Baptism in the New Testament and what it means to us today

Baptism in the New Testament is mentioned on numerous occasions and it must be understood as a sign of regeneration of a new birth. Vander Zee explained baptism as “a sign and seal of what God is doing and has done in Christ it is not a sign of the person's faith” (Vander Zee, 2004, p. 123).

In the Church of England 39 Articles, Article 25 tells us about the sacraments which baptism is one of the only two sacraments that the church upholds the other being the Lord's Supper (Article 25, BOP). Baptism is a sign of grace and God’s will towards us (Article 25, BOP). It signifies sharing in the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 6:3-4; Col 2:11-12). Also, it is a sign of initiation through which we are admitted into the fellowship with the church and other believers (Gal 3:27-28).

This is what current  Master’s student and Chaplin Alyssa Kleinhans explains when she says “Baptism inherently involves at least two people one being baptized and the other administering the water making it inherently communal”  (Kleinhans, 2022)  .

It is a sign of the new covenant in Christ (Col. 2:6-15). The Greek verb βαπτιζειν which means to baptize is always in the passive or middle voice and it points to the individual being baptized, this is evident that someone else is doing the baptism to the individual who is being baptised and it is usually through the church. 

Purpose for Baptism

Baptism is a visible sign as it gives us the outward assurance by this ordinance that our sins have been forgiven and we adopted as children of God and this is sealed by the Holy Spirit. Its purpose is not to declare one as being righteous before God but a sign through which we express and declare our faith. As in the case of Abraham he was not declared righteous because of circumcision but circumcision was an expression of the covenant that God had already made with him (Rom. 4:9-11).

Baptism in the New Testament (NT) becomes a sign of the new covenant in Christ (Col. 2:6-15). Acts 16: 14-15 tells us “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well “.

Conclusion 

Baptism is a gift from God that is appropriated by faith and it’s a visible sign and a public witness that our sins have been forgiven and we are adopted as children of God but it does not make us righteous before God and that we are not saved through baptism as we are saved and made righteous through Christ alone. 

Bibliography

Kleinhans, A. (2022, April 12). https://alyssakleinhans.wordpress.com/. Retrieved from https://alyssakleinhans.wordpress.com/: https://alyssakleinhans.wordpress.com/2022/04/12/why-were-baptising-our-3-year-old/

The Book of Common Prayers. (1662). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Vander Zee, L. (2004). Christ's, Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship. Downers Grove,IL: InterVarsity Press.