Water Baptism | eternal-truth

The 3 Baptism’s

Understanding Water Baptism

When a person gives their live to Christ, anyone who grew up around church will likely know about water baptism and want to do it. Most new believers who did not grow up around it will also want to do it once they learn about it. As a new believer, any person who has truly been saved wants to do whatever they need to do to please God and obey His commands.

In this book, I want to introduce the reason for water baptism, why it is important to understand it, and the different ideas taught by different groups concerning the way it should be done. There is also some early Church history about it that can help with these things. Then we will discuss the 3 baptisms that the early Church understood and why they concluded that baptism was an important part of salvation for every believer.

There are a few different views that people will teach and believe in when discussing the doctrine of water baptism. I want to take the time to cover some of those views and show what the bible says about Water Baptism. The things that are most important to most people concerning this doctrine, which we will cover in this book are: What is Water Baptism? How important is it to do for new believers? Is water baptism essential for receiving salvation? Does it matter what the person baptizing says or what name is mentioned when baptizing? Does water baptism have to be done at any certain time in a person’s life or in any specific way? Who should or should not be baptized? If I backslid or came out of a false teaching or cult – should I be baptized again? These are a few of the questions asked by people that I want to cover in this book. The better we understand water baptism, the better we understand our confession and commitment to Christ, and how to teach it to others so they can understand also.

What is Water Baptism?

The scriptures we have from the bible answer most of the questions asked about water baptism. Some early Church writings do help clarify certain things. The bible gives us a few examples and instructions for water baptism. Paul wrote in Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”.

When we give our lives to Jesus, we are making a commitment to serve him the rest of our lives. In order to do this, we will have to crucify and bury the old sinful lifestyle and be renewed in or “put on” Christ. Romans 6:5-9 says, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” Water Baptism is one way we show our willingness and commitment to leave the old life behind and live the new life in Christ. It serves as a public confession of our faith and commitment to Christ, as we unashamedly show our decision before men to follow and obey His commands as we live out our lives for Him apart from the sins of the old life we used to live. As we go into the water we are testifying to our family, friends, neighbors, and every stranger that we have made this decision. Most importantly of all, we are showing our decision and making our commitment with God. All shame, embarrassment, or being concerned about what others might think about us becoming a Christian is crucified.

In Colossians 2:12 Paul said, “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.” Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." When we go under the water this is to testify that we are burying the old life as we confess Jesus as our Lord and savior.. And as we come up out of the water, this signifies our rising up into our new life in Christ, just as he also has risen. In bible times this had much more meaning to people as they understood water baptism to be the committing of your life to the teachings of Jesus, to become a disciple of His. When John the Baptist was baptizing people, the people were both repenting of their sins and submitting to John’s teachings about the coming Messiah. Those who were baptized after this time, in the name of Jesus, were submitting to the teachings of Christ, becoming Disciples of Christ. All those who lived in those days, especially after the Day of Pentecost, understood what they were doing and that they could be marked as a Christian and possibly persecuted. Many people are being baptized in water today, every day, but I wonder how many people would be baptized if they knew they could lose their lives, be tortured for their confession, or lose all respect, power or position in their community. Water Baptism today does not have the same impact that it did then. This is important to remember when arguments are brought up about this subject, and will also be mentioned again in this book. The Apostle Paul is one who had to make this kind of confession when he was converted. Acts 9:18 says, “And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.” Paul had received a revelation of who Jesus really was. After this had happened, he realized that that he had to change his ways and bury the old life and live anew. This would mean the sacrifice of his power, position and authority in the community, and possibly persecution alongside those he had previously persecuted himself. But he willingly went to be baptized in water to seal his decision to follow Christ in spite of what might happen to him. He then mentions later in his letter to the Church in Corinth in 1 Corinthian 1:13 “Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” He is bringing out that when we were baptized, we were confessing the giving of our lives to Jesus, and not to a man. And not to a Church. There is a commitment that should come through Water Baptism that causes us to put our faith in Christ Jesus alone, in such a way that is noticeable and undeniable to all who know us.

