"INTO
WHAT THEN WERE YOU BAPTIZED?"
What
is the purpose of baptism? If you listen to the teachings of men you
will hear many different answers. However, if you listen to the
message of God's word, you will hear the truth on the matter. Even
in the days of the apostle Paul, there were some who did not
understand the purpose of baptism as Jesus had taught His apostles to
proclaim.
When
John the baptizer came on the scene, he began to proclaim, "Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Mt. 3:2) He also
proclaimed that, "There comes One after me who is mightier than
I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose."
(Mk. 1:7) "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is
at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.'" (Mk. 1:14-15)
Daniel
the prophet had foretold some six hundred years earlier that during
the days of the Roman Empire "...the God of heaven will set up a
kingdom which shall never be destroyed....and it shall stand
forever." (Dan. 2:44) Jesus confirmed this prophecy by
declaring to Peter, "...I will
build
My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And
I will
give
you the keys of the kingdom of heaven..." (Mt. 16:18-19) The
eminence of the coming of His kingdom was made even more emphatic on
that occasion when He said, "Assuredly, I say to you that there
are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the
kingdom of God present with power." (Mk. 9:1)
This
gospel (literally, good
news)
is the message that Jesus gave His apostles the responsibility to
proclaim. Just prior to His ascension back to heaven, He told them,
"Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to
suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance
and remission of sins
should be preached in
His name
to all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem.
And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of
My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are
endued with power from on high." (Lk. 24:46-49)
Notice
that the message of the gospel involved "repentance and
remission
of sins"
and that this message was to begin
at Jerusalem. It would be the first time that "forgiveness of
sins" could be proclaimed as an accomplished fact. Prior to
this, the animal sacrifices that had bloodied the alters throughout
the generations of the Israelite nation had been a constant reminder
of their sins, but could not remove
their sins. The Hebrew writer confirmed this when he said that
"...in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take
away sins." (Heb. 10:3-4) Those animal sacrifices which were
commanded under the law of Moses, were "...a shadow of the good
things to come" (Heb. 10:1) and pointed toward the perfect
sacrifice of the Son of God.
On
the day of Pentecost after Jesus' death, burial, resurrection and
ascension to heaven, the message of the gospel began to be preached
in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy some eight hundred years earlier -
and quoted by Peter on that day as proof that "...whoever calls
on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21, quoting
from Joel 2:32) Those who heard that inaugural message, whose hearts
were pricked with the reality of their guilt, also heard the remedy
for sin; "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) "Then those who
gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three
thousand souls were added to them." (vs. 41) Afterward, they
were found "praising God and having favor with all the people.
And
the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
(vs. 47)
Some
time later, we are introduced to Apollos, who was preaching in the
city of Ephesus. He "...had been instructed in the way of the
Lord...and he taught accurately the things of the Lord, though
he knew only the baptism of John."
(Acts 18:25) Therefore, "...when Aquilla and Priscilla heard
him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more
accurately." (vs. 26) Afterward, Apollos left Ephesus to go to
Corinth. In the mean time, Paul came to Ephesus where Apollos had
been preaching his limited understanding regarding baptism. Upon his
arrival, Paul found some followers of Christ who perhaps had been
taught by Apollos, because, when Paul asked them some questions that
would reveal the level of their understanding, it became obvious that
they also knew only of the baptism of John. Therefore, Paul asked
them, "Into what then were you baptized?" (Acts 19:3)
Implied
in Paul's question is the fact that baptism puts one into
something.
In reply to Paul's question they said, "Into John's baptism."
(vs.3) Paul explained to them, "John indeed baptized with a
baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe
on Him who would come after
him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were
baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus."
(vs. 4)
Herein
we have the only example of people who were baptized again.
This example gives testimony to the importance of understanding the
purpose
of baptism. It is not uncommon to study the bible with people who
have either been taught error or who simply have limited
understanding. Consequently, I have had the occasion to see people's
understanding enlightened by the scriptures, who drew the conclusion
that their baptism failed to meet the pattern found in God's word, or
who realized that they didn't understand why
they were baptized the first
time, and wanted to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of their sins.
This
is the right decision when honest-hearted people come to a correct
understanding of God's word. As Peter pointed out, baptism is
"...the answer of a good conscience toward God..." (1 Pet.
3:21) So why would anyone not
give answer to their conscience by obeying what they now know to be
the truth as it is revealed in the word of God?
It
is in baptism that we enter into Christ, in whom is found forgiveness
of sins. Paul said to the Christians in Galatia, "For you are
all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as
were baptized into
Christ
have put on Christ." (Gal. 3:26-27) He also asked the
Christians at Rome, "Or do you not know that as many of us as
were baptized into
Christ Jesus
were baptized into
His death?
