Just one baptism -
are you deceived?
Just one baptism -
are you deceived?
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The Bible says that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Efe. 4:5). Today we find that there are at least two forms of baptism. Are you sure that you have been baptized with the correct form or have you been deceived? The Bible has a clear answer, but man-made traditions also have an answer. What is right and what is wrong?
By the Almighty’s command
When Jesus commanded His witnesses to go out into the entire world and preach the gospel, He also commanded them to baptize those who believe. Jesus says: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:19, 20). Baptism is a part of the gospel and it is the Saviour and Creator, Jesus Christ, who has given this command. It is therefore not insignificant if we are baptized or not.
Salvation in no other than Jesus Christ
The Bible says: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16). “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17). Even though we do not see Jesus Christ, we must believe in Him who is the focal point in the reckoning of time (i.e. B.C. & A.D). The Bible is centered in Jesus Christ. It is only through Him we can be saved. Even though we don’t see Him today, He has revealed Himself through God’s Word. Therefore: “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1). It is Jesus Christ – who is the only one that can save from sin – in whom we must believe. Jesus Himself says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6). Paul writes: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). Neither Buddha, Mohammed nor the pope can save us – they are imperfect people. It is only the Creator, Jesus Christ, who has lived a life without sin and who can save to the uttermost those who come to Him by faith. Do you believe that? Will you fully and completely choose to believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him, be obedient to Him and that which He has revealed in the Bible? As well as the good news found in the Ten Commandments no matter the cost? If so, the next step is preparation for BAPTISM.
Faith and works go together. James puts it this way: “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. …For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:18-26). Paul says the following: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:8-10). For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, it will be natural to show their faith by their works. Baptism is an act of faith.
What you should know before baptism
The word “baptism” comes from the word “baptismo”, which was used in the silversmith trade. It means to submerge an object in water so that it is completely covered by water. If the silversmith forms an iron rod into a certain shape and wanted it to harden as to keep its form, he would then submerge the rod in water so that it was completely under water. Similarly, the person being baptized should be buried in the water, so that they are completely immersed and covered by water. Through baptism, you symbolically show your acceptance of Christ’s death on your behalf as well as His burial and resurrection from the grave. Baptism also symbolizes that which has taken place within you – you have buried your sins and placed them all on Jesus so that He can atone for your sin – you can then resurrect to a new life with Christ.
This is the form of baptism the apostles practiced. When Jesus was 30 years old, He was also baptized in the Jordan River. He was baptized in the Jordan because there was much water there. They needed much water to perform biblical baptism – the baptism of Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, the Bible says He: “went up straightway out of the water.” (Matt. 3:16). This is to say that He was submerged under water. John did not pour or sprinkle. The Bible says: “John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.” (John 3:23). In some pictures today, John is depicted pouring water on Jesus’ head. These depictions are totally unbiblical and improperly represent the reality.
The following scripture proves that baptism is being buried in water: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:3, 4).
The old, sinful life is buried in baptism. God sees instead the righteousness of Christ and His holy life, which are then accounted to the one who is baptized – they are now clothed with the righteousness of Christ. This is why the Bible says: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal. 3:27). This only takes place when a repenting, believing soul is baptized. If you have not received this baptism, you have then not been baptized. You have only followed a man-made tradition. You have been deceived by the priest or pastor who has gotten you to believe that infant baptism is biblical.
We have now seen the form of baptism Jesus received. When God’s Word says that there is only “one faith” and “one baptism”, just as there surely is only “one God”, we then know that the form of baptism Jesus had is the correct one. He was baptized by immersion when He was old enough to desire it for Himself. If we have not been baptized as He was, we are then in reality not baptized at all. The pouring of water is not baptism, but a mere invention of man. “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.” (Ps. 119:4).
Do you possibly believe that God is not so particular when He has said something? Is it the same when we choose a man-made tradition, such as pouring water on an infant’s head plus confirmation, or should we follow Jesus’ example? The Bible is full of examples of how God means what He says. When the word of the Lord came to the leper Naaman that he should dip seven times in the Jordan in order to be healed, it was only after the seventh dip that he was healed. He was healed only after he had dipped exactly seven times, just as the Lord precisely commanded through the prophet. The Lord means exactly what He says. Jesus was baptized at a mature age. He was buried in the water and He was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. When Jesus gives us an example to follow in His steps, it is then important and upright to follow His example. Will you go against such a challenge or will you rejoice over making a decision to follow His example? The Lord will give you power and courage to do away with man-made traditions and be baptized in the biblical way. Despite the majority following man-made traditions today, we are safe when we follow the Master’s example even though we are the minority. Salvation is totally personal. It is between God and me and between you and God. Jesus says: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20). The majority is not always right and neither are they in this case. Let us follow Jesus example, it does not fail!
