham that every male must be circumcised as a sign that he has accepted God’s Covenant. If they didn’t get circumcised, they’d be cut off from God’s promise. This was also seen as the “Oath-Curse”, for one could either cut off part of themselves, or all of themselves.

As time went on, and the Israelites became stubborn in their hearts, God suggested that they circumcise their hearts. Some versions even say “circumcise the foreskin of your heart.” (Deuteronomy 10:12-15) This changed the view on circumcision, since before, circumcision was looked upon as just a physical reminder. Now, God’s people are told that they must also put their hearts, morals, attitudes, and obedience towards God into effect.

Repentance with Water Baptism

David recognizes the need for God’s forgiveness in Psalm 51, as he begs Him for mercy. Likewise, God wants us all to come to him, confess our sins to Him, and enter into His New Covenant — a covenant that’s based on faith, not works; a relationship with God; Instead of being separate from God, a covenant which invites us to become one with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Paul insisted that no one is saved by their own god works, not even by the good work of baptism, but only by faith in Christ. So repentance is mandatory with baptism(5). Baptism is not just physical washing, but the pledge of a good conscience towards God.(6)

When John the Baptist baptized at the Jordan River, he preached repentance to everyone before baptism as a way of escape from a world under judgement; A means of escape from the Oath-Curse, which we were previously bound by. Baptism is not a removal of dirt from our bodies, but an appeal to God for a clean conscience. “Water in itself does not bring about purity, but one must avoid evil and humbly submit to the commandments of God in order that the water of purification may be effective. Now one isn’t cleansed unless he has turned from his error.”(7) God’s whole point is for us to become new creatures from the inside-out, not just to become clean on the outside.

Submersion Or Sprinkling?

I continue to hear churches say that baptism must be done by dunking one fully into a body of water. I even found scripture to back it up with(8):

• Acts 8:38-39, “…and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water,…”
• Mark 1:5b:”And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan river.”
• Mark 1:10 “And when Jesus came up out of the water,…”

Plus, throughout all of my sources, each of them said that baptism means to dunk or submerge. But I wanted to go a little further and see what it means in a non-Christian sense, so I looked in a Lexicon. It said “plunge, sink, overwhelm, and soak.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds to me like in order for someone to be baptized, they have to hold their breath, plug their nose, and make a splash. But then I saw some verses in the Old Testament, and one in the New Testament that stopped me in my tracks:

• Numbers 8:7 “Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean. Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification.”

So what’s the correct way of baptizing? I don’t know — I’m not really sure anybody knows. Just that they confessed their sins to Jesus and repented, then water touches their head and that they are baptized “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” This isn’t to say that one can be baptized in the rain, though. But as I mentioned, I have not been able to find enough information on “the correct way” or the “only way” to baptize.

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

I was talking to somebody a couple weeks ago, who said that he was told that Jesus was a sinner before He was baptized. He claimed to have heard about rare documents which were found that talked about Jesus’ lost years as a youth through to young adulthood. If that were the case, then it would sure make sense as to why Jesus had to be baptized. But then if that were true, then Jesus couldn’t have been a truly pure and sinless sacrifice for the world. So why did Jesus have to get baptized, if He didn’t have any sins to confess? Well, in Matthew 3:15, Jesus said it was in accordance to God’s will. OK, but that still doesn’t really tell me much as to why. But when you look at Matthew 16:24, when Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me,” we see that Jesus’ baptism was the starting point of that challenge. If we’re to follow Jesus, we must first be baptized. And since we’re not sinless creatures, we must also confess our sins to the Lord, and repent.

Why Water?

Here’s a question that I was wondering about, since I recall reading something about Moses sprinkling blood upon the people, then splashing the remaining buckets full against the alter. Plus, God mentioned that the life of all living things are in the blood. But if you want to talk about a blood sacrifice, Jesus was it. Water has always been used for washing, purifying, and cleansing. Plus, water is also seen as a symbol of life. For example, when Moses was instructed by God to turn the Nile river into blood, all the fish died, it smelled, and nobody was able to drink from it. But when it was water, there was life within it. Second, Jesus said that He is Living Water. Drink from Him, and we will never thirst again.

