WHAT IS BAPTISM?
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him or her in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself or herself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and setting them on a pathway of discipleship to become a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ.
Baptism and communion (the Lord’s Supper) are the two ordinances prescribed by our Lord Jesus Christ as visible symbols of invisible grace. They are discernible and tangible representations of both the invisible realities of the gospel and the Spirit’s application of this gospel to our lives.
With both ordinances, believers have an opportunity to “remember” God’s goodness and grace, especially as revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Both baptism and communion picture Christ’s death and resurrection and our participation in His death and resurrection through union to Him in faith.
As we enter into the waters or watch another do so, we are reminded that Christ was crucified and raised from the dead and that we, too, have died to the old self in order to live for Christ.
In this document, we will be answering five important questions about baptism:
1. Why should one be baptized?
2. Who should be baptized?
3. When should they be baptized?
4. How should they be baptized?
5. Where should they be baptized?
IS BAPTISM MERELY A SYMBOL?
One of the most fiercely debated subjects of the Protestant Reformation was the nature of the sacraments, even between the various Reformers. Without attempting to justify a particular position, it is important to understand that baptism is in one sense a “means of grace,” in which God sanctifies and encourages His people. That said, it is important to bear in mind two truths regarding what baptism is not and does not do:
1. BAPTISM DOES NOT SAVE. Though grace is extended through the ordinance, it is not saving grace but rather sanctifying grace. We are more conformed to the image of Christ as we obey Him in the call to be baptized.
2. BAPTISM IS NOT “NECESSARY” FOR SALVATION. Without in any way diminishing the duty and delight of baptism for a believer, we must also warn against thinking which suggests that salvation is dependent upon baptism. The gospel is one of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
As a symbol, baptism illustrates the realities of Christ’s death and resurrection, the disciple’s union with Christ in His death and resurrection, the new life in which a disciple walks, and the forgiveness (cleansing) of sin.
WHY SHOULD ONE BE BAPTIZED?
MATTHEW 28:18–20 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.”
ACTS 2:37–41 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Why?
1. To obey the commands of Christ
2. To evidence that a person is a disciple of Christ
3. To follow the example of Christ
Baptism is not just a responsibility but also a privilege. We have the opportunity to evidence our trust in and love for our King through obedience in this ordinance. If we think of baptism as a mere burden, we have not properly understood the joy of following Christ in the call to be baptized. We should have a similar response as the Ethiopian eunuch who, when he believed the gospel, proclaimed, “What prevents me from being baptized?” It should be our joy, and we should eagerly anticipate our participation in the ordinance. While there are certain costs associated with baptism, the reward of obedience is always worth it. The desire to be baptized should be motivated by a desire to glorify God in faithful obedience. Any other motivation (to join a particular local church, to please a friend or family member, etc.) should not be the ultimate reason for seeking to be baptized.
WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?
MATTHEW 28:18–20 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.”
At FBCVA, it is our belief that water baptism is only intended for those who have received the saving benefits of Christ through the new birth of the Holy Spirit. We practice what is called “believer’s” or “confessor’s” baptism, which means we only baptize those who believe and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Reading through Acts, we find baptism explicitly related to repentance, receiving the Word, believing and receiving the Holy Spirit. There is no explicit evidence to suggest that nonbelievers were baptized.
ACTS 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
ACTS 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
GALATIANS 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
ROMANS 6:3–4 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.
WHEN SHOULD A PERSON BE BAPTIZED?
ACTS 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.
As soon as a person trusts Christ and has a clear conviction and understanding of baptism, he or she should be baptized. The Scriptures do not speak of a delayed baptism in which a regenerate believer refrains from obedience to the ordinance. In all the accounts in the Scriptures, baptism is rather immediate. This pattern of somewhat immediate baptism should be emulated unless there are convincing reasons to delay baptism.
THE PRACTICE OF FBCVA
At FBCVA, we ask believers who wish to be baptized to temporarily delay for a brief season while they receive proper counseling and/or go through a baptism class and wait for a Celebration Service. First, this practice allows us to discuss the gospel and the meaning of baptism and to teach our theological convictions regarding both. Second, it allows the church the opportunity to celebrate together as a congregation sharing in the joy of a person’s obedience and agreeing to walk with him or her in fellowship. Finally, it allows the person being baptized to invite family and friends who will have an opportunity to celebrate and hear the proclamation of the gospel.
HOW SHOULD A PERSON BE BAPTIZED?
Though other denominations and theological traditions baptize by pouring or sprinkling, FBCVA practices baptism by immersion. We do so in light of the following considerations:
1. The Greek word βαπτίζω (baptizo) literally means to plunge, submerge or immerse. Our English word baptism is a transliteration of the Greek baptizo. Baptizo was used in Greek literature to describe the act of immersing something in water or another liquid. It later became a technical term that referred specifically to the Christian ordinance of baptism.
2. The representation of union in Christ’s death and resurrection is best expressed through immersion. Whether buried below or above ground, the symbolism of burial is still that of being placed under something. Likewise, resurrection is accomplished by coming out of something (whether grave or tomb). Immersion best symbolizes this reality by actually placing the believer under the water and bringing them out.
In addition, it is interesting to note the use of water to symbolize judgment in the Scriptures (e.g., the flood of Gen. 6-7 and the destruction of Egypt in the Red Sea of Exod. 14). Thus, by passing through the waters of baptism, the believer expresses trust that God’s judgment has been satisfied by Christ.
COLOSSIANS 2:12 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.
ROMANS 6:3–4 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.
3. The surrounding context of baptisms in the Scriptures suggests baptism by immersion.
MATTHEW 3:16 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.
MARK 1:5, 10 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins…And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
JOHN 3:23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized.
ACTS 8:38–39 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
WHERE SHOULD A PERSON BE BAPTIZED?
Although there are no prescriptions in the Scriptures to location, we prefer to practice the ordinance within the context of the local church in order to allow the congregation to celebrate together in a person’s act of obedience and submission. That said, we do not want to prescribe what the Scriptures do not, and thus we do allow for baptism to occur outside the weekly gathering. While we do not require that the “entire” church family be gathered, we do believe it is important for it to be at a gathering of the church (e.g., church camps, retreats, etc.) Our preference in such cases is that video and/or pictures be taken to record the event so that the church can share in the joy. It is not our practice to perform “private” baptisms.