The Bible calls baptism “the answer of a good conscience toward God”. The Bible reads: “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 3:21). If we would enter into an agreement with someone, in an ordinary life situation, it would be important for us to understand the terms of the agreement before signing the contract. This would also be the case with baptism. Before baptism, it is very important to spend much time in God’s Word and prayer in order to become familiar with the terms of the covenant. This is also one of the reasons people talk about the “baptism of faith” or “adult baptism”. Before baptism, we must make a well thought-out decision. We must choose to let God transform us and must pray for power enabling us to follow Jesus all the way. (1 Pet. 2:21). Baptism should be an outward sign of the transformation that has already taken place within us.
Infant “baptism”
As we have already seen, nobody should be baptized without having a personal faith. A small child, who has received a few drops of water on their head by a priest, has not received biblical baptism. They have not yet fully developed their senses as to understand what is right or wrong. (Heb. 5:13, 14). They have not yet understood the message of Jesus Christ as saviour from sin. Therefore, they cannot have a personal faith in Him. Since the Bible says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16) and “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17), baptism must of necessity first take place after a person has heard the gospel and afterward decides whether they will believe or not. The person who accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour by faith and desires to follow Him with all their heart, can then prepare for baptism. Infant baptism is therefore not baptism, but a man-made tradition that looks good outwardly. It has its roots in Augustine’s teaching of Original Sin. He believed that a child was born with sin. So, if a child was sick and dying, the priest should be called immediately so that water could be poured over the child’s head. They believed that the child then became a Christian and was saved. This practice continues even today. But a little child has not done anything wrong; they do not understand what is right and what is wrong. This ability is gradually developed later on in life. The Bible says that “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4), and “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.” (Eze. 18:20). This text clearly says that a child does not inherit sin from its parents. It is first when we are older that we are able to understand the difference between what is right and what is wrong and the possibility of committing sin. A child has no previous life of sin that should be buried because, at that point in time, they are still innocent. Therefore, infant baptism becomes unnecessary and unbiblical.
An entirely separate issue is when an innocent child is born into an evil world and has inherited its parents’ sinful nature as well as receiving the same curse as Adam after the fall: “dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Gen. 3:19). In the mean time, they have not rejected the atoning work that Christ has carried out for all and therefore have part in His merits.
When the mothers brought their children to Jesus, He said to them “for of such is the kingdom of God… and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-16). Jesus did not baptize them. He blessed them. This is what we should do with the small children. With infant baptism, the priesthood has introduced a practice where the parents must believe on behalf of the child since the child does not have a faith of its own. The Bible says “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17). The child does not understand what is preached and therefore cannot have its own faith. It is totally wrong when the parents must believe on behalf of the child. The priests and the parents say, that the child will have a personal faith later on at the time of confirmation, but there is no guarantee for this.
There are stories in the Bible of persons who, on the same occasion, were baptized along with their entire household. People say that there must have been children who were baptized also. Nonetheless, in neither of these cases is there mention of young children or infants. The Bible says that they actually heard and understood the message being preached and those who were baptized, accepted the faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. Faith must always be present. (Acts 10:44-48; 16:25-34). In this last text, Paul spoke with the prison guard in Philippi and to all members of his household. They accepted the faith, believed in God and were baptized. If there were any children present, they must have in any case been old enough to have faith in what they heard when Paul preached to them God’s Word.
We have already mentioned the case of Phillip who preached the gospel to those in Samaria. The Bible describes the result: “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12). The story reveals that it must have been a large part of the town’s inhabitants who believed and were baptized. Here, many have also good reason to say that children were baptized, as there certainly must have been small children among those baptized. It was only “men and women” that were baptized. Philip was not familiar with “infant baptism”. It was first introduced to the church some hundred years later. In the church’s Council of Nicea in 418 A.D., it was determined that all who deny that newborn children should be baptized should be accursed from Christ. The pouring of water on the heads of infants and the teaching that infants are to be baptized, has come into the church from heathenism in the same way as the teaching of the immortality of the soul. (See the pamphlet “My brother died, where is he now?” at www.endtime.net).
The historian Marcus Torcius Cato wrote the book Origenes. In this book, the soul’s presence before birth is described and thus the teaching that children must be cleansed from their sins committed in a previous life in order for them to begin their life here on earth without the burden of these sins.
Long before Christianity spread throughout the world, it was customary among heathens to pour water on the heads of infants when they were named. This custom has been found to be the case in many places among the heathens. When the apostasy began, this heathen custom was also introduced into the church along with other customs and teachings. Infant baptism does not originate from Christ or the apostles, but from heathenism and the Catholic Church. This is also the case with the pouring (sprinkling) of water instead of the biblical baptism.
