Baptism According to Scripture

by E. H. Hoare

January, 1850.

ON BAPTISM,
&c. &c.

It is thought by some, that baptism, or the washing of the person or clothes, as a religious ceremony, commenced immediately after the deluge. St. Peter certainly speaks of baptism in connection with that great event: (1 Ep. iii. 20, 21,)—“While the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water: the like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us.” But, however this might be, we read of it at an early period. The first instance on record in Scripture of this washing as a preparation for God’s service, is probably that which is found in Genesis xxxv. 2. God had said unto Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make thee an altar unto God that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments; and let us arise, and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress.” The direction—“Be clean,” taken in connection with the change of their garments, did probably, among other things, mean the washing of themselves with water, as an emblem of the putting away of sin. Dr. Lightfoot understands by it Jacob’s admission of the proselytes of Shechem and Syria into his religion by baptism; because circumcision was become odious to them. The cloud which God spread over the Israelites for a covering, (Ps. cv. 39,) when they came out of Egypt, and their safe passage through the waters of the Red Sea, appear to have had reference to the same subject; for the Apostle Paul, in 1 Cor. x. 1, 2, thus writes;—“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Now if they were “baptized unto Moses,” (which baptism represented and confirmed their obligation to follow Moses as their leader, and to obey the instructions and laws which he should give them,) much more were they baptized and bound unto God: or rather, they were baptized and bound unto Moses, as the minister of God and the medium of communication between God and the people.

When the Israelites had entered the wilderness and had come to Mount Sinai, where God intended to give them His covenant, He “said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day; for the third day the Lord will come down, in the sight of all the people, upon Mount Sinai.” (Ex. xix. 10.) And thus Maimonides, a great authority in the Jewish Law, says, that ‘Israel was admitted into covenant with God in three ways:—by circumcision, by baptism, (alluding to this command, “Let them wash their clothes,”) and by sacrifice.’ When any of the heathen became proselytes to the Jewish religion, and sought admission into the Jewish church, it is said that the males were circumcised and baptized,—the females were baptized,—and the children generally baptized with the parents. And on the subject of the baptism of heathen children, Maimonides again says, that ‘if an Israelite should find a Gentile infant, and baptize him in the name of a proselyte, behold, he is a proselyte.’

By the precepts relating to ceremonial pollutions, the Jews were rendered incapable of appearing before God in the tabernacle or temple, till they were cleansed either by bathing or sprinkling. In the Nineteenth Chapter of the Book of Numbers the subject is particularly dwelt upon. When any one was ceremonially unclean, it was enjoined, (v. 19,) that a “clean person should sprinkle upon the unclean” (of the water of separation before spoken of) “on the third day, and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he” (the unclean) was to “purify himself, and wash his clothes and bathe himself in water,” and then he was to be “clean at even. But,” as it is added in the next verse, “the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the Sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.”

When Moses received directions from the Lord concerning the consecration of Aaron and his sons, he was commanded (as we read in Ex. xxix. 4,) to “bring them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water;” and then to put the Priestly garments upon them. In short, by the law almost all things were purged by water, as well as by blood;—the one having as distinct and definite a signification as the other. And so familiar and forcible was this figure of water among the Jews, that many of the prophecies and promises relating to the Messiah and the spiritual blessings to be enjoyed in the times of the gospel were couched under it and conveyed by it. By Isaiah it is said of Him, “So shall He sprinkle many nations.” (lii. 15.) And by the prophet Ezekiel the Lord saith,—“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.” (xxxvi. 25–27.)

