I once saw a police officer answering the question of how to avoid getting a speeding ticket. The answer was simple, obey the speed limit. The follow up question was, “well isn’t 5 miles over the speed limit legal?” The answer was, “what does the speed limit sign say? That’s the speed limit, obey that.”
Many have questions about baptism. With that in mind let’s look into the Word to see what it says, because if the Word says it we should obey it.
Let’s look at what Jesus said in what we call the Great Commission and get some understanding.
Matthew 28:19 KJV Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mark 16:15-16 NET 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.
Luke 24:46-49 KJV 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
The promise of the Father was the outpouring of the Holy ghost that we see in Acts 2:1-4 (KJV) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Then the crowds were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean (Acts 2:12 NET)?” But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words (Acts 2:14 KJV). After explaining this to them, the crowd asked, Men and brethren, what shall we do (Acts 2:37 KJV)?
This was Peter’s response: 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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:38-39 KJV).
Now this might raise some questions with some people. Jesus commanded in Matthew 28 to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Peter commands these here to be baptized in Jesus name. It is important to note that in verse 14 that Peter stood up with the eleven. If he had said something wrong they would have stopped him. You see in Luke Jesus said that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name. That is what Peter did. The disciples had already gotten the revelation of who Jesus was. In John 14 Philip asked to see the Father Jesus responded Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father (John 14:9 KJV)? They heard Jesus say I and my Father are one (John 10:30 KJV).
To further make the point let’s look at a few more verses.
John 1:1+14 KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 KJV And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1 John 5:7 KJV For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
They understood that Jesus was the word that was made flesh, they understood that Jesus was the Father, They understood that Jesus was the Holy Ghost. Thus baptizing in Jesus’ name was the fulfillment of Matthew 28:19. More examples of baptism in Jesus’ name are repeated throughout the book of Acts in Acts 8:12,Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, and Acts 22:16.
Now what about Mark 16? Jesus says that the one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. I have heard some say that because it does not say that he that doesn’t believe and is not baptized it means that baptism is not important or needed. Baptism is talked about too much in the New Testament for it not to be important. When the crowd asked Peter what they needed to do, if baptism is not important then why would he have brought it up. The simple answer to the question of why baptism isn’t mentioned in the second part of this verse in Mark is simply that you would not submit to baptism if you did not believe.
It is also worth mentioning that the word baptize comes from the Greek word baptizō which means to immerse or submerge. This lets us know that baptism is to be performed by full immersion.
Peter also mentions remission of sins. Remission involves God completely taking away, eradicating, or deleting the sin from a person’s life, acting as a cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty. Just as in 2 Kings 5 when Naaman’s leprosy (which is a type of sin) was washed away so our sins will be washed away in baptism.
Now let’s look into the Epistles at baptism.
Galatians 3:27 KJV For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Romans 6:3-5 KJV 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 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:
Colossians 2:12 KJV Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
These are powerful verses. If we want to be like Christ let’s put on Christ. Let’s be 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.
So we’ve looked in the Word and it says we should be baptized and that it should be done in Jesus name. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16 KJV).
1 Peter 3:21 BBE And baptism, of which this is an image, now gives you salvation, not by washing clean the flesh, but by making you free from the sense of sin before God, through the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead;