Why Baptism? Sermons from the Baptist Faith and Message

Written by Lucien Coleman

Sermon 9: Why Baptism?

The Baptist Faith and Message sets forth "certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified." You may read The Baptist Faith and Message on SBC.net. This sermon series by Lucien Coleman originally appeared in Proclaim! magazine.

Introduction: Many people assume that Baptists got their name from a particular view of baptism. That isn’t the case. Baptists believe that the church is a body of believers, and of believers only. This is the starting point. Our insistence on believers’ baptism is a corollary of our view of the church, and our view of the church comes directly from the New Testament. This is why, in 1812, Adoniram Judson, who began his voyage to India under appointment by a Congregationalist mission board, landed in Calcutta a confirmed Baptist. He had spent the long sea voyage studying his Greek New Testament on the subject of baptism.

Why We Baptize

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We could not abandon the practice of baptism without ignoring both the example and the command of Jesus. Jesus’ personal example—When Jesus came to John asking to be baptized, John balked, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?” (Matt. 3:14). But Jesus insisted, saying, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).

Jesus’ explicit command

In the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19–20), Jesus commanded His followers to go into all the world making disciples. Making disciples is the church’s main business. But two things must follow: baptism and education in Jesus’ teachings.

Why Baptists Insist on Immersion

The English word baptize is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo, which means “dip, immerse.” (The reference to “John the baptizing one” in Mark 6:14 might be translated, literally, “John the Dipper.” “Dippers” was one of the first names applied to Baptists.) (Henry Cook, What Baptists Stand For, 110).

The Meaning of Baptism

Baptism is a means by which believers publicly acknowledge their total commitment to Christ and dramatize their belief “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

A group of men being sworn into the army were told by the officer in charge: “Remember, whenever you wear the uniform that has been issued to you, you are not representing just yourself; you are representing the Army of the United States.” We might think of baptism as putting on the uniform of Christ.

Conclusion: The eminent biblical scholar, T. R. Glover, while visiting India for the YMCA, met some Indian students who said they wanted to be Christians, provided they would not be compelled to make a profession of faith or join a church. They wanted to remain inside the Hindu or Muslim community and subscribe privately to Christian beliefs. That experience convinced Glover that Jesus had put baptism in just the right place, at the very beginning of a life of Christian discipleship. (Cook, 110)

You may purchase a certificate of baptism from our online catalog.

About Professor Coleman

Professor Lucien Coleman retired in 1993 after twenty-seven years of teaching Religious Eductation at Southern Seminary and Adult Education at Southwestern Seminary. Before teaching served as a pastor in Kentucky. He holds degrees from Southern Seminary and the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in Parker County, Texas. They have three children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

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