I think I can help you with this. Suppose you are about to baptize someone. A particularly pressing question is “How…how…how should I go about doing this?” How, if you please. How. How is it done? How.
. . . .That’s not what we’re doing when we look to Jesus’ baptism as an example. We’re only asking How, and “by immersion” is about the only thing you can say with certainty about how it was done.
. . . .It’s just that when we’re working out the form (and if we happen to look to Jesus’ baptism as a baptism to emulate), How is the relevant thing.
How did you decide the “how” is the only important issue in Baptism? Scripture has many things to say about Baptism.
Would being buried and raised with Christ through Baptism impart less than the Baptism of John–who called all to baptism for repentance and forgiveness of sins?
Mark 1 (ESV):
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’"
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Luke 3:
2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Baptism is far more than symbolic.
Romans 6:
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Baptism is the “Circumcision made without hands.” Baptism brings us into the New Covenant through Christ, just as circumcision brought Israel into the Old Covenant. Graces are imparted during Baptism, including the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “
Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may
be forgiven;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
Colossians 2:
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
11** In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.**
Colossians states very clearly the circumcision without hands is the “putting off of the body of the flesh,” by “circumcision of Christ”----being “buried with Him in Baptism,” and “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God.”
Baptism is more inclusive than the circumcision of the Old Covenant.
Galatians 3 (ESV):
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Notice, when you are baptized into Christ, you become the offspring of Abraham and heirs according to the promise.
You have to ignore nearly everything the N.T. says about Baptism in order to claim that immersion, the “how” as you put it, is the only significant issue, or to claim that Baptism is purely symbolic.
Anna
]
