Taking the Plunge: Baptism In Acts (Acts 2, 8, 10, 16)

[This article was also posted on my pastoral blog Our Long View.]

Last Sunday, we celebrated the baptism of eight souls. However, in response to a number of tragic shootings in our country in the last couple of weeks, we took extended time to seek God in prayer for justice and reconciliation in our nation. The president of our denomination, Glenn Burris Jr., had sent a letter to all our churches entitled, Call to Prayer and Action from which we took our prayer focus. This is not a new topic to us as recent sermons have touched on issues such as civil disobedience, and passive racism from the text of Acts. Our congregational readings included 2 Corinthians 5:4 "we groan"; and verse 16, "From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh" (e.g., our family line, wealth, height, race, education, religious affiliation, etc.). We also read 1 John 4:10-11, and 19-21,

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Then since we were doing baptism I did a short message on Baptism in Acts showing the road of reconciliation the church should take in matters such as we are facing today. We had the joy of baptizing 8 souls!

Our culture may emphasize our divisions (see list above), but the Book of Acts shows how we all come into the church the same way—through repentance and baptism. It also demonstrates that all who follow Jesus in faith may come, no matter how counter-cultural it may be.

Acts 2:37-38 Inclusively Translated 

The Apostle Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost was spoken to Jews gathered from many different cultures and languages. It contained the message of the resurrected Christ. In response to their question about how they should respond, Peter said, “Repent and be baptized.” 3000 souls were added to the church that day. Notice that the number was not broken down according to our popular demographic dividers (men, women, adults, children, race, education, income, etc.). The gospel message was not subject to the cultural biases of that day, even within Judaism. The message was for all audiences, in their diverse heart languages, not in the color-blind way of cultural conformity. Since language is tied to culture, we see the diversity of languages as indicating that the gospel was for all cultures.

Acts 8 Including the Excluded

After the persecution of the church broke out in Jerusalem and Judea, Philip the Evangelist expanded the Mission in partial fulfillment of Jesus’ command in Acts 1:8. In the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, he preached, healed, and baptized...

• v.12 Even the hated Samaritans (a racially and religiously mixed people) responded to the gospel, believed, and were baptized, both men and women!
• v. 35-38 An Ethiopian Eunuch, treasurer to the queen of what would be modern-day Sudan, was eager to be baptized after learning about Jesus Christ. It is important to note that he was a non-Jew black man who had come to worship God in Jerusalem, but he did so as one who had a physical exclusion as a eunuch that would have kept him from full inclusion in Judaism (Deut. 23:1). However, the one who could not come close in the past was now in Christ included. Ironically, when Philip struck up a conversation with him, the man was puzzled as he read Isaiah 53 about the suffering Messiah, just a bit farther in Isaiah the text speaks about the inclusion of foreigners and eunuchs when the righteousness of the Lord comes (56:3-5). Oh, how that must have encouraged that man as it was explained to him!

Acts 9 "Before Breakfast"

Once Saul (Paul), the great persecutor of the church’s sight was restored (physically & spiritually) the first thing he did was get baptized even before breaking his three-day fast (v.18-19). By doing so he declared a change of allegiance, joining those he had formerly persecuted. The church has as its heritage down through the centuries the thankful inclusion of its repentant former oppressors. We truly are to be ministers of reconciliation.

Acts 10 Withholding Nothing

Here we find the story of Peter being supernaturally sent to the home/headquarters of the Roman “Cop” Cornelius (the Roman Centurion). Cornelius summoned all his friends and relatives to hear the message. While Peter was still speaking, all who heard the gospel received the Holy Spirit and praised God (v. 47-48). Peter responded rhetorically, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. It was this event that convinced the Jerusalem church that Gentiles were to be included as equal recipients of the gospel.

Acts 16 Two Families in Philippi “And all their household were baptized.” If we read the text of Acts 16 carefully, we will see the Gospel transforming two families from different socio-economic strata. Is it any coincidence that they are presented in tandem? No, for that is Luke's oft-repeated pattern.

• Lydia the wealthy merchant woman (she sold “purple” which only the wealthiest people could afford) was baptized with "her entire household." One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. (v.14-15)

• The lowly Philippian jailer who worked in a dungeon (inflicting and suffering many of the same conditions as the prisoners) was baptized "with his entire family." Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. (v.30-33)

Acts 21:16 “Why do you wait?” Finally, let’s consider Paul’s speech to those in Jerusalem who were stuck in their ways and old loyalties, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

Without going into an exhaustive theological treatment of Christian baptism, let me say that baptism is…

• A death to ourselves and a resurrection to Christ. In this transformation, we find new life and a new purpose for living.
• A public declaration of our change of loyalty. We are now citizens of the Kingdom of heaven, loyal to Jesus Christ above all.
• A recognition of our new identity in Christ. Historically, converts received their Christian name at this time, hence the term, “Christening.” While we are not accustomed to changing our name, we get a new identity—one not based on our past failures, present poverty, or unjust and unkind labeling from others, but one based on the finished work of Christ. Once we were unloved, we didn’t belong to anyone, and we were scattered before the nations. Now we know that we are loved, adopted into the family of God, and planted in the world for the purposes of Christ and the common good.

