In a recent posting on our son-in-law’s blog, he wrote of asking our oldest grandson what different parts of the church building were. Of course, as a proud grandpa, I thought that all of the responses were very insightful. Like all grandparents, I was sure that our grandson would know more about the church building where his family worships regularly than any other six-year-old in the universe. (Of course that would also be true with regard to our three-year-old, our two-year-old and both of our less that one-year-olds!)
In particular, I found the following response to be very interesting: Baptistery – “Where somebody goes into God’s family (they have to believe and they have to hold their breath).”
I am not sure that I have ever read where one of the biblical requirements of baptism is the ability to hold one’s breath, but it surely would be a very practical thing to do. That would be true, of course, only if a person submitted to the type of baptism described in God’s Word.
While many in the religious climate of our day accept a variety of “modes” of baptism, those who desire to follow the will of God will recognize and submit to only one. By definition, description and depiction, baptism is immersion.
The word “baptism” is an anglicized word. Translators took the Greek word baptizo and/or one of the forms of that word and “invented” an English word where one had never existed before. According to Vine’s Expository of New Testament Words (89), this word means “…to dip, was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another, etc.” Many other sources give the meaning as “dip,” “plunge,” “overwhelm” or something similar. Thus, by definition, scriptural baptism is immersion.
The act of baptism is described in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 as a burial. Neither sprinkling nor pouring would fit this description. Only immersion would fit this word picture.
The New Testament depicts the baptism of several individuals. Possibly the most helpful for this discussion would be the baptism of the eunuch from Ethiopia who had been taught by Philip. Notice carefully the language of Acts 8:38. “And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him” (emphasis added).
Sadly, many have missed or misapplied these and other passages of Scripture and have never really been baptized. It is also sad that many have been immersed, but have been taught some erroneous doctrine about the role that baptism plays in their salvation.
Is it true, as our six-year-old “scholar” said that the baptistery is “where somebody goes into God’s family?” Is a person a Christian (and thus a part of God’s family) before he or she is baptized or does baptism play a role in putting them into God’s family?
It is apparent to all who read the New Testament that one of the beautiful descriptions of the Lord’s church is that of family. To be in the church would be equivalent to being in God’s family. We learn from Acts 2:47 that “…the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Would it not be correct to also say that these same people became members of God’s family? Would it not also be correct to say that if we learn what caused them to be added to the church, we would also learn when they became members of God’s family?
It is of particular interest to notice that in this context people were challenged to “…be saved from this perverse generation” (Acts 2:40). Notice the response and result in the next verse (Acts 2:41). “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (emphasis added).
Many other passages could be cited to demonstrate that baptism, which is part of an obedient faith and thus necessary for salvation, is what puts a person into the Lord and His church (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21, etc.).
While it might be a good idea for people to hold their breath while being baptized, it is even a better idea for them to understand and do what the New Testament teaches in order to be saved. When they do, they will, in fact, “go into God’s family.” Oh, that more people would have the understanding of a six-year-old!