Water Baptism should carry with it this king of commitment, exampleship, faith, and fearless expression for all to see. The early Christians went to their deaths singing songs of praise and worship to God, refusing to deny the Lord who saved them. This is the kind of faith that our personal baptism should also carry with it. It is the start of a new way of living, with a new purpose in life that unashamedly stands against the old life we lives, with the commitment to live out our faith and obedience to Christ. It is the bold statement to the world of this decision.

As we will see with the early Church a little later, the purpose of water baptism was partially replaced in the modern church with the altar call. Sinners are often called forward at the end of a church service to give their lives to Jesus, to leave behind their old lives, and as they receive Jesus to live the new life in Him. By using the altar call in this way, it seems to remove the most important part of water baptism, making water baptism less important, since the commitment to do these things has already been done. The altar call is still a public confess before men, sins are still being dealt with through repentance, and the new life in Christ is still being experienced. Although this is all true, water baptism is still another opportunity to show our faith and commitment, and since it is in the bible as a command, our obedience to do it is still good and valid.

The Command

There are many religious groups who put so much emphasis on Water Baptism, while others put very little on it. The bible does give us commands to be baptized in water. But do these commands teach that it is necessary in order to be saved? Let’s look at a few scriptures so we can see the commands, and the misunderstanding many people have in reading some of these scriptures.

Matthew 28:19 “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 alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” There are only a few scriptures given by Jesus on the subject of Water Baptism. Although he did command it, if it had the significance that many teach today, then I believe that Jesus would have spent more time on the subject. But he commanded it, not because it was necessary in order to be saved, but because it was in those days a sure mark of a follower of Christ to confess him through baptism. In those days it may have been something that had to be done in order to be saved, or otherwise, a person may avoid it and deny Christ in fear of persecution. Today we do not have that fear, but still need to be willing to commit our lives at any cost. Water Baptism is an opportunity to share our faith with those who will listen, so they will also know where we stand if they see or hear of our baptism.

Only one other scripture in the words of Jesus mentions the Water Baptism of the believer. Many will use this scripture to show Water Baptism as a necessary part of salvation.

Mark 16:16-17 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;” It is important to notice that he said here in this scripture that “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved;” We just need to understand what baptism really is. It is more than the act of going into the water. The act of going into the water only represents the commitment we are making in our hearts to die to the old man and rise in Christ into a new life in Him. Many people today see this as an essential part of salvation to go into the water, yet they fail to focus on the meaning of it, and fulfilling the real purpose behind it.

Water baptism is a symbolic way of showing our commitment and transformation in Christ before others. If a person goes to an altar and repents of their sins, receives Jesus, and they show their faith and commitment through a transformed life, then they have fulfilled the main purpose of water baptism. This doesn’t mean they shouldn’t go to the water and be baptized, but only that the part of baptism intended to save them has been fulfilled. Yet so many people fail to see this and will insist that without going into the water they cannot be saved. If this were so then the person who repents of their sin and believes in Jesus, but dies before an opportunity to be baptized would not be saved at all, even though they sincerely repented of their sins. Yet the bible says in Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

John 3:15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:”

John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

Romans 10:9-11 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

According to Jesus and the Apostle Paul, the only requirement for receiving eternal life is to believe in Christ. None of these scriptures mention the need for water baptism in order for these things to happen, but only mention believing in Jesus and receiving His Word. There is no doubt that this would include leaving the old life behind and living a new life in Christ. But that is why Jesus later commanded Water Baptism. Not as an essential act in order to be saved, but as the testimony of the decision that we have made to live for him.

We can read several scriptures from the New Testament, most of which are in the book of Acts, that will show us that Water Baptism was something that the Church practiced after the command of Jesus.

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.”

Acts 2:41 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

Acts 8:12 “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 8:14-17 “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”

All those who had believed in Jesus, after they had heard the preaching of one of the disciples of Jesus, had afterwards been baptized in Water. It is always present with the salvation experience, but after they had believed unto salvation. Then they testify of their decision in obedience to Christ and are baptized in water. In those days it would have meant that their decision was true, as they did not fear what people think or might do to them.

