CHRISTIAN BAPTISM-BY TAURAI MAKADHO

 

This lecture was presented by Taurai Makadho. He is the Lead Pastor and Head Coordinator at Christ world Evangelical Movement. For views, comments, invitations, prayer requests and other related issues contact him on the following numbers: +2 6 3. 7 7 2. 1 9 0. 3 3 4, or +2 6 3. 7 8 2. 4 6 6. 7 3 4.

 

Scriptural Reference:Mathew  3 verses 5 to 16, John 3 verses 22 to 27 , Acts 2 verse 38, Acts 8 verse 16,  Acts 10 verse 48, Acts 19 verses 1 to 5, Romans 6 verse 3 to 6 .

 

The word baptism is borrowed from the Greek word "Baptiso" which means to immerse or to completely dip".The act of baptism is the most misunderstood subjects of  the Christian faith.There is an ongoing irreconcilable debate accross the denomination divide on how it should rightly be carried out.

 

The major reason the act of baptism is being varied and misunderstood by many is that water was religiously used as a medium of spiritual cleansing by most religions across the globe. For example in the Jewish traditional religion water was used as a medium of cleansing if one was made unclean by means of contact with an unclean thing or any means by which was made unclean. In some instances some contaminated vessels we also regarded clean after passing through flowing water.

 

Another use of water was to dedicate curtain persons to God and this was called the water of separation. The thing was Moses was instructed to kill a red heifer and burn it outside the camp in a clean area. He would then take the ashes and mingle them with water and the outcome was termed the water of separation. Under some classified circumstances, one would be required to pass through this water to be considered holy unto the Lord.

 

Almost every religious setting used water in one way or the other. Scripture tells us in the third chapter of Apostle John's account of the gospel that when some Jewish folks realized that the disciples of Jesus were baptizing more people than John the baptism,they raised questions about the matter of purification. When they reported the matter to John,he categorically certified that he who is from above is above all.

 

This hints us that those who went to John to baptized had either purification or separation in mind. In the third chapter of Apostle Matthew's account of the gospel,when some religious Jewish folks interrogated why John was baptized if was not the Christ,he told them greater than he was coming who would baptise with fire and the Holy Spirit.

 

This tells us that some Jewish religious folks were somehow enlightened with respect to who would usher in the real baptism. They had some faint knowledge that there was going to be a Savior who was going to baptise his people into eternal righteousness through real baptism of the Holy Spirit.

 

One thing we also ought to know is that Jews had undergone a period of cultural and religious exchange. Because of their rebellion,the Lord God delivered the children of Israel into captivity. Some went into Assyria and others into Babylon. Apart from that, the king of Assyria caused gentiles to occupy Samaria and surrounding cities. These gentiles intermarried with the children of Israel and contaminated the so-called Holy seed. That is the reason why at the eve of the New testament the Samaritans were not considered the Children of Israel. Neither were they regarded as Gentiles.

 

From a different perspective, the Jewish folks modified their religious and cultural space over the years and developed a very strong and rigid cultural and religious system. This is believed to have taken place when they were returned from captivity. From such period to the times of the manifestation of John the baptist,God remained silent towards the Children of Israel. In trying to find their way back to God,they devised a complex religious matrix enhanced by a rigid approach to the Law of ordinances.

 

May you allow me to briefly touch some of those. There are certain practices we do not find throughout the old testament writings from Genesis to Malachi  that we witness at the eve of the new Testament. Some titles such as Pharisees, Saducesees and Doctors of Law suddenly come into play. All of a sudden we now hear of synagogues where some Jewish folks  gather every Sabbath and indulge in some theological insights and debates.

 

Previously the Lord God had instructed the Children of Israel not to labour on the Sabbath but  to rest in their dwellings through out their generations. Only the priest were allowed to work by doing specified sacrifices to the Lord.

 

The thing was all the Children of Israel had to rest at home on Sabaths and then appear before the Lord in the temple three times a year.This was a dipiction of the real rest we shall enter in our eternal home that is in heaven.

