ALL ABOUT WATER BAPTISM

                              by Herbert W. Armstrong

                              1948, 1954, 1972 edition

     IS WATER baptism essential to salvation? What about the "thief

on the cross"? Was he saved without it?

     What is the proper form, or mode -- sprinkling, pouring or

immersion?

     Should babies and children be baptized?

     Suppose you were baptized by a minister you have since lost

confidence in. Should you be baptized over again?

     Suppose you were baptized "in the name of the Father, and the

Son, and the Holy Ghost [Spirit]." Should you be baptized again "in

the name of Jesus" only?

     Should one be baptized IMMEDIATELY, or only "after a six

months' probation"? Must the ordinance be performed by an ordained

minister?

--------------------

WE ARE saved by GRACE, and through FAITH -- make no mistake about

that; but -- there are conditions!

     And millions are being deceived, misled into thinking they are

saved, when they are not!

     People have been taught, falsely, that "Christ completed the

Plan of Salvation on the Cross" -- when actually it was only begun

there. The popular denominations have taught, "Just BELIEVE -- that's

all there is to it; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are

that instant saved!"

     That teaching is false! And because of deception -- because the

TRUE GOSPEL of Jesus Christ has been all but blotted out, lo these

1900 years by the preaching of a false gospel about the Person of

Christ -- and often a false Christ at that -- millions today WORSHIP

CHRIST -- and all in vain! "In vain do they worship me," said Jesus,

"teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7: 6-9).

     Man is mortal. Man has no immortality inherent within himself.

Christ Jesus, only, of all men who have lived, has immortality (I

Tim. 6:16). The penalty of sin is DEATH -- the second, or eternal,

death, from which there will be no resurrection. And ALL have

sinned and come under this sentence. Only GOD has eternal life

inherent in Himself (John 5:26) -- only GOD has eternal life to give.

And as the Father has life in -- inherent in -- Himself, so has He

given to the Son, Christ, to have immortal life inherent within

Himself. And through Christ, God gives it to us (I John 5:11-12) --

and whoever has not Christ has not eternal life. Eternal life is a

GIFT no man has until he receives it as GOD'S GIFT (Rom. 6:23).

     The BLOOD of Christ does not finally save any man. The death

of Christ merely paid the penalty of sin in our stead -- it wipes the

slate clean of past sins -- it saves us merely from the DEATH

PENALTY -- it removes that which separated us from God and reconciles

us to God.

     But we are SAVED -- that is, given immortal life -- by Christ's

LIFE, not by His death (Rom. 5:10). Christ is a living Saviour! He

is not dead -- He rose from the dead! We could never be saved by His

blood alone, if He had not risen from the dead (I Cor. 15:17-18).

     We are mortal, without immortal life inherent in us, under

penalty of eternal DEATH from sin -- unless saved. To be saved, we

must be born of God, who is a Spirit. We were born of human

parents, and therefore we are human -- flesh -- dust -- of the earth,

earthy (John 3:3, 6; Gen. 2:7; 3:19; I Cor. 15:47-49). To be born

of God, we must, first, now in this life, receive the impregnating

LIFE -- the Holy Spirit -- from God. We are then merely begotten,

spiritually -- comparing to an unborn human babe still in its

mother's womb -- not yet really BORN. We then become merely HEIRS of

the Kingdom -- not yet inheritors.

     Becoming converted means being CHANGED. When one receives the

Holy Spirit of God, his whole viewpoint, his outlook, his purposes,

goals, ways of thought -- everything -- becomes CHANGED! It is a

renewing of the MIND -- the Spirit of a sound mind. But he is as yet

merely begotten. And, as the unborn babe must be fed, through the

mother, and must develop and grow physically before it can be born,

so the converted human, now spiritually begotten, must be fed on

the spiritual food of GOD'S WORD, and must GROW SPIRITUALLY -- must

grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ as He reveals His

knowledge through His Word (II Peter 3:18). He must OVERCOME the

down-pull of his human nature and achieve self-discipline. He must

learn PATIENCE, must grow in LOVE, FAITH, and UNDERSTANDING. He

must do the WORKS of Christ; and, in this spiritual growth -- this

life of active service -- he must ENDURE persecutions and afflictions

and trials UNTO THE END.