Acts 8:36-37 “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.” The Eunuch wanted to be baptized in water after he had heard the testimony of Philip. He asked Philip saying “Here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?” Philips only question to the Eunuch was “Do you believe in Jesus with all of your heart?” I have asked many people throughout the years as a Christian if they were Christians, and their answer would be, “I have been baptized”. But baptism means nothing if that person has not first believed with all of their heart that Jesus can save them from the wages of their sin, and they made a commitment to live their lives in obedience to His commands. Their baptism was nothing more than a bath.

With the baptism of the Eunuch there was no others present to witness his accepting Christ. But more important than testifying to others is the commitment made between the individual and God Almighty. Philip was a witness to his confession.

If a couple who falls in love decides to get married, the first step they would take would be engagement. The engagement is a commitment to each other, as belonging to one another, but can be broken if they felt necessary. The relationship is sealed when this couple is married. The commitment is then finalized. When we repent of our sins and accept Jesus as Lord, this is a type of engagement. Water baptism is a type of sealing our commitment in marriage to Christ. We are testifying to others and committing in our own hearts to remain faithful to Christ. In the water we are standing before men saying our vows to Jesus, commitment to a relationship with Him forever. Many people who show no concern to go to the water, who have accepted Jesus, are still in the engagement relationship and have not said their vows to Him in order to show the sealing of their relationship with Him.

The 3 Baptism’s

When the Church was first established under the Apostles leadership, the bible tells us that they led many to Christ through the gospel message, which then led them to repentance and water baptism. There are several scriptures like Acts 2:38 where the people asked what they needed to do in order to be saved, and Peter answered them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”. The people may have repented when they heard this, but who was to know that they actually did or not? They made show of their repentance by going into the water. Therefore, water baptism was seen as having a direct connection with salvation because in those days, repentance was shown through their going into the water. The Early Churches are often accused of teaching Baptismal Regeneration – that there is no salvation without water baptism. However, they are misunderstood, as they have said in their writings that water saves nobody. It is the faith and repentance of the one going into the water that saves them.

The modern church started giving altar calls to call people to repentance in the 1700’s. The altar then became the place for repentance and receiving Jesus by faith. This split away the part of water baptism that saves a person from it and placed it at the altar instead. Although this is not the biblical way to do it, it is acceptable, since sins are still being dealt with and going to an altar is still a public confession of faith in Christ.

The early Churches saw the 3 parts of baptism that were to be done in our confession of Christ. The water baptism itself didn’t save anyone. Yet it was directed connected to the baptisms that do save us. In Hebrews 6:2 it mentions the doctrine of baptisms. We can see 3 specific baptisms shown in the scriptures. The 3 baptisms are as follows:

1. Baptism in water.

2. Baptism into Christ.

3. Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Baptism in water

This baptism is symbolic of what the it means to give our lives over to Christ. As shown in Romans 6:4, water baptism symbolizes our going down into the grave when we go under the water, and our rises up into new life in Christ as we come up out of the water. It is showing our faith in Jesus do transform our lives into a new person as told in 2 Corinthians 5:17. We need to be sure that when we go into the water for baptism that it is not the only baptism we experience. Otherwise, we may only be getting ourselves wet for nothing.

Baptism into Christ

Paul wrote that “as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ”. (Galatians 3:27).

Baptism into Christ is when we repent of our sins, accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and commit our lives to follow, obey, and serve Him faithfully for the rest of our lives. We are then immersed into everything about Him and for Him, becoming dedicated to a life in Him. He becomes the center of our lives and being immersed in Him, every becomes about Him. This is where our salvation truly is and our new life in Him begins. The Holy Spirit is received during this time to help us begin our new found life and to start the journey of faith in Him.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Although we have received the Holy Spirit when we received Jesus (Just as the disciples of Jesus did in the gospels); Jesus had promised that He would send a “helper or comforter” to be with us also. Although we received Him at salvation, there was a greater degree to this promise that was to come for the followers of Jesus in the book of Acts chapter 2. In the gospels Jesus had breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit”. He said the Spirt is with you, and will be in you. The Holy Spirit is with every believer. But not every believer has the promise of spirit baptism within them. In the book of Acts the Apostles came across believers who were serving God and preaching the gospel. But they asked them if they had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and they said they hadn’t even heard of this gift. So, they pray over them and they received the gift.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit always came with the evidence of speaking with tongues. This gift, like water baptism by itself, is not salvation. It is a gift. Yet it is an important gift that God saw necessary for His followers. It completes the baptisms He intended for every believer, so we can have a relationship with Him, and have the power to overcome sin and become fruitful as we share the gospel with the world.

