Baptism – a first-century practice

Strong’s Concordance tells us that “to baptise” comes from a word meaning “to make fully wet”. The word is used concerning ships sinking and with reference to a piece of cloth being dyed. Baptisms recorded in the Bible imply that it is a full immersion.

John the Baptiser chooses a place to baptise where “there was much water”:

John 3 verse 23

23 John also was baptising in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptised;

Mark tells us that John baptises people “in the river Jordan”:

Mark 1 verse 5

5 All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptised by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

When Jesus is baptised we are told that he “went up from the water”:

Matthew 3 verse 16

16 Jesus, when he was baptised, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.

When an Ethiopian official is baptised, the record says that they “went down into” and “came up out of” the water:

Acts 8 verses 38 – 39

38 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

39 But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.

Baptism – its meaning

The apostle Peter said that baptism enables us to have our sins forgiven:

Acts 2 verse 38

38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Our baptism into Christ is a symbolic death which links us with his death, destroying “the body of sin”. It also links us with his resurrection so that we can “walk in newness of life”:

Romans 6 verses 3 – 6

3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.

By being baptised we put on Christ and are regarded as descendants of Abraham. We are then involved in the promises made to Abraham:

Galatians 3 verses 27 – 29

27 For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.

We are buried with Jesus Christ by being baptised. This symbolises a burial of our old life. Coming up out of the water is a resurrection symbolising God raising us from the dead as he did Christ.

Colossians 2 verses 12 – 13

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

Baptism enables us to be saved because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It isn’t a physical wash, but a clean conscience responding to God:

1 Peter 3 verse 21

21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,