The word, baptism, in all its various forms occurs over 100 times in the New Testament. It is found in meaningful discussions in the gospel accounts, Acts, and the letters. Its relationship to other themes shows its importance. Baptism is found in contexts of salvation, the work of the Holy Spirit, the work of John the Baptist, the work of the apostles and first century Christians when baptizing others, and the baptism of Jesus Himself. The number of occurrences and the context in which it is found both show the importance of this subject.

While it is true that baptism is listed as one of the first principles of the doctrines of Christ (Hebrews 6:1-2), the relationship of baptism to justification, sanctification, salvation, conversion, the church, and to Christ makes it a subject for adults to consider carefully. Each Bible subject is connected in such a way that increasing our understanding in one area also clarifies others. The opposite is also true. Misunderstandings in one area will affect our appreciation of other topics. First principles refer to the basic building blocks of our faith and response to God. We must be sure of those.

The ongoing and heated debate over baptism among religious people is another indication of the significance of this subject. Disagreements arise, not just over the act of immersing someone, but what that act means in relationship to salvation, church membership, who should be baptized, when, and why. Much is at stake in making these decisions. Instead of studying just one topic, we are in effect considering a dozen.

It is important to remember that the letters of the New Testament were written to people who had already been baptized. Most of the first converts were baptized after hearing only one sermon (those on Pentecost) or having one personal study (the eunuch and Philip). Most of what they learned about baptism specifically came after they were baptized, not before. This is what Jesus said to the apostles. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; 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." (Matt. 28:18-20.) There is teaching before baptism and afterwards.

What does your baptism mean to you? For some Christians, it has been many years ago when you were baptized. The time itself should not matter. It is similar to marriage. Even if we have been married for 50 years, the beginning holds significance for us if we have maintained a good relationship with our mates unto now. The beginning feels very near because we are now married. In like manner, our baptism into Christ is meaningful to us because we have grown spiritually. If Christ and His Gospel are near to us, then our union with Christ is near. If our relationship with Christ and the church has been severed, then the beginning holds little importance to us.

Have you been faithful to the implications of your baptism? Have you kept your vows to Christ? Or have you left Him and gone out after the world? That is what the book of Hosea is all about. Israel, the bride of God, left him and went after other gods. The apostle John ended his little letter of First John by saying, "My little children, keep yourself from idols." (1 John 5:21.) Paul said that covetousness is idolatry. ( Col. 3:5, Eph. 5:5.) Jesus said that man cannot serve God and mammon (riches). (Matt. 6:24.)

Are you faithfully involved in the work of the church? This is similar to asking a husband or wife, Are you faithful to your home and family? Do you do your part to keep the family together? Are you dependable? Paul said it this way,

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor. 15:58.)

Many are not faithful. Paul made some of the most revealing statements about unfaithfulness to a church that supported him faithfully and appeared to be a good church, the Philippian church. Note these words:

"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." (1:29.)

"For I have no man (other than Timothy) likeminded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own and not the things which are Jesus Christ’s." (Phil. 2:21.)

"For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (3:18-20.)

"Those things which you have both learned, received, heard and seen in me, do and the God of peace shall be with you." (4:9.) These are four statements; one from each of the four chapters of the letter.

I am afraid that Christians today are making similarly faulty statements and misplacing their trust as the Jews of old. They were not faithful to God, but they would boast of their circumcision and fleshly relationship to Abraham. In Romans 2 & 4, Paul devastated that position. Concerning the first, he wrote that the Gentile who was not physically circumcised was counted as circumcised if he had the circumcision of the heart. The Jew whose heart was not right with God was counted as if he were not circumcised. Concerning the second, Paul retorted that physical descendants of Abraham were not counted as seed, but those who walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham.

Christians today may reply, But I have been baptized (even though they do very little in the church), or, I am a member of the one true Church. I fear that this doctrine of the one true church among us (the way we use it) may cause many to lose their souls. Some seem to think that they are saved no matter the kind of life they live or how little they participate in the work of God.

"The Church is the only institution in the world that has lower entrance requirements than those for getting on a bus." (William Laroe, quoted in Baptism: The Believer’s Wedding Ceremony, by F. LaGard Smith, 1993, 209.)

Just as children should not be joined in marriage, neither should they be joined in a spiritual marriage with Christ (which they do not understand).

"Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that you should bring forth fruit unto God." (Rom. 7:4.)