 

This tells us that going to a Synagogue and engaged into some theological debates is tandamount to violating the principles of Sabbath. At numerous accassions some Judaism extremist castigated Jesus for healing on the Sabbath not knowing they were literally working offside the principles of the custom Sabbath.

 

All these cultural and religious alteration can be attributed to the misplaced perception on the issues relating to baptism. Apart from ancient cultural and religious borrowings,some western religious settings played a role. For instance the sprinkling of Water using a cup and bowel is a hybrid act of baptism partly borrowed from ancient Rome paganism.

 

This method is currently used by most west originated Christian denominations. Water sprinkling baptism is the most preferred because it is labour intensive,Convenient and somehow hygienic so to speak. Its subscribers argue that they believe through faith that sprinkling of water is  as good as immersions.

 

Is this how faith works? Let us briefly interrogate this assumption. Then this means that if we devise our own methods and make each believe that we are right on course we will surely be established in God. How about those who believe in some false religious practices? Are they going to be establish in God. Does faith work with wrong ideologies and practices. Certainly not!

 

Those who embrace wrong religious practices are not doing it through faith but through ignorance. We are not saved by ignorance but through faith. Faith is generated by a correct perceptions of the gospel of everlasting life. Presumption is produced by a misguided set of facts regarding the gospel. Therefore we cannot just presumably embrace the wrong stuff and declare them correct in the site of God. Nowadays we have some plain clothed witch doctors who psychologically enslave soul into darkness by presenting dubious religious practices. They are wolves in sheep's skins. The most challenging part is that they also call themselves ministers of the living God and they scripture to spice up their deceptive tendencies. We are living in extremely dangerous times. We have got to put on the whole amour of God to withstand the arrows of the wicked one.

 

To begin with,we have to first of all be able to establish the meaning and implication of baptism. What really is the meaning and purpose of Christian baptism. The first instance of baptism is recorded in the beginning of the Gospel of Christ.The third chapter of Matthew's account of the good news records that John came baptizing in the river Jordan and many Jewish folks resorted to him to be baptized. He warned his followers to repent and be baptized while waiting for the Promised Savior. He categorical asserted that the one who was to come greater than he and that he was going to baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit.

 

This tells us that the baptism of John was just a pointer to the one who was to come,that is Jesus Christ.This is also confirmed in the nineteenth chapter of the book of Acts when Apostle Paul met a group of 12 partly informed believers in Ephesus. The gentlemen had only been baptized into John yet they knew nothing of the baptism into Christ and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit.

 

The third to the sixth verse of the  sixth chapter of Apostle Paul's epistle to the Romans tells us that as many are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death and resurrection. This means that our baptism into Christ is symbolic of our death from this world and resurrection into the unlimited life. It is a public confessions on the work of grace already manifested in one's inner being. This amounts to publicly accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

 

Well,this does not mean that whoever undergoes the immersions baptism is a candidate for salvation. Most people are signing up for baptism without knowing its implications and meaning. They just get baptized to be granted denominational membership. Real baptism emanates from the full conviction that Jesus Christ is the redeemer of mankind from eternal condemnation to everlasting life.

 

When we grew up,we would move from one church organization to another and in each of these we were made to undergo baptism and in return we would get certificates. This was really big deal. Some older folks would then qualify to put on denominational uniforms and that was supposed to be a great achievement. The reason then for baptism was to be considered distinct and classy.

 

In the 19th verse of the 28th chapter of Apostle Matthew's account of the Gospel, the Lord after his ressurection commanded his disciples to go and preach the gospel and baptize those who believe in the name of the father ,the son and the Holy spirit. This statement sounds like a dark saying if we look at it closely. The Lord did not give us the names but just the status or titles. Father is not name but a title. This means then it is up to us search and establish what this statement really means.

