Church of Christ Studies

Baptism

Until this audience began to gather I had wondered whether or not the people would be interested in the old subject of baptism that has been discussed, debated, and argued for these hundreds of years. But I interpret your presence as an absolute manifestation of the interest that you have in this old theme. It is a Bible subject which every one recognizes must be answered, and the problems connected therewith must be solved by each individual. Just let me say to-night that while hundreds and thousands have lived and passed off the scene of action, every man and woman that has ever gone into the presence of God must give an account for the record made in his journey and for his disposition of this subject.

 

The importance of a theme like this can be no better expressed than by stating to you this fact—namely, that out of all the churches throughout the length and breadth of the land, no man can become a member of any of them, except the Quakers, without he subject himself to what that church is pleased to call "baptism." For that reason, therefore, if you ever expect to become united with any religious body and to be affiliated with any movement of that sort, this question must by you be settled in some way or other, and you cannot escape the responsibility by saying that it was settled for you by your parents when you were an infant, because it is left with you to determine as to whether or not you are going to be contented and satisfied with the act that took place concerning which you had no knowledge, no choice, or no decision.

 

I wish that I knew how to-night, in the very best way possible, to present this matter to you in its simplicity and in its genuineness that would carry with it real conviction and likewise the proper solution thereof. I want to serve notice now that I do not intend to argue the question. I am not tonight trying to convince you by any power of logic or reason as to what you ought to do in order to be scripturally baptized; but I have in mind just to present to you the plain, simple statement of God's word, with practically no comments whatever, summing up just what is learned therefrom and holding it out to you as best I can, appealing to your intelligence as to the safety of your course, and then trying to get you to follow that which you believe to be taught in Holy Writ.

 

It has sometimes been said that before a person can understand what God teaches on the question of baptism, he has to be quite a scholar—that he must be familiar with some of the ancient and dead languages; and numbers of people excuse themselves from the responsibility on the ground that they know nothing of these languages, and, therefore, are helpless in the matter. I want to say to you candidly that I do not believe that a man has to know one word of Greek, not a particle of Hebrew, not one syllable of Latin, French, Spanish, or anything else other than our simple mother tongue, in order to understand God's teaching along this line.

 

I once read of an old gentleman, in some book, who had this suggestion. He said: "Sir, if I were troubled as to what it takes to constitute a valid act of baptism, I would cut loose from all things else and take the New Testament in hand, and in a quiet manner I would commence with the first chapter of Matthew and read very carefully, noting that word 'baptism' or some of the family thereof every time I found it; and then at the close I would try to decide, with God alone as my teacher, just what was the act commanded by him and to which I must submit."

 

Now, that has always struck me as being a very sensible and easy method of procedure, and, with that thought in mind, I want to make one other suggestion before I pass to the direct investigation. It is much easier to teach a man that is absolutely unacquainted with a thing—that has never formed any opinion or conception—than it is to eliminate wrong things that have entered into his mind. A partisan—a biased and prejudiced man—is wonderfully hard to set right, even though you present the truth as clear as the noonday sun.

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Now, I ask of this audience, all of you, including your humble servant, let's do our best, at the beginning of this little talk, to get out of our minds any knowledge, any opinion, or any decision whatever of a partisan nature that we may have had respecting what it takes to constitute scriptural baptism. If possible, let's imagine that, in all of our days, we have never heard that word called, that it is a brand-new thing unto us, and that to it we are perfect and rank strangers; and, therefore, to-night, being careful not to be influenced by anything that will be an opinion on the subject, let's try to find for ourselves just what God says and draw conclusions based directly thereon.

 

If it is possible for us to do that, I think our survey of the Bible thought tonight will be helpful and profitable. Now, I do not mean in announcing to you that I propose to go through the entire New Testament, studying just what may be said regarding it, that I shall keep you here for a late hour; but with these scriptures readily and easily called to mind, I car soon glance over this matter and get therefrom the thought intended. Let it be understood, first, that baptism is strictly a New Testament subject, not being one time mentioned in the Old.

 

Commencing, therefore, with the first chapter of Matthew, we meet not a single time this word about which we are interested. Pass on to chapter 2 and read it through, and we have not come across this word in it. But when you open the Bible at chapter 3, you do not read far until you find a record of John the Baptist, having come preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying unto the people: "Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan; and they were baptized [now, that is the word for the first time "baptized"] of him in the river Jordan. confessing their sins." (A.

