Water Baptism Proved from Scripture

  • Thread starter Thread starter Randy_Carson
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Randy_Carson

Guest
Acts 8:36-38
36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Where did Philip baptize the Ethiopian? In the water. Baptism may refer to baptism of the Holy Spirit in some verses, but there is no question that generally speaking, “baptism” refers to water baptism.
 
Randy_Carson said:
Acts 8:36-38
36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Where did Philip baptize the Ethiopian? In the water. Baptism may refer to baptism of the Holy Spirit in some verses, but there is no question that generally speaking, “baptism” refers to water baptism.
Click to expand...
True, but I am wondering why you left out verse 37 where Philip tells the eunuch that he must be a believer before he may be baptized?
 
allischalmers said:
True, but I am wondering why you left out verse 37 where Philip tells the eunuch that he must be a believer before he may be baptized?
Click to expand...
Why would someone who does not believe want to be baptized in the first place? I don’t understand what you are trying to say here.

I am also wondering why you abandoned the thread you started called “Tell me how” regarding the queenship of Mary. In case you lost it, here’s the link:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=337285
 
edjco said:
Why would someone who does not believe want to be baptized in the first place? I don’t understand what you are trying to say here.

I am also wondering why you abandoned the thread you started called “Tell me how” regarding the queenship of Mary. In case you lost it, here’s the link:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=337285
Click to expand...
I was trying to say, why baptized a baby when a baby does not have the ability to believe.
 
Randy_Carson said:
Acts 8:36-38
36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Where did Philip baptize the Ethiopian? In the water. Baptism may refer to baptism of the Holy Spirit in some verses, but there is no question that generally speaking, “baptism” refers to water baptism.
Click to expand...
This is true. Water baptism is completely supported by sacred scripture. 👍
 
The New Testament is full of references of baptism doing “something” whether it being the way of entering the church as the antitype of circumcision, being the method of dying with Christ, forgiving sins, or saving you.
Some protestants argue that that sort of language is symbollic and that it makes sense to talk about baptism this way because it is a sign of our salvation. However, it’s likely that at least one of the many New Testament writers who mentioned baptism would have gotten around to saying that they were speaking symbollically if they in fact meant for it to be mere symbollism. Likewise, the early church always believed that water baptism conferred grace.
Another very closely related Protestant objection (maybe just the same objection differently worded) is that water baptism is symbollic of another “real” baptism of the Spirit or of spiritually being “washed in the blood” and that this is the baptism that is talked about by the NT writers. From a Catholic perspective, this takes the Spirit and God’s supernatural work out of water baptism and attributes it to another event, usually the event of "accepting God as personal Savior ".

This belief is fortified by interpreting verses such as John 3:16 as meaning that faith alone is what we need. Using this interpretation as a sort of “anchor” text and the lens through which they read other scripture, they aren’t able, no matter how forcefully the Bible states that water baptism is the tool used by God to afford us our initial sanctifying grace and salvation, to see baptism as anything other than symbollic. They may see it as a “work that has no power” and the sacramental system as mirroring the pharisees who relied on their works for salvation. However, Catholics believe that the old testamant ceremonies were fullfilled by New Testament sacraments that DO have real power from God and are NOT a replacement for a loving, faithful heart which was the mistake of the Pharisees (the idea that the performing of their cermonies would save them regardless of their lack of faith or love). In fact, the grace from the Sacraments helps us to draw nearer to God and to imitate Him better. Also, many Protestants have a hard time with God using any physical matter as a way of conveying grace, making it difficult for them to accept water baptism’s or any other sacrament’s power.

I think the text that most clearly contradicts the Protestant understanding is 1 Peter 3 19-22

In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

The key to understanding this text is understanding this question: why is the great deluge a type of baptism? I’ve heard a lot of funky explanations from protestants writing to try to get around what Peter himself tells you. I’ve seen pages and pages of well meaning but ultimately clumsy exegesis. The deluge is a type of baptism because eight persons were “saved through water”. “This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.” They were saved from an evil world through water just as baptism saves us from evil. Through water. How does baptism work? He tells us that too – it is an appeal to God for a clear conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" Some protestants cling to the phrase " It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience" to somehow state that water baptism is the mere removal of dirt from the body. It’s the spiritual baptism that does the work. However, Peter never says that water baptism is the mere removal of dirt. In fact, considering the context, it’s clear that he is explaining to whoever might be confused that water baptism is so much more than simply washing your external body.
(continued in next post as it’s too long to fit in one)
 
It makes even more sense in light of all of the old testament typology of baptism.
Copied from Steve Ray’s blog blog.catholic-convert.com/?p=238 :