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." (Rom. 6:3-4)
To the church at Ephesus he said, "Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ."
(Eph. 1:3) He also said that "In
Him
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace." (vs. 7)
These
passages make it clear that baptism puts us "into"
something. Baptism is that submissive act that symbolizes Jesus'
burial in the tomb after He died on the cross and three days later
overcame Satan by being raised from the dead. Baptism is where we
die to sin. It is when we come up out of the water of baptism that
we begin to "walk in newness of life." Until one is
baptized into
Christ, he is outside
of Christ, outside
of the heavenly places where all spiritual blessings are to be found,
and he remains inside
his spiritually dead body of sin. Not until one is baptized into
Christ, can he be released and resurrected out
of
that dead body.
It
is no wonder that Paul asked those whom he found at Ephesus who knew
only of the baptism that John the baptist had preached, "into
what then were you baptized?" (Acts 19:3) Paul explained to
them that "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance,
saying to the people (referring
to those who were being baptized,
gvw) that they should believe on Him who would come after
him, that is, on Christ Jesus." (vs. 4)
Keep
in mind that there is no mention of John's baptism putting anyone
into
anything. Christ had not yet died on the cross, therefore those who
were baptized with John's baptism were not baptized into
Christ. In fact, John's baptism looked forward
to Christ - the One who would come after
John. On one particular day "John saw Jesus coming toward him,
and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world!
This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred
before me, for He was
before me.' I did not know Him; but that
He should be revealed to Israel,
therefore
I came baptizing with water."
(Jn. 1:29-31) Herein John stated the purpose of his baptism.
On
the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when the gospel began to be preached in
Jerusalem, those who were baptized for the remission of sins were
looking back
to Christ's death, burial and resurrection as the hope of their
salvation. It was on that day that those who were being baptized "in
the name of Jesus Christ" were being added
to
the church by the Lord. (vs. 47)
Those
whom Paul met in Ephesus who knew only John's baptism had not yet
received the Holy Spirit and what's more, had not even "..heard
whether there
is
a Holy Spirit." (Acts 19:2) They obviously had no knowledge of
the fact that the Holy Spirit had been given on the day of Pentecost.
This prompted Paul to ask them, "into what then were you
baptized?" (vs. 3) John's preaching looked ahead to Christ and
His kingdom which would take place on Pentecost after His
resurrection and ascension. It looked forward
to
the promise spoken of by the prophet Joel who said, "And it
shall come to pass in
the last days,
says God, that I
will pour out of My Spirit
on all flesh." (Acts 2:17, as quoted from Joel 2:28)
We
see the fulfillment of those words taking place on the day of
Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) and we hear it in the words of Peter in
answer to the plaintive cry of those convicted of sin on that day;
"Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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." (vss. 38-39) The gift of the
Holy Spirit was given to those who were baptized "in the name of
Jesus Christ" - not in the baptism of John. Therefore, John's
message of repentance and his baptism looked forward
to this gift
which was conditional upon being baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ.
Once
those men in Ephesus understood the meaning behind being baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized for the remission of
sins. (Acts 19:5) Today, their example gives testimony to the
necessity of understanding the purpose
of baptism. The act
of baptism
is meaningless if it is not with the understanding of its purpose.
If I grabbed someone off of the street and forced them under the
waters of a nearby pond, it would be meaningless - first of all,
because it would not be a willing
act on their part, and secondly because they would probably wonder
what I was trying to do to them. In this ridiculous illustration we
find an example that is not unlike the "baptism" (?) of an
infant (sometimes called "christening" where water is
poured or sprinkled on an infant). They know nothing of its intended
purpose at the time nor anything about it unless they are told about
it when they are grown. It is a meaningless act. Therefore, they
need to be baptized with the understanding of the purpose
of
baptism - for the remission of sins.
Likewise,
those who have been taught to pray the sinner's prayer and to invite
Christ to come into their heart so He will become their personal
Savior - and afterward are baptized as an outward show of an inward
faith (believing that they were already saved before
baptism), have been taught something that is not found anywhere in
the bible. (I challenge anyone
to find any
passage in the bible that teaches this!) When those who have
believed this false doctrine are confronted with the real
truth of the gospel, they need to be baptized with the new
understanding that "...even baptism doth also now save us...by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 3:21, kjv)
The
question that Paul asked those Ephesians who had only known John's
baptism, prompts us to consider the purpose
behind
baptism. Their lack of knowledge regarding the baptism that had been
commanded (for the remission of sins) beginning at Jerusalem on the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2), prompted Paul to ask them, "Into what
then were you baptized?" (Acts 19:3)
If
it was important enough for them to give thought to that question, it
is important enough for all
who have been baptized to do likewise. It is the single most
important act in our lives that we will ever give consideration to
because it has to do with our eternal destiny. It involves a choice
that we make in this
life that will effect our future
eternity! And as we consider their response to Paul's question, it
becomes quite obvious why
he asked. They needed to be
convinced
of the truth and act
upon
it. Their answer came back as a response of their conscience to a
doubt that existed and needed clearing. By their very act of
submission in baptism, they were answering that question. That
answer came back as a statement that they had not
previously understood but now did
understand
that baptism is "into Christ" (Gal. 3:26-27) and "into
His death" (Rom. 6:3) "for the remission of sins"
(Acts 2:38)
There
is no shame in admitting that we did not understand or that we were
mistaken. That's what repentance
is all about. When one learns the truth, it is time to turn away
from doubt and error and turn to
the truth as "...the answer of a good conscience toward God..."
