Surely had Peter intended to imply something besides water as the medium for baptism, he wouldn’t have chosen a figure that involves more water than any other event in history!

Introduction

Upon seeing the Scriptural evidence for the necessity of baptism for the remission of sins, a question that is sometimes asked is, "How do we know for sure that the baptism required for salvation is water baptism?" The New Testament also speaks of Holy Spirit baptism. How do we know that this isn’t the baptism necessary for salvation? Acts 2:38 says,

That the baptism Peter called for here was connected with salvation is seen clearly in its stated purpose. It was "for the forgiveness of your sins." One cannot be saved in his or her sins. Peter’s subsequent words also make it clear that he was speaking of salvation. We read in verse 40: "And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’" He wasn’t, as some have suggested, telling people who were already saved that they needed to be baptized as an outward statement of something that had already happened. He called on those who needed to be saved to repent and be baptized.

Baptism is necessary for salvation, but how do we know that the baptism of salvation was water baptism? Did Peter’s words in Acts 2:38 imply something other than water baptism? After all, water isn’t mentioned in the passage. In this lesson we will examine this important question, beginning with the very important truth that, in the New Testament:

Whatever the answer to the question we’re considering, this fundamental truth is critical to our understanding. Said another way, the answer to the question, "What must I do to be saved?" is the same for everyone.

At the Jerusalem conference in Acts 15, the major issue under consideration was whether God required the same things from the Gentiles for salvation as he did from the Jews. After considerable discussion of the matter, Peter said in verse 11, "But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." Clearly, everyone is saved in the same way, whether Jew or Gentile. Whatever is required of one is also required of the other.

In Jude 3 we read:, "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." Note that Jude wrote about their "common salvation." What would that be but the common or same salvation they all participated in -- their obedience to those commands which brought them salvation? This was, "the faith [not "faiths"] which was once for all delivered to the saints."

If we look at the verses immediately following Acts 2:38, which calls for repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins, we read in verses 39-41:

Here we see again we see the truth that everyone is saved in the same way. Peter’s promise of forgiveness of sins resulting from repentance and baptism was for all 3000 on Pentecost, their children, and all who are far off (probably a reference to the Gentiles – see Ephesians 2:13) as many as the Lord God would call to himself. A simple paraphrase of these words would be, "This promise is for everyone."

As we read through the New Testament, we should not expect to find one person coming to God through Christ one way and another person coming to God through Christ another way. If water baptism was required for some, it must have been required for all.

In nearly all the examples of conversion in the book of Acts, baptism is either called for or mentioned as an obedient response. Not all of these examples specifically mention water, but this is probably because it was understood. To specify it would have been redundant. Several of the examples of conversion do mention baptism in water however. If water baptism was required in some, it must have been required in all.

In Acts 8:35-39, we have a description of the conversion of the Ethiopian treasurer:

Luke does not record all that Philip said when he "preached Jesus to him," but apparently it included instruction about baptism. They came upon some water and the eunuch asked if anything prevented him from being baptized. They went down into the water, came back up out of the water, and the eunuch went his way rejoicing. Surely the baptism that Philip taught for salvation was water baptism. If everyone is saved in the same way, then the baptism that Philip taught is the same as the baptism Peter taught in Acts 2 -- water baptism.

When Peter went to the house of Cornelius and taught him the gospel, it was because an angel spoke to Cornelius and said, "Send to Joppa, and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household." (Acts 11:13-14) Before Peter could speak all of those "words," the Holy Spirit fell upon those present and they spoke in tongues, giving evidence that God intended the Gentiles to receive salvation, just as the Jews had. Seeing this, Peter finished the "words" he was to speak which would give them salvation Acts 10:47, "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?" He then ordered them to be baptized (in water) in the name of Jesus Christ.

Recall that Peter was the one who said in Acts 15:11 at the Jerusalem council that both Jews and Gentiles are saved in the same way. Here in the conversion of the first Gentile converts Peter clearly calls for water baptism – which must have been the same thing he called for in Acts 2:38 when he called for baptism for the first Jewish converts.

