Church Words: Baptism

Welcome back to our blog series, Church Words, where we take a closer look at the language we often use as Christians—words that are woven into the fabric of our faith but may be misunderstood or misused. You might feel like you should know what these words mean, and so you feel uncomfortable asking about them in a Bible class. Or maybe you are just beginning your study on Christianity, and you are unfamiliar with any of the language that Christians use. Either way, I hope this series is helpful to you!

*We have already covered the concepts of "Church", "Faith", "Grace", "Holy", and "Saint and Sinner". I really enjoyed working on those posts, and if you would like to read them then please click on them to follow the links. All of them will be referred to in this post, in their Biblical context.

-"The Church"

-"Faith" -"Grace" -"Holy" -"Saint and Sinner"

Church Words: Baptism — More Than a Moment

Few church words carry as much history, controversy, and beauty as baptism. For some, it’s a symbol. For others, it’s a sacrament. For many, it’s simply a moment of deep personal commitment.

But if we look closely at Scripture—especially the original Koine Greek—we find a practice far richer and more integrated into the story of salvation than many modern discussions acknowledge. Baptism is not just a ritual; it’s a glorious moment where heaven and earth meet in obedience, faith, cleansing, identity, and resurrection.

This post explores what baptism really means, why the apostles placed it at the center of Christian conversion, and how it fits into the entire biblical story of God redeeming His people.

1. What Does “Baptize” Actually Mean?

The Greek word for baptize is βαπτίζω (baptizō), and it does not mean “sprinkle,” “dedicate,” or “symbolize.” It means:

To immerse, submerge, dip, or overwhelm.

This isn’t a theological interpretation—it is the basic lexical definition used in everyday Greek:

• clothes dyed by dipping

• ships that sink

• people who are fully washed
  

The noun baptisma refers to the event or state of being immersed.

In the first century, everyone knew exactly what the word meant since common people used it in their everyday lives. When John baptized in the Jordan, when Philip baptized the Ethiopian in water, when Paul spoke of baptism as burial—the meaning was the same: immersion.

The question is why immersion mattered. The answer requires going deeper into Scripture’s storyline.

2. Baptism in the Story of God: More Than a New Testament Invention

Baptism builds on and perfects the rich heritage of Jewish cleansing rituals, especially:

• Mikveh immersions for ritual purity

• Washing before entering sacred spaces

• Cleansing after major life events

• Symbolic renewal before major commitments
  

These practices created a cultural expectation: Immersion was how a person prepared themselves to meet God.

The New Testament picks up this symbolism and deepens it.

John the Baptist

John’s baptism of repentance was not a random innovation; it was a prophetic act rooted in Israel’s cleansing traditions. By immersing people in water, he called them to a renewed, purified life ready for God’s kingdom.

Jesus and the Apostles

Jesus’ own baptism and His command in the Great Commission (“baptizing them…”) stand directly in continuity with this story but add a new layer: Identification with Christ’s death and resurrection.

Baptism becomes the moment a person passes from old creation into new creation.

3. The Role of Baptism in Salvation: Acts 2:38 and the Words “Repent” + “Be Baptized”

Few verses are debated as intensely as 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 will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Two Greek prepositions for the word "for" shape this passage:

1. “Peri” (περί)

Means: about, concerning, regarding Used when something is merely related to a thing.

It does NOT appear in Acts 2:38.

2. “Eis” (εἰς)

Means: into, unto, for the purpose of, resulting in The direction is forward, toward a goal.

This is the word in Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptized … εἰς the forgiveness of your sins.”

Some argue that eis could mean “because of” forgiveness, but this is linguistically extremely rare and contextually unlikely. The overwhelming majority of Greek scholarship—across theological traditions—agrees that eis in Acts 2:38 means something like:

• “in order to receive the forgiveness of sins,”

• “leading to the forgiveness of sins,” or

• “resulting in the forgiveness of sins.”
  

This is consistent with the natural flow of the text:

1. Repent

2. Be baptized

3. Your sins are forgiven

4. You receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

Peter presents baptism as part of the response God calls people into—not as a human “work,” but as the way God applies the blessings of repentance.

This leads directly to one of the most overlooked connections in Scripture.

4. “Call on the Name of the Lord”: From Acts 2 to Acts 22

Peter quotes Joel 2:32:

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:21)

Many treat this as a verbal prayer. But the New Testament interprets this phrase not primarily as vocal speech, but as faithful obedience.

Acts 22:16 is the key:

“And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”

The grammar is important:

• “calling on His name” grammatically modifies the baptism and washing

• Paul calls on Christ’s name by submitting to baptism
  

This matches the pattern of Scripture:

• Faith expresses itself in obedience

• Calling expresses itself in surrender

• Salvation expresses itself in God’s action upon us
  

In other words:

Baptism is the God-ordained way a person “calls on the name of the Lord.”

Not because the water saves, but because God saves through the act He appointed.

5. The Apostolic Explanation: 1 Peter 3:21

Peter explicitly states:

“Baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Several important truths are packed into this verse:

1. Baptism saves—not by water, but by Christ.

Peter immediately clarifies that baptism is not a physical washing.

2. Baptism is an “appeal to God.”

The phrase literally means “a pledge, appeal, or request made to God.” This fits Acts 22:16 perfectly: baptism is how we “call on” Him.

3. Baptism connects us to Jesus’ resurrection.

The power is not in the water; the power is in Christ.

