Unity in the Cross

As Christians, Jesus’ teachings, laid out in the New Testament and the epistles of the apostles and disciples, ask believers to do a multitude of things. Whether it is giving back to the church and the poor, ministering to the widowed, or the great commission of sharing the gospel, Christians around the world see most of these things clearly and understand one general truth about them. While many of these things are much easier said than done, believers understand the commandments collectively. But, the concept of baptism distinguishes some denominations from others. More specifically, the issue of the necessity of baptism for eternal salvation. I believe the best way to discern what God wants from us on any issue is to look into His word instead of using tradition or personal belief. I will share my perspective, but I urge any believer to look into the Word for themselves on any issue or conflict they want to understand. In the first section, I will look at the argument for the essentialness of baptism for salvation. In section two, I will discuss the argument for the non-essentialness of baptism. Lastly, section three will weigh both sides and include my conclusion on this divisive issue.

Section 1

One of the most famous and important commandments of the New Testament is the Great Commission. In the last 2 verses of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). In Mark’s account, this is the last thing Jesus tells his apostles before ascending into heaven. The first thing we need to break down is the language of the verse. In writing this, there is a clear distinction between making disciples and baptizing them. Set off by a comma, Matthew seems to be making this distinction between making disciples and baptizing them. In the argument for essential baptism, this verse seems to display a difference between baptism and making disciples. While making disciples can enlist a multitude of things, Jesus’ wording separates baptism from the action of making disciples. It can easily be inferred that because Jesus is separating these two acts, Jesus is clearly commanding believers to make disciples and then baptize them. When we apply it to our own lives, we should become a disciple of Christ by learning his teachings and practicing spiritual disciplines, and then be baptized to receive salvation. Why would Jesus separate these things? This line of reasoning certainly seems to make sense.

Another point of interest comes from Acts 2. In this passage, Peter is giving the first-ever gospel sermon at Pentecost just after the apostles received the ability to speak in tongues from the Holy Spirit. Peter gives a beautiful dialogue, explaining to the Jews that they had killed the Messiah they so desperately were waiting for. Upon hearing this news, the Bible tells us they were “cut to the heart”, and asks Peter what they should do. In verse 38, Peter answers, “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Just like Christ, Peter commands and separates baptism into its own entity. What makes this verse a little more compelling is the mention of the Holy Spirit. One of the most beautiful things about Christianity is that the Holy Spirit, which is God, dwells within us believers. It guides us through life through God’s will and is always there, no matter the circumstances. A debate across many different circles is when a believer receives the Holy Spirit. Is it upon belief? Upon baptism? While that is another division that I won’t cover in this article, this verse seems to indicate that you are to repent AND be baptized to receive the Holy Spirit. This would lead to the conclusion that in order to receive salvation and the Holy Spirit, you are to be baptized.

Finally, I want to briefly point out the baptism of Jesus. In this story, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. When Jesus approaches John with His baptism, John doesn’t declare himself worthy enough to baptize the Son of God. Eventually, John does, and God the Father’s voice miraculously calls out that Jesus is His Son, “whom He is well pleased with”. I want to focus on the simple fact that Jesus was baptized. Before his ministry, Jesus made it a point to be baptized publicly. Simply put, if Jesus was baptized, why shouldn’t we be? It certainly brings up an interesting point that as imitators of Christ, we should be baptized because He did so first.

Together, I feel it’s very reasonable to look at these evidence points and come to the conclusion that baptism is essential for salvation. Through the numerous commandments of baptism to unbelievers and the immersion of Jesus Christ himself, it seems compelling that we too ought to be baptized upon a repentance within our hearts. However, we know this causes lots of division among believers. An unfortunate common theme within church divisions is the negligence of seeing the other side. I certainly believe to formulate any sort of conclusion on this matter, we must see the other side.