Initiation Into the Religion/the Spirit

“Just as baptism in water was the initiation rite symbolizing repentance and faith in Christ, entrance into the community of believers, and incorporation into Christ’s body, so ‘baptism in the Spirit’ first began to operate in believers’ lives.”(9)

When my mom was thinking about joining a Baptist church, they’d said that even though she had been baptized as an infant, she would still have to be baptized again into their church. I didn’t understand that — I still don’t, for it’s not the church that you’re baptized into. I mean, it is the Church, but not a particular congregation or denomination, for it’s “by the Spirit” that we’re initiated into the Church, made to drink of one Spirit, and sealed for ultimate redemption.(10) I realize now that the church believes that a person should be baptized as an adult with deep consciousness of repentance, but once you are in the Spirit, you don’t need to be baptized again into it. So I still must question that church’s understandings of baptism.

Conclusion

The way that I understand baptism now is that it’s not just a public display, as I had previously thought, or as many churches today claim it as being. Instead, it’s actually a whole bunch of important necessary elements in becoming a Christian.

Remember towards the beginning when I mentioned that in order to make a sin offering, one would need a perfect creature to sacrifice? Well, Jesus was that perfect creature. God wanted to stop the constant sacrifices by people who didn’t put their complete hearts and souls into them, and into worship of their Lord. So He sent His Only Son, who fit the qualifications for a perfect sacrifice, and became just that so that He may save all of humankind from sin. He had no sin, no blemish, was never used in the service of man(11), was hung from a tree (for it was written, “cursed is he who is hung from a tree” (Deuteronomy 21:23, Galatians 3:13)) to take and cancel out the curse that was meant for us.

In the old times, in order for one to come anywhere near the sanctuary or alter, they had to wash themselves first. When Jesus was baptized, He set the example for us. Once we’ve been baptized, we’re then clean for eternity, and worthy to approach the Lord God. “Without a new birth of water and Spirit, none can see or enter the kingdom or attain a spiritual nature. The healing of blindness by washing at Christ’s command (John 9:11) led the church later to call baptism ‘the enlightenment’.”(12) And since we are following Jesus, who was first baptized, and following Him in His ministry, and are now clean, we also take the position of putting on holy garments so as to begin our work for the Lord. We then become as workers in the Lord’s business, for we are all now parts of the Temple, which is the Lord’s Body, united as brothers and sisters in Christ, transformed from our old selves to our new selves. “We were all baptized…into one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

Oh yeah, as for me, I was originally baptized as an infant. But later, a few years after finally, fully, giving my whole life to Christ, I began attending a church that only believed in believer’s baptism. So in a swimming pool, one cold August morning of 1999, by means of dunking (or submersion), I was re-baptized as a believing adult. I realize now that the infant baptism counted, but at the time, I didn’t, which is why I did it again. Today, I joke that when it comes to serving in a church, I’m covered by whichever means of baptism they require.

“And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16)

Bibliography

• Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Book House Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1996.
• Gehman, Henry Snyder, The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA, MCMLXX.
• Achtemeir, Paul J., Harper’s Bible Dictionary, Harper & Row, Publishers, San Fransisco, CA, 1971.
• Lampe, G.W.H., M.C., D.D., The Seal of the Spirit, A Study in the Doctrine of Baptism and Confirmation in the New Testament and the Fathers, Longmans, Green & Company, London, New York, Toronto, 1956.
• Kline, Meredith G., By Oath Consigned, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI,1968.
• Crehan, Joseph S.J., Early Christian Baptism and the Creed, The Bellarmine Series XIII, Burns Oates and Washbourne LTD, London, 1950.
• Warns, Johannes, Baptism:Studies in the Original Christian Baptism, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids 6, Michigan, 1957.
• Arndt, William F., Gincrich, F.Wilbur, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1957.
• The Open Bible-New Living Translation, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN,1996.
• The Greek New Testament, Fourth Revised Edition, United Bible Societies, 1983.

Footnotes

1. New Living Translation (Open Bible)
2. This participle could be translated into several ways: Purpose, Temporal, Means (by), and a Result.
3. NLT, Matthew 28:19
4. Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Book House Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1996. pg.100
5. Romans 3:20, 4:4-5; Galatians 3:2, Ephesians 2:8
6. 1 Peter 3:21 (paraphrased)
7. Gehman, Henry Snyder, The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA, MCMLXX.
8. (I’d originally had more verses, but while originally working on this part, my computer had crashed twice, whereas I’d lost everything I’d originally found, so by this time, I was trying to go by memory).
9. Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Book House Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1996. pg. 50
10. Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Book House Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1996. pg. 51
11. Gehman, Henry Snyder, The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA, MCMLXX. pg. 781.
12. Elwell, Walter A., Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Baker Book House Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1996. pg. 53.