In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Col 2:11–15).
In our previous post, we discussed the importance of circumcision for Jews and New Testament believers. However, that conversation only covered a small portion of a larger topic, so we will continue exploring this theme in today's post. To aid new readers of the Bible, we will break down the text into smaller pieces to clarify any unfamiliar words or concepts. Our prior post explained the significance of circumcision for contemporary believers, and now we will delve into the meaning of baptism.
I was baptized three times.
I was baptized three times. The first time was during childhood, and I did not comprehend its significance. The second time, as a teen, I better understood what baptism represents. Nevertheless, it was only a few years ago that I felt compelled to be baptized once more. I underwent the ritual for the third time because my newly acquired understanding of baptism and its implications for being a Christian created a strong desire to do it again. Indeed, I do not offer this information prescriptively. Instead, I am simply citing my experience.
Baptism Not Unique to Christianity
It may surprise the reader to know that baptism is not a practice that is exclusive to Christianity. Baptism is a ritual practiced in several religions besides Christianity, although the specific practices and beliefs differ significantly from Christian baptism. For example:
Judaism practices "tevilah" for purification, conversion, or initiation, similar to Christian baptism, but with significant differences. Islam's "wudu" is a pre-prayer cleansing ritual not equivalent to Christian baptism. In Hinduism, "Jala samadhi" is a water immersion ritual for spiritual purification, similar to Christian baptism but with distinct beliefs and practices.
What does Christian baptism mean?
Paul, in his writings, explains that believers of Christ are baptized with him, symbolically buried with him and then raised from the dead, just as Christ was resurrected. But what does this signify, and why is it significant?
The essence of Christianity is not centred around self-improvement but rather on surrendering to God's transformative power. In other words, the message of Christianity is not what you should or could do but rather what Christ has done. 2 Corinthians 5:17 explains that those in Christ become new creations; the old ways are replaced with new ones, not just modified. The apostle Paul uses baptism to symbolize the believer's connection with Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. This sacrament is not merely a representation of dying to one's former way of living but rather a depiction of a spiritual reality. When one trusts in Christ, acknowledging that He paid the penalty for their sins by dying on the cross, they are set free from their debt and redeemed. The Gospel is not solely about atonement but also about resurrection and redemption. By being buried with Christ in death and raised to new life in Him, believers receive the Holy Spirit's power to live according to God's will.
We cannot make ourselves acceptable to God!
Christianity can be offensive to some because it challenges human pride by asserting that we cannot save ourselves from our own hostility towards God and that we must instead trust in the work of the cross. While other religions offer paths or rules to please God, Christianity maintains that we are spiritually dead in sin and require spiritually resurrected life. This message goes against our natural tendency towards self-sufficiency, the inherent inclination towards self-preservation, self-aggrandizement, and self-love that characterizes humankind is embodied in the concept of pride and emphasizes our complete reliance on God's grace for salvation.
The concept of humans having a sinful nature and being unable to please God through their own efforts is replete in both the old and new Testaments. Romans 3:23 states, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This implies that without Christ, humans are separated from God and deserve death due to their sins.
Get ready to feel the weight of this truth: Jesus died as a propitiation for the world’s sins! You might be offended by what propitiation means - Jesus died to make God happy. Let that sink in for a moment. The death of Jesus Christ was an acceptable and pleasing sacrifice to appease God's righteous anger toward a world that had rebelled against Him. While we don't have time to fully explore this topic, the heart of the matter is that Jesus' death satisfied the justice of God and provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him.
We are told this in several New Testament passages, most famously 1 John 2:2, which states, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world," or another well know passage Romans 5:8, which says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Paul also writes about Jesus taking the place of every person and paying the debt for their sins. Romans 5:18-19 states, "Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man, the many will be made righteous."
Again, the final verse succinctly addresses a severe blow to our human pride. It suggests that the disobedience of one man, Adam, who lived more than 5000 years ago and is separated from today's readers, is responsible for our hostility towards God and consequent condemnation. This implication may seem repugnant since it raises the question of why we should suffer the consequences or be affected by the actions of a person who lived so long ago.
The Christian faith teaches that Jesus died to atone for the world’s sins, satisfying God's justice and making a way for us to be reconciled. While this may be a challenging concept to accept, it lies at the heart of Christianity. The text of scripture we are considering today is a stark reminder of our human frailty and our need for redemption through Christ.
The act of baptism illustrates this transformation, as it symbolizes the death and burial of our old selves, represented by immersion in water, and the emergence of our new selves, symbolized by rising out of the water into a new life in Christ. Thus, the message of Christianity is not merely about changing one's life but about the exchange of our old life for a new one through the death and resurrection of Christ.
Sprinkled, Poured, or Immersed?
Our objective is to present a clear and objective interpretation of the text of Scripture without endorsing any method or denomination. I aim to provide a factual representation of the Scripture without offering personal opinions or interpretations. I will explicitly identify opinions or interpretations and acknowledge when good Christians have differing views. I will strive to represent opposing views with dignity and respect whenever possible. Nevertheless, why different churches practice baptism differently is a complex and multifaceted issue that warrants considerable discussion.
While various denominations may defend their chosen practice of baptism, the Scripture does not provide evidence of any form of baptism other than total immersion. Notably, the New Testament is entirely silent on infant baptism, and all examples of Christian baptism referenced in the Bible pertain to adults. While specific passages suggest that whole households were saved and believed, there is no clear indication that infants were baptized among them, particularly given the mandate for believers to be baptized following their belief.
Wrapping up
Baptism is an essential sacrament in the Christian faith, symbolizing a believer's connection with Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. It represents a spiritual reality where believers are set free from their sins and empowered to live according to God's will through the Holy Spirit. The Gospel message of Christianity challenges human pride by emphasizing our complete reliance on God's grace for salvation. The death of Jesus Christ provided a way for us to be reconciled to God, satisfying His justice and making propitiation for our sins. It is a powerful reminder of our need for redemption and transformation through faith in Jesus Christ.
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