 

After receiving this commandment the apostles went about preaching the gospel and baptizing those who believed. The 38th verse of the second chapter of the book acts tells us that Peter advised his audience to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of their sins. Acts 8 verse 16 asserts that those who believed in Samaria were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The 48th verse of Acts 10 clearly points out that those who received the Holy Spirit in the house of Cornelius were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Scripture tells us in the 5th verse of the 19th chapter of the book of Acts that those informed about the Holy Spirit by Apostle Paul were later baptized in the name of the Lord Lord Jesus.

 

So we see throughout the book of Acts(which is  of course the template of the Church) that those who believed were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. This tells us that when the Lord Jesus said the name of the father,the son and the Holy Spirit he just meant the name Jesus. There is no other name through which men should be saved in heaven and on earth except the name Jesus. He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is the radiance of all his glory and him dwells God in his fullness. He is the judge of the universe that at the mentioning of the name Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord of Lords and king of kings.

 

In his earthly farewell speech, the Lord promised his own that they were going to be shortly baptized with the Holy Spirit which thing took place in the second verse of the second chapter of the book of Acts. When they were filled with the Holy spirit they proclaimed the gospel of salvation with boldness. The infilling of the Holy Spirit gives us a seal of sonship and empowers us for Every good work. Those who received the Holy Spirit spoke in other languages proclaiming the wonderful works of God.

 

These are the two baptisms that we come across in our Christian walk. However there is no specific hierarchy on which of these should come first. The believers in Samaria were first baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and later received the Holy Spirit when Peter and John came and laid hands on them. The gentile believers in the house of Cornelius received the Holy Spirit while Peter preached and were later baptized in water.

 

However there are some sets that denounce water baptism. They argue that it is insignificant since it deals with the body which will come to nothing. They believe that we only ought to subscribe to the baptism of the Holy spirit because it has an eternal value. I don't think we ought to view things from that angel. If water baptism wasn't that important why did then did the Lord commanded us to be baptized? There a certain things we just need to obey. Trying to scrutinize and evaluate things that pertain to what we were commanded by the Lord may amount to disobedience.

 

Some counterfeit demonic institutions are an interesting phenomenon. They will always try to find a way in by devising their own baptism to deceive many. Most of these practise regular water rituals all in the name of baptism. They first throw some edible substances such as raw eggs, milk,honey,rice and many others to appease their demonic masters.

 

It really amazes me how some folks fall into such baseless religious practices.  You don't need to be enlightened or somehow prudent to see deception in these. You just need common senses. Trying to bring forward the narrative that God can be appeased by some edible substances is quite unacceptable. Christian baptism is just symbolic and therefore water should just be water and deep enough to cover the whole body when emernsed.

 

However we dont just preach the gospel,baptize those who believe and leave them as they are. There is a lot to be done over time. Preachers should make sure the converts are established in the knowledge of God through thorough teaching and other spiritual exercises such as prayer and meditation of God's work. A faithful minister of Christ should commit himself to edification of the Church of the living God without minding some physical rewards. Our real treasure is eternal in the heavens. This doesn't mean that our ministers shouldn't be taken care of. Our ministers need support for the sake of God's burden on their shoulders but we must be able to give a distinction between a bible based scammer and a servant of God.

 

In conclusion please take note of the following facts about baptism.

Number one. Immersion baptism is instrumental to the Christian faith because the Lord commanded us to do so.

 

Number 2. Water baptism symbolizes our death and resurrection in Christ Jesus. It preaches the passing away of the old man of the flesh and the resurrection of new man of spirit.

 

3. Only those who hear the gospel and are fully convicted that Jesus is the Christ of God and that in Him alone is eternal should sign up for baptism.

 

4. Believers should be baptized once in the name of the Lord Jesus. Those who were once baptized without proper knowledge are considered as not baptized.

 

Number five. If the Commanded us to do certain things weather big or small,we simply aught to obey. The things relating to God are past finding out and we will not fully know him.

 

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