     It is only those who, during this Christian Spirit-begotten

life, have grown in knowledge and grace, have overcome, have

developed spiritually, done the works of Christ, and endured unto

the end, who shall finally be given IMMORTALITY -- finally changed

from mortal to IMMORTAL at the time of the second coming of Christ

(I Cor. 15:53-54).

     So, being, as we say, converted -- receiving the Holy Spirit of

God -- is merely the beginning! Then begins a lifetime of LIVING

under the GOVERNMENT OF GOD -- by God's laws which express His will,

instead of by self-will and desire.

     A PERSON IS NOT EVEN BEGOTTEN OF GOD UNLESS HE IS CHRIST'S (I

John 5:12). AND HE IS NOT CHRIST'S UNLESS HE HAS RECEIVED THE HOLY

SPIRIT (Rom. 8:9). One is not even converted -- spiritually begotten-

-not even STARTED on the way to final salvation, unless and until

he RECEIVES THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM GOD! The question, then -- how to

make the first BEGINNING of becoming a Christian -- how to START on

the Christian life -- which leads to eternal life -- is how to thus be

CHANGED and receive God's Holy Spirit!

                       "What Shall We Do?"

Notice the very beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark

1:15). Jesus said, "REPENT ye, and BELIEVE the gospel." The very

first words He proclaimed, at the very beginning of His Gospel,

were to command the TWO CONDITIONS to becoming a Christian:

REPENTANCE, and FAITH. Those are the two things we must do!

Repentance is toward GOD. Faith is toward Christ. Repentance means

to quit sinning, and sin is the transgression of God's spiritual

LAW -- so repentance means to begin living according to God's

Commandments! And Jesus said "believe the GOSPEL." And the GOSPEL

is the Good News of the Kingdom of God -- which means GOVERNMENT of

God, and government means obedience to LAWS, in this case God's

laws, which express the will of God -- government by the WILL OF GOD,

no longer by human self-will!

     After Jesus had completed His earthly ministry, had paid the

penalty of your sins, had risen from the dead and ascended to

heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost.

     Thousands were in Jerusalem for this festival. When the Spirit

of God came upon -- and into -- the disciples that morning, thousands

came in awe and wonder at the majestic spectacle. Peter then

preached the first inspired sermon of this Christian dispensation.

Thousands were convicted in their hearts. They realized their lost

condition. They realized Christ was indeed Messiah -- SAVIOUR!

     "What shall we do?" they cried out to Peter and the disciples.

"HOW SHALL WE BE SAVED?"

     Peter was now inspired. The answer came straight and direct!

     "REPENT"! shouted the inspired Peter in great power, "AND BE

BAPTIZED, EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE

REMISSION OF SINS, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY

SPIRIT"! (Acts 2:38.)

     There are the conditions -- JUST TWO -- the same as Jesus gave

them at the very beginning of His Gospel -- REPENT, and BELIEVE! For

one cannot be rightly baptized except he believe (Acts 8:37).

Baptism is an ordinance symbolizing FAITH in the death, burial, and

resurrection of Christ.

     Once these conditions are complied with, God stands bound by

a PROMISE to put within the repentant believer HIS SPIRIT -- which

means His LOVE, faith, understanding, gentleness and goodness,

power, etc. -- His attitude of mind -- the Spirit of a sound mind -- His

very LIFE -- the impregnation and begettal of eternal life, and the

very character of God! The HOLY SPIRIT in one CHANGES one!

     "For the PROMISE is unto you, and to your children ... even as

many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39).

     WATER BAPTISM, THEN, IS A REQUIRED PART OF THE WAY OF

SALVATION!

                         Jesus' Example!

Jesus in all things set us an example, that we should follow His

steps. He was the example for Christian living for the individual,

and also the living example for His called ministers (I Peter

2:21).

     Jesus, though He had committed no sins to be remitted, was

baptized, setting the example for us. You'll read of it in Matthew

3:13-17. In being baptized, Jesus was immersed in water (not

sprinkled or poured upon) because "Jesus, when he was baptized,

went up straightway out of the water." Immediately the Spirit of

God descended upon Him, in this case visibly, and a voice from

heaven said: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

God help us, that by His help, power, and grace, we may be enabled

to live such overcoming lives that He may finally say the same of

us!