Danish professor N.M. Petersen says: “Also during the time of heathenism, just as with other ancient groups of people, was the pouring of water on a child immediately after birth practiced, or as it was called: to water it… hereby was the child welcomed to life, to its family and consecrated to the gods of the family and of the local community. Along with this custom was the naming of the child associated.” (Paraphrased from Danmarks historie i hedenold, Copenhagen, 1855, p. 336).
Many think it is a nice custom to allow a child to receive this type of pouring or infant baptism. There is a sense of solemnity and looks good outwardly when the child is brought forth wearing a white dress in a nicely decorated church with organ music playing in the background, psalms being sung and well-dressed people in attendance. We believe that many parents are very serious and mean well, but this does not make it right. Jesus said, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” (Mark 7:9). Although infant baptism may indeed look good outwardly, it is still only a ceremony made up by people who have rejected the form of baptism instituted by God. The pouring of water on the head of an infant is the admittance of entry into the Catholic Church and apostate Protestant denominations. It is therefore very difficult for the priests and ministers to take a stand against it. But Jesus is the head of the body (the church). See Ephesians 4:15-16. It is God who delegates tasks and is our authority, so when the arm (the priest) is not in harmony with the head (Jesus), we must then follow the head (Jesus) rather than the arm (the priest).
The Bible talks about re-baptism. (Acts 19:1-6). This was after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in a powerful way. The newly baptized converts had not received instruction concerning the Holy Spirit’s descension and were being taught by Paul concerning it. Paul said to them: “John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” (Acts 19:4). These newly baptized converts were baptized with the baptism of John, that is, with the same baptism Jesus Himself received. So there wasn’t anything wrong with the form of baptism they received; they had just not received adequate instruction with regard to the truths of the Bible, especially concerning the work of the Holy Spirit. This was certainly an important subject to understand for those who were going to be baptized. Peter and John had earlier said that they would receive the Holy Spirit in connection with baptism. (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus when John in the Jordan baptized Him. (Matt. 3:16, 17). Therefore, since the instruction was wanting in this area, Paul recommended that these newly baptized converts should be re-baptized once they had received a complete understanding of the gospel truths. Afterwards, the Holy Spirit fell upon them. (Acts 19:6). This story clearly shows how unreasonable it is to baptize a child who has not received any instruction. Seeing that these newly baptized converts where to be re-baptized (even though they had become believing disciples when they were baptized the first time), it is clear that those who have not received any form of instruction before they are baptized, who do not have their own faith in Jesus Christ as saviour and have only had water poured on their head, must be re-baptized when they are converted and come to believe all the truths of the gospel and accept the faith.
Infant baptism or the pouring of water on the head of an infant is not biblical baptism but a man-made tradition. Therefore should all believers who have received this infant “baptism” without personally choosing it and without a personal faith, receive biblical baptism.
All the signs of the times show that Christ’s return is near. God’s people shall “be one fold, and have one shepherd.” (John 10:16). It must then come about by all listening to Jesus voice and following in His steps. Those who will not listen to Jesus’ voice and will not follow Him are in an unfortunate situation. Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27).
They that are to be baptized should be baptized into the faith of Jesus. The Ethiopian eunuch headed home to his country after he had been baptized (Acts 8:39), while those who were baptized by Peter and John were added to the church or together with the other believers. (Acts 2:41, 47). The Bible also says that God’s faithful children will “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14:12). The Fruit of the Spirit will come forth when the Holy Spirit works in a person’s life. (Gal. 5:22). Works will come as a result of faith (James 2:17). Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). We can be the Lord’s faithful witnesses when He is at our side. We will then not keep the light for ourselves, but will with joy spread it to those around us! May you experience this joy and freedom!
There are some who will not be baptized because they believe that it is such a serious and sacred act and feel that they are unworthy. But when you feel yourself to be unworthy and trust only in Christ’s worthiness, which is accounted to you without being merited, you are then fit and ready for baptism. Do not let your unworthiness hinder you. When you humble yourself before Jesus and receive His grace and salvation by faith, you do not then trust in yourself but in Jesus. “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17). We must take hold of salvation by faith. We must take hold of salvation with joy. We must show that we have laid the burden of sin upon Jesus, buried it in the water and arisen to a new life in Christ. Jesus has given us a command to enter into this covenant relationship with Him. Why should you tarry? When Paul persecuted Jesus’ disciples in the first Christian church, he was stopped by Jesus on the way to Damascus. It was then and there Paul was converted. Paul describes what happened: “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:12-16). Paul did not wait. He stood forth and was baptized when he had heard that baptism was a part of having one’s sins washed away.
