Baptism is a subject that is often misunderstood and not taught in its full entirety. The Catholic Church, for example, teaches that infant baptism is mandatory for salvation. Mormonism teaches that baptism is both necessary for salvation and that it can be performed via proxy for the deceased. The United Church of Christ teaches that baptism is what unifies believers into the body of Christ. These are only a few examples. The purpose of this lesson is not to combat these groups, but to show what the Bible teaches.
References:
2 Timothy 2:15 tells us that we are to rightly divide God's Word and that we need to look at all Scripture when studying the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16). This lesson will show that there are multiple baptisms and that they are not the same. Looking at the context is vital to understanding which baptism is being discussed and its meaning.
The Bible tells us that there are seven baptisms:
Baptism of Moses
Baptism of John
Baptism of Christ's Death and Resurrection
Baptism of Recognition
Baptism of Fire
Baptism of the New Believer
Baptism of the Holy Ghost
The Baptism of Moses
"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." - 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
Notice that this baptism consists of two parts: the Pillar of Clouds that guided the Israelites for 40 years (Ex. 13:21, 40:36-37; Num. 14:34) and the Red Sea (Ex. 14). These people were not immersed in the water as it was separated from them, so that they could cross the sea neither were they immersed in the cloud above that guided them.
The Apostle Paul explained in this passage that their baptism was spiritual and was a sign for their need for Christ (v4). He also warned the Jewish believers not to put their faith in this ancestral baptism for salvation:
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." - 1 Corinthians 10:12
Many of the Jews put their faith in their ancestral heritage instead of in God. Paul spoke of the death of many Israelites due to this complacency (1 Cor. 10:5-11). The Jewish leaders were guilty of this as well and took pride in being the children of Abraham over faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ:
"They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word." - John 8:33-43
The Baptism of John
This particular baptism can be found in Matt. 21:25, Mk. 11:30, Lk. 7:29 and 20:4, Acts 1:22 and 18:25. John the Baptist's ministry had one purpose: to prepare Israel for their coming Messiah.
"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." - Matthew 3:1-6
The Baptism of John was performed in the water (Mk. 1:8), so that the Israelites could recognize Jesus as their Messiah (Jn. 1:31):
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." - John 1:29-31
This was a baptism for the Jews of repentance and manifestation.
The Baptism of Christ's Death and Resurrection
"Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father." - Matthew 20:20-23
This baptism is different from John's baptism. At this point in Christ's ministry, His disciples had already been baptized in water (Jn. 3:22-23) and recognized Jesus as the Messiah (Jn. 1:36-49).
Comparing Scripture with Scripture, we can see that this particular baptism was referring to the purpose for His coming:
"But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" - Luke 12:50
"And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again." - Matthew 20:17-19
Jesus was mocked and beaten by the Jews (Mk. 14:55-65, Lk. 23:11). James and John (and other apostles) were mocked and beaten by the Jews (Acts 5:27-40).
Jesus was killed by the Jews (Acts 2:36). Jesus said that James and John would experience the same baptism (Matt. 20:23, Mk. 10:39). The Bible tells us in Acts 12:1-3 that James was killed by the Jews.
Scripture is silent on the death of the Apostle John. Historical accounts give contradictory information citing that John died while in exile on Patmos or died an old man peaceably in Ephesus. The Bible should be our final authority so we should assume that John, like his brother James and the Lord Jesus Christ, was killed by Israel in an undocumented account.
The Baptism of Recognition
This particular baptism can be found in Acts 2:36-38. Acts 2:38 is erroneously cited by many Church of Christ and Pentecostal groups as proof that a person requires baptism to be saved and to receive the Holy Spirit.
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:36-38
It is easy to draw any conclusion when taking a Bible verse out of context. The Bible warns against this mentality and tells us to:
Study and rightly divide (2 Tim. 2:15)
Look at all Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16)
Compare Scripture with Scripture (Isaiah 28:9-10)
Believers are saved solely by His grace (Eph. 2:8-9) by faith in the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4). We receive the Holy Spirit the moment we are saved (Eph. 1:13). During the book of The Acts of the Apostles, there were multiple ways in which a believer received the Holy Ghost:
1) Baptism (Acts 2:38)
2) Directly from Heaven (Acts 2:2-4)
3) Laying on of hands (Acts 19:6)
The Acts of the Apostles is a transitional book going from Jew to Gentile. Salvation by believing who Jesus is (Acts 1-12) to believing what Jesus did (Acts 13-28).
