Before we go further into this, let me state which should be obvious to all. Baptism is commanded by our Lord. To refuse to do so is living in rebellion to the Lord since we can submit to His command at any time. Any religious person who tells you that you may live in rebellion to the Lord and remain saved is misleading you to eternal consequences.
In the modern church, we see pastors, from the pulpit, tell people they need not be baptized and then try to defend why one need not be baptized. They are in effect telling people that one need not obey God. I have been in several different churches where this has happened. When this happens in a congregation, the pastor actually sets the pattern of disobedience to God. What does this mean? It means that if we tell people they don’t have to obey God with respect to baptism, they understand that it means we don’t have to obey God in anything.
We don’t know of a single place in the New Testament where a believer was not baptized, with the possible exception of the thief on the cross who not only did all he could in his circumstance but as pointed out by a friend, was still under the Old Covenant. We say possible because there are at least some indicators that the thief on the cross actually knew Jesus before going to the cross. There is a chance, however small, that he may actually have believed in Jesus, followed Jesus, and was baptized by Jesus’s disciples before going to the cross. This of course is a largely speculative view, but is irrelevant to the point since he was under the Old Covenant and that the thief on the cross did everything he could do in his circumstance.
Most people probably don’t know how or why the idea that one need not be baptized came about. The problem circles back to our examination of the different types of works that we covered elsewhere. The idea we need not be baptized really originated with Huldrich Zwingli who claimed that baptism cannot be a part of salvation because it is a work. When Zwingli said this, he did not understand the idea of the different types of work in Scripture likely basing his understanding on Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Furthermore, he did not understand that salvation is a path, not a punctiliar event. Ephesians 2:8-9 applies to initial salvation which is by grace through faith alone. However, that is not the end of the story.
But the lack of understanding of the different types of works, and that salvation is a path in Scripture has been, and continues to be, overlooked by many theologians. Baptism is a work of the Spirit, not a work of the flesh or a work of the law. It is something God commands us to do. Hence the very passage Zwingli may have used to discount the idea of baptism being required actually, because it was misunderstood, partially set the pattern of rebellion to God in the modern church. Any idea that we need not obey God when God commands something because it is a work, is a very, very warped idea.
But the key issue is this. Will God save people who intentionally live in rebellion to Him? Remember refusal to do what God says is unlike many other sins. Why? Because once we commit a sin of commission, we can never take it back. But a sin of omission can be addressed at any time by simply submitting to God. A sin of commission does not constitute an act of rebellion. Refusing to do what God commands is an act of rebellion.
Now, let us look at a table which compares the various ideas behind baptism. It must be noted that the following assumptions hold which can be easily shown from Scripture:
God does not forgive sins in advance, remission for sins at baptism is for sins committed, not envisioned.
| Situation | Original Sin is passed on to individuals | No Original Sin, only a sinful nature is passed onto individuals |
| Infant Baptism | Only forgives the original sin; infant is vulnerable between birth and baptism. Those killed in utero lost. Infants do not have faith. | No value |
| Adult Baptism | Individual is at risk from conception to turning to Christ and being baptized. | Past sins forgiven |
There are many Scriptures that teach about water-based baptism. These include:
SCRIPTURE Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” COMMENTARY A clear command from Jesus to make disciples and to baptize them, not to tell them they do not need to be baptized.
SCRIPTURE Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” COMMENTARY The underlying Greek emphasizes belief. However, the case is clear that those who truly believe will be baptized. Those who reject baptism may never truly have believed or at the very least are starting their walk of faith on thin ice. Remember, as we have shown true and saving faith is demonstrated by obedience.
SCRIPTURE Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” COMMENTARY A direct commandment to new believers to be baptized.
SCRIPTURE Romans 6:4-5 “ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”
COMMENTARY A direct explanation of what baptism is. It is a participation in the death, burial, and resurrection our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Remember here that the baptism is a metaphor for the dying process hence it is before being raised to new life in the Spirit. Hence this cannot be related to “baptism of the Spirit” since there is no place where Scripture describes baptism of the Spirit as an immersive act.
SCRIPTURE Acts 8:35-38 “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” COMMENTARY One of the examples of baptism in the New Testament. Even the eunuch knew that he must be baptized and demonstrated his faith by obedience in asking to be baptized. The fact that Scripture notes there is water there speaks to the baptism at hand.
