Dear Baptist friend,
I would like to broach the subject of baptism with you. You and I both understand that baptism in the Bible was an act of immersion in water, both for John’s baptism in the Jordan River and for Christian baptism such as the Ethiopian eunuch asked for when he said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” What you and I differ on is the purpose and meaning of that immersion in water which is done while calling upon the name of Jesus.
Before going further, let me clarify where I am coming from personally: I grew up attending a Lutheran church, having been “baptized” as an infant and “confirmed” as a young teenager. But I wasn’t content to unquestioningly accept the teachings of that denomination. That questioning was further prompted in high school by being in a singing group of kids from different denominations. Our discussions on the bus to and from performances opened my eyes to the reality that there is much division and disagreement in Christendom, which motivated me to want to be sure that whatever I believe is from what I see for myself in the Bible. I’m thankful that God rewarded my seeking by putting people in my life who could show me the Scriptures that answered my questions.
When I specifically questioned what it means to be born again and wrote in my journal trying to figure it out, I gave up in confusion. A few months later, I discovered that the young man I had fallen in love with knew the answer even though he didn’t know I had the question–clearly Providential. When we sat down to study the Bible together after he had re-studied the subject of baptism for himself, I had a completely open mind to whatever the Bible says because I didn’t have any vested interest in clinging to previous beliefs. And in kind of a good way, the fact that in the Lutheran church I grew up in we never were exposed to the book of Acts that I could remember made it easier for me to admit my ignorance. All the examples of conversions–the responses of those first century Christians to the instructions they were given–were seen by me for the first time. What I saw was so different from what I had been exposed to growing up that there was no reason for me to balk at what I saw. It was good news to me to finally see that the Bible does give clear answers to my questions. I knew right then that I hadn’t followed God’s instructions about baptism, so I asked to be baptized by immersion in water in the name of Jesus that very night. I viewed it then and still do view it as the point in time when I was born again.
Several times I have experienced lengthy discussions of baptism with others who are of Baptist background, which have ended in a frustrating agreement to disagree. Each time I have pondered afterward what was the main cause of the disagreement, but each time the more we talked and the more Bible verses that were brought into the discussion, the more it seemed it was impossible to “see the forest for the trees.” I have longed to figure out what the real issue has been that has made agreement seem impossible. Now I think hindsight has clarified the point of departure where my Baptist friends and I have begun to interpret the verses about baptism in different ways.
Much of the difficulty in interpreting the Bible lies in being aware of the assumptions that one brings to his or her reading of whatever verses are in question. This now seems to be the main cause of differing interpretations of verses that mention baptism.
I understand Baptist logic to be that since the Bible says that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our works, and since baptism is something that we “do,” then it could not be involved in becoming a Christian. That logic results in reading verses about baptism while filtering the meaning through that assumption that baptism couldn’t be required for conversion. I’ve seen Baptists read passages about baptism and not even realize that they have that filter in their mind. And when I’ve tried to discuss baptism with them without first facing the issue of that filter, then that’s when the discussion goes in circles and agreement and understanding of why I interpret the passages differently becomes impossible.
So I would like to ask you to consider the subject of baptism from the beginning point of discerning what your assumptions are about what it could or could not mean. When you read the following verses, how do you go about reasoning to deduce their meaning?
Thank you so much for considering this subject. I understand that Baptists generally view baptism as very important (after all, the name of the denomination would seem to imply that!), as do I. So I hope you will be willing to take a fresh look at the subject and help me understand your point of view. I believe that if we first can see clearly what our assumptions are as we read the verses, then we might be able to discuss our actual interpretations in light of those assumptions with more clarity and perhaps even find common ground to meet on.
This subject is a very important and foundational one. It is listed by Paul as one of the “ones” in Ephesians 4:4-6 that all Christians ought to agree on, after he admonishes us in verse 3 to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” I personally have too often given in to the temptation to be timid and to avoid potential conflict with others who believe in Jesus but whose denominations teach differently from my own understanding. But my longing is to be part of the solution to the disunity and division in Christendom rather than letting my timidity perpetuate the problem. I long to find a way to be able to honestly and openly discuss what we believe and why we believe as we do with others who also love God and want to do his will.
The verses:
Matthew 28:18-19
Mark 16:15-16
John 3:3-6
Acts 2:38
Acts 22:16
Romans 6:3-5
Galatians 3:26-27
Colossians 2:12
Titus 3:4-7
1 Peter 3:20b-22
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Precious Promises 