 

Well, I have no idea on earth what that word means. Under the promise stated, that is the first time I ever saw it; and what have I learned about it? I have learned that there was a disposition on the part of the people of Jerusalem and Judea and the region round about that when John was preaching they went out unto him and were all baptized of him (whatever that may mean) in the river Jordan, and that they confessed their sins.

 

Now, what was the act that took place? I do not know, nor can any man living tell from that statement just what happened, and we have to learn that yet. But one thing I have learned from that—viz., that whatever the act may be it took place in the river Jordan. Now, how do I know that? Because it is there in the Bible, and is what the Bible said, and not Hardeman's opinion nor theory nor comment. That is exactly what God's word said about it. That is what I believe and what I know thus far.

 

Well, again, the Book says that "they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins"—that is, they acknowledged their sinfulness. They did not profess that their sins had been forgiven already, but in the confession and acknowledgment of their sins they were baptized (whatever that means and whatever that word stands for) in the river Jordan. Thus two points are learned; and as I pass on to verse 11 of that same chapter, John said: "I indeed baptize you with water; . . . but he that cometh after me . . . shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." Now, what have you learned about that ? No man that ever lived can read that verse and determine what the act was that is incorporated in that term, but here is what you do learn: that the element John used was not buttermilk, nor cider, nor any liquid of that sort. Water was the element. Of course you might gather that from the fact that he baptized in the Jordan River; but we started out to take it for what it says, not to interpolate nor inject any other word than that of God. It happened in the river Jordan. The people were confessing their sins. Water was the element with which or in which they were baptized.

 

But read right on, beginning with verse 13 of the same chapter: "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water." There is our word again. Now, that does not tell what happened. That just simply tells that Jesus came and demanded the act, and after the baptizing he came up out of the water. Now, brethren, do not jump at the conclusion that you know he was immersed. You don't know anything of the kind. That did not say so, and let's not be too radical or too quick to decide such matters, but just let God lead us. Gathering up, we have:

 

1. That baptism was in the river Jordan.

2. Persons that confessed their sins.

3. That water was the element.

4. After the baptism, the Savior came up out of the water. That is it.
     No opinion about that. No comment; no theory.

 

Now, I pass to chapter 28 of this book, where we learn more in verse 19. The Savior said when he appeared to the twelve: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Now, what have we learned ? Well, two or three things that I never had before. One of them is this: that it is to be a universal matter, unto all nations, and that it is to be done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. With the conscious knowledge that it is done in the name of these and connected therewith, it must be rather a serious, solemn matter. Our interest, therefore, must be aroused to find out more and more respecting the same.

 

In Mark 1: 4, 5, John preached "the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Well, I had not learned about that. Now, what do we have? That it is "the baptism of repentance," belonging to and growing out of repentance, and that it is "for the remission of sins." But some one would ask: "What does 'for' mean ?" That is not the point to-night. I am telling you just what the Bible says, not what it ought to have said. Now, where are we?

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1. It happened in the river Jordan.

2. It occurred to those acknowledging their sins.

3. Water was the element.

4. After the baptism, Christ came up out of the water.

5. Teaching precedes it.

6. That it is universal.

7. That it is done in the name of the Father, the and the Holy Spirit;
     that it not only is a baptism of repentance, but it is "for the
     remission of sins." What constitutes the act ? I have not learned.
     You could not tell from a single one of those scriptures just what
     baptism is.

 

And so let us pass on to Mark 16:15, 16, where the Savior is reported in this connection to have said: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized [there is our word again] shall be saved." What have I learned about it ? That faith precedes it and that salvation follows it. Now let no man say: "I don't believe that." Let's not advertise our infidelity and skepticism too quickly. We are discussing what the Lord said about it, and not what he ought to have said. It is not theology or denominational opinion, but we are just talking about what it did say. Nobody can question that the Savior said: "He that believeth [so faith must precede the baptism, whatever that act may be, and as yet I do not know] and is baptized shall be saved." Now, I know that is what he said, and you know it; and knowing, we should accept what God says about it, and, I think, we should be cement therewith.

 

We pass over that, and I come to Luke 3:21, which is parallel with scriptures noted—nothing new especially to learn.

