The doctrine of Baptisms

11Aug

The third foundational doctrine in this series is the Doctrine of Baptisms. It is always recommended that one goes through a study of what Baptism entails before they are baptized. This is because it is a highly spiritual exercise and if it is not studied properly before being done, the baptizer will not benefit from it.

What is Baptism?

The Greek word for Baptism is Baptizo which means being ‘immersed’ into something and coming out as a different person. A clear-cut example is when a white fabric is immersed in green paint. When the fabric is brought out, it definitely changes into a green fabric. There are basically three methods of baptism which include

Aspersion: It is a method where water is sprinkled on the head of the believer, especially with holy water
Affusion: It is a method of baptism where water is poured on the head of the believer. Affusion and Aspersion were old methods or forms of baptism used in the Old Testament. Hebrews 9:1-10 presents a report on how certain cultures and carnal ordinances were imposed until the time of reformation (New Birth or Time of Grace).
Immersion – The New Testament presented a new form or method of baptism which is immersion introduced by John the Baptism

Types of Baptisms

There are six types of baptisms found in the body of Christ. These baptisms include:

John’s Baptism
Baptism into Christ
Water Baptism
Holy Ghost Baptism
Baptism into His suffering
Baptism of fire

Important aspects of Baptism

Before the above-mentioned baptisms are explained, there are four very important things we need to understand about baptism.

Who is the Baptizer?
Who is the Baptizee?
What is the medium of baptism?
What are the believers baptized into?

John’s Baptism

The first type of baptism we will elaborate on with the scriptures is John’s Baptism. Sometimes, people confuse John’s baptism with water baptism, however, they are not the same. Christian water baptism displaced John’s baptism after Jesus’ death.

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 19:1‭-‬5 KJV

The scriptures above show a clear-cut distinction between John’s baptism and Christian baptism (Baptism into Christ). John’s baptism was an outward act of being baptized as a clear confirmation that those who have been baptized are already forgiven and have repented of their sins.

The significance of John’s baptism can be viewed in the book of Matthew.

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Matthew 3:1‭-‬3 KJV

John’s baptism was simply to inform the people of Judea about the coming of Christ to cause them to repent. The Greek meaning of repent is ‘metanoeo’ which means to change one’s mind or to change one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins. The reason why John was so loud about this message was that the Sadducees and the Pharisees were more culturally inclined and accustomed to old traditions and customs which made them feel they were on the right path. His ferocious message to them can be seen in the book of Matthew.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Matthew 3:7‭-‬9 KJV
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John’s simple message to them was to accept repentance and wait for the coming of Christ. John’s baptism also enlightens believers on how Jesus had to come and take up his priestly duties. This is evidently seen when He went to John the Baptist to be baptised. (Matthew 3:13-15)

Jesus was actually not baptized to repent of sins because He was of no sin. He was baptized
to take up His role as a priest to fulfill righteousness and purity which should be an example for His disciples to follow.

With this kind of baptism:

The baptizer was evidently John the Baptist.
The baptizee was the Israelites.
The medium was water.
They were baptized into repentance in waiting for Christ’s coming.

Baptism into Christ

The second type of baptism is Baptism into Christ. This kind of baptism is when a believer is finally welcomed into the body of Christ. The person experiences the New Birth. This kind of baptism ushers a believer into a new state of existence in which all things are new.

2 Corinthians 5:17(KJV)

Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation. All things are passed away; behold all things
are become new.

This new birth is different from the natural birth which introduces us to the world of being, thought, and feelings. The natural birth introduces humans into the natural world which is full of sin, woes, and pain. The second birth introduces us to a world full of happiness, eternal life, and holiness.
Conception in this new birth takes place by the Holy Ghost serving as the womb, the Spirit of
God is an egg in the womb and the Word of God that waters the egg for the birth to take
place. This is a highly spiritual thing. There are scriptures we have to examine to help us
understand the new birth as not just a carnal activity but a highly spiritual activity.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12‭-‬13 KJV

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12‭-‬13 KJV

The baptism into Christ occurs through the Grace of God where faith is imparted unto us. The Word of God makes us understand that faith comes by the continuous hearing of the Word. A believer can only be baptized into Christ when the Word of God is shared. The most essential scripture a new convert should get attached to is John 3:16-17 which serves as an invite from God to everyone to be a part of the body of Christ.