I presented this brief list in a survey format and with a minimum amount of explanation. Hopefully, you can see the racial, gender, and economic reconciliation modeled in Christian baptism as demonstrated in Acts and seek the same in the church and our community today.

In conclusion, I leave you with a personalized form of Paul’s appeal, “Why do we wait?”

Beelzebul in Baltimore?

This post is an assigned response to Paul Louis Metzger’s post, Baltimore and Beyond: Cities that Wait for the Storm Cloud to Blow Over May Blow Up about dealing with the racialized economic structures in many large cities.

Dr. Metzger quotes at length from then-Republican Senate candidate Abraham Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech in his failed campaign against the Democrat Stephen A. Douglas regarding the problem of America's division over the issue of slavery. Lincoln quoted the Bible, Matthew 12:25, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” to make the point that being half slave and half free would not allow the United States to long survive. Lincoln’s conclusion is interesting in that he doesn’t predict the fall of the Union but for the issue to be decided one way or the other. He wasn’t reading off of the establishment's political teleprompter at the time. He lost the senate campaign but won the next presidential election. Perhaps his theology of the Union was galvanized in this early speech that would give him the iron will to fight a very long and devastating war to preserve the union.

Let’s look a bit closer at the passage Lincoln and Metzger referenced.

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? (Matthew 12:24-27)

In context, the Pharisees were annoyed because Jesus kept healing the sick and delivering the demon-oppressed, and often it was on the Sabbath. People were now giving voice to the idea that Jesus might be the messianic “Son of David.” Since the Pharisees couldn’t dispute the historicity of the miracles (they could see the dramatic results for themselves) they had to contest the source of Jesus’ power. They demonized him—literally. Beelzebul, meant “Baal the lord” a name that originally had been changed to “Beelzebub” referring to “the Lord of the flies”, but had come to be a nickname for the source of personal evil, the accuser, Satan. As R. Kent Hughes comments,

“The heart of the Pharisees and scribes was so hard they said in essence, ‘Yes, Jesus has done a miracle, but only because he is in league with Satan, the Lord of the flies, the God of dung and carrion.’ It was a calculated blasphemy of immense perversity.” (Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth Vol. 1, 426)

This verse makes me think because sometimes being single-minded as individuals can produce a divided household, divided city, or divided nation. Jesus uses this argument not to defend the unity of Satan’s kingdom but simply to point out that it would be a stupid strategy for Satan to use. Ultimately Satan’s kingdom is divided and the kingdom of God is not. So how do we move from our individual wholeheartedness and move toward a greater unity that befits the kingdom of heaven?

What if all our particular callings are supposed to fit together to form one complete multi-faceted gem through which the nations enter? If this is to happen we must learn to give space for the passions which God has placed in the hearts of others. We can and should remain energetic and enduring in whatever lentil field the Lord has placed us (2 Sam. 23:11-12) even if not glamorous. At the same time, we can extend care, respect, and much-needed encouragement to others in their respective fields. Isaiah 5 says that the rich add field to field until they dwell alone in the land. What if we did the opposite, giving away fields until we dwell together with our brothers and sisters in the land of promise?

Israel had its share of inter-tribal conflict and misunderstanding. Some conflicts were unavoidable (Judges 19-20 War against the Benjaminites) where righteous action needed to be taken, while others were not and could be resolved through gracious speech and merciful listening (Joshua 22's Altar of Witness). My point here is that there are some convictions that divide and will always divide. But much division comes from fear and misunderstanding and needs to be worked through. Often such fear can arise when we sense we are losing power and control through the advocacy efforts of others. But there is nothing to fear from the pursuit of justice so why do we get uptight?

So how do we advocate for others instead of being apathetic or even resistant to their efforts? How do we support and encourage the work of others without becoming ineffective in our own fields? Well for starters, let's stop rebuking or demonizing those who are doing the work of God outside of our control (Luke 9:49-50).

In John 8:49-51 we see Jesus answering this charge,

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

We need to seek to glorify God in all areas of our lives and communities. Metzger challenges us to consider those structural injustices that we at best often fail to notice and at worse seem to support.

Do we believe Jesus is who he said he was? There is no escaping his claims. Do we take his social justice commands seriously? We can't be neutral or undecided.

“Given the massive claims of Jesus, neutrality is a self-deceiving ruse. His claims are so great that protestations of neutrality are in fact declarations of disbelief. Further, no one’s life is neutral in its effects.” (Hughes, Luke, 429)

Is it possible that justice claims are that clear?

Beelzebul may be at work in Baltimore...but it is not in the way that we might think. Jesus was for everyone, and we should be as well. It may not be our context or experience but we should consider how we can carry one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2),