The Purpose of Baptism

This is reprinted from the July 18, 1971 edition of The Gospel Teacher which was published by the Church of Christ Hilliard, Ohio. Grant B. Caldwell was the editor and the author.

The subject of baptism is a constant source of trouble to those who deny the necessity thereof for the remission of sin and thus the salvation of the soul. This difficulty comes because of their refusal to accept simple instruction from the word of God. Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

Now, that is simple enough for anyone to understand. That is, unless they have some false doctrine to promote. It seems strange to me how anyone could read that and not see the importance of baptism. It is not some simple little act done to show that one's sins are already forgiven (as some would have us believe) but is a major step in becoming a Christian, in obeying God's will, in bringing salvation into one's life. If one can be saved without baptism, then I would affirm on the basis of this verse, that he can be saved without the remission of sins.

Sometimes, we find those who will argue that the word "for" in this verse means "because of" and not "unto" (ASV). This is as far fetched as it can be and it will not stand up under the test of true Greek scholarship. Every accepted translation of the New Testament known to this writer will deny this assertion.

The best proof however, is the Bible itself. The phrase, "for the remission of sins" is not found just this once in the New Testament. There is another place in which it is used and is the same not only in the English but in the original as well. In this particular passage, Christ uses the phrase and says, "For this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28).

We learn a very simple fact from this. Whatever Christ shed His blood for, baptism is for. If Christ shed His blood in order that men might have the remission of sins, then men are baptized for that same reason. If, on the other hand, men are baptized because their sins have already been forgiven, then our Lord died because sins have already been forgiven. Which would you say? If we could be saved without baptism, then we could be saved without the death of our Lord. If not, why not?

The conclusion is simple. We know that Christ died because men could not gain forgiveness any other way. He died while men were in sin (Romans 5:8) and this, to bring us the "remission of sins" to us (Matthew 26:28). Thus, when we are baptized, it is to gain the remission of sins, or as Peter put it, "For the remission of sins."

Deny it if you will but it is in the book of God, the book by which you will be judged in the day of judgement (Revelation 20:12). Why not obey it today?