With this continued reference to water in connection with spiritual things, before their eyes, the Jews were doubtless prepared for its still farther use. Accordingly, when John appeared as the forerunner of the Messiah, and baptized with water all who were disposed to become his disciples, no surprise was expressed at his doing it. He was asked indeed by the Priests and Levites why he baptized, when they understood him as denying himself to be any one of those whom they expected to be sent by God. “If thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet, why baptizest thou?” (John i. 25.) But this only shews that they regarded baptism as a natural evidence of a divine mission. Of John’s baptism we are told by himself, that it was a baptism unto repentance. “I indeed,” said he, “baptize you with water unto repentance.” (Matt. iii. 11.) And thus, all who were baptized of him “confessed their sins;”—confession being a necessary part of repentance. They also asked of him instruction as to their conduct in future: and to the different classes of his disciples he gave appropriate exhortations. In the account of John’s baptism in Acts xix. 4., it is added, that he “said unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” Thus baptism was administered by John substantially upon the same principle which afterwards governed the Christian Church; namely, upon a profession (taken to be sincere) of repentance and the faith of the gospel. For though the baptism of John was connected with a preparatory dispensation, it was of an evangelical and very practical character. He exposed the folly of trusting to outward advantages;—taught men their need of a Saviour;—and declared that nothing would satisfy God, and be accepted of Him, but the bringing forth of good fruit. “Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.” (Matt. iii. 10.)

When speaking of himself and of his baptism, John was naturally led to speak of Him, to whom he came to bear witness: and he said that He also would baptize, and in a manner to which he (John) could make no pretension. “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 fire.” (Matt. iii. 11.) Various expositions have been given of these latter expressions. That they refer (among other meanings) to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, which was accompanied with “cloven tongues like as of fire,” sitting upon each of the Apostles, and by which they were enabled to speak in languages they had never learned,—and to the gift of divers kinds of tongues on other occasions, as in the case of Cornelius and his company,—is evident from what is said upon the subject in Acts i. 5. and xi. 15, 16. “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” “And as I (Peter) began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.” But the expressions, “with the Holy Ghost and fire,” have probably a still more extensive signification. No element is more subtle and powerful than fire: changing whatever it comes in contact with into its own nature. Thus fire (like water and wind, both of which are also made emblems of the Holy Spirit,) will represent the efficacy of Divine grace; its enlightening, purifying, refining and inflaming power; and so it forms a striking and happy contrast to that destroying fire, spoken of in the former and the following verses. And hereby would be fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi:—“When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of judgment and by the Spirit of burning.” (Is. iv. 4.) “And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple: He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap. And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (Mal. iii. 1–3.) Or, the baptism of fire, if taken in connection with the context, would signify the desolating judgments of God upon the hardened Jews: or it might represent the afflictions which Christ’s true followers were to suffer. To these He referred, when He said to the two sons of Zebedee, “With the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized.” (Mark x. 39.)

To the baptism of John, Jesus Himself submitted. The reason He gave to John for this was, “Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness:” (Matt, iii. 15.) hereby inculcating the duty of attention to whatever God hath commanded; and intimating His solemn entrance upon His Priestly Office, according to the directions which God gave to Moses concerning the washing of Aaron and his sons with water, as already referred to. (Ex. xxix. 4.) Occasion was also hereby afforded for the fulfilment of the sign given to John for the discovery of the Messiah: “Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” And John “saw, and bare record that this was the Son of God.” (John i. 33, 34.)

After His own baptism by John, and His choice of the twelve Apostles, Jesus also baptized those who became His disciples. But the fact itself is all that is recorded. Water was evidently used; but we are not told any thing of the time when He began to baptize, nor of the description of persons baptized, nor of the mode and form of His baptism, nor of what followed after it. We are simply informed in John iii. 22., as a part of the gospel-narrative, that “Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He tarried with them and baptized.” And the only farther mention of the subject is in reference to a report, “that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,” and that Jesus Himself did not administer the Ordinance in person, but that His disciples (meaning probably the twelve) baptized for Him. (John iv. 1, 2.) This is all that the Scripture says upon the subject. Why the Lord did not baptize with His own hands, we are not informed. It could not have been lest any should say that He had baptized in His own name; for men came to His baptism avowedly as His disciples. But for obvious reasons He chose to employ Himself in preaching, and the twelve in baptizing those whom He had taught: as He afterwards sent St. Paul “not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” (1 Cor. i. 15.) He would also wish to prevent the preference which would doubtless have been given to His own administration of the Ordinance.