When, where, and who should be baptized?

It has been shown through the scriptures given already that all who believe in Jesus should be baptized in water. Although most people today do not get saved in the water, the symbolism used by going under the water and rising back up to express our death to the old person with the new life in Christ as we rise out of it is something every Christian should see as an opportunity to show their faith in Jesus. All those who were saved in the bible were baptized immediately after they believed. In the bible they just had to find water somewhere in order to perform a baptism. Some will do it in a Church baptismal, some may do it in a swimming pool, and others at a beach, pond, lake, creek or river. If there is water, what should keep people from baptism?

Where people decide to be baptized isn’t that important. It is all about the heart and commitment of the person being baptized. I have heard stories of people in places like Thailand who desperately wanted to be baptized, but didn’t know where to find water. One pastor discovered where water was, but they had to go in the night to baptize people in order to avoid persecution. After they got baptized, they noticed everyone stunk. Come to find out the water was sewage water. Yet the people were so happy to have been able to demonstrate their faith through water baptism, and they began to grow and do very well as they continued in their faith walk.

Although the timing of water baptism isn’t critical, since it is not salvation itself; new believers should desire to have it done as soon as they are able to. This opportunity should be given to them to help further their faith through their obedience and confession before all present.

How should baptism be done?

Baptism was never done in the bible by the sprinkling of water on an individual’s forehead, nor was it done to infants or children who could not make the decision on their own to believe in Jesus. Some people today have been baptized by pouring the water over them. This still does not demonstrate the symbolism given in immersion in water, although again, it is really about the faith of the individual. If a person is serious about their commitment to Jesus and determined to live a holy life in obedience to His commands, then any method of water baptism can be sufficient.

The word baptism in the Greek is baptizo (bap-tid’-zo); to immerse, submerge; to make overwhelmed. Obviously, sprinkling and pouring do not fit with this definition or the symbolic idea of burial of the old life of sin. Who would ever take a dead family members body, lay it out in a field, and sprinkle or pour a little dirt on them. We understand that this would not be a proper burial. And a proper baptism is to take the body all the way under. Immersion under water is the biblical way to baptize. This is not to say that pouring or sprinkling cannot be effective or acceptable to God.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost? Or in Jesus name?

Many people have insisted that baptism has to be performed using only the name of Jesus, while others will say “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. They will use scriptures in the books of Acts that appear to show this to be true. The following scripture is commonly quoted for baptism:

Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

Because this is the only command of Jesus to baptize believers, many will baptize people with the person doing the baptizing will say, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”, using those exact words as Jesus himself said it. But those who will oppose this will ask the question, “What is the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost?” Because the bible says that the only name given under heaven whereby men must be saved is Jesus in Acts 4:12, then will say that the name we are instructed to baptize in is the name of Jesus. They will then go to the following scriptures in the book of Acts.

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.”

Acts 19:5 “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

With these thoughts in mind many may be convinced that there is something to this theology. But there are a few important things to take notice of in the scriptures. First, in Matthew 28:19 Jesus said “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”, not “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost”. The “and of the” signifies a separation of the three. He is not saying that there is one name to be used for all three, but that we are to baptize by his authority and in the name of the Godhead. It is not the mention of the name that validates a baptism, but it is the fact that we are committing our lives to the one and only God who can save us by the work of His Son Jesus, and fill us with His Holy Spirit. The three actively have their own parts in the salvation process as God the Father sent His Son, the Son died and rose again for our sins, then He sent the Holy Ghost to abide in us.

