Homer A. Gay

"Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death" (Rom. 6:3, 4). Again: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27). I could quote from commentaries and lexicons in proof of the things which I here intend to set forth, but it isn’t necessary. To me, the Bible, in its plain simple form, is the best authority of all on any subject.

That baptism is taught in the Bible is agreed to by all, but just whom should be baptized and for what purpose, and how, seems to cause a great many arguments.

Christian baptism begins with the gospel age. Jesus, in giving the great commission, said to "teach and baptize," but to wait until they (the apostles) received the power from on high (Matt. 28:18, 20). He said in Mk. 16:15-16, "Go preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." The disciples waited in the City of Jerusalem, as they were told to do, (Lk. 24:49) and when the power came and Peter preached the gospel for the first time in its completeness, he preached baptism (Acts, second chapter). When the people cried out, wanting to know what to do (to be saved), Peter answered them thus: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins." Then they that GLADLY received his word were baptized. I ask why would they gladly receive his word, and be baptized if they did not understand that it was for their benefit? Of course, they understood that it was "for the remission of their sins." That was what they were asking for, what they were seeking for, and when they learned it they were glad to do it—believing that in so doing their sins would be pardoned.

You may be asking why Peter would tell them that they should be baptized for the remission of sins. Well, Jesus had told them to preach it, and that those who believed and were baptized should be saved (from past or alien sins, of course).

But, says one, "I always thought that one was first saved and then they were baptized into the church." Well, you must have thought it, you could not have believed it: for the Bible no where tells us that. Jesus puts salvation after baptism, and Peter puts remission of sins after baptism.

When the Lord met Saul in the way to Damascus and Saul asked Him what He would have him to do, the Lord said for him to go into the city and there it would be told him what he MUST DO (Acts 9:6). And then when the Lord sent Ananias to Saul he told him to be baptized, and wash away his sins, Acts 23:16. Now the Apostle Paul comments on his own case in Rom. 6:3-4, and says, "as many of US as were baptized into Christ," etc. Thus showing that Paul understood that this baptism put him into Christ, and that there and then he became a new creature. Hear him further in this chapter vs. 17-18, "But God be thanked that Ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you: being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness." When were they made free from sin? When they OBEYED. Well, baptism is a command (Acts 10).

I trust that my readers all understand that in order for this baptism to be valid, or to avail anything, it must be preceded by faith, repentance and the confession of Christ, as the other writers have pointed out. This baptism must be from the heart (the understanding). We must be taught (John 6:45).

In the eighth chapter of Acts, when Philip preached Christ to the eunuch, it made him want to be baptized. Again, in Acts 16, Lydia, after hearing the Apostles speak, was baptized: nothing said of them commanding her to be baptized. Again, in the same chapter, when they spake the word of the Lord to the Jailer, he went the same hour of the night and was baptized. Some people today say that they speak the word of the Lord, that they preach Jesus, and never do say anything about baptism, but when the Apostles and early Christians preached the Word, preached Christ, the people wanted to be baptized. Why? There can be but one answer: they wanted to be saved, and Jesus had said in his word, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." As further proof of this we cite 1 Pet. 3:21, "The like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us."

But again we notice in 1 Pet. 1:22-23, "Seeing that you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren: see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently being born again, not of corruptable seed but incorruptable: by the word of God which lives and abides forever." Thus we note that by obeying the truth we are made free from sins, born again, purify our souls, the Lord adds us to His Church (Acts 2:46-47). We are baptized INTO Christ, Rom. 6:4. We are baptized into one body, the church, I Cor. 12, Eph. 1:22. We are baptized for the remission of sins, in order to be saved.

Some seem to think that when they quit sinning that is all the Lord requires, but it is not. We might illustrate it thus: A man is buying groceries on credit, his bill has reached several dollars. So, one day he walks in and tells his merchant, well, I am quitting the credit business. The merchant compliments him, and tells him he believes that is a good policy. He goes on for several weeks—paying cash, but finally the merchant asks him if he can pay him. The man replies that he has quit the credit business. The merchant reminds him that even though he has quit buying on credit, and has paid cash for some time that this does not pay off the old account. Even so: when one really and truly repents of his wrongs, he quits sinning, but that does not settle the old account. Hence repent, change your way of living, and be baptized for the remission of your sins (old Sins).

This baptism requires: a candidate, one wanting to be baptized, Acts 8. Water, the element, in which to be baptized (Acts 8th and 10th chapters). A preacher, (Acts 8) or a disciple, Christian (Acts 9), to administer the baptism. The candidate being dead to the love and practice of sin through repentance, is buried in baptism, and raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6). The Lord then adds him to His church, makes him a member of His family (Eph. 3), forgives his sins, saves him from them, and builds him into His building (1 Cor. 3).

We do not pray INTO Christ, we do not believe INTO Him, we do not repent INTO Him, we do not confess INTO Him, but we are baptized INTO Him, putting Him on in baptism (Gal. 3:27).