 

So I pass on to John 3:23, where the record says John "was baptizing in Tenon near to Salim, because there was much water there." And some of my brethren say: "Well, that settles it." O. no; it does not! How much is "much water?" Do you know, brethren, that that is a relative term? A pitcherful of water is "much" compared with a thimbleful; a barrel is "much" compared with a quart.

 

Coming now to Acts 2:38, we find that Peter said: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." In this we learn not only that repentance precedes, but that the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit follow. But the precise act of what baptism is, is not here defined. In chapter 8 of the same book we learn that "when they [the Samaritans] believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." Toward the close of the chapter we have the case of Philip and the Eunuch, of whom it is said: "They went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." I must admit that this looks quite suspicious, but I would not conclude therefrom that immersion was necessarily the act performed. We have started out to learn from the Bible definitely just what the act implies. Going on through the book of Acts, we have the baptism of Saul, Cornelius, Lydia, the Philippian jailer, and others; but no new fact or item is learned. Now, I pass to Rom. 6, with all of these things that we have learned about baptism, and I commence to read from verse 1. Paul says: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound ? God forbid [which means, "No, indeed"]. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?"

 

There are two new thoughts that come to us in this letter that we read to the church of God at Rome. What are they? (1) Baptized into Jesus Christ, (2) baptized into his death. There is where his blood was shed—in the death of Christ. I must come in contact, therefore, with the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, or else there is no remission of my sins.

 

Now, Paul said, and I take it that he knew more about it than any of us, that we are "baptized into his death." But what is the act? Well, I haven't learned. But watch the next verse: "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

 

My friends, do you know that that settles the question and throws light upon all those passages hitherto read?

 

Paul, what is the definite, the specific act in being baptized? Answer in the language of Holy Writ and of inspiration: "We are buried." In what act? "In the act of baptism." There is a burial. Who said that? A greater than I, one that could not make a mistake God's spirit, guiding into all truth.

 

Well, I can understand now some other passages hitherto unknown. I can appreciate why it is that he went down into the water, because there could not be a burial without it. I can appreciate the relative term as to "much water," at least sufficient to constitute a burial. I can understand why it happened in the river Jordan or some place equivalent "hereunto.

 

"Well," some one says, "that is strange, because when we bury folks in Tennessee, that is the end of them. That is not the way you do in the act of baptism."

 

My friends, if there were nothing further on the subject, in order to fulfill Holy Writ's demands, as a matter of fact, we would have to bury them and leave them so. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death." What kind of burial? "That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Baptism, therefore, not only contemplates, and the specific act not only embraces, the act of burial, but connected therewith is the act of a resurrection, all of which throws light upon the fact that it is a form of the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ and typifies his burial and his resurrection.

 

In Col. 2:12 Paul said: "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him." Thus you have the thought.

 

Now, will you help me gather these statements just from the word of God? Here they are: (1) This thing that we call "baptism," about which we are trying to find out just from God's word, happened in the river Jordan. Mark you, no comment. I am not arguing as to what the language means; I am just telling this splendid company of intelligent people what the Bible says. (2) It was in the river Jordan. (3) People acknowledged or confessed their sins. (4) Water is the element used. (5) It is a baptism that is preceded by teaching. (6) It is preceded by faith. (7) It is preceded by repentance. (8) It is done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (9) The reception of the Holy Spirit and salvation are promised afterwards. (10) In the act preparatory thereunto there is a going down into the water. (11) Then, after the act, there is a coming up out of the water. (12) And the act, definite and specific itself, is a burial, followed by a resurrection. And that, to every man that knows such is in the Bible and believes it, ought to settle the question, and to settle it once and for all.

 

I have never been to the Holy Land. If I should ever chance to go, I am sure I would be glad to visit the traditional spot where the Savior was crucified and the tomb in which his body lay while he himself went to the Hadean world. And after having done that, I would like to go and view the place along the river where Jesus came from Galilee and was baptized of John. I cannot place myself or be placed in the same sepulcher as was he and have the stone rolled before it; but I can duplicate that by walking down into the water and have it parted and the waves leap over my brow until for the time I am buried and hidden and secluded, as was my Savior, and then by the strong arm of a servant of God be raised, characteristic of the triumphant resurrection of the Son of God from the dead. Thus I can in form represent the very foundation upon which the Christian doctrine and the hope of everlasting bliss stand—viz., the death of Christ for our sins, his burial, and his glorious resurrection.

