Why Baptism is and isn’t necessary

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What is Baptism

Baptism is one of the two sacraments instituted by Jesus. However, the practice of baptism existed before Jesus established it as a sacrament for his disciples to participate in (Jn. 1:19-28). The symbolism of baptism is relatively simple; it is a ceremonial ritual that represents the cleansing of one's soul. 

In today’s churches, you will find different styles of baptism. Some will practice the baptism of infants, such as Anglicans and Presbyterians, while others withhold the practice until someone is deemed old enough to declare their faith in Jesus, such as the Baptist church. Some churches will place an incredibly high importance on the sacrament and elevate it to, or close to, essential for salvation.

While some traditions argue that only someone fully immersed in water experiences true baptism, the more common understanding is that both full immersion and the sprinkling of water are legitimate forms of the sacrament. 

In the Anglican tradition, baptism is understood to be beneficial for a disciple of Christ but not essential for salvation. We know that it is through faith alone that salvation comes. 

There are two forms of baptism used within our tradition, the first commonly for infants and the second for those able to make a profession for themselves.

Across all traditions, it is recognised as a sacrament and water is used.

Theology of Baptism

How people think about baptism varies as much within traditions as between them. The most common school of thought within Anglicanism is called covenantal theology, which means that baptism is viewed as the new covenant practice consistent with circumcision. 

Circumcision was the practice given to Israel that marked them as belonging to God (Gen. 17:911). It was the physical sign of the covenant God held with Israel. For Israel, this was a matter of great significance. Every male within the house (family or servant) was to be circumcised. It served as a reminder that they were God’s and He was theirs.

Circumcision was a covenantal sign of being members of God’s household. However, it was never merely exclusively a physical practice (Dt. 10:16) . The nature of sacraments is that there is a divine mystery in which there is power in the practice of the sacrament in some supernatural manner. Not dependent on the recipient of the sacrament but sustained through God’s faithfulness.

As John Calvin notes in his Institutes, “For how much soever the covenant might have been violated by them [Israel], the symbol of the covenant always remained, according to the appointment of the Lord, firm and inviolable.” (Calvin, 1960, p. 2522)

Therefore, we must not approach baptism as something only effective based on our faith at the time of receiving baptism. Rather, it is to be received in the same manner that circumcision of the Old Testament was received. In faith, according to the faithfulness of God himself.

In Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, we see circumcision invoked not as a physical practice but as a spiritual one, which Paul then join to the physical practice of baptism (Col. 211-12).

The circumcision of our hearts, the new covenantal seal of being God’s chosen people. It is not performed by human hands as the seal of the old covenant was, but by Christ in his death and resurrection.

Baptism is the physical sign and seal of being God’s people, not by nationality but by the blood of Christ (Heb. 10:22) accompanied by the affirmation that is the physical washing of our bodies.

Why we should be baptised

We often struggle to see the reasons for baptism because we view the world through a very natural lens and, at the same time, pay significant attention to ‘first-order issues’ while dismissing ‘second-order issues’. When it comes to baptism, this leads us to put off, or entirely dismiss its importance because it is not necessary for salvation (first-order issue) and having been baptised, there is little to no change in my daily life (naturalist perspective). Both of these views are erroneous thinking for disciples of Christ.

As disciples of Jesus, we ought not to see the world only through a natural perspective. We follow God, who is the author of nature; he is, in essence, supernatural. He clearly works in supernatural ways repeatedly throughout scripture. We also live with the knowledge of spiritual realities. Therefore, we should consider baptism, acknowledging the supernatural works of God through it, and recognise that part of that is a spiritual transformation that takes place when received in faith.

Receive it in obedience

Having those two elements in mind, we turn to why baptism is not only good, but important for disciples of Christ to receive. The simplest is that Jesus expects us to. Jesus models baptism at the beginning of his public ministry (Mk. 1:9-11) and at the end of his ministry on earth, he commands the disciples to baptise people (Mtt. 28:19).

Baptism is not just a thing that some Christians do; it is an expected response to the reception of the gospel. The pattern of the New Testament seems to be that a disciple of Jesus was baptised as soon as possible (Acts 8:26-38), which is consistent with the Old Testament approach toward circumcision.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you should proactively pursue baptism as a matter of obedience to Christ. The follower of Jesus follows the teaching of Jesus, including being baptised, and the scripture provides a model of proactive reception of the sacrament.

It is necessary for the follower of Jesus to be baptised, not because it is a means of salvation (it is not!), but because the follower of Jesus is to be obedient to the commands of their Lord.

Receive it as a gift

Being baptised is also taking hold of a gift given by God. Just as circumcision served as the physical reminder of God’s covenant with Israel. Baptism is the physical reminder of God’s new covenant. In receiving baptism, both the baptisee and the congregation gathered are urged to look up towards God, who is faithful. We have been given a tangible celebration of God’s adoptive work in building for himself a people.

It seems odd that a follower of Jesus would deny themselves and other brothers and sisters the delight that is so clearly on display in the sacrament of baptism.