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November 15, 2005, Vol.4, No.22. Baptism Part 6 Keith Sharp The Ephesians Acts 19:1-7 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all. (Acts 19:1-7) Mr. Lane entitles this section "The baptising of certain Christians in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7). (page 83) He assumes without proof that they were Christians before Paul baptized them (Although in a footnote on page 84 he acknowledges the possibility they were unsaved due to deficiency of faith). Mr. Lane comments on this case: He had to administer Christian baptism to them (verse 5). The fact that they were already believers and had received a form of baptism was not sufficient for Paul.... John’s baptism was not Christian baptism. Whether all John’s disciples became baptised in the name of the Trinity cannot be established, but it was done in this case lest there be any confusion in these men’s minds on these matters. (85) Mr. Lane contradicts himself in these comments. This is the only passage in the New Testament which teaches whether or not people who have received a baptism other than that in the name of the Lord (by His authority - Colossians 3:17; Acts 4:18) need to be baptized in the name of the Lord. These people needed to be and "were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 19:5) Mr. Lane recognizes this and then turns around and questions whether this is always so. He allows human reason to negate the only divine teaching on the subject. The simple truth is anyone who has not received the one New Testament baptism, the one authorized by Jesus Christ, needs to receive it, even if they have been baptized a dozen times with baptisms authorized by mere men. More good can be said about the baptism of John than about any denominational baptism. The baptism of John was authorized of God (Luke 7:30), was administered to responsible people upon their repentance (Luke 3:1-14) and was immersion in water for the remission of sins (Matthew 3:5-6; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:16). But John taught them to believe in a Christ who was yet to come (Acts 19:3; Matthew 3:11-12; Mark 1:7-8; Luke 3:15-17). Thus, one who knew only John’s baptism did not believe Christ had died, been buried, and raised from the dead the third day. Can anyone be saved in this age without believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ? (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Paul first asked these men, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" (verse 1) When the Ephesian men professed no knowledge of the Holy Spirit, Paul inquired, "Into what then were you baptized?" (verse 3) Paul obviously equates being a believer with having been baptized. Once again, the saved believer is the baptized believer. Even though they had to be baptized to become saved believers, the Ephesians were saved by grace through faith rather than by boastful works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Paul thought these men were already believers in Christ, yet he asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit (verse 1). Why ask such a question if every believer receives the Holy Spirit directly and supernaturally? In order for them to receive the Holy Spirit, Paul, an apostle of Christ, had to lay his hands on them (verse 7). They evidenced the reception of the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues and prophesying (Ibid). Mr. Lane recognizes "He had to confer on them the gifts of the Holy Spirit by laying hands on them" (verse 6). (Ibid) Thus, it would take the laying on of hands by an apostle of Christ for one to receive the Holy Spirit directly and supernaturally, and the evidence of such a reception would be miraculous, spiritual gifts. Those things were for a time when divine revelation was incomplete, and no one today receives the Holy Spirit directly and supernaturally (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). The apostles’ theology of baptism After studying the examples of baptism in Acts, the book contains a section entitled The apostles’ theology of baptism. In the introduction to this section the author asserts: Baptism is not the gospel, but only an ordinance of the gospel; it is not a work of grace, only a means of grace; it is not the way of salvation, only a representation of it. (89) The gospel the Lord Jesus Christ commanded His apostles to preach in all the world is, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16) Is baptism part of the gospel of Christ? The Ephesians were saved by grace through faith, but they had to be baptized in the name of the Lord (Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 19:1-5). Jesus is the way of salvation (John 14:6), but we must be baptized into Him (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27). Mr. Lane then comments, "For while it is true that our main motive in being baptized must be obedience to Christ, God has never demanded blind obedience." God demanded blind obedience of Abraham. He commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise, though He did not tell Him why (Genesis 22:1-2), and Abraham through faith obeyed though he did not understand why God made such a demand (Genesis 22:3-12; Hebrews 11:17-19). Our main motive in being baptized is to be saved (Mark 16:16), that is, to receive the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). And we cannot be saved apart from obedience to Christ (Hebrews 5:8-9).
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