There are three great figures in the New Testament that link baptism, salvation, and water -- the Red Sea, the flood of Noah, and the new birth.

The first figure, the baptism of Israel in the Red Seas, is seen in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4:

According to Paul here, ancient Israel was "baptized into Moses" when the people passed through the midst of the Red Sea. With walls of water on either side of them and the pillar of cloud over them and behind them, they were completely covered in water. (See Exodus 14:19-22) Thus they were "baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." Paul, writing elsewhere in two places tells us that we Christians are "baptized into Christ." He wrote in Galatians 3:27, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." He wrote in Rom 6:3, "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?" Both ancient Israel and Christians were "baptized into" their leader -- Israel into Moses in water, and Christians into Christ in water. Immersion in water is the element linking both.

The second figure, the comparison between the salvation of Noah and his family in the waters of the flood, appears in 1 Peter 3:18-21:

According to Peter, there is a correspondence between the water of the flood that saved Noah and the water of baptism that saves us. The common element that links the salvation brought by the flood with the salvation brought by baptism is water. In both cases, water is connected with salvation. So that we would not consider the water of baptism to be something with magical powers, Peter quickly adds, "not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…." The water itself doesn’t save. Rather, it is the appeal for a good conscience that water baptism is that saves us.

Surely had Peter intended to imply something besides water as the medium for baptism, he wouldn’t have chosen a figure that involves more water than any other event in history!

The third figure, teaching about the new birth, was presented by Jesus in John 3:3-5. While the words spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus in this passage came before the cross, and therefore before the establishment of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 9:16) they were nonetheless pertinent to entering the kingdom of God which was preached later, beginning at Jerusalem on Pentecost. Note Jesus’ words:

3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

Volumes have been written trying to explain the impact of these words. It remains that Jesus connected water with the new birth and entrance into the kingdom of God. [Note: Some say that this refers to the "water" of the mother’s womb, but they misunderstand Jesus’ point just as Nicodemus did, and need to listen to the correction Jesus offered: "Are you a teaching in Israel and you do not understand these things?"] Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Could this mention of "water and the Spirit" correspond to Peter’s words in Acts 2:38, "Repent and be baptized 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?" While this correlation cannot be presented as definite proof, it is certainly compelling.

Each of these three important figures associates water with baptism.

Ephesians 4:4-6 says:

Yet there are five kinds of baptism mentioned in the New Testament. Is this a contradiction? No it isn’t. By the time of the writing of Ephesians 4:4, only one baptism remained. Consider the following:

The baptism of John – This baptism was temporary and was superseded by Christian baptism. (See Acts 19:1-5)

The baptism of fire – This refers to the judgment (carefully consider the context of Matthew 3:10-12) and has nothing to do with salvation.

The baptism of suffering – This refers to the suffering Jesus was to go through prior to and during the crucifixion, and is certainly not something we are called to do in order to be saved. (See Luke 12:50; Mark 10:32-38; Matthew 20:17-22)

Holy Spirit baptism - This occurred on only two occasions – once to the apostles on Pentecost in Act 2 and once to the household of Cornelius in Act 10. (See my lesson on Baptism of the Holy Spirit)

Baptism in water for forgiveness of sins –This is the only baptism that remains. It was to be perpetual, throughout the Christian age.

Was the baptism that Peter spoke of in Acts 2:38 water baptism? We believe we have provided sufficient evidence to say a resounding "yes."

In at least two cases mentioned by Luke in the book of Acts where salvation was involved, water baptism was definitely specified. Since all are saved in the same way, if the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch and the baptism of the household of Cornelius were water baptism, then all the examples of conversion, including Acts 2:38, involved water baptism.

Also, three great figures employed in the New Testament that picture salvation involve water: the baptism of Israel in the cloud and the sea, the salvation of Noah through the water of the flood, and the water of the new birth.

Finally, by the time of the writing of Ephesians 4:4-6, only one baptism remained that had not been fulfilled – water baptism.

We therefore agree with Paul who wrote in Ephesians 5:25-27:

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

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All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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