Baptism (Acts 2:41)
It is evident that the apostles did not regard it as sufficient for their hearers merely to have inward faith in Christ. Obviously such faith is essential before a profession can be acknowledged in a public way. Yet the profession was not simply a verbal one; in addition for the profession to be regarded by the apostles as authentic, there had to be submission to the rite of baptism. This makes baptism very important and is a reminder that we should understand what it means.
Our understanding of the meaning of baptism is complicated today by the several meanings attached to it. On the one side, there are those who believe in baptismal regeneration, that the rite of baptism gives spiritual life to a sinner. On the other side, there are those who believe that baptism is only an action of personal testimony by which an individual confesses his faith in Christ. We find ourselves in between these two viewpoints: although we do not believe in baptismal regeneration, we believe that baptism is an activity of God; although we agree with our Baptist friends that baptism is often an action of personal testimony, we say that it involves more than what they believe. So we say that some go too far in their claims regarding baptism and we say that others do not go far enough.
The Qualifications for Baptism
I would suggest that Luke mentions two qualifications in his account of Peter’s sermon and its effects. The first prerequisite is stated in verse 41: ‘those who received his word were baptised.’ This is a description of the response of the immediate hearers, and we can identify several features of it.
First, they not only listened to Peter, but they also understood what Peter had said. In his address Peter had explained to them the significance of the events of the Day of Pentecost and had done so in a marked Christ-centred manner. The various phenomena were a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy, but they had to be seen as activities of the risen Christ from heaven. He had poured forth the Holy Spirit on his people. In addition, he informed his listeners that they could participate in these blessings if they repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus. The audience did more than listen, they understood what Peter had said. So they had received heavenly enlightenment regarding Jesus and his kingdom.
Second, they not only understood intellectually what Peter had said, because in addition they were affected emotionally by his explanation of what they themselves had done. They had appreciated their guilt concerning the death of Jesus and had realised the awfulness of their involvement. Their understanding had caused great apprehension at the prospect of divine judgement as well as great regret at their sinful abuse of Christ. Their understanding had led them to repentance and faith in Christ.
These two details are essential in any mature person who is baptised for the first time. By a mature person, I mean any person who can understand what they are doing, so intelligent children could be included. Before such a person can be baptised, he or she has to understand some basic features of the kingdom of Christ and, in light of them, repent of their sins and trust in Jesus for mercy.
The second prerequisite of baptism is mentioned by Luke in verse 39: ‘For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ This verse makes it very clear that children of professing Christians who have been baptised are entitled to baptism. Peter intimates to his hearers that the method of grace that was instituted by God during the old covenant – the blessings were given to Abraham and his descendants – would continue in the new covenant, with the additional feature that membership of this covenant would extend to include those who were far off (the Gentiles). Therefore, the children of baptised believers should be baptised.
The Consequence of Baptism
Verse 41 says that all those who were baptised were added to the number of the already existing disciples. In other words, they became linked to the church of which the apostles were the rulers.
One striking feature of the way baptism was practised on this occasion was that it was immediately administered upon profession of faith. This is not common today: often we want to wait for a while in order to ensure that the applicant is genuine. It was the common practice for the apostles and their colleagues to baptise professing converts immediately.
Another example of immediate baptism is that of the Ethiopian eunuch whom Philip met near Gaza (Acts 8:26-40). When Philip began his discussion with the Ethiopian official, it was obvious that the African did not know whom Isaiah was describing in his prophecy. Luke tells us that Philip preached Jesus to him (which reminds us that preaching does not require a large audience), which means that he not only explained who Jesus was but exhorted the Ethiopian to believe in him. When the Ethiopian said that he did, Philip baptised him, and both men then separated.
We may respond to these incidents and say that the apostles and evangelists of the early church had special insight into things. No doubt they did, but Philip previous to meeting the Ethiopian had been in Samaria where he had baptised Simon Magus who turned out to be a false convert (Acts 8:13ff.). Yet neither Philip nor the apostles Peter and John deduced that the false profession of Simon should bring about an end to immediate baptism.
This fact that all of the converts joined the newly-begun Christian community in Jerusalem is a reminder that a Christian cannot exist in isolation. It is God’s will that each of his people identify themselves with the rest of his people. They all come into his worldwide church by the same door (baptism) and then engage in the same practices, and these practices are specified in verse 42: ‘And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.’
Regarding whether or not children were baptised at Pentecost, we can see clear evidence from the New Testament letters that they were baptised on other occasions. For example, Paul refers to them when he addresses the churches in Ephesus and Colosse, and in his letter to the Corinthians he says that a child of a professing Christian is regarded as holy, even if the other parent is a pagan. In addition, Luke makes it clear in the Acts that the policy of the apostles was household baptism (Acts 16:15, 33).
The Significance of Baptism
Our Baptist friends insist that the mode of baptism is immersion whereas we allow for three modes – immersion, sprinkling and pouring. It is often said by those who argue for immersion that baptism words always mean immersion. The response to that claim is that sometimes these words refer to an occasion when immersion was used, but at other times they refer to situations when sprinkling or pouring was used (such as ceremonial washings in the Jewish ceremonial law).
In addition, the words are used when neither sprinkling or immersion are intended. In 1 1 Corinthians 10:2, Paul says that the children of Israel, when crossing the Red Sea on dry land, were all ‘baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea’. As far as I can see, they were neither immersed or sprinkled by the cloud or by the sea, and in any case it was not into either of these elements that they were baptised. Instead they were baptised into a person. Obviously they did not go inside Moses, which is a ludicrous suggestion. Rather they were identified with Moses when he obtained for them great displays of God’s protection and power. I would suggest that here we have a very helpful clue as to the significance of baptism. It means to be identified with the triune God in such a way that we experience their divine purpose for us, which includes a wide range of blessings. And when we turn to the New Testament, we can actually see the baptism words used by the writers when describing these blessings.
We can begin with what happened to the converts at Pentecost. At their baptism, they were identified with God in the sense that his name was put upon them. If their neighbours had witnessed this event and were later asked to say something about them, they could reply that their neighbours were people who were linked to those who believed in the Trinity. Even in an external sense, water baptism brought about identification with God and his professing people.
The baptism words are used to describe many of the blessings of salvation and on each occasion they refer to identification and togetherness. For example, when describing the unity of the church by the illustration of a body, Paul says to the Corinthians, ‘For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit’ (1 Cor. 12:12-13). A body obviously points to the idea of union.
When writing to the Galatians, Paul links baptism and the status of adoption: ‘For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise’ (Gal. 3:27-29). The illustration of a family and its privileges also points to real union marked by common identity and togetherness.
The terminology is also used by Paul when describing the doctrine of sanctification. In Romans 6:3-4, he writes, ‘Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.’ He says that all who are in Christ died with Christ and were raised with Christ (the same teaching is given by Paul in Colossians 2:11-15). Obviously there are difficult aspects in this teaching as far as we are concerned, yet it is clear that the baptism words are used with the meaning of identification and togetherness. What is sanctification? It is walking in new life with the risen Christ and the regenerated people of God. Together we fight against sin and together we make progress towards the goal of perfection.
Responding to our Baptism
If we were baptised as an adult three parties were present – the triune God, the church and the baptised person – and if we were baptised as children, four parties were present – the triune God, the church, the parents and the child. Each of these parties were there as witnesses and each of them made commitments. One essential feature of a proper response to baptism is to assess frequently and regularly how we have fulfilled our commitments made to God when we were identified with his kingdom and brought into the fellowship of his church.