SCRIPTURE Acts 10:47 “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” COMMENTARY Peter, after witnessing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, confirming the gentiles had received the gospel (consistent with John 1:12), asks if any man would deny them the chance to be baptized. While some may see this as a case that one can be saved without baptism because the Spirit was received before baptism, there was no doubt what followed – their submission and being baptized. Having the indwelling Holy Spirit is not an unconditional guarantee of salvation; it is clear evidence that we have come to Christ (having entered through the strait or narrow gate), but the journey down the narrow way that leads to eternal life does not end until physical death or rapture. But this was a special situation. God was teaching Peter that no man should be called unclean. Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God witnessed to Peter first-hand that Gentiles were allowed into the kingdom of God, something heretofore unconsidered by Israel even though spoken of by the prophet Isaiah (ex. Isaiah 56:7-8). In the case of Cornelius and his family, they submitted to baptism. Some might raise the possibility that baptism was unimportant because they had already received the Holy Spirit, but the question is clear: would refusing to be baptized be a good way to persist in the Holy Spirit or would that grieve the Holy Spirit? Refusing to be baptized is a clear indication that one is not being led by the Holy Spirit. It is making a personal commitment to refuse to be led by the Holy Spirit. Saving faith, as discussed earlier, manifests itself in obedience. To be baptized is to obey Jesus Christ our Lord.
SCRIPTURE Acts 16:31-33 “And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.” COMMENTARY Consider the urgency the jailer and his family felt that they be baptized right away. The jailer and his family demonstrated a faithful heart of obedience before God.
SCRIPTURE Acts 22:16 “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” COMMENTARY Ananias told Paul that he was to arise and be baptized. It is normative that a person is also baptized; this obedience is part of what comprises a true and living faith. Saying we believe and the rejecting what our Lord commands is not a true and living faith (John 14:15).
Even passages which seem to downplay baptism are not often understood. When Paul says, “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name” (1 Corinthians 1:14–15), Paul was referring to baptism as a potentially divisive issue because members of the church in Corinth had started following different men based on who baptized them (as people do today), and Paul wanted them to follow Christ, not men. But Paul was in no way offering a commentary or a superseding command against what Christ commanded.
Consider those that had already been baptized by John the Baptist. They were re-baptized into Christ: “And he said unto them, unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:3–5).
These followers of Christ clearly had the right heart before God. Remember that during Jesus’ time, the religious leaders led the people away from God and toward their human centered brand of religion, which they created, misusing the Scriptures as a base. Elements of this are occurring in the modern church.
Jesus’ final commandment to his eleven faithful disciples (“the Great Commission”) was this: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19–20).
The faithful minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ simply repeats what Jesus commands: be baptized.
A church leader or pastor who argues against the requirement of baptism is, quite simply, leading his flock away from obedience to Christ and what Christ commanded. For those who tell their congregations they need not do what Jesus commanded, we are reminded of what Jesus said: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). Offend (Greek skandalizo) means to entice to sin. When church leaders tell their flocks they need not be baptized (or it matters not), they are enticing them to sin; that is, to reject a command of our God. A faithful minister of the gospel should never try to lead others into sin.
One other important issue as relates to baptism. There are some who hold to two different gospels (and this is addressed in another section of this site) and in doing so insist that water baptism is a requirement for what they call the gospel of the kingdom (Christ) but not the gospel of grace (Paul). Furthermore, they believe that baptism of the Holy Spirit is the only baptism under the gospel of grace. Although the idea of two different gospels under the last two dispensations is errant let us just explore the idea of how this affects baptism. As a reminder, we are taught clearly in John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
If what two-gospel Dispensationalists posit is true, that is that water baptism does not apply under the current dispensation of grace (and the associated gospel of grace), then we would not expect to find water baptisms in Scripture after Jesus Christ taught Paul. However, that is not what we find. There are multiple places where water baptism is clear (ex. Acts 10:47-48, 16:33, 18:8, 19:3-5) and other places where water baptism (ex. Romans 6:4-5, Colossians 2:12) is suggested. The places where we water baptism is shown are all places which occurred after Paul received his revelation from Jesus Christ.
Granted there are references where Spirit-based baptism are also referenced (ex. 1 Corinthians 12:13). But its not either or as Jesus indicated; its both. Again, we are to be born of water and the Spirit, not just one or the other.
For those who have truly acknowledged Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, no other reason than His command should be necessary to convince a believer to be baptized. Unfortunately, we all too often hear church leaders indirectly telling people they don’t need to do what God says. This is not humility before God, but rather a dangerous arrogance and direct, willful disobedience to Christ’s direct commandment in the Great Commission. When a church leader tells his flock that they are not required to do something that God has commanded, they put themselves in God’s judgment seat. We genuinely fear for those church leaders and pastors. How will they be able to answer when they stand before Him, and He asks them why they found it unnecessary to obey His Great Commission?