WHY TARRIEST THOU?

ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS TO
BELIEVER'S BAPTISM

Gordon Bennett

One of the plainest things Christ ever expressed was His will concerning Believer's Baptism. He considered it so important that He distinctly mentions it in the charge in which He bids His disciples to evangelize the world. The authority for the one is the authority for the other. These are the Lord's words as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach (make disciples - marg,) all nations, 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; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

The apostles who heard the Lord speak these words, and other persons who were taught by them took the Lord at His word. They had no difficulty in understanding what their Lord meant. The Book of Acts refers to the practical way they interpreted the meaning of the command. They went forth as messengers of the CROSS, and, when souls turned to Christ, these messengers saw to it that the converts were baptized.

There is nothing to indicate that they were at liberty to dispense with baptism in any case. Even in the very special circumstances of Saul's conversion (Acts 9:1-22; Acts 22:1-21) baptism was not neglected. The LORD said to Saul, "Rise and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou MUST do." (Acts 9:6).

Now, Jesus might have dealt with Saul then and there, but He did not. There was something that Jesus said Saul MUST do. Saul was led to the City of Damascus, and the Lord sent a certain disciple named Ananias, who said to Saul: "And now, why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16).

How did Saul treat this command? He "arose, and was baptized." He had NO EXCUSE to offer for refusing baptism. In fact, he was not looking for an excuse, but was seeking to learn the Lord's will and do it.

Is it not surprising that so many who profess to love the Lord seek to excuse themselves for not doing this thing which was one of the things the LORD said Paul MUST do? I will mention some of these excuses, and show how easily they are answered in harmony with God's word.

(1) "It does not matter whether we are baptized or not; it makes no difference to us."

To say that it does not matter whether we obey Christ or not, is to make Christ's word void, or meaningless. This infers that Jesus asks people to do things that do not matter, but are useless. It DOES matter to Christ, that is why He commanded it. To say that baptism "does not matter" is to insult the intelligence of Christ, and set at naught His authority.

If Christian baptism does not matter, why did Paul command twelve men of Ephesus, who had been baptised according to the significance of John's baptism to be baptised again?

(2) "I have been baptised with the Holy Spirit so do not need water baptism."

It was the Holy Spirit through Jesus who gave the command concerning baptism. Of Jesus the Word says: "For God gave not the Holy Spirit by measure unto Him." Jesus said: "The words that I speak are not mine, but the Father's who sent me." So the Holy Spirit would not lead any one to cast a slight on water baptism.

Cornelius (Acts 10) received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the same Holy Spirit spoke through Peter, and said, "Can any man forbid WATER that these should not be baptised who have received the Holy Spirit, as well as we?" (Acts 10:47-48).

Here, again, we have the Holy Spirit COMMANDING baptism. Peter refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a reason FOR water baptism. It is the Father's will. Why pray: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," and yet say: "I do not need water baptism?" WHY TARRIEST THOU?

(3) "Water cannot wash my sins away, so there is no virtue in it."

That is true, but Christ has the right to state HIS OWN TERMS. If we WILFULLY refuse to be baptised, how can we say our sins are washed away? Our wilful refusal to do His will is sin. "For to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not it is SIN."

The virtue is not in the water, but in the act of obedience that Christ looks for. It was Jesus who said: "He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings."

(4) "Baptism is only a form, and we are not saved by forms and ceremonies."

True, empty forms and ceremonies of man's invention will not save. It is also true that, if we trust to a SCRIPTURAL form like Believer's Baptism (immersion) rather than in Christ who commanded it, we shall not be saved.

"We are saved by grace through faith," and saving faith is expressed by obedience to the will of God. "We are saved by faith alone, but not by the faith that is alone." "Even so, faith if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:17; see also verse 14). A dead faith will not save anyone. The word of God clearly teaches that Jesus "became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY Him." (Hebrews 5:9).

Baptism is the outward expression of our faith in Christ, and the facts of the Gospel concerning His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is the DIVINELY appointed act, wherein we confess that we have put on Christ; that we have died with Him to sin and risen with Him to walk in newness of life. "Buried with Him in baptism wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12). Baptism without faith is meaningless. It meets the Lord's requirements on as it is an expression of the faith of the person being baptised.

(5) "Baptism is only a command."

To speak like this of baptism is to slight Christ, and dishonour His word. Can anything be more important to a faithful follower of Christ than a command of the Lord Jesus? Remember, it was "only a command" of God that Adam and Eve disobeyed, and the world was plunged into sin and death in consequence of that disobedience. Have you thought of the possible consequence of your disobedience to this command of Christ? WHY TARRIEST THOU?

(6) "I am a Christian, and have been for years, so I have no need to be baptised."

You are just the one who ought to be baptised. If you are a believer, then you OUGHT to be baptised because baptism is for believers. Baptism follows the acceptance of Christian teaching. Jesus told His disciples to "TEACH" then "BAPTISE."

(7) "The dying thief was never baptised. yet he was saved; therefore, I have no need to be baptised."

It is evidently true that the thief was not baptised, but we must remember that we cannot climb into the Kingdom of God on the back of a dying thief. There are some things I want to make plain to you:

(a) The dying thief could not be baptised while he was hanging on the cross.

