What Is Baptism?

October 27th, 2024
by Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Oct 24, 2024

Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Romans 6:3-4 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Baptism is twofold in the New Testament. Christians are first baptized by Jesus with the Holy Spirit immediately upon trusting Christ (Matt. 3:11; John 1:33). Then believers are baptized with water as a rite, signifying their death to sin and life to Christ. Though when Paul wrote Romans in AD 57 baptism was the term for the Christian initiation by water into the faith, in Romans 6 baptism is used metaphorically as “in union with”—a summation for the entire conversion experience.

Baptism—the dry baptism of receiving Christ by faith—not only joins Christians to Christ’s death but also His burial, for we are “buried with Him,” having participated in His death by dying to sin in our conversion. Believers are thus spiritually put in their own graves through faith in Christ as signified by water baptism after belief. The rite itself does not specify the place and time of a believer’s burial, but it is used as the sacrament through which believers were buried with Christ, for they died with Christ. Why? So that they too might also be resurrected with Christ and walk in the “newness of life”—having been born anew (John 3:3). Therefore, all believers actually participate in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in the same way that all humanity truly participated in Adam’s sin without actually being present (Rom. 5:12-14).

Paul uses aorist verbs used throughout Romans 6:3-4, Greek verbs that function as a snapshot of a past action. They are also in the passive voice, signifying that the subject (Christians) is being acted upon by the verb. In other words, believers died, were buried, and were resurrected during the three days Christ endured such, and all three actions were acted upon them, meaning that Christ did this for them—even before they were born.
Now Paul’s use of the term baptism does not explain how believers were buried with Christ, only that they were. Hence, the baptism he is referring to is the dry baptism of faith in Christ, for the sacrament does not save. Water baptism is merely an outward act and sign whereby believers in Christ publicly confess their union with Christ, a union they enjoy at the moment of faith.

The following word study on “baptism,” which means immersion, and its variants was done by J. H. Smith in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (p. 1301). Smith concludes that since baptism into water by immersion constitutes a burial in water, Romans 6:3-4 points to immersion as the Scriptural mode of Christian baptism. John the Baptist baptized “in the Jordan” (Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:5) where there was “much water” (John 3:23)—necessary for immersion but not for sprinkling. Also, the fact that Jesus came “up out of the water” (Matt. 3:16) indicates immersion. Likewise, when the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized, Acts 8:39 says that he had to “come up out of the water.” All of this points to immersion as the mode, not sprinkling.

Smith says that Romans 6:3-4 links Christ’s burial to baptism. Following the Lord in water baptism necessarily requires immersion into water to meet the requirements of the symbolism set forth by the Apostle Paul. It may also be argued in favor of immersion that the meaning of the original word baptizo was “to immerse.” The literal use of the word meant to put entirely into or under a liquid, or other penetrable substance, generally water, “so that the object was wholly covered by the inclosing element” (Meaning and Use of Baptizein, p. 187-88). Likewise, Alexander Carson asserts that baptizo “always signifies to dip; never expressing anything but mode” (Baptism: Its Mode and Subjects, chapter 2, sec. 10, p. 55).

Smith concludes that the NT presents a regular pattern of believer’s baptism involving the sequence of “hearing,” “believing,” and “being baptized” (Acts 2:37, 38; 2:41; 8:12, 13; 8:35, 36; 10:44; 11:14, 15; 16:14, 15; 16:32, 33; 18:8; 19:5). Since infants are unable to “hear” and “believe,” it is little wonder that infant baptism appears nowhere in the NT, either by specific example or by direct command.

Of course the command to baptize disciples (Matt. 28:19) is of perpetual obligation for the Church until the return of Christ, for there is no word (whether by direct command, specific example, or necessary inference) in later revelation in the epistles which repeals this ordinance. Christ’s command specifically pertains to ritual water baptism, for the disciples were commanded to be the administrators of such baptism; if this were a reference to baptism of the Holy Spirit, human administrators would not be involved, for no human being can baptize another human being by or into the Holy Spirit. This is done only by the sovereign act of God the moment a person believes in Christ (Rom. 8:9, 11; 1 Cor. 12:13).

Food for Thought

Many wonder what age is appropriate for baptism since the Bible does not specify such. It does, however, describe baptism as a post-conversion act which identifies a believer with Christ. Peter emphasized repentance as the result of baptism in Acts 2:38, and in v. 41 it is recorded that baptism was for “those who had received his word.” Acts 16:34 says that the Philippian Jailer’s household believed before being baptized which is consistent with Colossians 2:11-12, 1 Peter 3:18-21, and other passages that link baptism with saving faith. Note also the order of the Great Commission: “making disciples” comes before “baptizing them” (Matt. 28:19). Baptism, then, follows one’s repentance of sin and of trusting in Christ for salvation. There is no age requirement, but one must understand what saving faith is. Two questions to ask those wanting baptism: (1) “Have you rejected the values of the world as you seek to commit your life to Christ?” (2) “Can you see far enough into the future to make this lifelong pledge to Christ knowing that there will be many sufferings as a result?” If yes to both, then baptize them.