To accept Jesus into our lives, we must do these two things – believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths. As stated in Romans 10:9-10

This kind of baptism also makes us understand how we died with Christ and have been resurrected with Him. Romans 6:1-4 explains it clearly.

1 Corinthians 12:27-28 KJV

27 Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular.

28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

With this Kind of baptism:

The baptizer. Is the Holy Spirit
The baptizee is the Believer.
The medium is through Birth, death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
They were baptized into the body of Christ.

Water Baptism

Another type of baptism is water baptism. Water baptism is reserved for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. The scriptures below evidently show those who are qualified to be baptized

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:15‭-‬16 KJV

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9‭-‬10 KJV

The Bible clearly teaches us that to be able to partake in the water baptism, one must exercise
faith in Jesus Christ, believing that He died for their sins, was buried and rose from the dead.

Importance of Water Baptism

Many people around the world have an ideological battle on whether water baptism is relevant in the body of Christ or not. The answer is “YES”. It is a commandment from God for all believers to be baptized. It is contained in the great commission in Matthew 28:19.

Also, water baptism is an outward testimony of what has happened spiritually. Water baptism identifies the remedy of sins: Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Water baptism is a public statement of one’s faith in Jesus Christ. Water baptism serves as a pledge of loyalty and commitment to Jesus Christ, to follow and to
serve Him.
Water baptism serves as a deliverance and rescue from this evil world (Babylonian world system full of ungodly affairs) into the kingdom of His marvelous light full of joy and happiness. There is a typology in the Old Testament that reveals how God rescued the Israelites from the hands of the evil Pharaoh (Exodus14). Egypt was considered a type of world full of sin, wickedness, sorrow, and pain. Pharoah was a type of Satan who tried to resist the children of God from entering into a land of happiness, peace and joy, and freedom. This is a typology of what really happens to most Christians in the body of Christ. Some Christians who are not partakers in the water baptism have certain demonic forces controlling their lives. A lot of believers are not able to quit certain addictions due to the demons attacking their lives. They are not able to live as mature Christians because of these attacks and other believers live in fear which can cause them to renounce Christ in years to come as a result of them not seeing any change in their lives since they became part of the body of Christ

Water baptism should never be taken for granted because it has a spiritual impartation in the life of the believer. The believer is able to break off all those addictions and any sin which easily besets him or her. The Israelites left all their weights and certain things they were attached to when they were escaping the Pharoah and his soldiers to a land full of peace, happiness, and joy. This is a typology of a
believer who is baptized in water. He or she should believe that they are leaving all those
weights and baggage which would prevent them from functioning and having a good stand and
foundation in the body of Christ.

With this kind of baptism:

The baptizer is any believer
The baptizee is any believer that is not baptized.
The medium is water.
They were baptized unto salvation from this world.

Holy Ghost Baptism

The fourth type of baptism is the Holy Ghost baptism. The Holy Ghost baptism refers to the infilling of the Spirit which is evident through speaking in new tongues. On the day of Pentecost when the Jews met together in a house in Jerusalem, there was an infilling of the Holy Ghost.

And when the day of Pentecost fully came, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1‭-‬4 KJV

The importance of this Baptism

The scripture above shows clearly how the infilling of the Spirit caused people to speak in tongues. The baptism of the Holy Ghost also serves as a source of healing for the sick and refreshes the believer. In order to have a better understanding, let’s examine some scriptures to help settle any doubts.

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:37‭-‬38 KJV

And for an unclean person, they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel: And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave: And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
Numbers 19:17‭-‬19 KJV

In the Old Testament, running water was accumulated from the rains. The plant hyssop is a herbaceous plant native to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the region surrounding the Caspian sea. This plant had properties that served as an antiseptic and a cough reliever. This plant with running water was used to heal people who were tagged as “unclean” with all kinds of diseases. The New Testament reveals a more glorious running water which we see in the above scripture (John 7:37). The statement made by Jesus “out of his belly shall flow rivers of water” reveals the infilling of the Holy Ghost which causes believers to speak in tongues to cause physical and spiritual changes. The people in the Old Testament used running water (rainwater to be precise) for sprinkling to heal the sick.