There are no examples of infant baptism in Scripture. However, we have many examples of adults, men and women, obeying the Gospel. Jesus was baptized when he was thirty years old. From Samaria, we have this account: "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." (Acts 8:12.) Further, the things taught which precede baptism apply only to adults, not to children. Some of these are faith, repentance, confession of faith, and baptism which is to wash away sins. None of the issues surrounding and including baptism imply or teach that infants should be baptized.

If infants and young children were not baptized in the first century, then why and how did the practice arise? We do not know the answer fully to this question. However, several circumstances may have contributed to it. We know that the Jews practiced circumcision of male infants on the eighth day. (Lev. 12:3.) This practiced involved a covenant that God made with Abraham. Therefore, because children were included in a covenant with God, Jewish Christian parents would want their children to participate in some rite of acceptance into the community of believers. Some today see the covenant with Abraham as a continuing covenant with all people. Instead of circumcision, today the act is baptism which permits one into this family covenant, they insist.

One passage used to support these claims is from Peter’s sermon on Pentecost. He said, "For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:39.) Children in this reference does not mean that they are infants when given the gift of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins. It simply refers to the coming generations.

Baptism should not be seen as a continuation of the old rite of circumcision. There are many differences. The old covenant involved a nation and a family of people from Abraham, Isaac and then Jacob. Under the new covenant, it is not physical birth that makes one a child of the covenant, but spiritual rebirth. Jesus explained this to Nicodemus. Children are not included in this because it involves something that must be understood by the one being born again. It is that person’s spirit that is being born of the Spirit of God that permits him to enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:1-6.)

It is this "corporate salvation" that the new covenant challenges. The Jews thought that they had justification because they were Jews, not because their hearts were right with God. (Rom. 9-11.) The Jewish-Gentile controversy that raged in the first century was over this change. Now God accepts every person of every nation, of every family, of every race, whether male, female, bond or free, Jew or Gentile, who obeys the will of God. At Cornelius’ house, Peter said,

"Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him." (Acts 10:34-35.)

Is it not instructive that we have a specific command about circumcision of male children at eight days old and not one word about the baptism of children in the new covenant? If God intended for infants to be baptized, would He not have said so and when we should have it performed??

The Jewish Christians would have had a difficult time with the new message of salvation based upon individual response. They may have accepted the concept only half-way and still have insisted on something being done for their children. Those who perform infant baptism must also have a confirmation of that infant when he grows to adulthood. They must now add something that was missing when the infant was sprinkled; that is, the expression of faith of the person and repentance of sins. We find in the new covenant neither infant baptism nor a confirmation ceremony. Many people just cannot let go of the old system. We fear for our children’s salvation; therefore, we take matters into our own hands. I believe that this is the reason why our children are being baptized at a younger and younger ages. Allow them to be convicted by the Gospel at an age when they understand it. Then, and only then, will it be meaningful to them. (See F. LaGard Smith, Baptism: The Believer’s Wedding Ceremony, 123-173.)

You should know that baptism is essential to salvation. It is inseparably connected to faith, repentance, confession, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and forgiveness of sins. Multitudes have been immersed in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. You, too, should be so baptized.

Some in the first century rejected John’s baptism. His baptism was similar to Christian baptism in that it was immersion for the remission of sins. It, however, was not in the name of Jesus Christ. The symbolism of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was not something known or emphasized. It was a serious matter then to reject John’s baptism, as it is to reject Christian baptism today.

"And all the people that heard him and the publicans justified God being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptized of him." (Luke 7:29-30.)

Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16.) These are the words of the One who will judge us in the last day. "He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:48.)

Here are some simple but important things that you should know about baptism:

1. You cannot have your sins washed away without being baptized. (Acts 22:16.)
2. You cannot enter the Kingdom of God without it. (John 3:1-6.)
3. You are not and cannot be a member of the One Body of Christ without it. (1 Cor. 12:13.)
4. You cannot wear the righteous robe of Christ without it. (Gal. 3:26-27.)
5. You are not considered Abraham’s seed or an heir of the promise without it. (Gal. 3:29.)
6. You are not saved in the likeness of Noah and his family on the ark without it. (1 Peter 3:21.)
7. You have not experienced the circumcision of Christ made without hands without it. (Col. 2:11-12.)
8. You have not obeyed the Gospel until you repent and be baptized. (Acts 2:38, Rom. 6:17-18.)

wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16.)