Introduction/Review. With all the controversy and disagreement on the purpose and importance of baptism, one might think Jesus and His apostles didn’t have much to say about it. Yet the Scriptures have more to say about baptism than most other subjects in the New Testament. God introduced baptism to Israel through the preaching of John the Baptist, whose very name testified to its importance in his ministry. Everyone was baptized! When Jesus commanded His apostles to preach the gospel to the entire creation, Peter also understood: “let everyone of you be baptized.”
Paul explained to the Romans, Ephesians and Colossians the role of baptism in the gospel. Only in baptism can we be buried with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. While under that water, we join Him in that likeness. We are buried with Him, and in that burial we also die and are crucified with Him, then, we are also raised with Him. All of this occurs in that moment as we go down into the water, are buried in that water and then come up out of that water. If we have not been baptized then we have yet to join Him in this way. (Rom. 6:3-9, Eph. 2:1-10; Col. 2:11-13)
Peter had the opportunity to help lower the expectations of the power of baptism, but he did just the opposite. He chose Noah’s ark as the pattern for baptism. He stated that baptism saves us exactly the same way the ark saved them. Once again, the illustration proved that everyone must be baptized, for just as only those on the ark were saved, only those who are baptized are saved
Paul explained to the Romans, Ephesians and Colossians the role of baptism in the gospel. Only in baptism can we be buried with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. While under that water, we join Him in that likeness. We are buried with Him, and in that burial we also die and are crucified with Him, then, we are also raised with Him. All of this occurs in that moment as we go down into the water, are buried in that water and then come up out of that water. If we have not been baptized then we have yet to join Him in this way. (Rom. 6:3-9, Eph. 2:1-10; Col. 2:11-13)
Peter had the opportunity to help lower the expectations of the power of baptism, but he did just the opposite. He chose Noah’s ark as the pattern for baptism. He stated that baptism saves us exactly the same way the ark saved them. Once again, the illustration proved that everyone must be baptized, for just as only those on the ark were saved, only those who are baptized are saved