            Meaning of "In the Name of Jesus Christ"

Jesus also set the example for ministers. Did you know that Jesus

baptized more disciples than John the Baptist?

     Listen: "After these things came Jesus and his disciples into

the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and

baptized .... When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had

heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples) ... " (John

3:22 and 4:1-2).

     There is an important meaning here. Actually Jesus did not do

the physical work of baptizing these people Himself -- He had His

disciples do it for Him! And what they did, by His authority and

command, is attributed to Him! So it was considered as if Jesus

Himself had baptized them.

     Here is a most important truth. His disciples did the

baptizing IN HIS NAME -- that is, in His stead -- they did it for Him,

by His authority -- and that was considered just the same as if Jesus

had actually done it Himself! In fact, the Holy Spirit actually

inspired the direct statement that Jesus baptized more disciples

than John. When, at His direction, and by His authority, His chosen

disciples, chosen by Him, did it for Him, it is considered that

JESUS did the baptizing. He did it, in other words, by and through

His disciples!

     To ask for anything in prayer, or to do or perform anything,

IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, is to ask or do it BY HIS AUTHORITY.

It is to act for Him. To do it for Him, in His stead. It is acting

as if by power of attorney to act FOR Him. It implies He has

delegated that authority to us. And indeed He has! For we are

commanded to do all things IN THE NAME OF CHRIST!

                     Jesus Commanded Baptism

Keep in mind the clear picture of the true GOSPEL. The true Gospel

of Jesus Christ is the Message which GOD SENT to the world, and

Christ was the divine Messenger who brought and proclaimed it. It

was not primarily a Message about Himself, but about the Kingdom --

the GOVERNMENT -- of God. Jesus devoted three-and-a-half years to

teaching this Message to His twelve apostles.

     After His resurrection, Jesus gave them the final GOSPEL

COMMISSION for this age, and in it He commanded baptism as an

obligatory ordinance for this Gospel dispensation:

     "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach

THE GOSPEL" (the Message God sent and Christ proclaimed) "TO EVERY

CREATURE. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but

he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). Note these

points: The GOSPEL to be preached was not the present-day message

ABOUT the Person of Christ, but the Message He brought and

preached -- the Good News of the GOVERNMENT of God. What is it

necessary to BELIEVE to be saved? That which is preached -- the

GOSPEL! When even the preachers today do away with God's LAW, and

therefore the government (Kingdom) of God -- for there can be no

government without law -- they deny that which must be believed to be

saved -- and their followers cannot be saved, but are deceived! And,

also, it is "he that is baptized" that shall be saved. It's part of

the divine Commission -- a required ordinance for salvation!

     Notice Matthew's version of the Great Commission:

     "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations ... " surely the

disciples were to teach these nations that which Jesus had taught

them -- the Message God had sent Him to deliver and proclaim to the

world -- the Good News of the government of God -- a Message that has

not been preached for 1800 years or more! "... Baptizing them in the

name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded

you" (Matt. 28:19-20).

     Here again, in the final Great Commission for preaching the

Gospel in this age, Christ commanded BAPTISM. And here He

specifically stated "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and

of the Holy Ghost [Spirit]."

                      In Name of Jesus Only

Since some today are being baptized over again "in the name of

Jesus ONLY" in order to eliminate the Father, and the Holy Spirit,

this should be considered here. The contention of these people is

that this passage in Matthew 28:19 is the only place in the Bible

where the names of the Father and the Holy Spirit are commanded.

They argue that a thing must be established "in the mouth of two or

more witnesses," and since they claim there is but this one witness

to this command, it must be rejected. All other passages mention

only the name of Jesus.

     The explanation is that two or more witnesses are required

only in the case of HUMAN testimony -- where one accuses another.

That instruction does not apply to the divine Witness, as inspired

by the Holy Spirit, and to assume it does is surely close to

blasphemy against the Holy Spirit! On the contrary, "ALL scripture

is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable ...." And, THE

SCRIPTURE CANNOT BE BROKEN! If you can break, disprove, reject, or

throw out this one scripture, you can reject all the rest!

