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Particulars of Christianity:
309 Baptisms


Original Proclamations about Baptism

Preface for Baptisms Article Series
Baptisms: Introduction and Historical Background
Original Proclamations about Baptism
Two Baptisms Occurring Separately
Baptizo: Two Baptisms, One Greek Word
Synonymous Phrases: Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Water Baptism in Jesus' Name
No Record of Paul's Water Baptism
Is Baptism Essential to Salvation?
Acts 1: Parallel Account of the Great Commission
Necessity of Water Baptism: 3 Common Arguments
Survey 1: Baptisms in Acts
The Baptism of Crispus (and Assuming Evidence)
Survey 2: Baptism from Romans to Revelation
Baptism and Hebrews 10:22
Conclusions: When and How Are We Reborn?
Survey 3: Baptism and the Ante-Nicene Authors
Closing: Water Baptism for the Right Reasons



In our previous section, we established immersion in water was not a novel practice introduced to the Jews by John the Baptist. Rather, as we have shown, the Jews of the first century considered John's immersing in water to be part of the long-standing category of ritual washing, a practice that for the Jews developed as part of the Old Testament.

With that understanding in mind, it is very significant to see what was being proclaimed about baptism from the very beginning of the New Testament, starting with John the Baptist himself.

And this step is essential. When we study doctrine we must build it starting with its earliest historical mention and then build as more information is added through the history of the progressive revelation of scripture. In this way, we build our understanding of a topic in the same order that original audiences would have. This is an inseparable part of the grammatical-historical method of interpretation, which is the interpretive method developed by the Reformation.

We have already begun this process in our previous section by examining the history of ritual washing in the Old Testament. Now we will move one step forward and build on that Old Testament understanding by examining the very first statements about baptism that are revealed in the New Testament. Then we will proceed forward to build our understanding of this topic in the order in which such information was revealed.

With that said, the very first mentions of baptism in the New Testament are found in the parallel passages recorded in the opening chapters of all four of the Gospels.

Matthew 3:11 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:

Mark 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

John 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;...31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

These passages are extremely significant for a number of reasons. First, they are all virtually identical. Second, this event is recorded in all four Gospels, a fact that is not true for a great number of other events found in the Gospels. Third, in this passage we find a distinction between 2 forms of baptism. And fourth, in this passage we find the initial teaching about baptism that is given in the New Testament. We will now expand on the third and fourth points noted above.

We must keep in mind that as scripture records God's revelation, this teaching from John the Baptist about baptism is the very first thing revealed in the New Testament about baptism to the Jewish people. So, what was it that they first heard?

The first thing that God revealed about baptism in the New Testament is that there would be TWO forms of it. As the above passages show, God uniformly preserved in all four Gospels that John taught a distinction between baptism with water and baptism with the Holy Spirit. According to John, the two were not the same, nor did they occur simultaneously.

The notion that baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred automatically at the moment when someone received water baptism would have been completely incompatible with the teaching of John the Baptist and, therefore, with the understanding of the original audience at that point in God's progressive revelation. Consider the following passage from John 7.

John 7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Since John the Baptist is already baptizing in water at the beginning of the Gospels at a time when the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, it would have been impossible for baptism in the Holy Spirit to coincide with baptism with water. And, therefore, it would have been impossible for either John the Baptist or the Jews of his day who heard him preach to understand that the two baptisms would occur simultaneously. Whether or not that understanding would change remains to be seen in our study. But for now, it is necessary to note that at the onset of the New Testament teaching about baptism, the two forms of baptism were clearly held as distinct from one another AND it was understood that they did not automatically occur at the same time.

Moving on, we see also that from the very onset of the New Testament, John the Baptist was teaching that water baptism was his ministry while baptism in the Holy Spirit was to be the work of Jesus Christ. In other words, John the Baptist's teaching associated water baptism with himself and baptism in the Holy Spirit with Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must understand that from the onset of the New Testament revelation concerning baptism, water baptism was not associated or anticipated regarding the work of Christ Jesus.

Instead, from the onset of the New Testament revelation concerning baptism we can clearly see that starting with the preaching of John the Baptist, the Jews were expecting Jesus Christ would bring baptism in the Holy Spirit of God. While on the other hand, from the onset of the New Testament there was no expectation that Jesus Christ would administer baptism with water at all, including any hypothetical form of water baptism “superior” to that of John the Baptist.