When we are being baptized as new believers in Jesus, we are being baptized in Jesus name. It is not by the mention of his name by the person doing the baptizing that makes our baptism “In Jesus Name”, but by our confession of him before men. People know what name to associate our water baptism with because of the name that we speak and the confession we make. And we surely ought to know who we are committing ourselves to. Our commitment is to the Lord Jesus and no other! Therefore, without anything even being said by the one dunking us under the water, we are being baptized in Jesus Name. And because we understand who made this possible, who died for us, and because we receive His Holy Spirit, we are also being baptizes in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

When these scriptures say that they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, they are not saying that Jesus name had to be mentioned by a minister performing the ceremony. Although anything that we do as believers in Christ will likely mention His name in the process, our going to the water is saying that because Jesus was preached to them and they responded by faith to the gospel through repentance, that their going into the water was because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and there faith is in Jesus Christ, with a new commitment to Jesus – thus being in the name of Jesus.

Water baptism was never about the minister, but about the individual converting and committing to Christ Jesus. So, the commitment that is made in agreement with God in “Jesus name” has to be done by the individual, not a minister. And the thing that is done by the individual is that they repent of their sins, put their faith in Christ, commit their lives to Him, and testify of His love, grace, and goodness. What other name could possibly be confessed? The entire baptismal experience is all about the person committing to Jesus Christ, making it done in Jesus’ name. It does not matter what a minister might say! It only matters what comes out of the mouth of the person being baptized. Romans 10:9 “…confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Since it is Jesus that we confess, it is therefore in Jesus name that we are baptized.

Acts 8:16 "(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)"

Acts 10:46-48 “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”

They were to be baptized in the name of the Lord. If it were important to say the name “Jesus” he would have said so here. But there is no special combination of words or names to say by the one baptizing the new believer in order to make a baptism valid. Each of these scriptures says something slightly different. It is the heart of the believer the makes it valid.

When I baptize people I will say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and in Jesus name”. That covers it all! Just in case someone might want to make an issue out of it. I do this for the sake of those who may question things like this, so they know Jesus’ name had been mentioned. It is not “Just in case” one is wrong! It is only to keep fear from enter the minds of people as others might tell them they are not saved because they were not baptized correctly. Baptism is done in his name even without the one baptizing mentioning it while dunking the person under the water. If a person will be bold enough to testify of how Jesus saved them and what he has brought them out of, then their testimony of these things to those around shows that they are being baptized in Jesus name, the one they testify of. I will encourage all new believers to do this if they can. If they are shy and don’t want to, then I will ask if by going to the water they are confessing Jesus as the Messiah, their personal Lord and savior, and committing to a faithful life in obedience to His commands for the rest of their lives. All they have to do is answer, “yes”.

The Sign of the New Covenant

In the Old Testament, God made covenants with His people at different time. He made a covenant with Adam, with Abraham, with the World through Noah, and with the Israelites in the law. In Christ, He has fulfilled the and the Abrahamic covenant in His new covenant for anyone who wants to come to Him and be saved. Each covenant had God’s part and man’s part, as a covenant is an agreement, much like a contract. God’s agreement with Abraham was to bless his lineage – who became the Jewish people, or the Israelites. They have always been known as God’s people because of this covenant. Abraham kept His part of the covenant through the sign of circumcision. All males had to be circumcised, and children would be circumcised on the 8th day after birth.

When God later gave them the law under the leadership of Moses, God made an agreement with the people to serve Him only and to keep the sign of this covenant by keeping the Sabbaths. By committing to the 10 commandments (which included the Sabbath and keeping it holy, they would show their agreement with God and always be His people. But they failed to do this time and time again.

In Jesus day, the Jews thought they were saved because they kept the two signs of the previous covenant in keeping the Sabbath and being circumcised. Jesus confronted them about this, showing them that they missed the heart of it all. They kept certain laws, but they still had sin in their hearts.

In Jeremiah 31:31, God said, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers”.

God is a God of covenants. He wants us to be in agreement with Him. What we have in Christ Jesus today is His new covenant. This means that we are making an agreement with God, and like the old covenants, there is a sign of the covenant.

What is the agreement, and what is the sign of this new covenant?

We know that Jesus died for our sins on the cross. I wonder how many Christians can tell me why He had to do this? It wasn’t just a nice or loving thing He did for us. It was the fulfillment of the old covenants. Circumcision and Law.

With circumcision, we no longer have to cut of the foreskins of every male. Instead, we are circumcised in our hearts. In Colossians 2:11 it says:

“When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.”