 

I want to submit to you that the tomb and the burial always stand as the mark between the two lives that men live. At the close of this earthly life we take our friends out to the silent city and there bury them. There is the monument; there is the mound. What does it indicate? The end of the physical life, the beginning of the life beyond. Just so is the life of a sinner. With his hands stained perhaps in the blood of his fellows, with crime, with vice, with wickedness and evil on every side, he leaves the life of sinful indulgence and all physical gratification; and when with the whole heart he believes in God's Son, when with a firm resolve he turns away from his sins, when he walks down into the water and there is buried and raised, the old life is ended. All now is blotted out, and, with the heart purified by faith, the life purified by repentance, and the state or relationship changed by baptism, he rises to walk in the new life under the leadership of Christ Jesus our Lord. And, hence, the burial indicates the close of the old life, and resurrection, the beginning of the new life in Christ.

 

Let me submit to you, therefore, that if a man to-night wants really to follow the teaching of God's word, irrespective of all opinions and theories and ideas of men, if he will walk in the light of these passages thus repeated, do exactly as contemplated therein, there will never come the shadow of a doubt with reference to his having done the will of the Lord Jesus Christ while here upon earth he dwells.

 

But, before I close, there might be some interest in two or three other statements. Some one says: "Now, Brother Hardeman, I would just like to know a little about a verse or two that mention sprinkling—for instance, Isa. 52: 15, where the prophet said, respecting the Christ, whose form and whose outline and whose character had been pictured: 'So shall he sprinkle many nations.'" Suffice it to say for the present that with every scholar and every commentary and every translation of the Bible, in the margin and in the text of many, the word "sprinkle" is changed unto the word "astonish" or "startle" or "made to wonder at." Hence, the passage refers not in the least unto any sort of an act of obedience to God or unto Christ.

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But I have had people remind me of the fact that the prophet predicted that "clean water" should be sprinkled upon the people and they should be cleansed from all their filthiness and from their idols. Well, I happen to know that passage—Ezek. 36: 25. I want to talk to you about it just for a moment. In the year 587 B.C. the people of Israel were carried away into Babylonian captivity, there to stay for fiftyone years, seventy in all. This began back in 606 B.C., and the first nineteen years of the captivity were spent at Jerusalem under Babylonian dominion. When they were thus carried away into the far distant land, Ezekiel, being one of the number, raised his voice and made this prediction: that by and by the time will come when God will gather his people, the Jews, out from among the heathen, and he will bring them back into their own land. This pointed down to the time in 536 B.C., when, under the decree of Cyrus and under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, and others, they would come back and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Now, in view of the fact that they had mixed and mingled with the defilement and the corruption and the idolatry of a foreign world they will be rendered impure. God said, through Ezekiel, that when he had thus brought them back, "then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh."

 

Now, some good people, blinded and deluded beyond the shadow of a doubt, fancy that perchance that refers to baptism. Well, if it did, it would be the strongest passage in the Bible as to the design of the act. Note: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you." And what will happen? "And ye shall be clean." When? After the sprinkling. But that does not fit modern theology. It has the person cleansed before the sprinkling. What happens? "I will take away the stony heart, I will give you a new spirit, and I will give you a new heart." When? After the baptizing or after the sprinkling.

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But as a matter of fact, that refers no more unto the act of baptism than it does to the coming primary election—absolutely not. It took place about fifty years after the prophet has thus proclaimed it.

 

I want, cautiously and carefully, not beside myself the least bit, perfectly cool and calm, perfectly deliberate, to state unto this magnificent audience this one thing. I want you to get it and then begin your search. Hear it: Water, and nothing but water, like this down here in the Cumberland River, like that you draw from your hydrant, like that you get out of the pool and in the streams—water, and nothing but water, was never sprinkled upon any person, people, place, or thing by God's authority since time began. I know that this statement is the truth. Water, as we find it and use it, was never sprinkled upon anything for any purpose in all the wide, wide world.