Believers in the age of Grace are fortunate to receive the infilling of the Holy Ghost which causes a believer to speak in tongues to cause healing. Speaking in tongues is a spiritual activity that can have an impact on you physically when you are conscious of its working in you.

The only way a believer can speak in tongues is to receive the Holy Ghost. Paul in the book of Acts met some believers who were baptized into John’s Baptism, therefore they could not speak in tongues.

The baptizer is any believer
The baptizee is any believer who has not yet been baptized by the Holy Ghost.
The medium is water.
They were baptized unto power.

Baptism into his suffering

The fifth type of baptism is baptism into His suffering. This baptism is not given to everyone in the body of Christ. It represents the afflictions and trials as a baptism in which an individual must be baptized into. It is the highest medal God gives to His faithful servants. It is a privilege to be baptized into the sufferings of Christ. The Baptizer of this suffering is God. It is a cup of suffering given to faithful servants who are bent on going the extra mile to make the gospel known. They are ready to face all persecution that comes their way. Let’s look at a remarkable scripture in the Bible where the sons of Zebedee met with Jesus.

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye, know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Matthew 20:20‭-‬22 KJV

It takes a spiritual and mature Christian to dedicate his whole life to drink of this cup of the sufferings of Christ. It is a highly spiritual privilege and should be done willingly by an individual. The first of the disciples to be baptised in the suffering of Christ was James and the last to die was John. This signifies how the desires of their mother came into reality with her sons sitting on the right and left hand-sides of Christ.

Apostle Paul addressed baptism into His suffering as the fellowship of His suffering. It takes a great fellowship with the Holy Spirit to be part of this glorious suffering.

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Philippians 3:8‭-‬10 KJV

Paul hoped for something better than the life he lived on earth. He was convinced about the hope of a glorified body and this persuaded him to drink of the cup of His suffering

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake;
Philippians 1:29 KJV

The book of Isaiah reveals Christ suffering for the sake of the Gospel.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed.
Isaiah 53:3‭-‬5 KJV.

The only way a Christian shall truly reign in Christ is through suffering for His sake and this includes overcoming all persecutions leveled against them.

It is a faithful saying: For if we are dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
2 Timothy 2:11‭-‬12 KJV

With this baptism:

The baptizer is God
The baptizee is a faithful Christian.
The medium is suffering and dying.
They were baptized unto reigning with him.

Baptism of Fire

The last type of baptism is the baptism of fire. The phrase of fire is a phrase originating from the Words of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11-12

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Matthew 3:11‭-‬12 KJV

Most believers get confused with this text because John stated how Christ will baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. The fire used in this text is believed by many believers to be the infilling of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. However, the baptism of fire is reserved for unbelievers who refused to accept Christ as their Lord.

When John was baptizing people unto repentance, there were crowds of mixed quality. Some were sincere and were immersed in the Jordan river. Others were obviously caught up with the emotionalism of the occasion. Among these were the Sadducees and Pharisees.

In the world we live in, so many people act as believers. They go to church and act as spectators but have never decided to give their lives to Christ. They act like the tares among
the wheat. Jesus described how unbelievers looked using the parable of the Sower to explain how
He would separate unbelievers from believers on the day of judgment.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:24‭-‬30 KJV

The tares in the above scripture signify the unbelievers and the wheat signifies the believers. Unbelievers are considered to be proud and this explains how the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, and then appeared the tares. Believers are very humble, therefore they are considered to be wheat which bends against the sun. God will truly resist the proud (James 4:6). Unbelievers have a day coming where God is going to deal with their unrighteousness and pride. This day is found in the book of revelation.

And the sea gave up the dead which was in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which was in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:13‭-‬15 KJV

With this type of baptism:

The baptizer is God
The baptizees are the unbelievers (Those who never accepted Christ).
The medium is unquenchable fire.
They were baptized unto death.

Conclusion

If you are not Baptized, we encourage you to do so as you have gotten to understand what it’s all about. We must tell everyone we know about Jesus and if you are not born again, please accept Jesus so that you would miss the Baptism of fire and enter into the rest which Jesus promises all who come to Him. God bless you as you accept His grace.