The Best way, the Right way, or the Only way?

By: Pastor Michael Brigmond

The subject of Baptism has many facets. To properly study it, there are many questions that must be answered. Questions like:

1. What words are to be spoken at baptism?
2. Should the water be a natural body of water, such as a river, lake or stream?
3. Is a baptismal tank (fiberglass, concrete or a galvanized watering trough) okay?
4. Should baptism be performed before or after receiving the Holy Ghost?
5. Sprinkling, Pouring, or Immersion?
6. What are the benefits of being baptized?
7. Is baptism necessary to be saved?
8. Who should perform the baptism?

. . .The list goes on and on and on.

This article will not even attempt to answer all the questions on baptism. The intent is to focus on the basics of baptism, the water itself, and how it is to be applied. After the basics are learned, the rest of the questions will answer themselves. The hope of the author is to help the reader decipher the real method of baptism and the biblical account of how it was performed.

All real Apostolics will admit that Acts 2:38 is the core of New Testament salvation. When the question was asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?". Peter gave the answer in Acts 2:38:

"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."

 

Understanding this verse is paramount in understanding the truth of baptism. The first thing Peter said was "Repent". Repentance is absolutely necessary and MUST come first. A person who has not repented of their sins is not ready to be baptized. The zeal of the moment at many campmeetings and revivals has resulted in people being baptized who were not truly ready.

The reason for baptism is the remission of sins. A person’s sins are remitted, or washed away, when they are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. If the one being baptized has not repented, the baptism has no effect. Repent is the first thing that Peter said we must do.

Without repentance, the rest is meaningless.

The writer said in Heb 9:22, "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

Who’s blood was shed for us? Of course it was Jesus Christ. And because it was His blood, we are commanded to be baptized in His name.

After repentance the next step is to actually be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Since there is only one Lord, one Faith and one Baptism, then we must stick to the biblical, Apostolic example. Acts 2:38 is what we are examining and it clearly states that we are to be baptized, ". . . in the name of Jesus Christ . . .".

If you examine Acts 8:16, Acts 10:48 and Acts 19:5 you will find the emphasis is on being baptized in "the name". Acts 4:12 explains:

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

 

What about the water? Should the water be a natural body of water, such as a river, lake or stream? What examples do we have in Scripture? Matthew 3:6 and Mark 1:5 tell us John the Baptist used the Jordan River for baptizing converts. John 1:28 shows us John also baptized in Bethabara beyond Jordan. There were about 3000 souls added in Acts chapter 2, but no mention of where they were baptized.

Later, in Acts 8:29-39, we find Philip with the Ethiopian in a place the Scripture describes as a desert. In verses 38 &39 ". . .they went down both into the water, . . . and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water,. . .". The body of water they encountered must not have been a river, but perhaps just a small pool, or maybe even a ditch. In either case, it was large enough for both of them to go down into.

The Scriptures do not tell us exactly where the Apostle Paul was baptized, river, lake, pool, ditch, whatever. The same is true with Cornelius and his household, the keeper of the prison who was baptized in the middle of the night, or the disciples in Ephesus who were re-baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The exact location or body of water is unknown. Was does matter is that they were baptized, and the word baptize means "to make whelmed, or fully wet", hence the accepted definition of "IMMERSION", to be "fully covered with water".

We know there is no historical evidence of "sprinkling" until the Roman Catholic Church instituted that practice in the centuries following the ascension of Jesus Christ. Since "sprinkling" was not practiced by the Apostles, we know it is not an Apostolic doctrine.

The same can be said for "pouring". Greater men than this writer have already examined this topic and found no evidence, neither Apostolic nor historical, that would even hint "pouring" water onto a person constituted baptism. Some have thought that, because the Holy Ghost was "poured out" in Acts 2, then pouring must be an acceptable method of baptism also.

Notice: Acts 2:2 says, "it filled all the house where they were sitting." Did you catch that? If it "FILLED" all the house, then each of them was completely covered.

The death of Jesus was a type of Repentance, the burial of Christ was a type of Baptism, and his resurrection was a type of receiving the Holy Ghost.

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. (Romans 6:4)

 

The only way to bury someone, is to completely cover the person, and to put enough dirt on top to prevent any decay from escaping to the surface. Baptism, by total immersion in water, in the name of Jesus Christ, is the only valid baptism method. Anything else is a counterfeit, and counterfeits are not valid.