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Baptism
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Let us consider the teaching of the Word of God concerning Baptism. From the standpoint of some of our
friends in the Baptist denomination, this would be quite a simple subject, for they would tell us that when a person
comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour, the next thing he ought to do is to be immersed in water. They
will assure us that this was done in apostolic times and it is what believers should do today. The reasons usually
brought forward are one or more of the following. The newly saved person would be told that water baptism is a
seal of believers, or it is a sign to unbelievers, or it takes the place of circumcision, or it is a confession of Christ, or
it is the initiatory ordinance of Christianity, or it is the putting on of the uniform of a Christian, or it is a means of
grace, or it brings the believer under God's covenanted mercy. Some will say the Lord Jesus Christ was baptised,
therefore every believer should be baptised too. We wonder if some of those who use these arguments ever consider
what they are saying in the light of the Word of God? The Lord Jesus Christ was circumcised; does that mean that
every believer today should follow Him as an example in this respect? The Lord Jesus Christ attended the Jewish
synagogue on the Sabbath day. Is every professing Christian to do this too? The Lord kept the feasts of Leviticus.
He kept the Passover. Have we to do that because He did it? No; we shall find that these arguments, though
outwardly appearing impressive, are not Scriptural. We must be very careful when we say the Lord did a certain
thing and we therefore ought to copy Him. The reasons urged above for water baptism are seldom backed up by the
Word of God.
Let us come afresh to the Scriptures and see what they actually do teach on this subject. First and foremost
baptism is not exclusively a New Testament doctrine; it has its roots in the Old Testament. This is brought forward
in the Epistle to the Hebrews chapter six. Here we have the things that have to be left by the progressive believer, if
he is going on and growing up spiritually; going on to maturity, going on to perfection. Verse one reads "Therefore
leaving the principles (the A.B.C., the elements, the rudiments, the beginnings) of the doctrine of Christ, let us go
on" to full growth. Among the items to be left are these, "not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptisms ...". The reader will notice the plural is used, baptisms,
washings, and it occurs again in chapter nine where the writer is dealing with the Tabernacle and its significance.
The Tabernacle and the most holy place are referred to in verses seven and eight. Verse nine reads "Which was a
figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the
service perfect". "Perfect" and "perfection" are two key words in Hebrews. They mean mature and maturity.
These sacrifices did not touch the conscience, but stood only in meats, (foods) drinks and divers baptisms (divers
washings). The washings of the Old Testament, the washings of the priests, and of the parts of the sacrifices, are
actually called "baptisms". The first occurrence of the word "baptism" in the Bible is found in the book of Job, and
it occurs there in chapter 9:31 and is translated "plunge". We speak now of course of the Greek translation of the
Old Testament, the Septuagint, and this was the version commonly used in the Lord's lifetime. It is also found in
the book of Kings, when Naaman dipped (baptised) himself in Jordan. We read in Exodus 12 of the hyssop which
was dipped (baptised) in blood, and also in Numbers where the same hyssop was dipped (baptised) in water. In the
blessings of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy chapter 33, there is a rather strange reference concerning Asher, "let
him dip his foot in oil"; "dip" is the word "baptise"; literally let him baptise his foot in oil. This is highly figurative
language, meaning that Asher is going to be rich in oil and olives. So the washings of the Old Testament were
baptisms, and the Epistle to the Hebrews urges us that these things must be left by the believer who wants to go on
to maturity. In Old Testament times these washings represented internal cleanliness, but they only touched the
outside. They could never touch the mind or the conscience, and that is why they have to be left by anyone who
wants to grow up spiritually and leave babyhood behind.
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