Snap Shot
There are two ordinances instituted by the Lord Jesus for believers to practice: water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Instructing Scripture
“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” (Matthew 28:19 ESV).
Practicing Scripture
“And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38 ESV).
By Definition
Baptize (baptizo) means:
1. to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk);
2. to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self, bathe;
3. to overwhelm (Thayer n.d.).
Thus, to baptize means to dip a thing into an element or liquid. In the LXX, the Greek version of the Old Testament, it is used of the ablutions and baptisms required by the Mosaic Law. These were affected by immersion, and the same word, “washings” (Hebrews 9:10, 13, 19, 21) or “baptisms,” designates them all. Moreover, all of the instances of baptism recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:38-41; 8:26-39; 9:17, 18; 10:44-48; 16:32-34; 22:12-16) suggest the idea that it was by dipping the person baptized, i.e. by immersion (Easton 1897).
It is also interesting to note that in A. S. Worrell’s translation of the New Testament he translates baptize as ‘immersion’ to emphasis the action:
“And, as they were journeying along the way, they came to a certain water; and the eunuch says, ‘Behold, here is water; what hinders me from being immersed?’” (Acts 8:36 Worrell).
Though it may not always possible or practical in every situation, those baptized in obedience to the Lord’s command should be immersed in water.
Why
While responding to the Lord’s commands in faith requires no initial understanding, a few scriptural passages give us the rationale behind the practice.
1. Identification
While traveling in Ephesus Paul encountered disciples and asked the question, “… ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They said, ‘Into John’s baptism’” (Acts 19:3 ESV). These disciples of John were subsequently baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 5) following Paul’s message of Jesus, thus signifying their conversion into disciples of Christ and being identified with Him rather than with John.
In his letter to the Romans Paul instructs the believers just what they are identifying with in water baptism:
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus 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” (Romans 6:3-4 ESV).
Thus, water baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ: just as He was immersed in death, the believer is immersed in water; just as Christ rose from death to a new and glorified life, the believer rises from the water in newness of life looking towards spending eternity with the Lord in a glorified body.
2. A Good Conscience
Along with identification, water baptism is, according to the Apostle Peter, an answer of a good conscience towards God:
“Baptism, which corresponds to this [Noah’s Ark, v. 20], now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21 ESV).
“The thing typified by the ark, even baptism, now saveth us – That is, through the water of baptism we are saved from the sin which overwhelms the world as a flood: not, indeed, the bare outward sign, but the inward grace; a divine consciousness that both our persons and our actions are accepted through him who died and rose again for us” (Wesley n.d.).
It may be John Wesley’s explanation of this passage has evolved into the defining statement that: “Water baptism is the outward expression of an inward work.”
Conclusion
All those who have confessed Christ as their Savior through the repenting of their sins should be baptized (immersed) in water as their conscience speaks obedience to His command and to be identified as a follower of Jesus Christ. Such obedience may not be immediately after conversion (as in Acts 2 and 8) but should take place relatively soon as the believer embarks on their newness of life in Christ.
Some have asked the question of being baptized more than once. While once is enough following genuine repentance, there may be times in a believer’s walk where their conscience, through the Holy Spirit, may impress them to renew publicly their commitment to Christ and/or His saving grace and mercy.
There is certainly no requirement of such, but neither is there a prohibition as each believer practices Paul’s admonition to the Philippians,
