04/18/2005: "Reflections on Sunday's readings"

As I said last week, I love the readings from Easter! They are so straight forward. The portion of the readings that I quoted in my scripture quote of the week from Acts of the Apostles is one of those passages that, to me anyway, points to the necessity of baptism. Of all the beliefs of evangelical Christians the one that invaribly has me most scratching my head is their de-emphasis on baptism. Every time baptism is brought up in scripture it seems it is always coupled with conversion. "Repent and be baptized", how much more clear does it need to be?

Maybe it is just that for those who de-emphasize baptism they see a false dicotomy between baptism and "believing in him" as it says in John 3:16 (that you see on the signs at football games). But there is no conflict there. One can both believe AND be baptized. Stated more definitively, as Peter tells us, it is the obligation of believers to be baptized as soon as they repent (which would be there first act as a believer). Or if one is inclined to see Peter as over stating the importance of baptism, one should look at Christ's command:

'He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.' (Mark 16:15-16)

If one were to take this verse without the rest of scripture, it would suggest that there could be up to three states for those who have died:

1. Those who believed and were baptized = saved.
2. Those who believed and were not baptized = unknown (i.e. the verse isn't clear).
3. Those who don't believe (baptized or otherwise) = condemned.

Now, there is much else to be said in scripture about the saving power of faith, but there is also much to be said about the necessity of baptism, so it is unfair to take this verse in exclusion of those particularly in relation to state #2. Almost all Christians believe that in state #2, you at least have the possibility of salvation. The Catholic Church speaks of a "Baptism of Desire" speaking of those who genuinely sought the Gospel but were either unable to be baptized (in water) or were unaware of the need. Other Christians would just say that faith is enough and there is not even a need for a desire for baptism.

For those Christians that say faith is enough, they are turning their back on powerfully important verses of scripture. Every Christian should be baptized! It says so many times in scripture. When those who say "Yeah, but it says here that faith is enough and even the Catholic Church says that those who haven't been baptized can be saved" I would respond in three ways:

1. The Catholic Church's position on those who haven't been baptized is a "loophole" scenario that God gave us in his infinite mercy. We shouldn't be consciously manipulating that "loophole". It is not what God desires.
2. God makes it clear that he desires those who come to believe to be baptized. To NOT be baptized when you know that it is His will is to turn your back on your faith.
3. There are other places that say baptism is necessary. You can't take any one verse in exclusion of the others. When you take all of scripture it seems that you need to both believe and be baptized ("loopholes" aside).

So, this week my "reflection" is an exhortation to all Christians who don't believe in the necessity ("loopholes" aside) of baptism. As a faithful follower of Christ, please read what scripture has to say (read any one of the Gospels in totality with an emphasis on seeing the role of baptism in salvation), repent of de-emphasizing baptism and emerse yourself in the saving water of baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Scripture to support Baptism:
1. 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. (1 Peter 3:21)
2. We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)
3. Jesus said to them "The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;" (Mark 10:38)
4. Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. (John 3:5)
5. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20)