March 25, 2023

Acts 22: 16 “‘And now what are your waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’” (NIV)

Baptism is not a Bible doctrine. . . . It is a Bible command.*

In Acts chapter nine, Luke recounts the story of Paul’s conversion. After Paul’s sight was restored, Luke says that Paul “got up and was baptized.” In Acts chapter 22, Paul tells the story for himself, adding more details about the role of Ananais, the disciple God had sent to restore Paul’s sight. After revealing God’s message to Paul, Ananais ended with the words we find in verse 16: What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away!

In neither account did Paul indicate that he didn’t understand the meaning of baptism or that he questioned the necessity of being baptized. The word which is translated baptism means immersion and nothing else. To say that it could also mean sprinkle is like saying that bath means the same thing as shower. When it comes to personal hygiene, the distinction between the two words doesn’t matter much - the results are about the same. But when it comes to matters of salvation, can sprinkling really wash you clean?

If baptism were optional, what did Jesus mean when he said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved”? (Mark 16: 16) Why did Peter insist, on the day of Pentecost, that his 3,000 converts must repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins? (Acts 2: 38) If it wasn’t an essential step for salvation, why would Jesus – who had no sins to wash away – have set the example for us? (Luke 3: 21)

What are you waiting for?

How many Christians seem content with just “dipping a bit” into Jesus! God wants us to be fully immersed in Jesus; not sprinkled, not just a part of us dipped. When a person is immersed in water, you don’t even see the person much anymore - you mostly see the water. When we live as baptized into Christ, you don’t see so much of “me” anymore; you mostly see Jesus.*