42 ¶ And they continued stedfastly in the
apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in
breaking of bread, and in prayers.
79
The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
Catholics today spritz what they determine to be
“holy water” on newborn infants, claiming that this insures they go to heaven when they die. I’m guessing, and I could be wrong, that this makes them a member of their church.
Again, the infant has no say in this, has made no confession, and has no change in their eternal destination.
But just for a moment, let’s pretend it was that simple. What they believe is that a splash of water drops sends you to heaven.
When the Great Deluge came about in Genesis 7, Noah and his family were saved. But all those outside the ark were unwilling participants to water being splashed in their faces; in fact, as the waters rose and covered the mountains, they were truly covered with a fluid, the literal definition of baptism.
These were the people whom God had judged, yet did His judgment send them to heaven? I think not. Rain is an act of God. Does that mean that even these days when someone is rained on that they are now bound for heaven?
They are unwilling participants who’ve never confessed Jesus as Lord, the same criteria as the newborn infant.
80
The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
Of course not. Splashing water on someone never changes their destiny. The apostles never spritzed any newborns. Neither did they pour water on anyone. You don’t bury a body by tossing a shovelful of dirt on them.
The apostles and their contemporaries followed the example of the Baptist; complete immersion in water of a believer.
Acts 8
36 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? 37 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. 38 And he
commanded the chariot to stand still: and
they went down both into the water, both
Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
81
The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
The Representation that is Baptism
Baptism is a testimony; it is a symbol of what brought about our salvation, but it does not have anything to do with our salvation.
The thief on the cross was never baptized, yet Jesus said He would see him in paradise. Jesus doesn’t lie.
The lowering of the convert in the water symbolizes the death and burial of Jesus, the drawing out symbolizes the resurrection.
This is where sprinkling and pouring lose their purpose. How does splashing water in someone’s face depict death, burial, and resurrection? How does pouring?
Unscriptural churches not only alter the mode of baptizing, but they pervert its purpose as well. Baptism has never, and will never, save anyone.
What baptism represents, however, saves anyone who believes.
Romans 6
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were
baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
82
The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
his death? 4 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. 5 For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of his death, we shall
be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
The water used in baptism, contrary to what some teach, can be fresh, salt, purified, sulphur, or even dish water, to symbolize the result of salvation. That dirty Jordon River that John baptized in certainly wasn’t Zephyr Hills, Because baptism is a depiction of something, and every part of it is representative of something as well, let’s look at each part of not only just the ordinance of baptism, but the unscriptural replacements for it as well.
The Walk
In the sprinkling of a newborn infant, they are carried up by a parent, who probably holds them for the entire spritzing ceremony. This has no symbolism, but is a necessity as a newborn cannot do it on their own.
83
The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
In a pouring ceremony the participant walks into the water and typically kneels. The symbolism here is representative of someone who has come to Jesus, and kneels in prayer, and is still alive.
In an immersion, the candidate walks into the water and stands next to the administrator, also symbolizing their coming to Jesus.
The Act
In sprinkling, some “special” water is spritzed into the face of the infant. The child is now wet, but again, there is no symbolism here to talk about.
In pouring, the administrator pours water onto the participant, symbolizing, I presume, the pouring on of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
In immersion, the candidate is held by the administrator, representing the death of Jesus, who lowers them into the water, symbolizing the burial of Christ, and brings them back up out of the water, showing the resurrection of our Savior.
The Exit
84
The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
The parents of the newborn carry their infant back to their seats. No part of any of this ceremony has symbolized anything; this is quite accurate because all that has occurred is baby’s first public bath.
In pouring, the participant stands and leaves, symbolizing a new walk with God.
In immersion, the candidate stands, takes a deep breath, symbolizing that a new life has begun; the water, like Christ’s blood, has covered them and cleansed them entirely, and they walk away in newness of life.
The pouring on of water doesn’t represent what scripture says it symbolizes. Baptism is about the Son, not the Spirit. It was the Son that bought our salvation; the Spirit convicts us. Just as a reminder:
Romans 6
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were
baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
his death? 4 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
85
The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have
been planted together in the likeness of his
death, we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection:
We see this symbolism in scripture.
1 Peter 3
20 Which sometime were disobedient,
when once the longsuffering of God waited
in the days of Noah, while the ark was a
preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls