Now they do not attempt to say that it is solely baptism that saves (at least to my knowledge), but they agree with Scripture that salvation comes through faith alone in Christ Jesus. Yet, even with that agreement they add to it; and by doing so destroy the grace of God by making it about works and not about simple, yet amazing, mercy. If our salvation is based on the merits of our deeds, then how do we differ from the Judaizers (Jews who crept into the New Testament church and taught that the requirements of the Jewish tradition and Torah must be followed, along with Christ, to be saved)? It is impossible to add to grace for when such an action is done then we do away with it by making it about ourselves.
Now let us pull from the Scriptures to see what God has revealed to us about baptism. Paul was writing to the Church of Rome about their sin and how they continued in sin after being found in Christ.
- "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we might walk in the newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin." Romans 6:1-7
The baptism which the Word speaks of here is not that of water baptism, for it speaks of being baptized into Christ Jesus, which is the baptism that comes through faith in Jesus. What this means is that we have been spiritually immersed into Christ, that is, that we have been united and now identify with Him. Spiritually we have died to our old selves that we might walk in the newness of life. This was not a physical baptism; where as water baptism is. And that is what the act of water baptism carries. It is a symbolic reflection of the spiritual. The water carries with it no great power, but let us not forget the great importance of it.
Though our salvation is not achieved through baptism, it is important because our Lord calls us to follow Him in doing so. It must be so that we are obedient to Him. Also it shows to whom we belong. Baptism is a trade mark of the Christian faith, and by following Him into baptism a mark to the world is made that we belong to Him.
During the days of the Crusades, when Catholicism was trying to take back the Holy Land, mercenaries (paid fighters) were used in this quest. They had no allegiance to the Vatican or to Christ, but were willing to fight for money. How ever, since the Pope had deemed it a Holy War, the men, though not Christian, had to be baptized in order to fight. Reluctant at first to do so, the men came up with an agreement. They would be baptized as long as they could hold their swords out of the water. They were willing to be immersed in water, but they were not willing to identify with Christ.
Therefore the baptism of water is the physical embodiment of the spiritual baptism into Jesus, whom we identify with as our Savior and the Lord of lords.
To Him be the glory forever and ever, amen.
When I read the Romans passage in question, I don't see Paul speaking about a "spiritual baptism" that exists apart from or in addition to "physical baptism." He just talks about baptism.
ReplyDeleteIf I follow your logic rightly, you're arguing that if baptism carries with it some kind of grace of regeneration, it is a work, and that's bad. But what if it really does provide regeneration, but still has nothing to do with works on our part?
By the same logic, I could just decide that since I have a problem working out the notion that a man can be raised from the dead (mind you, I don't), I can decide that Paul was talking about a "spiritual resurrection."
The problem is, he doesn't seem to work with those categories.
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments and maybe I did not do as good of job as I should have in explaining the context of Paul's message.
I am sure that you are very familiar with Romans, being that it is one of the pillars of the New Testament. The message that Paul was giving to the Church of Rome was that of a call and understanding of salvation.
He opened his letter with greetings and then gave his reason for writing the letter to the church, " For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is the written, 'BUT THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH'" (Romans 1:16-17).
Then He moved into the condemnation of man and our need for God's righteousness (1:18-3:20). After showing that all men are condemned to hell apart of God's righteousness he reveals to us God's provision, which was made for us through Christ work (3:21-5:11) and how His righteousness was imputed into us (5:12-5:21) so that the standard of God's Holiness would be met. Then chapters 6-8 deal with the demonstration of God's righteousness, or sanctification. And that is where we find ourselves in my chosen text on baptism.
The baptism of Romans 6:1-7 is that of a spiritual baptism. Why do I say that it is a spiritual and not a physical? Because Paul is talking about baptism into Christ, which is to be immersed into Christ; "who have been baptized into Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:3). Paul was using the word baptism metaphorically; as if I were to say, "The man is immersed in his work," or "I have gone through a baptism of fire." Those two phrases are metaphorical in that I am using a word play to better explain what I mean, though it can not be explained in the physical. When Paul said that we were baptized into Christ he was literal, yet he spoke of it in the spiritual since and not the physical. This is evident in the context of the passage. The theme which was from the beginning of the letter now comes to a point in which we are given guidance on how to live.
The whole text has to do with our earthly living. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase" (Romans 6:1); "knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin" (Romans 6:6); "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11); "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lust" (Romans 6:12); "But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18); "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:20-23).
Therefore the baptism which Paul is speaking of (baptism into Christ) is a regenerative work, for it is, in more common Christian understanding, justification (or being saved). And that is what the physical baptism in water represents. It is a display of the spiritual baptism that took place at justification which brought about regeneration (or being born again, or the newness of life). And that was Paul's purpose in this text. It was to rebuke and exhort Christians in the Church of Rome that were living in sin thinking that God's grace would simply increase. They were mistaken of that fact that their justification brought about regeneration and sanctification. And as Christ died and rose again, so have we in the spiritual; so that we are no longer slaves to sin, for sin has no power over the dead, but we are slaves to righteousness.
Now, if one, who is weak in the faith, wanted to claim that there will not be a resurrection of the body, this verse would not support that claim. The verse does speak of a "spiritual resurrection" (that of the believer as he has died to sin and now walks in the newness of life), but it does not void out the "physical resurrection" of Christ (which came about through the glory of the Father) (Romans 6:4).
Okay, I'm reading what you wrote, but what I still don't see is a reason to suppose, on the basis of what Paul wrote, that when he says "baptized into Christ," he's not thinking, "splash, splash."
ReplyDeleteWe might indeed use "baptism" or "immerse" as a figurative and non-literal phrase, but I see no reason to think that Paul meant something besides a real, physical and literal baptism into Christ.
Why can't (in his thinking or yours) a physical action really and truly enact something that is mystical and metaphysical - something truly "beyond" the physical?
I dont see there to be any reason found in Scripture why one would think that water would have any power over the spirit, or that God uses water to enact some sort of regenerative action. There is no Scripture which shows that salvation comes by water, or that with the lack of water one is not saved. So to put some sort of mystical or metaphysical authority in it is to go beyond the bounds of Scripture.
ReplyDeleteThanks, bro. I think we work in some pretty different catagories, and I'm pleased to step back and call this one a draw. ;0)
ReplyDeletePeace upon your house.
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteWell, if you want to call it a draw that is cool and Im sure you dont view it as a duo between us; but for the sake of those who might read, I dont see it as a battle, but as two men of God throwing ideas of eachother as we seek to know Him more and become better able to serve Him, "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). God bless brother and thanks for your time spent on commmenting.
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