     In this passage, the word translated "in" should properly be

translated "into." The meaning, then, is that repentant believers

are baptized INTO God the Father, and into Christ the Son, and into

the Holy Spirit. But the one who plunges the new believer under the

water performs the act IN THE NAME OF -- that is, by authority of,

JESUS CHRIST. Why? Because Jesus said "ALL POWER" -- and that

includes all authority -- "is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

He has ALL authority! Either we do it by His authority, or else we

are doing it without any authority.

                     New Testament Ordinance

The apostles understood this as a divine Commission and Command.

They carried it out. They always baptized repentant believers.

     The first inspired sermon after the Holy Spirit came to

convert Peter and the apostles was mentioned above. Peter commanded

all to repent, and to be baptized.

     And "they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the

same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls"

(Acts 2:41).

     "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached

Christ unto them ... But when they believed Philip preaching the

things concerning THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and the name of Jesus Christ,

they were baptized, both men and women" (Acts 8:5, 12).

     Some, who do not believe in water baptism, may say this

baptism was not with water, but with the Holy Spirit. But later,

when the apostles sent Peter and John down to these people at

Samaria, they, "when they were come down, prayed for them, that

they might receive the Holy Spirit: For as yet he was fallen upon

none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord

Jesus" (verses 15-16).

     None of them had been as yet baptized with the Holy Spirit --

yet they already were baptized. Since they had not been baptized

with the Holy Spirit, obviously they had been baptized in water.

                  Baptism Definitely Commanded

As Peter preached the first inspired sermon after the coming of the

Holy Spirit, and commanded baptism -- to the Jews in Jerusalem, so

God sent Peter also to first preach the Gospel to the Gentiles ten

years later. It was at the house of a very devout Gentile,

Cornelius. But devout though he was, he did not understand -- did not

have saving KNOWLEDGE. He knew no better than to fall down at

Peter's feet and worship him, a mere man. God had sent Peter to

instruct him.

     Peter preached to Cornelius' family, "The word which God

sent" -- the Message God sent by Jesus Christ as Messenger. And

"while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all

them which heard the word" (Acts 10:44). In verse 45 it is termed

"the gift of the Holy Spirit." The word "ALSO" indicates the same

"baptism" with the Holy Spirit as Peter and the apostles had

received. In Acts 11:15-17 it is plainly described as the SAME

"baptism" with the Holy Spirit the apostles had received. Now these

had received the "baptism" with the Spirit.

     "Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid WATER, that these

should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well

as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the

Lord" (Acts 10:46-48).

     Here is a definite inspired COMMAND to be baptized in WATER.

               Immersion, Sprinkling, or Pouring?

     As in all other points of doctrine, the churches today are in

utmost confusion -- some practicing pouring, some sprinkling, some

immersing. Some say it makes no difference. Those who sprinkle

usually apply it to children.

     The word "baptize" is not an English word. It is a Greek word.

The New Testament was written in the Greek language. In translating

it into English, the translators left this Greek word untranslated.

Literally, in the Greek, the word is "baptizo". The definition of

this word is "IMMERSE." It means to plunge into, put into, dip. It

does not mean "to sprinkle" or "to pour." The Greek word for

"sprinkle" is "rantidzo", and "to pour" is "cheo" in Greek. The

Holy Spirit did not inspire the use of these words, but baptizo,

meaning IMMERSE, PUT INTO.

     Therefore sprinkling or pouring IS NOT BAPTIZING!

     When one understands the meaning of the words inspired, it is

silly to talk about "which form or mode of baptizing shall we use --

sprinkling, pouring, or immersing?" It is as ridiculous as to ask

which form of IMMERSING shall we use -- sprinkling, pouring, or

immersing? Or as to ask "which form or mode of skiing shall we use --

swimming, ice-skating, or skiing?" Swimming and ice-skating are

not skiing. Sprinkling and pouring are not baptizing.

     John baptized around about Aenon near Jerusalem, "because

there was much water there" (John 3:23). He would have needed only

a cupful to sprinkle, or a pitcherful to pour -- but baptizing

required "MUCH WATER" in a river. Also this verse indicates John

baptized the subject with much water, not by pouring a cupful of

water on the subject.

     Jesus set us an example -- there was no other purpose in His

baptism -- and He was put down into the water, for He went up OUT OF

the water. Both Philip and the eunuch went down INTO the water

(Acts 8:38). There was no reason whatever for Philip to go actually