What Then? Are We Better Than They? Not at All

Chapter 12

The Beginning of Righteousness

“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all.

For we have previously charged both Jews and

Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written:

‘There is none righteous, no, not one.’”

Romans 3:9-10

If you observed the content of the previous chapters very closely you will find there is the thread of Christ woven throughout. As the Alpha Omega Principle implies, it is the basis for everything, and that basis is Christ. Therefore, it stands to reason that He is the righteous One, and thus our means to the beginning of righteousness. Prior to Christ there was the law, from which no flesh was justified in the sight of God. “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20). In this text, Paul is stating that knowledge of the law only makes you aware of the sin that is committed. It by no means makes you justified in anything, especially in the eyes of God. But, Paul also provides an answer to this perplexing problem in the next verse. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.” The original law was that given to Moses, but the new Law is Christ who is the righteousness of God. Therefore, apart from Christ there can never be a beginning of righteousness. Thus, the essence of this chapter is twofold. First, what must one do to become righteous, and second, how does one begin the process of righteous growth?

Righteous means to be observant of the laws of man and the laws of God. We all know full well what we are to do when it comes to observing the laws of the land. But, do we know what it means to be fully observant of the laws of God? Paul said, “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:23-24). It is only through the justification of Jesus Christ that we have the ability to begin the process of becoming righteous. “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. God imputes righteousness apart from works.” (Romans 4:3&6). Therefore, at the moment we believe on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we began to walk in faith. It is at this moment that righteousness is imputed to us, i.e. Christ takes into account our faith as opposed to our works. But, this is not something in which we immediately become mature. It is a process, which begins at baptism.

Water Baptism

Every Christian who knows the story of John the Baptist in detail; he baptized all who came to him in the Jordan River. As Jesus began His ministry He also came to John the Baptist to be baptized in that same river. John said to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by You, and You are coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14). But, look what Jesus had to say. “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15). The meaning of the encounter between John the Baptist and Jesus is one of the most significant events in the act of water baptism, and is the origin of our ability to growth in righteousness. This will be explained later in detail, but first I think it is necessary to comment on water baptism as an act within the church.

The act of water baptism has various applications for many different people. To almost all Christians it has a definite relationship with their beginning walk with Christ. However, I find that almost all those who go through the baptism process don’t have a clue to its Scriptural application. All they know is that as a Christian they should be baptized in water. Why, because the Church says so. That is what Jesus did – He set the example. But, what if those being baptized knew the significance of the act of baptism as Jesus stated, “…to fulfill all righteousness?” What would be the impact on their lives if they knew the reality, and the true meaning of water baptism? One questions just how many would become baptized if they really knew the answer?

In most churches, pastors and ministers state that everyone should be baptized in water in order to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Some denominations even state that one cannot be baptized in the Holy Spirit unless first baptized in water. While some denominations baptize by full submersion, others by sprinkling, and some resort to partial dunking. Those who apply the full submersion technique do not recognize any other method; and those who apply the sprinkling method don’t see the need for full submersion. Who is correct, and are those who partially dunk striking a happy medium?

Regardless of the process, all denominations preach the need for baptism, but they do not appear to explain its significance or teach its meaning to those being baptized. So, the question is, if someone enters the act of baptism without knowing its true meaning is that person truly baptized in the eyes of God? There are many differences of opinion regarding these matters of baptism; much of it is due to the lack of understanding of the purpose and act of being baptized.

These differences of opinion are an age-old controversy, but add to that the question in whom you should be baptized, and the argument gets even more complex. Some say you should be baptized in Jesus only. Others state you should be baptized in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, there you have it, total submersion versus sprinkling versus partial dunking, and Jesus only verses the Trinity. Each takes the position the other is either wrong or not totally right. One states that if you were baptized in the name of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), you were really never baptized and need to be re-baptized in the name of Jesus. Another states if you were not fully submersed in water then you were never really baptized and cannot receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It appears that most are hung up on form and have very little fact on which to base any of the dogmatic positions held. Just how much are these positions based purely on man’s doctrine and how much is based on Scripture? To get the answer, and to clarify just what water baptism really is, and its correlation to imputed righteousness, it is necessary to analyze the Word to see what God says.

In Whose Name

Before getting into the act of baptism, I think it is necessary to determine in whom you should be baptized. As stated earlier, there is that faction who believes you should be baptized in Jesus only. This position is taken in part due to their opposition to the Roman Catholic Church, and their position regarding the Trinity. The group of which I speak believes that the Trinity outlined in 1 John, chapter five was added by the Roman Catholic Church, and therefore is not to be used as fact in baptism, or any other form of worship for that matter. They believe that you should be baptized in the name of Jesus only, and justify this position primarily on Romans chapter six verse three. “Or do you not know that as many of us were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” The problem here is that they interpret this verse literally, and do not base its intended meaning in accordance with the original Greek text. The word baptized in Romans chapter six verse three means “…to fellowship in His death,” whereas its usage in Galatians chapter three verse twenty-seven means “…a oneness in Christ.” Neither pertains to water baptism as it is defined in Matthew, chapter three. But, what about those who state you need to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? Just to say that one needs to be baptized in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit does not make it so as all our actions relating to these matters require Scriptural support. Therefore, it is necessary to provide this proof that the Word directs Christians to be baptized in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as opposed to just in the name of Jesus. This will become evident as the analysis herein is made.