Jesus fulfilled the covenant of circumcision in our life by changing our hearts. This is a spiritual experience we have with Him as we become “Born Again” as Jesus said we must become in order to be saved. This refers to the transformation of life as we begin a new life in Him. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new”.

Another part of the fulfillment of the old covenants was with atonement, which was a very important part of the law. Atonement was God’s way of dealing with sin and helping men stay in relationship with Him. Hebrews tells us that “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins”. Sins could not be forgiven without a sacrifice of blood, a life for a life. Man had to offer a perfect sacrifice to God for the forgiveness of their sins. And then God had to receive the sacrifice. This was how the agreement worked. Both God and man had their parts.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to be baptized, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. Jesus came into this world to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins by dying on the cross and shedding His own blood. His death would become the fulfillment of the law and animal sacrifices. When He rose from the dead, He defeated death and is able to ever be present as the atonement for the sins of “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord” Romans 10:13.

Lastly, the sign of the new covenant. Jesus fulfilled the entire law and the signs of the covenants of Abraham and the Law of Moses. Circumcision and the Sabbaths are fulfilled in Him as we have the promise of Abraham through Christ and the Holy Spirit, and we have our rest in Him. As these signs are fulfilled in Christ Jesus, the new sign was given for us to partake in and receive. There are different parts to this sign, but it can be summed up in Water Baptism.

Through Water baptism we already know that we are showing our commitment to God to follow and obey Him, live holy and pure with righteousness, and to love Him with all our heart, mind soul and strength, and to love others as ourselves. We are committing to die to the old man of flesh that desires sin, and to live and walk in the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Then we are filled with the Holy Spirit of promise, the great sign of all. This is God’s part!

What glorious promises we have in Him! Our baptisms into Christ, in water, and in the Holy Spirit all amount to our receiving the greatest works God has ever done for mankind. He only asks for our agreement in the covenant. When we go into the water, we are signing the contract for this agreement, committing to our part in it.

Too many people will go to the water without understanding their part in the agreement, or even God’s part. Many fall short of what He wants to do in their lives because they don’t understand how the covenant works. He made the provision of all that we need to obey Him.

2 Peter 1:3 says, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” We just have to receive what He has given us and use them to do what He has commanded of us.

Understand what you are doing when you go into the water. Know your part in the agreement, and all that God has promised to you also. You are special to Go. He wouldn’t give you such wonderful blessings if it were not true. Just don’t ever take that for granted and think you are so special that keeping your part of the covenant isn’t that important anymore. God takes this serious!

If I backslid or came out of a false church or cult –

should I be baptized again?

A person who backslides may not have understood the covenant to begin with. Maybe they didn’t understand the importance of their part in the covenant. Or maybe they didn’t understand God’s part with His faithful love and empowerment through the Holy Spirit. Either way, now is the time to learn about it and renew the commitment. So yes, being baptized again is something such a person should do.

I would recommend that anyone who didn’t understand the covenant the first time go ahead and get baptized again, making a new commitment to keep their part in it. God is always faithful to keep His part in it. It is we who fail to receive the benefits He offers through it. God never needs to renew His commitment to us. Only we need to do that, as we as humans fail.

Anyone who came from a church of false teachings or from a cult should be baptized again. As they renew themselves in a new found understanding of their faith in Jesus by coming out of those groups, they now need to renew themselves in the covenant and make a public show of it, with testimony (if they are willing). This is not necessary to be saved. Yet it could have a very positive affect on the faith walk by doing this. There is power in a testimony, and power in confession of our faith.

The Early Church on Baptism

Further information that we have available to us about water baptism comes from early church writings from the first 3 centuries of the church. One of the earliest comes from the first century from a book called the Didache (pronounced as “dih-dah-KAY”). It is interpreted as the “teaching of the twelve Apostles”. It is a collection of writings from the Apostles on various subjects, which one chapter does include water baptism.

7:1 But concerning baptism, thus baptize ye: having first recited all these precepts, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in running water;

7:2 but if thou hast not running water, baptize in some other water, and if thou canst not baptize in cold, in warm water;

7:3 but if thou hast neither, pour water three times on the head, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

7:4 But before the baptism, let him who baptizeth and him who is baptized fast previously, and any others who may be able. And thou shalt command him who is baptized to fast one or two days before.

According to the Apostles the best form of water baptism would be to use cold running water. Running water is a sign of life and power, whereas still water is stale and mucky. The idea is that symbolism helps people to see things differently. When they see the water as symbolizing a powerful force to cleanse them, this can often help them to think about what the Spirit will do in them also. As water runs over us it shows an active force upon our bodies. This can symbolize the moving of the Holy Spirit over us, cleaning us through the active moving of His presence. We are empowered by His life that comes upon us.

Cold water has a similar application, since cold water represents the freshest water that comes from mountain streams. This is in contrast to still warm water that has not moved for long periods, which may have contaminants in it. Symbolizing sin. Since water baptism represents the washing away of sins and being purified through Christ, by the Holy Spirit, when looking for symbolism, cold running water is best. The idea is that the water used, if possible, should be pure. Since we do not bathe with dirty water, it makes sense that we would use the purest water available to symbolize being purified by the Holy Spirit as we enter into the new life in Christ.

The Apostles explained here that if cold running water is not available, use whatever is available. This avoids problems of many who would become legalistic by insisting that it has to be done a certain way, without exception. Water baptism in its purest form is not so much an issue of method, but of what happens with the heart of the Christian. Do we accept this purification in our hearts? Are we truly cleansed of our sins by consecrating ourselves to Him? Many people are baptized in the flesh, but not in their hearts. Without purification of our heart, water baptism is meaningless.

The Apostles were not teaching the only way, but what they saw as the best way to baptize. However, they did make exceptions for everything. At the end of it all they were just happy that people got baptized and committed their lives to Christ.

Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage (250 AD)

“Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” He suggests the Trinity, in whose sacrament the nations were to be baptized.”

“Finally, when, after the resurrection, the apostles are sent by the Lord to the heathens, they are bidden to baptize the Gentiles ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ How, then, do some say, that a Gentile baptized without, outside the Church, yea, and in opposition to the Church, so that it be only in the name of Jesus Christ, everywhere, and in whatever manner, can obtain remission of sin, when Christ Himself commands the heathen to be baptized in the full and united Trinity?”

Although I maintain that it is all about the character of God and not the mention of a single name, the Trinity does cover the entire character of the One God.

Biblical Types for Water Baptism

There are a few types that the Apostles and early Church fathers used to explain water baptism. A few of these are; the waters that flooded the earth before the creation; the waters that flooded the earth in the days of Noah; and the waters of the Red Sea when the Israelites were being delivered from Egypt.

Creation: Water is the source of all living things. Without water there could be no life at all. In the creation God creation all living things through water and to be sustained by water. Even from the beginning of every life, whether human or animal, the seed begins in a womb that is full of water. Even an egg contains fluids which are made up of water.

In this water a child begins to grow, until the time of birth when the water will burst force and the child will be born into life. Through water a child is born, and through water he must be born again (spiritually).

In the birthing process there is always stress in passing through into life, as the child passes through the birth canal. This stress can be compared to the agony of releasing the old way of life as we enter into the new.

The Flood: The flood has been used to explain how God used water to deliver Noah and his family. Although water was used to judge the earth, it also became the source of salvation for all who were on the Ark. The water had lifted them up, keeping them from the destruction upon the earth. Noah built the Ark under God’s direction, just like we under God’s drawing came to repentance. Our repentance alone did not save us any more than the Ark alone saved Noah. It was not what men have done, but rather what God has done that saves. Just as the waters lifted up the Ark, so also we were lifted up through the cleansing waters of baptism through repentance. As Noah responded to God in obedience to build the Ark; so also, we must respond to His drawing. Once man responds to God, He completes the work through cleansing. He cleansed the earth of all wickedness by the flood, and He cleanses man through baptismal waters. This is also symbolic of being cleansed by His blood, as sins are washed away and all things become new (2 Corinth. 5:17).