 

"Why," some one says, "Brother Hardeman, art thou beside thyself ?" O. no ! What was the clean water spoken of by Ezekiel? If you will go back home and turn to Num. 19, you will find exactly the characteristic thereof. A red heifer was burned, together with her flesh, her skin, her dung, her all, into which cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet had been put; and when the ashes thereof had accumulated and had been gathered up, it is called in God's book "the water of cleansing," "the water of separation," "the water of purification;" and it was the law of Moses that every time they had come in contact, for instance, with a dead body, or every time they had come in contact with or touched a man that had been an attendant in a sick room, that man was by the Jews considered unclean. Thus in the Babylonian captivity they had been corrupted and defiled, and hence Ezekiel said: "When I bring you back to your own land, I will cleanse you from all the defilement of the Babylonian world." How, Ezekiel, will you do it? "I will sprinkle this water of separation, the water of purification, this clean water, upon you; and, as a result, you shall be cleansed."

 

Let me state to vou this: As said in the outset. this is a question that has been discussed and agitated and argued all over the land, and do you know one thing—that the act of immersion has never been debated or in question ? Where is the man that would take the negative of the proposition that the Bible teaches that immersion in water, to a scriptural subject, is baptism? Do you know that none will deny that? That is not the thing that has been in doubt. The question has been as to whether or not something else will do as well. It is a question of whether or not you can substitute. All the world that believes in baptism at all, and that means everybody, except the Quakers—all of them suggest that immersion is the genuine article.

 

You have heard the old illustration, but it illustrates, and I want to close this thought with its presentation. Suppose I owed some man ten dollars, and I admit the obligation and the indebtedness and say: "Sir, after so long a time I am ready to settle my account, and I have here three ten-dollar bills [I said this is just illustrative; I don't have anything of the kind; but here are, say, three ten dollar bills], and I want to pay you and get a receipt in full of all demands. But before I make the offer and the tender, frankness and candor demand of me to say that here is a ten-dollar bill that you may have in payment for that debt. Numbers of people will accept it and say that they would just as soon have it as any ten-dollar bill on earth; but the truth demands that I say that occasionally you will come across a man that will cry 'counterfeit,' and he won't have it, and demand something else. But you can take it if you want to. All right. Now, here is a second ten-dollar bill that numbers and numbers of people accept readily, that you will never have a question about with many people; but truth demands that I say to you in advance that you will meet up with men here and there that will not accept it, and it cannot be passed as legal tender. But you may have it if you will. Now, here is the other ten dollar bill that no man has ever questioned. It is good here and everywhere. Nobody ever doubts it or questions it."

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I think I know humanity well enough to know that you would say, no matter whether you are a Democrat or a Republican: "I believe you can just give me that one about which there is no question, because I don't want to have to be bothered by some fellow's questioning or coming back on me about that ten-dollar bill. Just give me the real, genuine article, and that will settle it." Well, I think that is good judgment.

 

My friends, will you make the application? There are three things to-night that you can have for baptism. You can accept sprinkling, and many people will tell you they would just as fief have it as anything else; but you will meet up with folks that are out of the asylum and not runaways that will tell you: "I cannot accept that; I think it is a substitute." But you may take it if you wish. A man has that right.

 

Then here is pouring, and a great many people would just as fief have that as anything else; but there are folks that even question that? Then what?

 

Friends, seriously, here is the act of going down into the water, of there being buried beneath the liquid wave, of rising to walk in newness of life. Now, you have the privilege of that; and let it be said that whether you go to Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, or anywhere in all the world, nobody will ever dare question the genuineness of the act.

 

Why not, in view of eternity, not as a theory, not as a partisan spirit—why not accept that about which there is no question? Why be disturbed and ever in doubt as to whether or not I have been scripturally baptized? It is a simple matter. Why not settle it once for all? Put that behind you, and, upon the authority of God's word, start out toward the practice of the principles of that religion that is pure and undefiled. Unto all the taught, therefore, of the audience, unto those that believe the gospel, unto those that repent of their sins and publicly confess their faith in the Christ, that will obey from the heart that form of doctrine delivered, I bid you come while we sing the splendid hymn selected, "Why do you wait ?" Why not make settlement of the matter just now. while all is well?

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These steps will induct you into the family of God. This process will make you a Christian, nothing else. It will make you a member of the church that you read about in the Bible; and if you are faithful unto death, by and by Heaven's angels, unseen perchance, but real, will camp round about you and bear your spirit home to nestle in the bosom of the love of god while eternity rolls her endless ages on.

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