Our congregation Our military, leaders and nation

David, Leon and James in the military Our college students

Various friends, relatives and co-workers

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).

I recently read a 1978 article by William Willimon of Duke University called "A Liberating Word in Water" published in the Christian Century. In the article he discusses the attitudes toward baptism that he saw then. Most downplay baptism seeing it either as something to be done at a minimal impact on the assembly or as an afterthought as something God told us to do. While neither of these ideas view baptism the way we do, our emphasis has been on baptism without thinking about Jesus, or to say it another way, form over substance. Then after one is baptized, then we get on with life without considering the relationship baptism has to our daily walk. For instance, we have spoken and written heavily that baptism is for the remission of sins (see Acts 2:38; 22:16), but then what? It puts us in the church, it relates us to a community, but then what? We have stopped short I think of the fuller understanding of the subject. We have tended to view it more legalistically than relationally.

Randy Harris of Abilene Christian University made a comment that has got me thinking more about our relationship to baptism as believers. "How does one baptized believer speak to another?" is the question he asked. He pointed out that when Paul was addressing problems in various congregations, he often used baptism in a relational way. Willimon suggests the same when he said, "so we are claimed, signed, branded and sealed at our baptism. We are not illegitimate, homeless, parentless children. We are royalty." Baptism leads us from death to life. It goes against our "self-made" culture because in immersion, the one being immerse humbly allows another to baptize him. It is trusting another with the idea that we are trusting God to deal with our sins and fulfill the promises He has made in Christ.

When Paul and Peter refer to baptism, it is a context of a church disagreement over some aspect of Christian life, either theological or ethical. Let’s look at some ideas involved in the conflicts mention. The first is in Romans 6:1-14. The question is asked, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" This was a discussion among the Roman Christians. Paul has developed up to this point that all have sinned, both Jew and Gentile. Then he argued that in Christ sin was dealt with through His death. Coming to chapter six, the question about how one continues in grace concerned them, and us. He answers their question by reminding them that they were buried together with Christ in baptism and raised together with Him like in His resurrection. Having done such, the old life or man of sin was done away with and we know life in the new or reborn person. Sin no longer is our master but Jesus is. They do not receive more grace by sinning but by walking in Christ, allowing Him to rule our lives. Immersion represents a change in our lives.

In First Corinthians, the congregation was divided over preachers, more likely the one who baptized them. That was not uncommon in Corinth because individual philosophers had their students who would defend them as well. So Paul says that he was thankful that he did not baptize many of them. They saw baptism as aligning oneself with the person who baptized them. But it is Jesus who we are to look to and the gospel, His death, burial and resurrection. Their disunity ignored that they were one in Christ. He reminds them that "we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body" (12:13). Their disunity had missed the unifying importance of immersion.

In the Ephesian letter, Paul is talking about walking the worthy life (4:1). The first three chapters argue why we should and the last three how we should. In the midst of discussing God’s eternal plan of redemptive fellowship, the mystery that is revealed in Christ, and our common bond, he reminds the Ephesians of their being raised with Christ from a sin filled life (2:6). Part of the worthy walk is that we came out of a disobedient and sinful life into a new life in Christ with a new way of looking at things. The worthy life is to help build up the body (4:11), to use proper language (4:29; 5:4), and how we are to treat others (5:21-6:4). We are not to walk in ungodly ways (5:3). All this is based on God’s plan and our being raised with Jesus.

Once again, in Colossians Paul argues that baptism is the putting off of the old nature and the putting on of the new nature in Christ. The congregation there is facing difficulties especially with false teaching which is leading to immorality and bad attitudes. He reminds them that they died with Christ (2:20) and that they were raised with Christ (3:1) and finally they are hidden in Christ (3:3). Remember the reason you are who you are today because of our connection with Jesus.

Finally, in Galatians Paul uses baptism as a means of identity and relationship. We have become children of God (3:26-27) and we are all one, there are no distinctions (3:28). Too often we look on the surface or appearance and judge people by the color of their skin, their nationality, or their style of speech. Not so in Christ. The Galatians were being misled by legalists and making distinctions that are not to be found in Christ. God has accepted us in Christ and we accept all who have been "clothed with Christ."

So now we return to Harris’ question, "How should one baptized believer speak to another?" We should ask this question when dealing with any issue. If we disagree with a brother or sister in Christ, how should we approach a fellow baptized believer? They are in Christ like we are. Should we be judgmental? Not if we recognize baptism. Should we demand proof of who baptized them? Not if we understand the unity found in baptism. We often appeal to Matthew 18:15 where Jesus tells us to go to our brother and work things out. That is the example of Jesus but it is reinforced because of our baptism.

Should we divide? Not if we understand baptism as a relationship. He has been far too easy to divide over a disagreement or because they don’t see it my way and my way is the only way. But the question hasn’t been asked, "How should one baptized believer speak to another?" If we comprehend the many aspects of baptism, we would certainly make more of an effort to maintain unity, something Paul argued using baptism (see Ephesians 4:2-6).

Our desire to baptize people for the forgiveness of sins has caused us to narrow our view of baptism to that one aspect. Then we find baptized believers behaving more like the world than the world does. Elders rather than being open and honest with the congregation often state that they will not be questioned about their decisions, especially in a public setting such as a congregational meeting. Gossip becomes the norm with little or no correction so that people are hurt by words. Some are told to find other places to assemble with if they are not happy at their current location. This is not how baptized believers treat baptized believers. We need to restore a fuller view of baptism as it relates not to the lost but to the body of believers. In each letter above, Paul argued with believers not nonbelievers. Baptism in Christ brings us together with responsibilities that we should not loose sight of in our daily lives. Of course, there is more to this with the way we live our daily lives among unbelievers as well.

George B. Mearns