Notice that this particular baptism was only for Israel:
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." - Acts 2:36
And to point out that the Jews killed their own Messiah:
"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" - Acts 2:37
And how to remedy their mistake:
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38
The Baptism of Fire
This baptism is also incorrectly taught by Pentecostal and Charismatic groups, and they will tie it in to Acts 2:3 to show that this baptism is the gift of speaking in tongues.
John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:11, told the Pharisees and Sadducees, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:". The Charismatic and Pentecostal groups teach that this baptism of fire began in Acts chapter two: “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - v3-4
There are two issues with their belief. The first problem is that John the Baptist stated that the baptism would be fire - not "as of fire". A tomato looks like an apple, but it is not an apple.
The second problem is that John the Baptist clarified this particular baptism in the following verse. Notice that Matthew 3:11 ends with a colon. A colon is a punctuation mark used to precede a list of items, a quotation, or an expansion or explanation.
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." - Matthew 3:11-12
John the Baptist said that Jesus Christ would give two baptisms. The first being the Baptism of the Holy Ghost (covered below) and is for the believer. The second baptism is for the unbeliever and is eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 21:8).
The Baptism of the New Believer
This baptism, like John's, is done by being immersed in water. However, unlike John's baptism, the person has already believed in who Jesus is:
"And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." - Acts 8:36-39
Acts 10:43-48 gives the account of the Apostle Peter baptizing the first recorded gentile believer, Cornelius, after he was saved and had already received the Holy Ghost.
The question must be asked: if a person is already saved which means they have repented of their sins, why should they be baptized? The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 15:29.
"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" - 1 Corinthians 15:29
This is the verse used by Mormons for their belief in proxy baptism.
As stated above, baptism does not save an individual. When a person dies, they are either saved or lost for all eternity. When a believer dies they go straight to Heaven to be with Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:6-8). When an unbeliever dies they go to Hell (Lk. 16:23, Rom. 6:23, Rev. 21:8). A person must believe in the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4) before they die in order to be saved. There are no second chances.
So, then, what is Paul talking about in this verse? The definition is found in one single word: for.
The word "for" has two meanings. For can mean "in place of" and it can mean "because of". An example of this is stealing. If I were to say I went to jail for stealing, that means that I went to jail because of stealing - not in place of stealing.
The context of the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 is the physical resurrection of the dead:
Christ rose from the dead (v4)
He was seen by over 500 witnesses (v5-9)
If Christ did not physically rise from the dead, then our faith is in vain (v12-20)
The Rapture's purpose is to destroy death once and for all for believers - it is our physical resurrection (v51-55)
Paul said in Romans:
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" - 6:3-5
When a believer is baptized, they are symbolically representing Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. The believer is showing that he/she believes that they will be physically resurrected (1 Thess. 4:16-17). That is the purpose of this baptism and is something that every believer should partake in.
Again, baptism is not necessary for salvation, but is important for believers:
"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 3:21
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost
"I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." - Mark 1:8
The final baptism is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. When a person believes the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4), they are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). The believer is now a part of the body of Christ:
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." - 1 Corinthians 12:13
It is through this baptism that takes place the moment we are saved, that we have unity with God (Eph. 4:3):
There is only one body of Christ (Eph. 4:4, 1 Cor 12:13)
There is only one hope for salvation (Eph. 4:4, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Rom. 6:23)
There is only one Lord that can save us, one faith that can save us, one baptism that is necessary (Eph. 4:5, Jn. 14:6, Eph. 2:8-9, Is. 45:5)
There is only one God (Eph, 4:6, Is. 44:6, 1 Cor. 8:6, James 2:19)
All other baptisms are a symbol of the one true baptism that takes place at the moment of conversion from sinner to saint.
As stated in the introduction, this lesson was not designed to attack any particular group. When we study God's Word like we are supposed to, God's Word will show us what the Bible says about baptism. Water baptism is not required for salvation. Contrary to the Catholic Catechism, water baptism is the act of a believer which means that the person must be aware of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ - something infants do not comprehend.
Baptism of the Holy Ghost is salvation itself. It is the immersion of the believer into the body of Christ at the time of salvation through faith in the Gospel.