JOHN THE BAPTIST, WAS JOHN’S BAPTISM CHRISTIAN?
MATTHEW 3:1-6,11
MATTHEW 3:1-6,11
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
11- I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:”
Introduction:
Was John’s baptism Christian baptism? According to my understanding of the Scriptures it has to be.
Was John a part of the Old Testament economy or the New Testament economy?
He was of the New Testament.
Matthew 11:13, “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” His ministry, of which his baptism was a part, opened the new era of the Word of God. The Protestants relegate John to the Old Testament along with his baptism saying that his baptism was not Christian because the Church had not been founded yet. Let’s look at what the Scriptures say and draw our own conclusions.
I. Sent from God, John 1:6,
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”
II. To bare witness of Christ, John 1:15.
“John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.”
III. John’s record, John 1:19-23.
19- And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20- And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21- And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 22- Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23- He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”
IV. John’s baptism, Matthew 3:6, 11.
A. Ordained in Heaven, Matthew 3:1-11.
a. To repentance, vs. 1-6. “The sum of his preaching was the necessity of repentance.” (Eaton’s Bible Dictionary).
b. By implication, to faith in Christ, v. 11. John was the forerunner of Christ, therefore his whole ministry was centered around introducing Jesus Christ to Israel. Therefore his preaching was not limited to repentance only.
c. All of the Apostles had John’s baptism, Acts 1:16-24.
1) The qualifications to fill the place of Judas Iscariot was: to be one of John’s disciples since the beginning; to have John’s baptism.
2) The other Apostles insisted on those requirements.
B. Were the Apostles ever rebaptized? If so, by whom? By what authority?
V. The baptism with which Jesus baptized.
A. Not in water,
John 4:1-2, “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)”
B. In the Holy Spirit, Matthew 3:11;
Acts 1:5, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”
C. On the Day of Pentecost Jesus baptized His Church in the Holy Spirit empowering them to realize the work that God had commanded it to do in Matthew 28:19-20.
Conclusion:
John’s baptism was Christian baptism according to the Apostles. They had only John’s baptism and the Lord never mentioned any need of rebaptizing them and there is no record of their being rebaptized. It was good enough for the Lord and it is good enough for me.