Lastly, when we add this new information to the information in our previous section, we find the following conclusions. First, we find that baptism in water was considered by the Jews of Jesus' day to be a form of Old Testament ritual purification. And second, while John's baptism was considered to be a form of Old Testament washing, from the onset of the New Testament revelation about baptism, John the Baptist taught an expectation that the coming of the Christ would bring about a new form of baptism, baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Now, before we leave this portion to move on to the next of this study, we should also take note that both Peter and Jesus Christ would later uphold this exact teaching of John the Baptist regarding baptism.

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Here in Acts 1:5, Jesus himself reaffirms BOTH of the two main precepts of John's original teaching regarding baptism. Jesus affirms the distinction between water baptism and baptism with the Holy Spirit. Jesus also affirms that baptism with water was the work of John the Baptist. And conversely, Jesus fulfills John's original prophecy that Jesus Christ would baptize in the Holy Spirit.

What is so significant about Jesus' statement here in Acts 1 is that it demonstrates that John's teaching regarding baptism had not been changed as late as this last post-resurrection appearance in the days before Pentecost. Or in other words, from the time the Gospels begin until the ascension of Jesus Christ, the teaching regarding the two forms of baptism and their administration by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ respectively had not been changed.

Acts 11:16 also provides us with similar information.

Acts 11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Peter is here quoting Jesus' earlier statement in Acts 1:1. In doing so, Peter affirms that the teaching of John the Baptist with regard to baptism was also the teaching of Jesus Christ. This also tells us that as late as the middle of the book of Acts, the teaching regarding baptism as originated by John the Baptist had not been changed. Rather, it had been fulfilled.

It is extremely significant to note that John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and Peter were all in agreement concerning the following to facts. First, all three men agreed that the two forms of baptism were distinct. And second, all three men agreed that baptism with water was administered by John while baptism with the Holy Spirit was to be administered by Jesus Christ.

As we continue to build our understanding of doctrine in the order that it was progressively revealed and in accordance to how the original audience would have understood it, we see that Jesus Christ and Peter both looked to the original teaching of John the Baptist as the basic foundation for New Testament teaching about baptism.

So, as late as Acts 11, it was the understanding of the early Church that the baptism of Jesus Christ was baptism with the Holy Spirit, while the baptism with water was the baptism of John. Furthermore, since John's baptism with water was considered by the Jews to be part of Old Testament ritual purification, it is clear that the baptism of the New Testament (New Covenant), which was brought by Jesus Christ who inaugurated the New Covenant, was a baptism in the Holy Spirit.

And, since Paul himself wrote much about the subject of baptism, it is significant to notice that Paul himself was no doubt aware of the teaching of John the Baptist regarding baptism. To prove that point, here are Paul's words in Acts 13.

Acts 13:24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

Not only does Paul begin his statement here by referring to John's original preaching to all the people of Israel, but he also quotes John when he says, "But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose." And, as we have seen earlier in our study, this statement by John the Baptist was made in the exact same breath when he distinguished between the two forms of baptism and associated one with himself and one with Jesus Christ. Here again are the original statements of John as recorded in all four of the Gospels.

Matthew 3:11 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:

Mark 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

John 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose...31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Given that Paul quoted the second half of John the Baptist's statement, is it likely that Paul did not know the first half of John's statement? Of course not. And given that Jesus and Peter both upheld John's teaching as the basis of New Testament doctrine on baptism, is it likely that Paul disagreed with John's statement or taught something contradicting it? Again, of course not.

The final statement that we want to make in this section is that beginning with the onset of the ministry of John the Baptist, the crowds had been expecting that the Messiah would administer baptism in the Holy Spirit. Conversely, they had also heard repeatedly from John that water baptism was the working of John. They had not heard anything about a water baptism associated with the Messiah. So, if you asked any Jewish person living in those days before the day of Pentecost, "what form of baptism will the Messiah administer?" the answer you would have received would unanimously have been "baptism in the Holy Spirit." They would not have been expecting the Messiah to administer baptism in water. There was no teaching that would have taught them such a thing. And that fact is quite significant as we continue to build our understanding of baptism in accordance with the order of progressive revelation and the understanding of the original audience.