Dear friend, what are you waiting for? Will you take the chance in believing that God is so gracious that He will wink at you and allow you to enter into His kingdom without you following His orders? Do you not believe that God is so particular? Do you believe that He accepts you stealing just a little bit as long as it is not too much? Or that you can tell a few lies in way that others don’t realize it? No. Dear friend, it is best to follow what God has said. He is the Creator. He has set up the rules for His creation. We are indebted to follow Him. He has given us life, He has given us our senses and all the wonderful things in nature. He has given us a future and a hope. Today is the day of salvation, dear friend. Do not wait in praying for power so that you can follow Jesus all the way. (Rev. 14:5, 6). May your decision to follow the Lord result in your salvation!
Confirmation
Confirmation was introduced by the Catholic Church in the 13th century. In some cases, those who did not present themselves before the priest had to pay a fine. Luther did away with confirmation and it was first reintroduced long after Luther’s time. It was introduced in Norway in 1736. Confirmation comes from the word confirm, which means to establish. The child shall establish or reconfirm the faith or baptismal vow, which they themselves did not choose in first place. Being brought to the church as infants, they were indeed ignorant of the faith and the baptismal vow. Confirmation is an invention of the Catholic Church. Luther suggested that confirmation is like, what today some refer to as, the “hundreth monkey effect”. He also saw it as a form of deception. He meant that they all acted just as all the others did and gave each other promises, which in the long run, they could not keep whatsoever. Many who participate in confirmation or present themselves before the priest, do have a personal faith in Jesus Christ as the saviour of the world. This alone shows that confirmation does not fulfil its purpose. Confirmation is a Catholic and unbiblical tradition, just as the pouring of water on the heads of infants. People have come up with this as something that resembles biblical baptism. This is how the Devil always works. He tries to come up with things that resemble Jesus’ teachings. Infant “baptism” and confirmation are traditions introduced by man and have no biblical roots.
Some examples of baptism
We have many examples of baptism in the Bible. When Philip preached the gospel of Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch said to him: “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 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. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:26-38). There were many who accepted the message when Philip preached the gospel in Samaria. The Bible also tells us of the results of Philip’s preaching: “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12).
Right after Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles stood forth and said: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:36-38).
When John the Baptist was in the wilderness, he cried out to the people saying: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matt. 3:1-6). We see that conversion, the acknowledgement and confession of sin and that the person by faith accepts the message of Jesus Christ as Saviour, takes place before baptism. Conversion and faith are therefore two conditions the baptismal candidate must possess, if baptism will have its saving effect upon them. An infant has nothing to be converted from, because it does not know the difference between right and wrong and does not know what sin is or how to turn away from it.
The Bible says that there is “one Lord, one faith, and one baptism”. (Eph. 4:5). Therefore, there is only one baptism, biblical baptism, the baptism of faith where the believer is buried in the water and arises to a new life with Christ. If you have not received this form of baptism, you should follow in the steps of Christ. He was baptism in the River Jordan, even though He needed no baptism, but did so in order to fulfil all righteousness. (Matt. 3:17). He did it to serve as an example for us, so that we should follow in His steps. (1 Pet. 2:21).
Dear friend, the Bible makes it totally clear that Jesus’ baptism, biblical baptism, the baptism of faith, is of significant importance. The Bible says: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16). When we with all of our heart have accepted the faith of Jesus – the faith that Jesus had – we are then ready for baptism. In James chapter four and verse 17, we read: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” This is also valid when considering baptism. If you have seen from God’s word, that the baptism of faith is correct and have not been baptized with this form of baptism, you should contact a preacher/pastor who preaches the faith of Jesus so that this may be possible for you.
Jesus said some thought-awakening words to Nicodemus: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3-6). This story later on goes on to say that it is the Holy Spirit who continually calls upon us to say “yes” to Jesus and to follow Him. Jesus illustrates this as follows: “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8).
The Holy Spirit’s workings upon the human heart can be compared to the wind that is invisible, but the effects can clearly be seen and felt. The revitalizing power that no man can see, brings forth new life in the soul; it creates a new person in the image of God. Let us avail ourselves of the power of God in our life. Our life will then be totally changed. We will be servants instead of rulers, we will be merciful instead of cruel, loving instead of hateful, friendly instead of troublemakers… and we could continue to mention more along these lines. This is how the Holy Spirit works in us to will and to do that which is pleasing to God. (Phil. 2:13). Dear friend, do not resist the working of the Holy Spirit, but invite Him to come into your life. Then all will see that something radical, something wonderful has taken place in your life. This is how we become good witnesses for Jesus.
With friendly greetings,
Abel og Bente Struksnes