Why Baptize? Most Christians will answer this question in one of two ways:
- Jesus said that we should baptize (Mt. 28:19), or
- Jesus was baptized himself.
Both of these are correct statements, but neither is the right answer to the question. Baptism is the rite of initiation into the church. In the New Testament, baptism and conversion were so closely associated that one infers the other. When Jesus said to baptize he was not saying that because of his own baptism, which was a special, Messianic baptism that was done “to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15). Rather, he was saying that people were to be brought into the church–a process that was synonymous with baptism. It is for this reason that the doctrines of baptism and church are closely related.
The Origin of Baptism
Well before the coming of Christ, baptism had been established as the consummating step of the process by which a proselyte would enter the Jewish faith. The people of the New Testament era were therefore quite familiar with the practice. Note that when the priests and Levites confronted John the Baptist (Jn. 1:19), they did not ask him “What are you doing?”, but rather they asked him “Why do you baptize?” When an outsider confessed a faith in Judaism, he would be
- instructed in the faith,
- circumcised,
- and then (after he had healed) he would immerse himself in water in a witnessed ceremony.
Immediately as he came out of the water, he would be given all rights and privileges of Judaism.
Since Christianity began as a Jewish sect, the process by which a Gentile would become a Christian followed this procedure precisely except that circumcision was no longer required (Acts 15:19). Note that this change tended to erase any distinction between men and women, making it clear right at the time of a candidate’s initiation that Christianity completely removes the three traditional barriers between people that are mentioned in Gal. 3:28. This verse, believed by many scholars to be a quotation of a baptismal formula in the early church, says “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Therefore, functionally, baptism is simply the rite of initiation of in individual into the community of faith. Just as with its Jewish antecedent, it must be voluntary and it must be witnessed. It may be administered only after a confession of faith and instruction (catechism).
Baptism as a Prophetic Symbol
In Rom. 6, Paul added a rich theology that explained baptism in terms that were easy enough for first-century Romans to understand, but which are often difficult for modern westerners. In Rom. 6:4, Paul says that “we were therefore buried with him through baptism into his death.” This passages suggests that time can be telescoped–that the contemporary believer can actually exist in some sense during Jesus’ crucifixion. Furthermore, Paul says that the believer, as he is being baptized, actually participates in the death of Christ; that participation is the basis for Christ’s future participation into the believer’s death, leading him or her into eternal life.
One should be cautious not to over-extend this point; Paul was not saying that a person converted on his deathbed and who dies before he can be baptized would not achieve salvation in Christ. Such an understanding would give pelagian (magic) overtones to Baptism. But the act of entering the water and then coming out of the water was seen as symbolizing Jesus’ death and burial, followed by his resurrection. Because of this symbolism, many evangelicals (especially Baptists) insist that Baptism must be a full immersion. Also, the Greek word transliterated “baptism” in our English Bibles (baptizo) actually means “immerse,” but King James insisted on transliterating the word to avoid sending the wrong message to the masses. In a way, however, King James had a point. The ancient church document known as the Didache (the “teaching,” c. 70 – 400 AD?) suggests that the early house churches had a great deal of flexibility in how to actually performed the rite.
Baptism as an Initiation
The function of Christian baptism, just as it was among Jewish proselyte, is initiation into the church performing the baptism, also serving as an initiation into the Christian faith. Because of latter, persons should only be baptized once in their lifetime. Where a believer moves to another church, he accepted on the basis that he can give a compatible confession of faith and that he has already been baptized elsewhere.
While adults can always be baptized, children are handled differently in the denominational church world, taking one of two paths.
| INFANTS | ADULTS | |
| 1 (e.g., Baptists) | Dedication | Baptism |
| 2 (e.g., Episcopalians) | Baptism (Sprinkling) | Confirmation |
Since infants are not able to understand the expectations of the Christian life and commit themselves to that life, a two-step practice is taken. Because of the importance of that commitment , some form of instruction (catechism) is necessary prior to baptism or confirmation. In the New Testament, only individuals with a Jewish background were baptized without catechism, while gentiles received instruction prior to baptism (See Acts 16:32). Both hope to achieve the same outcome. House churches are free to decide how their children and adults should be baptized and when children have reached the age of accountability.