The first creation came from the earth which was covered with WATER and the SPIRIT hovered over the waters and from the water emerged land and man and God’s first creation (Gen 1:1-2).
  1. A new humanity was started with Noah through WATER and SPIRIT. The ark went through the water and a dove (representing the Spirit) hovered overhead with an olive branch. Peter said this represents baptism which “now saves us” (1 Peter 3:18-21).
  2. The nation of Israel was created through the WATER of the Red Sea (baptism) with the cloud and fire of the Holy SPIRIT overhead — my oh my, again we have water and Spirit (Ex 14).
  3. Ezekiel then describes what the New Covenant will look like and he said we will be sprinkled with clean WATER and his SPIRIT will be placed in us (Ez 36:25). Born again, I suspect.
  4. Then Jesus, right before saying you must be born of “water and the Spirit” had just gone down into the WATER of the Jordan and the SPIRIT came down and landed on his head. Again, water and the Spirit (Mt 3:16; Jn 1:29).
  5. Jesus teaches Nicodemus that he must be born again, or from above which is accomplished through “WATER and the SPIRIT.“
  6. When Jesus finished these words what was the first thing he did? He went down and baptized people in the Jordan with his disciples (Jn 4:1-2).
At the first Holy Ghost Gospel Revival meeting Peter stood up at Pentecost and said, “Repent, and be baptized (WATER) every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy SPIRIT“ (Acts 2:38).
  1. Peter also says “Baptism now saves you“ (1 Pet 3:18), and Paul is told “Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16), and Paul writes that we are saved “by the washing of regeneration (WATER) and renewal in the Holy SPIRIT“ (Titus 3:5).
What is the point of this typology? To teach us about baptism. Just as water and Spirit were present at the creation of the world, the recreation of a new humanity at Noah’s time, and the creation of the nation of Israel, so too we are created anew and born again when we are baptized through water and spirit. Just as evil was destroyed through water and Spirit at the great deluge and the crossing of the Red Sea and just as the Israelites were freed from slavery and death when they crossed the sea, so too does God use water and His Holy Spirit to destroy the evil in us and free us from slavery and death through baptism. God, being all powerful, is able to “write” actual physical, historical events to teach us about His truths. How cool is that?
allischalmers said:
I was trying to say, why baptized a baby when a baby does not have the ability to believe.
Click to expand...
In my experience, the Catholic scriptural evidence for why they baptize infants is never convincing enough for Baptists, but here is an article with the common Catholic arguments, if you aren’t already aware of them.
catholic.com/library/Infant_Baptism.asp
 
OT Infant Baptism prefigured

Paul says the following in 1 Corintians 10:1-4

“I WANT you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

This is an abundantly clear OT prefiguring of baptism and being saved by baptism. The number of Israelites that left Egypt in Exodus is described as follows:

Exodus 12:37-38
And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very many cattle, both flocks and herds.

It is obvious from this account and Paul’s reference to passing through the Red Sea and baptism that the sacrament of baptism is for men, women, and children.
INFANT BAPTISM
Let’s look at Ezekiel first and then the rest of scripture that is appropriate to “infant baptism” without focusing only on scriptures that talk about the requirement of faith in a general sense.

The passage from Ezekiel is spoken to the “House of Israel.” This obviously includes children. Children were brought into the OT family of God through circumcision on the eigth day after birth. Now let’s compare the passage from Ezekiel to Acts 2:37-39.

Ezekiel says:
“I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.”

The Book of Acts says:
“Repent and be and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.”

Ezekiel says:
“A new heart I will give you,”

The Book of Acts says:
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart”

Ezekiel says:
“I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.”

The Book of Acts says:
“and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Ezekiel says:
“Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

The Book of Acts says:
“For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.”

The two passages are mirror images of one another and it is clear that the OT family of God included children and infants. Likewise, the Book of Acts even says that “the promise is to you and to your children.”

We also see infant baptism reinforced elsewhere in scripture in a number of powerful ways. The last verse in the passage from Ezekiel speaks to the House of Israel saying, “you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” This obviously includes children and infants. In the New Covenant we hear these same words. The following examples should be helpful:

Romans 9:25
Those who were not my people I will call my people…

2 Cor 6:6
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Hebrews 8:10
I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant for the old is only a shadow of the good things to come. Obviously, infants must be included in the New Covenant or it is inferior to the old covenant. Paul makes the connection between circumcision for the Old Covenant and baptism in the New Covenant when he says the following:

Col 2:11-12
In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (i.e.,baptism replaces circumcision and children were circumcised as infants).

cont. on next post
 
cont. from prior post

Jesus also makes it clear that little children are not to be with held. Check out the following verses:

Matthew 19:13-14
Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them;”

Luke 18:15-16
People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them;

God touches us through baptism and we receive the remission of original sin and we receive the Holy Spirit. Even an infant can receive these things. as is evidenced by the following:

Luke 1 :15
The angel Gabriel says that John the Baptist , “even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 10:1-4
“I WANT you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

This is an abundantly clear OT prefiguring of baptism and being saved by baptism. The number of Israelites that left Egypt in Exodus is described as follows:

Exodus 12:37-38
And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very many cattle, both flocks and herds.

It is obvious from this account and Paul’s reference to passing through the Red Sea and baptism that the sacrament of baptism is for men, women, children, and infants. Moreover, scripture describes entire households that were baptized such as those of the Roman jailer, Lydia, and Stephanes. Scripture does not indicate that children were not included.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top