(1 Pet. 3:21) This is what Paul had done. Prior to having
understood the truth, Paul could have said, "Indeed, I myself
thought I must do many things contrary
to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." (Acts 26:9) But after
he learned the truth, he turned away from his error and began to
"declare first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and
throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that
they should repent,
turn to God, and
do
works befitting repentance." (vs. 20)
The
real
shame is when people hear the truth and then fail to embrace it.
Those Ephesian men did the right thing when "...they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:5) because now
they understood the truth.
Understanding
is
the key to obedience. Paul admonished the Christians at Ephesus to
"...not be unwise, but understand
what the will of the Lord is." (Eph. 5:17) How can you obey
that which you do not understand? This point is made clear in the
example of the Ethiopian eunuch, who, when asked by Philip, "Do
you understand what you are reading?" (Acts 8:30), he responded,
"How can I, unless someone guides me?" (vs. 31) In that
example we find that Philip "...opened his mouth, and beginning
at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him." (vs. 35). Not until
the eunuch was taught did he understand
enough to be obedient. "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?" (vs. 36) His response shows us
that he understood
what Philip had taught and what he needed to do to have his sins
forgiven. Philip's response to the eunuch's question was, "If
you believe with all your heart, you may" (vs. 37) We know from
the rest of this account that the eunuch did
believe and confessed that conviction that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God and subsequently was baptized. There is no doubt that he
understood
before obeying.
Purpose
is also inseparably linked to understanding when it has to do with
obedience. Unless one understands
the purpose
of baptism, it becomes a meaningless
act.
Consider this scenario; I go up to a man walking down the street and
forcibly drag him to a nearby pond and, against his kicking and
struggling, baptize him. While I may have properly "buried"
him (as opposed to sprinkling or pouring water on him) there is no
doubt that it was done against his will and without understanding of
what my motive was in "dunking" him under the water.
Would we have any doubt that, upon coming up out of that water, he
was the same man who went down into
the water - that "the old man" had not been "crucified
with" Christ, nor that "body of sin" been "done
away with?" (Rom. 6:6) Would we question the obvious - that the
Lord did
not
"add" him to the church? (Acts 2:47)
While
that may be an unrealistic illustration to make my point, consider
this
scenario which is an actual fact multiplied many times over; An
infant is taken to a "priest" who sprinkles water on him or
dips his finger in water and rubs it across its forehead, calling it
baptism (or christening). That baby knows nothing of what is being
done or why. Then, when that infant is grown, he has in his
possession a "certificate" that states that he was
"baptized" or "christened" on such a date as a
matter of record. When I meet this person and point out from the
Scriptures that sin is not inherited from Adam or passed down from
generation to generation (Ezek. 18) and therefore no sin existed in
his innocent childhood; when I show him that baptism is "for the
remission of sins" (Acts 2:38), that it's symbolic of Jesus'
death, burial and resurrection, and is where we "die to sin"
(Rom. 6:3-11); when I point out that baptism is "the answer of a
good conscience toward God" (1 Pet. 3:21); now they understand
the
purpose
of baptism and willingly respond in obedience to what they have
learned by being baptized.
What
about those who have been baptized in order to keep peace in the
family, or are baptized in order to stop the constant nagging of
family and friends to do so? Then there are those who have been
baptized to please their parents or their spouse. Many people are
baptized for many reasons other
than
the right
reason - for the remission of sins. Then there are those who were
taught that they were already saved when they "prayed through"
and "accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior" - and
then
were baptized as "an outward show of an inward faith" - who
all their life thought
they were saved and then find out that what they were taught was not
the truth. In all of these cases, it is in order for one to be
baptized with the proper understanding of the purpose
of this great act of faith and submission. Once honest-minded people
learn the truth, they will be baptized into Christ
for the remission of their sins..
-
Gary V. Womack - October 2005