The Trinity

It is a fact that some additions were made by the early church to First John chapter five in order to clarify the description of the Trinity. The original King James Version reads: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.” (1 John 5:7-8). The original Greek text reads slightly different: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Spirit, the water, and the blood: and these three agree as one.” The added phrase across verses seven and eight is; “…the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth.” In analyzing this we find there are two parallel texts that basically define the same persons. In the addition to the original King James Version, there is the “Father” or God, the “Word” or Christ, and the “Holy Spirit”, which is the Holy Spirit. In the original Greek, from which the King James Version is translated, we find the “Spirit”, which is the Holy Spirit, the “Water”, which is translated as the Spirit and truth of God, and the “blood”, which is Christ. So, the Trinity is there in the original Greek text, but not as discernable as it is in the Authorized King James Version. Regardless of the translation, Scripture instructs us to be baptized in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Let’s continue.

Definition of Baptism

As one denomination describes it, baptism is not only a sign of profession, and a mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that are not christened. It is also a sign of regeneration or new-birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive baptism are rightly grafted into the Church. As such, the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Spirit are visibly signed and sealed; faith is confirmed, and grace increased by virtue of our prayer unto God. They also claim that baptism of young children should be retained in the Church, as this doctrine is agreeable with the institution of Christ.

Originally, baptism was performed for all ages, young and old alike. Many institutions initiated baptism with infants; placing the responsibility on the parents and godparents to ensure the children were reared in the proper manner prescribed by the Church, and in accordance with the Word of God. In this manner, they assumed, the children would receive the proper Scriptural training, and thus have full knowledge and understanding of the meaning of baptism. But, the act of baptizing a person after they reached adulthood began with the Anabaptist in Switzerland in the sixteenth century. The Anabaptist was a sect within the Reformation that denied the validity of infant baptism, although they had no Scripture references to support their claim. However, there is nothing wrong with baptizing adults, nor is there anything wrong with baptizing infants and children. In both cases there is a responsibility for training, support, and a parting of knowledge at the appropriate time (by pastors and parents alike) to ensure those baptized understand its meaning and its worthiness unto God. I’m sure that many who read this will be in total disagreement with some of these positions, but please read on.

With this said, I ask you the reader, just what is baptism – not what you perceive the definition to be, but what is God definition? The reason for this seemingly confrontation is that for a Christian to fully understand the beginning of righteousness, that person must understand the Scriptural meaning of water baptism. To get to the root of the issue we need to address the following questions. 1) When did baptism begin? 2) How did it begin? 3) What does it mean to you? 4) What does it mean to God? 5) Who was John the Baptist? 6) Why should baptism be in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? 7) And finally, does baptism have any connection with the Old Testament? I will try to answer these questions to some degree of depth and satisfaction throughout the remainder of this chapter.

Webster defines the act of baptizing: “to immerse, to dip in water, to pour or sprinkle as a symbol of admission into Christianity or into a specific church. Also, to subject one to an initiation or an ordeal that purifies or cleanses.” The word baptize in Greek is bap-tid-zo meaning “to make whelmed, i.e. fully wet.” Its root word is bap-to which means “to cover wholly with fluid or to moisten or to stain or to dip.” As such, the Webster definition applies to the application of the various methods utilized by the different denominations, which is in keeping with the definition for the Greek word baptidzo. Therefore, from this analysis, and accepted definitions within the English language, one can be baptized in any one of the forms described, and be baptized in the name of God.

In a review of Scripture on the subject of baptism, do we find that everyone, during the time of the apostles, was baptized by the submersion method? Acts ten verse forty-seven appears to deny this claim. “Can anyone forbid water, that those should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” Peter spoke these words in the house of Cornelius after he and his household received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The phrase “Can anyone forbid water” implies that the source of the baptismal water was from the house of Cornelius, not a river. Look at the next verse; “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.” Thus, the baptism of Cornelius and his household appear to have taken place within the confines of his dwelling not in a river. Look at what happened to Saul (Paul) after he received his sight in Damascus. Damascus is a high desert city, and is the location in which Ananias speaks these words to Saul. “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16). It appears that a local fresh water supply was used for Paul’s baptism, as opposed to a stream or river. Thus, from my perspective, there is nothing in the New Testament providing a definitive method for water baptism - the only directive is to “wash away your sins.” Therefore, it appears that regardless of the method used in the process of water baptism the person baptized is truly baptized. But, when the one being baptized never learns the true meaning of baptism, that is an injustice to that person and to God.

The Meaning of Baptism

The key to understanding water baptism, and the beginning of righteousness, is not to base it on any man created definition, but to base it on what God states baptism to be. John the Baptist said to the people in Matthew chapter three verse eleven; “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” The word “water” in this context is translated from the Greek to mean “the Spirit and Truth of God.” This is the real meaning of baptism, and the first proof that you should be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Otherwise you would not be baptized in the Spirit and Truth of God for Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30).

“And John tried to prevent Him, saying, I need to be baptized by You, and are you coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed Him.” (Matthew 3:14-15). There are three key words in this text that point to the validity of baptism in the name of the Trinity. They are fulfill, fitting, and righteousness.

Fulfill means “to make replete”, which is a condition acceptable to God. It also means “something appointed and prescribed by God.” So, if it is something appointed and prescribed by God then it is ordained of God, and as such, baptism needs to be in the name of God. To be baptized in any other name is not a condition acceptable to God, since He is the One that appointed and prescribed it in the first place. Thus, you should be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was not baptized unto Himself, nor was Jesus baptized for the remission of sins. He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness as he stated, “Permit it to be so no, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Verse15).