Baptism is immersion. Sprinkling water on a person is a meaningless substitute that makes void the word of the Lord. The Lord never asks us to do the impossible, but when He asks us to do a thing, He expects us to do it.

The dying thief was debarred by circumstances over which he had no control, from the enjoyment of the privilege of Believer's Baptism.

(b) The dying thief was never asked to be baptised.

There is nothing to indicate that the subject was ever mentioned to him. If baptism had been possible, and the Lord had asked him to show his love and loyalty to Him by being baptised, do you think the dying thief would have refused his Lord this act of obedience and consecration?

(c) The Great Commission incorporating the command for the baptism of all who become disciples (viz., Matthew 28:19-20) was NOT GIVEN UNTIL AFTER THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS.

That was after the death of the thief on the cross, so it certainly did NOT apply to him, but it DOES apply to YOU. It applies to all who hear the Gospel. If we would come to the place of salvation and the blessings of Christ, we must come in the way of Christ, and that is the way of His will.

John's baptism was practised before the death of Christ, but it had a different significance from Christian baptism. WHY TARRIEST THOU?

(8) "I don't feel led to be baptised."

Perhaps not. It all depends on the church leader you are following. Many are not baptised because they do not quite understand the Lord's will in the matter. They have followed the leading of wrong teaching like that of infant sprinkling.

If your leader is CHRIST JESUS, He has given you the LEAD in this matter by giving the command. What further leading is necessary? The Holy Spirit never leads us contrary to the teaching of Christ and His inspired apostle's.

The means the Holy Spirit uses to guide and lead us is the WORD. "The sword is the word of God." To be led by the Spirit means following the direction indicated by the Holy Spirit in the inspired WORD.

(9) "l was baptised when an infant, so don't need to be baptised again."

If you really were baptised when you were an infant that was not Christian baptism, for Christian baptism is for BELIEVERS - not babies. There is absolutely no BIBLE authority for BABY BAPTISM. Indeed, what is generally called "infant baptism" is not baptism at all, but the "sprinkling" or "pouring" of a few drops of water on the child. This is done, we believe, with all sincerity by many earnest Christians, but it is nevertheless, a man-made custom; man's substitution for the ordinance that Christ instituted. A Scriptural baptism requires "MUCH WATER" (John 3:23). A going down INTO the water, coming UP OUT OF the water (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:9-10; Acts 8:38-39). A BURIAL and rising again (Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:4-5).

Do not let man's substitution for a Scriptural ordinance prevent you enjoying the privilege of respecting the Lord's will in baptism. Even a child who is old enough to believe, and does believe that Jesus is his Saviour, is a fit and proper subject for Believer's Baptism. But the baptism of infants, and the innovation of "sponsors" or "godfathers" and "godmothers" is wrong, because it has a tendency to keep souls from doing the will of the Lord in the matter of THE baptism He has commanded. It is a serious thing for man to substitute something for what God requires.

"We should obey GOD rather than men." WHY TARRIEST THOU?

Remember that even John's baptism was so important to Christ that HE attended to it. Your Saviour is a BAPTISED SAVIOUR. The baptism that your Saviour desires you to observe should certainly be important to you. And this thought alone should be sufficient to bring you to the place of HIS will.

Indeed, if Jesus had not been baptised, He could not have been the Saviour of the world. Did you ever think of this? It was more than a "mere form" to Jesus Christ. Perhaps you think this is a rather startling statement. No baptism - no Saviour. Well, I say it for the following reasons: -

(a) God was the author of John's baptism. (Luke 20:4; John 1:6,13).

Christ believed it to be of God, and it would have been sin for HIM to have neglected His Father's will, in the light of the knowledge He had. If he sinned, He could not have saved sinners. To Christ, baptism was an act of consecration to the will of the Father. God blessed the act, and

anointed His Son with the Holy Spirit, and expressed His pleasure in Him. (Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). Baptism was the means chosen by GOD by which the Messiah was to be made known or manifested to Israel (John 1:31: "Therefore am I come baptising with water.")

(b) Because it was a necessary act to the completion of righteousness.

"THUS", said Jesus, It becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." (Matthew 3:15). Now compare this statement with Luke 7:29-30: "And all the people that heard Him, and the publicans JUSTIFIED GOD (How?), being baptised with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers REJECTED THE COUNSEL OF GOD AGAINST THEMSELVES (How?), being NOT baptised of him".

When Jesus was baptised He JUSTIFIED GOD. Baptism was an act of righteousness because it proved Christ's acceptance of the counsel of God. Supposing he had not been baptised, what then? Those who refused the baptism of John rejected the council of God against themselves.

If John's baptism was so important in the dispensation in which he lived, is not Christian Baptism as commanded by Christ as important in this Christian dispensation?

By a definite public act Jesus declares which side HE was on. He was on God's side, for He honoured God's will. He travelled nearly sixty miles to be baptised, because He knew how important it is to do God's will.

Now dear Friend, I have sought to make the truth very plain, and to proclaim the truth in love, I now leave the matter with you. It is for you to decide. Of course you want to be on Christ's side in all things, don't you? It is a privilege, not only a duty, to do His blessed will. Baptism is among the things we MUST DO, if we honour Him by obeying Him in all things