The Meaning of Baptism

The word “baptize” is a Greek word that has been transliterated into English. The word means to dip, plunge, or immerse.  When the word was used among the Greeks, it was used to signify the dyeing of a garment or the drawing of water by dipping one vessel into another.

Although there is a lot of debate regarding the mode of baptism, we believe that baptism by immersion best represents the word, the original meaning and its purpose (this is explained in better detail later).

The Importance of Baptism

There are many who try to undermine the importance of baptism for a number of reasons, but a close look at the Bible has convinced many that baptism may be the most important step in a believer’s life.

According to Matthew 3:13-15, Jesus asked to be baptized and also commanded His disciples not only to teach, but to baptize all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). Later on in the life of the early church, we discover that the apostles and early church leaders taught and practiced baptism (Acts 2:38; 8:12-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15-33).

The question we must ask is: If the apostles and the early church practiced baptism and Christ commanded it, can we even suggest that it is not important?

The Misuse of Baptism

Baptism is an important God-given way of testifying to one’s faith by showing to others the outward sign of an inward reality. Baptism is an act of obedience to the command of Jesus, declaring the believer’s faith in and identification with the crucified, buried, and risen Jesus. Baptism is not a requirement for being saved. You can get to heaven without being baptized (like the thief on the cross), but you can’t get to heaven without being saved.

Baptism is a command and a logical step of obedience, but it is not necessary for salvation because you are saved by faith and not by any works. We must also remember that baptism is meaningless if it is done by an unbeliever.

The Purpose of Baptism

When a believer is baptized, they are giving a visual testimony of their identification with Christ. The purpose of baptism is to physically identify the believer with Christ.

The Significance of Baptism

Not only does baptism give the believer an opportunity to outwardly testify for Jesus Christ, but it also serves as an illustration or picture of what happened to them at salvation.

Baptism is a picture of what happens at salvation. Note the three positions in baptism. These three positions illustrate a different aspect of the gospel:

1. Standing in the water (Death)

2. Placed under the water (Buried)

3. Coming up out of the water (Resurrection)

The three positions of baptism also tell us three things about the believer.

1. He has died with Christ (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3)

2. He was buried with Christ (Romans 6:3,4)

3. He is a new creature in Christ (Romans 6:4,5; Colossians 3:1)

There is much confusion about baptism in the various Christian denominations. However, this is not a result of the Bible presenting a confusing message on baptism. The Bible is abundantly clear of what baptism is, who it is for, and what it accomplishes. In the Bible, only believers who had placed their faith in Christ were baptized—as a public testimony of their faith and identification with Him (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). Water baptism by immersion is a step of obedience after faith in Christ. It is a proclamation of faith in Christ, a statement of submission to Him, and an identification with His death, burial, and resurrection.

With this in view, infant baptism is not a Biblical practice. An infant cannot place his or her faith in Christ. An infant cannot make a conscious decision to obey Christ.  An infant cannot understand what water baptism symbolizes. The Bible does not record any infants being baptized. Infant baptism is the origin of the sprinkling and pouring methods of baptism—as it is unwise and unsafe to immerse an infant under water. Even the method of infant baptism fails to agree with the Bible. How does pouring or sprinkling illustrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Many Christians who practice infant baptism do so because they understand infant baptism as the new covenant equivalent of circumcision. In this view, just as circumcision joined a Hebrew to the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, so baptism joined a person to the New Covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ. This view is unbiblical. The New Testament nowhere describes baptism as the New Covenant replacement for Old Covenant circumcision. The New Testament nowhere describes baptism as a sign of the New Covenant.  It is faith in Jesus Christ that enables a person to enjoy the blessings of the New Covenant (I Corinthians 11:25; II Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 9:15).

Baptism does not save a person. It does not matter if you were baptized by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling—if you have not first trusted in Christ for salvation, baptism (no matter the method) is meaningless and useless. Water baptism by immersion is a step of obedience to be done after salvation as a public profession of faith in Christ and identification with Him. Infant baptism does not fit the Biblical definition of baptism or the Biblical method of baptism. If Christian parents wish to dedicate their child to Christ, then a baby dedication service is entirely appropriate. However, even if infants are dedicated to the Lord, when they grow up they will still have to make a personal decision to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.