I think it's without dispute baptism is very prominent in the New Testament, but surprisingly it appears on the first pages of the New Testament without any clear explanation as to its origin or significance. Who knows why that is? Why does the New Testament not explain about baptism, it just starts with John the Baptist doing it? Well, that's pretty good. Even though the Gospels deal with the oldest material, they're the newest writings. They were written last. So everybody reading the Gospels already knew all about it because they'd been saved, and the apostles had been teaching, and the epistles were written, and then the Gospels were written. So that's one reason. Now, you don't see baptism in the Old Testament. However, during the Intertestament period, the Jews developed baptism as a religious rite. and John the Baptist simply appropriated what had become a common practice. That's where it came from. In fact, John is the last Old Testament prophet. What we see him doing in the Gospels is Old Testament baptism, but it prefigured what was going to happen with the New Covenant and what Jesus did. And so, in fact, in the Scriptures, the people who were baptized by John, who later came to believe in Jesus, were baptized again. So it shows you it was preparatory. So who knows? The Greek word for baptized is what? Yes. It remains to this day an untranslated word in the Bible. They should look at letter for letter. Why do you suppose it did that? Not to offend, that's right. If they translated it, it's gonna offend a whole lot of people. In this case, the earliest translators, people who did the King James version of the Bible, what mode of baptism did they utilize back then with the King James people, Anglicans? They sprinkled. And they were honest men. They knew the word didn't mean sprinkle. but they couldn't bring themselves to translate it, and they probably would've gotten in big trouble if they did with the king. So they just didn't translate it. They transliterated it. If they had translated it, what word would be there? Immerse. Churches that don't care about early church practice don't do baptism in an early church way. So we're gonna look at why we baptize people. We're gonna look at how we should baptize people, and we're gonna look at who we should baptize. I think we'll do good to even look at why we baptize people. So let me read of the First London Confession about baptism. Article XL, that'd be 40. The way and manner of dispensing this ordinance is dipping or plunging the body underwater. And then they say, why? And this is what we're going to look at today. It being a sign must answer the things signified, which is that interest the saints have in the death, burial and the resurrection of Christ. And that is certainly as the body is buried underwater and risen again. So certainly shall the bodies of the saints be raised by the power of Christ in the day of the resurrection to reign with Christ. So what do they say baptism by immersion signifies? What do they say? That's right. So in that sense, we could call it a liquid grave, couldn't we? So we're going to wade into that, so to speak, and look at some of these things that it says. I need to set the context. Which one of you guys can quote Ephesians 2, 8 and 9? So by grace you've been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. So you can't boast, and he says, and it's not of works, and he just keeps saying the same thing. It's by grace, it's by faith, it's a gift, it's not by works. Where does he mention baptism in there? Not at all. Baptism has nothing to do with causing you to be saved. So that is an important perspective to remember, because we're gonna look at what baptism does do, but we need to also look at what people wrongly say about it. It doesn't matter whether it's teaspoon full or tank full, baptism's not gonna save you. Now, turn over, if you would, to Matthew chapter 3. So again, tonight we're not looking at who or how, but we're simply looking at why. And so we'll start with John the Dipper, Matthew 3, 1 through 6. And let's see what baptism is associated with here. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, repent the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord, make his path straight. Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was of locust and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. So we got John the baptizer, and based on what he says and is doing there, clearly what's baptism associated with? Repentance. Repentance in verse 2, and how about in verse 6? Confession of sin. So these people are admitting, yeah, we are sinful, and we want to be right with God, we want to start fresh. And what does repentance mean? It is a turning away from sin, but literally the Greek word is, what are you saying, Fred? Yes, it's a change of mind. The Greek is metanoia. Meta means change, and noia is in paranoia means your mind or your thinking. So it is a change of thinking about sin that leads to a change of actions, a turning away from sin. That's what John meant by it, and so that's why they're confessing their sins. Now in the New Testament, with reference to Jesus, they say to repent. You change your thinking about Jesus. He's not some guy. He's the Messiah. But repentance