Articles
What Hinders Me from being Baptized?
The Ethiopian eunuch is reading from Isaiah when returning from Jerusalem, but he is struggling to understand the text, especially portions of Isaiah 53. The Spirit tells Philip to join his chariot. Philip, prompted by the eunuch, preaches Jesus to him beginning with this Scripture (Acts 8:35). After hearing what Jesus accomplished in his sacrificial death and resurrection, the eunuch interrupts Philip to ask to be baptized. Significantly, Philip does not dissuade the eunuch for being naïve or misguided in desiring to be baptized. Philip goes down into the water and baptizes him (Acts 8:39). The eunuch already knew about God and wanted to worship him (Acts 8:27) and is reading his word (Acts 8:28, 32-33). Yet, he is still confused about the Gospel (Acts 8:30-35). When he understands the Good News about Jesus because of Philip’s preaching, he is baptized. After his baptism, he rejoices because now he has new life (Acts 8:39).
A similar pattern occurs in Acts 2. Speaking to a crowd of Jewish pilgrims at Pentecost, 50 days after Passover, Peter and the apostles seek to help them process what has recently happened to Jesus. He was killed at Passover (Acts 2:22-23), but God raised him from the dead three days later (Acts 2:24-32) and exalted him (Acts 2:33-36). After hearing that Jesus is the Messiah and that his death was a fulfilment of God’s plan, the crowd addresses Peter. The crowd that cried, “Crucify him!” at Passover, now cries “What shall we do?” They realize that they have condemned and killed the Savior of the world. They recognize their sin has separated them from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). They recognize their need for God to intervene and remove their sins. Peter tells them to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, then they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). About 3,000 people respond to Peter’s urging by being baptized (Acts 2:41). Those who are baptized accept God’s word (Acts 2:41). Jesus adds to his church those who are being baptized and being saved (Acts 2:41, 47).
While Saul is headed to Damascus to extend his persecution of the followers of the Way, Jesus stops him on the northern road. The subsequent sequence of events is fascinating. Jesus appears visibly and speaks audibly to Saul (Acts 22:14 contra 9:7), but he is still in sin (Acts 9:1-6). Saul has a powerful religious experience, but he still needs to be washed. Having been struck with blindness, Saul fasts (Acts 9:9) and prays (Acts 9:11) for three days during which he has a vision from God (Acts 9:12). Saul preforms a religious ritual and experiences a direct revelation from God, but he is still awaiting salvation. Ananias comes to Saul and tells him that God sent him to regains his sight (Acts 9:17-18; 22:13) and the Holy Spirit fills him (Acts 9:18). Jesus and a godly messenger (Ananias) speak directly to Saul, and he is filled with the Holy Spirit, but he is still not cleansed from his sins. Then, Ananias urges Saul to get up and be baptized, washing away his sins (Acts 22:16; 9:18). After baptism, Saul receive forgiveness. He, therefore, stops his mourning and fasting and eats because he has been baptized (Acts 9:19). Saul continues to mourn and fast after Jesus speaks audibly to him, after he sees a vision of Ananias coming, after regaining his sight, and after being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is only after baptism that Saul can rejoice. He can eat because he has been forgiven! Baptism is the moment Saul realizes that his relationship with Jesus changed.
In these texts, people respond immediately by being baptized after hearing about Jesus’s death and resurrection. This is surprising in our present religious context. Often people who believe in Jesus and attend church services do not see a need to be baptized. Have they not heard Jesus preached (Acts 8:35-36)? Are they trusting in some religious experience such as God speaking to them (Acts 9:1-9) or seeing a vision in a dream (Acts 9:11-12) or being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17)? Baptism has become a source of embarrassment to some Christians. Christians of all denominations admit that baptism is an important part of the Christian life as presented in the New Testament. They are uncertain baptism, however, that it is an essential part of salvation. I respectfully believe they are protesting too much. If Philip did not think the eunuch was misguided to desire to be baptized after hearing about Jesus, if Paul did not stop mourning and fasting until after he is baptized, if the Ethiopian eunuch did not rejoice until after he is baptized, if Peter urges sinful people to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, then why should I be hesitant to confirm that baptism is the God ordained moment of salvation?
Paul cannot conceive of an unbaptized Christian (1 Cor 1:10-17; 6:9-11; Titus 3:3-7). Paul and Peter say baptism is a participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus; therefore, it saves us (Romans 6:1-11; 1 Peter 3:21-22). It is the moment of salvation. Baptism is when we are washed in the blood of Jesus (Revelation 7:13-17). Baptism is when God preforms surgery to remove our sin (Col 2:9-15). Because we wash in Jesus’s blood at baptism, it is the moment of salvation and victory.
“Now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” (Acts 22:16)
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