Baptism is the moment one unites with Jesus’ death and resurrection (Romans 6:3–5). It is the point at which a believer enters the saving work of Christ, not because baptism is a human achievement, but because God acts within it.

6. But Isn’t Baptism a “Work”? How Can It Be Required?

Some object: “If baptism is necessary for salvation, then salvation becomes something we earn.”

Scripture addresses this concern directly.

1. Baptism is not something you do; it is something done to you.

This is Paul’s imagery in Romans 6:

• You are buried

• You are raised

• You are united with Christ
  

Burial is never done by the one who dies. Dead people can’t bury themselves.

This reinforces the point: baptism is the moment God acts on a powerless person.

2. Baptism is consistently passive in the New Testament.

Colossians 2:12 says believers are:

“buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised… through the power of God.”

It is God who does the raising, God who cleanses, God who forgives.

3. Submitting to baptism is obedience, not self-salvation.

We do not save ourselves by obeying the gospel—God saves us when we obey.

Faith is active trust. Repentance is active surrender. Baptism is active submission.

None of these are “earning salvation.” They are responses to grace.

7. What About the Thief on the Cross?

This is an important question, and good theology demands we consider it carefully.

1. The New Covenant was not in effect yet.

The thief died before Jesus’ resurrection. Hebrews 9:16–17 explains that a covenant comes into force only after the death of the one who made it.

So the thief lived and died under the Old Covenant, not the New.

2. Jesus had authority on earth to forgive sins directly.

Jesus explicitly says in Matthew 9:6:

“The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

He exercises that authority many times:

• The paralytic lowered through the roof

• The sinful woman in Luke 7

• The thief on the cross
  

Jesus could forgive sins with a word—because salvation is ultimately in His hands.

3. Using an Old Covenant example to overturn a New Covenant command is a category mistake.

The thief does not serve as a model for post-resurrection Christian conversion.

Appealing to him is like saying:

• “We don’t need to take the Lord’s Supper because the disciples didn’t at the cross.”

• Or “We don’t need preaching because Cornelius responded before hearing Paul finish.”
  

Different covenant. Different moment. Different authority exercised.

The thief shows Christ’s mercy, not the pattern of Christian conversion.

8. Baptism as Death, Burial, and Resurrection

The apostolic church consistently taught that baptism reenacts the gospel itself: Romans 6:3–5

• We are buried with Christ

• We are raised with Christ

• We walk in newness of life

Galatians 3:27

• “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Titus 3:5

• “He saved us… by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
  

These passages point to a consistent thread: Baptism is the moment God joins us to Christ.

It is not magic. It is not meritorious. It is not a spiritual shortcut.

It is covenantal participation in Jesus’ saving work.

9. Why Baptism Matters Today

Here are the central reasons the early Christians placed baptism at the heart of becoming a disciple:

1. It is commanded by Jesus (Matthew 28:19).

This alone makes it non-optional for anyone who claims to follow Him.

2. It is the apostolic pattern.

In Acts:

• Jews were baptized the same day they believed

• Samaritans were baptized

• The Ethiopian was baptized instantly

• Cornelius’ household was baptized after receiving the Spirit (another post on this later)

• Lydia and her household were baptized

• The jailer “immediately” was baptized

• Paul himself was baptized at conversion

There is no example of an unbaptized Christian in the New Testament.

3. It represents entry into the new creation community.

1 Corinthians 12:13: “We were all baptized into one body.”

4. It is the moment our story joins Christ’s story.

We are crucified with Him. We are buried with Him. We are raised with Him.

Baptism is the doorway into the life Christ offers.

10. Bringing It All Together: A Biblical Synthesis

Here is the holistic picture Scripture gives:

1. Baptism is immersion.

The word “baptize” means to immerse, and the early church universally practiced immersion.

2. Baptism is rooted in Jewish cleansing rituals.

It symbolizes purification, consecration, and entrance into God’s holy presence.

3. Baptism is part of the response God calls people into.

Repent — Be baptized — Receive forgiveness — Receive the Spirit.

4. Baptism is how one “calls on the name of the Lord.”

Acts 22:16 ties salvation, calling, and baptism together.

5. Baptism saves—not by ritual, but by Christ.

1 Peter 3:21 clarifies the meaning: it's an appeal to God grounded in the resurrection.

6. Baptism is not a work of merit.

It is God who works, raises, cleanses, unites, and forgives.

7. The thief on the cross lived before the New Covenant.

He was forgiven directly by Jesus’ earthly authority.

8. Baptism unites us to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Romans 6 and Colossians 2 explain the spiritual reality behind the physical act.

9. Baptism is inseparable from the gospel.

It’s the moment when faith becomes embodied, when repentance becomes real, when calling becomes tangible.

10. Baptism is not...

Baptism is not dipping or sprinkling. It is not for infants, since they are unaware of what is being done. It is not an "outward sign of an inward change". It is not evidence that your sins have already been forgiven. It is not evidence that you have already received the gift of the Holy Spirit, since God cannot dwell in an unclean temple.

Final Thoughts

Baptism is not the finish line of faith—it’s the beginning.

It is the moment when we surrender our lives to the Lordship of Jesus, trusting that what God promised, He will accomplish:

• He will wash us.

• He will raise us.

• He will give us His Spirit.

• He will unite us to Christ.

• He will make us new.

Baptism is the act through which believers step into the story God is writing—one of death, resurrection, and new creation.

And it continues to matter today just as it did on the Day of Pentecost.