What is Baptism? Is it necessary to be saved, or is it something you do after believing in Jesus? Does baptizing babies overwrite apostasy as an adult?
The Bible’s examples demonstrate that personal belief precedes baptism (Mark 16:16 and Acts 8:36). Many people are baptized as children (some even as infants), but don’t believe in God when they grow up. Jesus said to receive eternal life, one must believe in him as the Lord and Savior in John 3:16. So, becoming an Atheist or Buddhist or something else after being baptized doesn’t lead to eternal life. Salvation is by faith, and if someone doesn’t believe in God and that he sent Jesus to take their punishment for their sins, then they are not saved and they cannot receive eternal life.
A person must first acknowledge their sins and be aware of them. If they repent and receive Jesus and the Holy Spirit in response to the Gospel message (Romans 10:5-10), they are saved, and baptism follows as an outward expression of their faith. Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), which is not about audibly hearing sounds but rather understanding and comprehension.
Water Baptism in the name of Jesus, as it relates to salvation, is only available after the resurrection of Christ (1 Peter 3:20-21). People must be willing to change their minds and turn away from sinful lifestyles, and they want to receive Jesus. Then they get baptized (Acts 2:38). In Acts 2:38, Peter says to everyone gathered to repent of their sins and turn to God, and then be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. This means that the decision to repent and receive Jesus comes first, followed by baptism, and then receiving the Holy Spirit. For example, let’s examine how the Ethiopian Eunuch was baptized in Acts 8:36-37. Phillip asked if he believed first, and then baptized him. Acts 8:36 (KJV) says, “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Scriptural note:
Acts 8:37 has been removed from some translations, such as the NLT, but it remains in the KJV. Its removal occurred because it wasn’t found in some of the older Greek manuscripts; however, based on the rest of what scripture says on the subject, the conclusion is the same.
Another example is Acts 10:44-48, when Cornelius’s household gets saved. Peter ministers to them, and they believe, and the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and they even speak in other tongues. Then Peter turns to his Jewish companions, concluding that since the Holy Spirit wants to connect with the Gentiles, they too can be saved, and there should be no objection to their baptism. His companions agreed and then proceeded to baptize Cornelius and his family in water.
Acts 10:44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. 45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, 47 “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.
Lastly, in Acts 16:29-31, the jailer asked Paul how to be saved, and he said that he must believe in the Lord Jesus, with no mention of baptism until verse 33. In verse 32, he goes to the jailer’s house and ministers to his family and household, and they all believe. Then in verse 33, they all got baptized.
Acts 16:29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.
In the previous three examples, one can see that belief comes before baptism, so baptizing children is worthless since they can’t state a belief or repent. A child must be of age to understand right from wrong and recognize that they can choose to do one or the other. The age varies and depends on how they were raised and what they were exposed to regarding the Bible. Baptism doesn’t save anyone; it’s something that people who already believe in and are repentant do as an outward profession of faith.
Some say the thief on the cross accepted Christ while on the cross, and there is no way he could have gotten baptized (Luke 23:43). However, that was under the Old Covenant since Jesus hadn’t died yet. The thief either is dead with the Old Testament saints in Paradise until the first resurrection, or he may have been one of the ones raised with Jesus in Matthew 27:52-53. If he had been resurrected in Matthew 27, he could have proclaimed Jesus as Lord, been baptized in water, received the Holy Spirit later on, and served in the church in the 1st Century. Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven. Jesus offered His blood on the altar in heaven (Hebrews 9:16-17), thereby preparing the way for the Holy Spirit to come in Acts 2, marking the beginning of the New Covenant. The Holy Spirit arrives ten days after the ascension (50 days after the crucifixion), on a holiday called Shavuot or Pentecost. This is when the Holy Spirit comes upon the Jewish believers, as described in Acts 2, and later upon the Samaritans in Acts 8 and the Gentiles in Acts 10. Since he was likely Jewish, if resurrected with those in Matt 27:51-54, he may have been there in Acts 2. Whether the thief was resurrected and baptized or stayed dead and awaits resurrection in the future, he is saved because he believed in Jesus (John 3:16), not because of baptism. Jesus told him he would see him in paradise, so he counted his faith and repentance as righteousness.
According to Paul in Acts 19:1-7, water baptism represents our decision to follow Christ. It is not as important as the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is God’s spiritual presence and power inside of us making us new temples (1 Cor 3:16-17, 1 Cor 6:19-20, & 2 Cor 6:15-18), to give us a way to overcome our sin nature (Gal 5:16, Gal 6:7-8).