and faith are very similar concepts. You could say they're opposite sides of the same coin. So one thing we say associated with baptism, and you just said it, was repentance. And what was the other one? Confession of sin. So, just as an aside, in verse 6, it says, somebody read verse 6 again, I can't find it. Why was it necessary for all these people to be in the Jordan? What does it tell you about how they baptized? Well, it certainly implies a lot of water was necessary. If they were just going to sprinkle, a little dab will do you. You know, with a tub full, you could do most of the city. However, they're down in the water. Some people say, oh, no, no, they're pouring. But the word doesn't mean that. It means immerse. And so, yeah, that's why he's down in there. Now, in Matthew 3, 7 through 10, John is very critical of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and I want to know why they're so critical. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now, the ax is laid to the root of the tree. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. What's the problem with these men coming to be baptized? No repentance. They talk the talk, but they didn't walk the walk. That passage Nathan read, how does that help clarify whether John baptized people because they had already repented or so that they could repent? Which is it? Clearly, you've already repented, so we're gonna show that by baptizing you. These people who hadn't repented came, we're not gonna do them. Nobody's gonna argue with that too much, right? Well, that's important now because of other things that are said later that some people do get all muffed up. Now 11 and 12, John said why he baptized people with water. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. According to John himself, why did he baptize people? for repentance. Does that mean he did it so they could repent or because they'd already done it? Well, it's clearly because they'd already done it. The Greek word for for, anybody know? I baptize you for repentance. Anybody know the Greek word? It's eis, E-I-S. And we used to say in seminary, be careful you don't slip on the ice. A lot of people have messed up with this word. If I said, I went to the store for bread, what would that mean? To get it. If I said, I cried for joy, what would that mean? Already had it. It could mean either one, and you have to look at the context to determine that. So obviously, he's baptizing people because they already had repented. So it's just simply a sign of that. And so y'all remember that, it's gonna come up again in just a minute. There's three types of baptism that you can chisel out of verse 11. What are the three? That's the three kinds of baptism. Who did the water baptism? And then Holy Spirit, who does that? He actually says Jesus did. And the other one is fire. So, that's the three kinds of baptism. Now, when you see the word baptism, what English word did you think? Immerse. To us, baptism is a religious word. It was not to them. They always thought dip, plunge, submerge, immerse. Sometimes that'll help you to understand what's being said. John immersed people into water. You can be immersed into or with or by the Holy Spirit, and then some people can be immersed into fire. in this context is being immersed into fire, a good thing or a bad thing, based on those verses that Jameson wrote. That's right. So those who refuse spirit baptism are going to get fire baptism. That's what it comes down to. Everybody's gonna be baptized one way or the other, but that water won't put out that third fire. So from Jesus we see coming both salvation, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit is to be saved, and you see judgment, to be baptized in fire is to be thrown into hell. All right, so at the very least then, water baptism then got this close link between baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is what saves you when you're baptized by the Holy Spirit. So water baptism is an outward sign of the inward baptism. You could say baptism saves you. It's spirit baptism that saves you. All right, now to John's astonishment, who insists on being baptized in 13 through 17? Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? But Jesus answered him, let it be so, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water. And behold, the heavens were opened to him. And he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. And behold, a voice from heaven said, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." How come John doesn't want to baptize Jesus? Yeah, and it was lesser. What's the reason that Jesus gives him for going ahead and baptizing him? Well, that's debated, of course. I wouldn't argue with either one of those. A lot of people think what it means is because At this time in history, in Jewish thought, baptism is associated with having turned from your sins and living for God. It fulfills righteousness in the sense of he's clearly identifying with the white hat guys instead of the black hat guys. But I want you to see the point is, in some way, water baptism is associated with what? Righteousness. So to be baptized without being saved is a farce. To be baptized without having repented is a farce. To be baptized without confessing your sins or have been baptized with the Holy Spirit or wanting to be righteous, in fact, being righteous with Christ, is meaningless. These are all the things that it's associated with. And it's interesting, if Jesus did it, well, it might be something we ought to consider taking seriously as far as us practicing that. Now, skip over to chapter 28. We'll leave John behind and go more into New Testament, New Covenant baptism. And 16 through 20 is the famous Great Commission, but look again. Jesus, what does he associate baptism with? Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. So based on what Jesus said, what's it associated with? Yes, thank you. It's associated with being a disciple of Jesus, or as you said, discipleship, and it's kind of a definition of being a disciple. How else does he say it? Doing what? Observing all Jesus commanded. So I don't know if you want to make that five and six, but they go together. Observing all Jesus commanded. Notice what Trinitarian angle do you see to this in here? There you go. So you've got this Trinitarian authority for the church to go out, make disciples, baptize converts. Y'all see that? So again, this is something important, and that's why all churches do it. Taking all this together, it's like an initiation rite into the New Covenant community. And in that sense, it's the first act of obedience a new Christian is gonna perform. A lot of churches won't let someone partake of the Lord's Supper if he hasn't been baptized, because you're in a state of disobedience. All right, getting real close to what it symbolizes. We're going to do a little bit more here, but before we get into what else it symbolizes, let's talk about a false view of baptism. Now, we're right here in the Great Commission in Matthew 28. Look at the parallel to that. It's Mark 16, 16. This is Mark's version of the same conversation. This has led some people to wrongly conclude you have to be baptized for salvation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. All right, why would somebody conclude from that you've got to be baptized to be saved? Sounds like you've got to do two things, doesn't it? You've got to believe and be baptized. Now, we know from all over the rest of the New Testament Now, that's not so. Like, for instance, what we started off when you quoted Ephesians 2, 8, and 9, right? But what even here in Mark 16, 16 reveals that Jesus was not teaching that water baptism was necessary for salvation? Right. All it takes to be condemned is not believing. That's right. But you do see that water baptism is very closely associated with salvation, and rightly so. In fact, I would wonder if somebody said he believed in Jesus, but he refused to be baptized. I'd probably conclude he didn't really believe. So it's a proof of your earnestness. All right, so y'all see that? Let me look at another famous one. Be turning over to Acts chapter two. While you're turning to Acts chapter two, you remember Jesus is crucified, there's two thieves on the cross with him. One of them turns to him in faith, finally, and he says, today, you'll be with me in paradise. And then Jesus died, which technically started the new covenant. And then sometime after that, the other fellow died. So he was the first New Testament believer that made it in heaven. Was he baptized? He wasn't water baptized. So there's Jesus telling this guy he's going to go to heaven, and he wasn't water baptized. Another example I can think of is Cornelius and his household, where Peter preaches the gospel. He's a Roman centurion. They believed, and it says that Holy Spirit comes on them right then. And then later, they were baptized. Well, that clearly shows they were saved before they were baptized. You don't have to be baptized in order to be saved. I'm talking about water baptism, water immersed. John 3.16 in all the football games, God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes and is baptized will not perish but have eternal life, right? Wrong. Whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life. Where does he talk about baptism? Well, he doesn't because it's not part of it. But let me show you another goof up. This is the Church of Christ's favorite verse, Acts 2.38. And Peter said to them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you want the Holy Spirit, what do you got to do? It says repent and be baptized. Now in English that's a bit of a quandary. First thing you got to remember is we know all these other Bible verses that say it just ain't so. But this looks like it has to be so based on this. When he says repent, it's second person plural. What does that mean? Y'all. Okay, ye. And then forgiveness of your sins is also second person plural, ye. Okay? Those two things go together. Repentance, which is changing your mind about Jesus in this context clearly, leads to forgiveness of your sins. And then he says in Greek, be baptized. Actually it says, let him be baptized. That is in third person singular. So it's like he's saying, y'all repent. so that your sins will be forgiven, and oh, whoever does that, let him be baptized. So grammatically, the action of repentance leads to the result of forgiveness. And incidentally, parenthetically, oh yeah, let him be baptized. Baptized