The Red Sea: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;”

When the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, it says here that they were baptized unto Moses. The people passed under sea level with the walls of water on each side, as the mist of water covered them. They were passing over from a life of slavery and bondage into a life of freedom. Pharaoh and his army where buried in the sea as soon as all the Israelites passed over. This Red Sea baptism was a likening of what was to come through Christ Jesus, as He would make the way for whosoever would believe in Him to pass over from the old sinful life of slavery to Satan, into a life in Christ. The walls of the cleansing water flood over our sinfulness, old ways, and bondages, and drown in the baptismal waters. As Pharaoh was defeated by the waters of the Red Sea, so also is Satan by the cleansing baptismal waters. This is all symbolic of the new life on the other side with the savior, as the old life is passed away; and Satan is defeated. All things then become new.

When the scripture says that they were baptized unto Moses, this refers to Moses being the deliverer and the giver of the law from God to the people. Christian’s are now baptized in the name of Jesus (not just a spoken word of His name), as Jesus is the mediator between God and men, bring grace and salvation to all who will receive.

The Jesus Name only people will argue that the Early Church did not teach the Trinity of baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Many quotes prove otherwise and are listed on the Early Church topical quotes page under the Trinity. But here is one concerning water baptism:

Baptism = Salvation?

Some people will use the following scripture in an attempt to show that water baptism is necessary for salvation.

1 Peter 3:21 “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

The water in reference to Noah refers to the object that destroys the old life. Just as immersion would represent burying the old man; Rising above the water in the Ark is like rising up out of the water into newness of life or salvation. But the only baptism that really saves anyone is the baptism that really brings this newness of life; which is baptism into Christ. Christ is the “ark” the raises us up above the sin of this world. When we give our lives to Christ we must give everything to Him; body, should and spirit. Through the 3 baptisms we do this. Water baptism is a type of giving of our body through the testimony we share, and the commitment before others. Baptism into Christ is the commitment of our souls to Christ in receiving Him as Lord and savior. And our spirit is renewed and committed to Christ through Spirit baptism.

When the early Church fathers spoke of our baptism, it was obvious that they were speaking of our baptism into Christ, not water. There is no doubt that water had its part when we came to Christ, but is not the act that institutes salvation. It is a command of Christ just as He commanded the Israelites to set up memorials, celebrate holy days, and for the Christians to take communion often in remembrance of Him. Water baptism testifies boldly to others that we are not ashamed to be called a Christian. Others can say, think, or do whatever they want; but we choose to follow Jesus at any cost. You cannot be a closet Christian, and must proclaim your life in Christ to all around you, or you simply will not be able to stand.

What I have gathered in reading Tertullian’s writings, and a few others, is that they did believe that water baptism was necessary for salvation; but not just the act of going into the water. He seems to teach that in water baptism, that baptism into Christ and Spirit baptism all take place together, just as when Jesus was baptized and the Spirit then descended in form of a dove. Although I do believe that this is possible, and that it was the way they experienced it back then; today there is some separation to these baptisms, since most are not taken to water immediately after receiving Christ at an altar or somewhere else other than the water; and because the days we live in, many have a hard time receiving the baptism of the Spirit and being sanctified by the Spirit. Tertullian seems to teach the 3 baptisms as a single experience. In such a case I would agree that one must be baptized in order to be saved, and this would explain why other scriptures and writings seem to say that we MUST be baptized in water for salvation.

Things have changed since bible times. Yet Water Baptism can and should still hold great value to those being baptized. We just need to make the connection with the 3 baptisms. So, when we go into the water, we should go with repentance in our hearts, full of faith, a desire to follow and obey Christ and Holy Spirit baptism (if not received already). The order of receiving he 3 baptisms is not important, but only that we do receive all 3. Baptism into Christ happens merely through our faith and confession of Jesus and the receiving the forgiveness of sins through His work on the cross. Water baptism is the act of going into the water full of that faith, knowing we are cleansed from our sins as the old life is washed away, and we come up into newness of life in Christ. This is the symbolism of what already happened through our baptism into Christ. Once we are cleansed of our sins, we become a clean vessel for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. We can then be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This is a different experience from merely receiving the Spirit at salvation. It is an empowerment to live for Jesus and to be a witness of His goodness to others, and is a power within us to overcome this world and the sin in it. It is a gift from God to all who believe

His commands, with a readiness to receive His Holy Spirit.