Can Baptism Be Overemphasized?
Tom Thornhill Jr.
CAN BAPTISM BE OVEREMPHASIZED?
One of the doctrinal issues we are continually confronted with as we discuss God's plan of salvation with others in the religious world is baptism. The overwhelming majority of the denominational world believes and teaches that one is saved by "faith only", an expression found only once in the New Testament and with the word "NOT" in front of it (James 2:24).
[There is also Mark 5:36 and Luke 8:50 where Jesus heals and raises the daughter of the ruler of a synagogue, but these passages have no bearing on the subject of salvation.] By "faith only" they usually mean that to be saved one has to merely believe in Jesus as their savior. This is an attempt to distance works from salvation, a concept that has merit if you properly define both faith (everything associated with your belief in God including obedience) and works (that which one does to earn his own salvation).
I do not want to lessen the importance of faith in one's salvation. I fully agree that faith is the foundation of our part in obtaining salvation. Without it, everything else is meaningless. Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:16, Hebrews 11:6,
Mark 16:16 and many other passages, all teach the absolute need for faith. But saving faith is one that COMPLETELY obeys God's commands (Matthew 7:21-23).
This saving faith would include the act of baptism as taught in Mark 16:16 by Jesus Himself, when He said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved.".
Peter taught the importance of baptism on the day of Pentecost saying,
".Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins;." (Acts 2:38).
He also taught it in his first epistle, saying,
"There is also an antitype which now saves us - baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:20-21). In baptism, Peter is making reference to water as the means by which Noah and his family were saved. Also, Paul was told by Ananias,
"And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
These are only a handful of the many passages that teach the necessity of baptism (based upon one's faith) in one's salvation.
Realizing the importance of baptism and the erroneous plan of salvation being taught by the majority of the religious world, one would be hard pressed to over emphasize the importance of baptism.
BUT, there is another aspect of baptism that needs to be considered. It IS possible to over emphasize the act of baptism WHILE neglecting so many other things that one needs to know BEFORE one obeys the gospel. I am afraid that some of our brethren are so focused on baptism that they fail to give proper emphasis to the importance of faith,
repentance, faithful living as a Christian, the church as a MUST in their lives, and the consequences of falling away. Their primary goal is to get as many people in the water as they can (they may not say it or mean it that way, but such is the consequence of the shallowness of their teaching and often their own understanding).
While their intentions are well meaning, such a practice is dangerous!
First of all, if one does not truly understand WHY they are being baptized then they have done nothing more than get wet. They come up out of the water just as lost as when they went in. Let us never be guilty of teaching salvation by "baptism only". Understand this, "baptism only" will no more save than "faith only"! Second, if one has not been taught adequately what is expected of them as Christians, they may be baptized for the right reason (to be saved), but they soon (sometimes that very week) wither away and quickly become lost once again. Such are in worse shape than before they obeyed the gospel (2 Peter 2:20-22). And the worst thing about many of these situations is they THINK that they are now all right with God when in reality they are not. They may go through the rest of their lives THINKING everything is all right (usually being fed by more denominational errors) and that their salvation is secure.
Brethren we ought to ask ourselves, "When we do not take the time to teach the whole truth to someone will we be accountable? "What does one need to know before they are baptized? There are actually several things that will have a bearing on what they will become:
a.. They must realize that they are lost. I usually ask those desiring to be baptized if they think they are saved. If they say yes, we have a problem. In some cases you might need to get more explicit asking, "If you were to die right now, where do think you would go?"
b.. They must realize that Jesus is the ONLY way through which they can be saved - Acts 4:12.
c.. They must understand WHY they are being baptized - to be saved (Mark 16:16), to put on Christ (Galatians 3:27), to be added to the universal church (Acts 2:47, 1 Corinthians 12:13), etc.
d.. They need to know what it means to make Jesus lord in their lives (Romans 10:9). This would include an understanding of their giving up the ways of the world, i.e. - repentance.
e.. They need to understand Matthew 28:19-20 where Jesus explains to His apostles what it takes to become a disciple - Baptism AND "teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you"
(note that this is an attitude of willingness to obey Jesus' will in all things instead of our own).
f.. They need to know that denominationalism is wrong and that you cannot go to just any church.
g.. They need to understand enough about THE church belonging to Christ to know that they are added to the universal body of the saved AND they MUST "join" a local congregation that follows the New Testament pattern. This means that the more they know about the one true church, the better off they will be.
Perhaps there are also other things they need to know, but if one has a good grasp of these concepts, they are well on their way to being baptized for the right reason.
My point in this article is not to discourage us from teaching the gospel to others with urgency. There is a great call for urgency because souls are at stake. Paul stated,
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). But to half-teach someone the gospel is not much better than not teaching them at all in the end. For many, it simply leads them from one lost state to another. Let us learn to be both thorough and patient in our studies with the lost. Brethren, think!
SCRIPTURES for lesson
Ja 2;24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Mk 5;6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
Luke 8;50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying,
"Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."
Eph 2;8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Jn 3;16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Mk 16;16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Mat 7;21-23 ¶ "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name,
and done many wonders in Your name?'23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
1 Pet 3;20-21 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.21 ¶ There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Acts 22;16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'
2 Pet 2;20-22 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
Acts 4;12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Mk 16;16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Gal 3;27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Acts 2;47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
1 Cor 12;13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Rom 10;9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Mat 28;19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
2 Cor 6;1-2 ¶ We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation
Tom Thornhill Jr.