is not an action here. It's taken out because of the difference in pronouns. This is what it says, repent all of you for the forgiveness of your sins and let each one be baptized. Now remember too, in Greek, they just didn't talk like we do. They get their syntax all backwards from us. Let's think about the Philippian jailer. Look at Acts 16. You know, there's a lot to baptism. I just picked a few things. Acts 16, 29 to 34. This is what Paul tells the Philippian jailer he's got to do to be baptized. The jailer called for the lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. And they spoke the word of the Lord to all who were in his house. And he took them in the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. and he baptized at once. He and all his family. What did they have to do to be saved? Believe. When was he baptized? Later. See, the baptism was not a part of the message here. If that's a critical aspect of the gospel, you're going to see it every time, but most of the time it's not there. I've just gone to a few places like Acts 2.38 where it's not as clear. Okay? One other thing that's just confusing that a person would wrongly use while you're here, look at Acts 22, verse 16. Look what he says is going to wash away Paul's sins. Well, doesn't that look like it? You know, the Bible never talks about praying a prayer to be saved. Baptists are a big deal in sinner's prayer. That's really not in the Bible. The New Testament equivalent of the sinner's prayer is water baptism. That's an acted out way of calling on the Lord to save you. And that's a way, of course, you could look at this. for that matter, at the very most, what we see about baptism here is what does it associate with? Washing what? Washing away your sins. Again, it doesn't literally wash away your sins, but it's symbolic of that happening. Alright, look at Romans 4. I just want to know the main point. Well, let's read 1 through 8. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due. And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sins. What's the point of that? That's all it takes, faith. Did he say anything about baptism? No. Now, Jews did think he had to be circumcised to be saved. So now he attacks that belief. Nobody yet was saying that about baptism, but let's do that. He says, is this blessing then only for the baptized or also for the unbaptized? You see, we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been baptized? He was not after, but before he was baptized. He received the sign of baptism as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still unbaptized. You could plug anything in there. The Lord's Supper, church membership, tithing. Well, you plug any of it in there. If it's true of circumcision that that was just a sign, so is baptism. That's all. Alright, now look at Romans 6 while we're here. Now we're going to read about baptism in 3 through 6, and I want to know what kind of baptism is he talking about? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? We were buried, therefore, with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like this, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like this. What kind of baptism is he talking about? What does the word baptism mean? Immersed. What kind of immersion is he talking about? Spiritual immersion. Where does he mention water in here? See, when we think baptism, we think water. It just means to dip. What are you dipped into? What's the medium here in this passage? Jesus. you're baptized into Jesus, and through Him, you're baptized into His death. You will also be baptized, immersed into His resurrection. That's why we could say it's a liquid grave. Now, he's not talking about water baptism here, but it just begs the parallel that when we put somebody under the water, we're burying them, and then we're dying with Christ, and you're raised to walk in the newness of life with Christ. And it's a picture of the resurrection and the future, the bodily resurrection. Y'all see that? Now, turn over to the right, 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Most every cult teaches you've got to be baptized to be saved. I know the Mormons do. I know the Jehovah's Witnesses do. It's just evidence that they don't understand the gospel. Chapter 1, 13 through 17, what does this indicate about whether baptism is necessary to be saved? He says, is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you are baptized into my name." And then he says, oh yeah, I did baptize also the household of Stephanas, but beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else. Now look at verse 17. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. So what in that paragraph indicates about whether baptism, water baptism, is necessary in order to be saved? He was pretty sloppy about who he baptized. I'm glad I only baptized you guys, but y'all, I don't even remember, because he didn't send me to baptize. He sent me to do what? Preach the gospel. Looking at verse 17, that means the gospel message does not include what? Baptism has nothing to do with it. If you look over at 1 Corinthians 15, where he spells out the gospel, baptism's not there. Let's look at another phone. We'll go over Colossians, chapter two. Since there are so many people who get it wrong, we have to look at some of these. Colossians 2, 9 through 12. I want to know in here what indicates that the baptism he's talking about is spirit baptism rather than water baptism. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of flesh by the circumcision of Christ. having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. What indicates there that when he talks about baptism, he's not talking about water baptism? Right, so spiritual baptism saves you, not water baptism. Spiritual circumcision saves you, not physical circumcision, right? Okay, one last fun verse, Titus chapter 3, 3 through 8. He talks about washing and we want to know what kind of washing is he talking about. So Nathan, read Titus 3 through 8. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, being justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy and I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. What kind of washing is he talking about there? The washing of regeneration, not the washing of water baptism. Not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but the peel of a clean conscience. You all see that, right? That's pretty simple, pretty straightforward. All right, now I left out something here then for a number seven thing that water baptism is associated with is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and our association with that. We got that from Romans 6. That's what most people zero in on. So, big picture stuff, we said the word baptism is from the Greek word baptizo, and what does it mean? It means to immerse. We can look at the dictionary. It's hard to argue with these Greek lexicons. These people write this stuff for a living who aren't Baptist, and they all know what it means. And then we saw there's three kind of baptisms mentioned by John early on. There's water baptism, Holy Spirit baptism, and baptism of fire. And I would argue baptism of fire is a bad thing. Baptism of the Holy Spirit is what saves you, and baptism of water is an outward sign of that inward substance of spirit baptism. And then we looked at all the things that water baptism is associated with. With John the Baptist, it was repentance. and we see people confessing their sins, and he's predicting that Jesus is gonna come and baptize with the Holy Spirit, so again, it symbolizes that. Jesus said we've gotta do it, he had to do it to fulfill our righteousness. And then Matthew 28, that's the mark of being a disciple. So it is the initiation right into the New Covenant community. Ananias says, wash away your sins, and it symbolizes that. It's closely associated with that. It doesn't actually do that. Water baptism doesn't. And that's really what we're looking at here today, is water baptism. And then Romans, associated with the death, burial, resurrection of Christ. So in a lot of churches, when they baptize somebody, they'll say, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we got that trinity going. He says, we are buried in Christ, through baptism into death, and then you pull them back up and raised to walk in newness of life. That's it. Make sense? Okay, now all we talked about tonight was why. Why do it? That's why we do it. And I had to spend some time dealing with the wrong view saying it saves you. And that's just a false gospel. It's adding to the gospel just like circumcision. All right. Y'all got any questions, comments about that? What's the reason that's given where some churches say that you should only be baptized in the name of Jesus? That's a cult that says that. And there's a different verse that says you baptize them in the name of Jesus. And they get that one verse, and they go to town on it, and they ignore these other verses. And it's not a terrible thing to do that, except that they, in doing that, discount all other baptisms. That same group denies the Trinity. They deny Jesus as God. So they've got other problems as well, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. So I wouldn't get too fussed if somebody just said in the name of Jesus, but the fact that they make such a big deal out of that suggests there's something bad wrong, and there really is. So guys, let me challenge you about something. If you know somebody that's a Christian and hasn't been baptized, and you bring him along to church, tell him not to take the Lord's Supper until he gets baptized. If you've got kids that don't believe, you shouldn't be giving them the Lord's Supper. unless they just like grape juice, but you shouldn't give it to them as a religious act, how's that? In my opinion, or if you get kids who believe and, well, I say haven't been baptized, if they don't have some good reason, then they should probably hold off on the Lord's Supper until they've been baptized, because that's an act of obedience. So next time we'll look at the mode and the man, who? This message was produced by the New Testament Reformation Fellowship, reforming today's church with New Testament church practices. Permission is hereby granted for you to reproduce this message. You can find us on the web at www.ntrf.org. May God bless you as you seek to follow Him in complete obedience to His Word. May your faith in the Lord Jesus be strengthened and your daily walk with Him deepened. Oh.