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JESUS DIDN'T BAPTIZE ANYONE!

Jeff L. McKinley

 

In John 4:1-2 we read that:

 

John 4:1-2, "1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)"

 

A well known denominational writer and preacher has argued that if baptism saves us, and Jesus didn't personally baptize anyone, then Jesus never saved anyone! Let's see if this argument holds any water!

 

Paul wrote that Jesus "came into the world to save sinners."

 

I Timothy 1:15,  "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."

 

Since Christ has ascended back into Heaven, does that mean that He no longer saves sinners? If Christ has to personally baptize in order to save, does He also have to personally preach the Gospel which is God's power unto salvation?

Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

 

If not, why not? Christ commissioned the apostles to preach the Gospel and "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16:16.  If Christ doesn't have to preach the Gospel personally to save anyone, it only goes to prove that He also doesn't have to personally baptize anyone to save them.

 

It is obvious to anyone who is not blinded by preconceived ideas that John 4:1-2 is saying that the apostles were baptizing by the command or authority of Jesus. We find similar language elsewhere in Scripture where Christ is said to have done something that the disciples did.

 

Ephesians 2:14-17, "14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us]; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh."

 

We know that Christ did not personally go and preach to the Gentiles after His death, burial and resurrection. He preached to the Gentiles through the medium of His Spirit-filled apostles. Just as the "Spirit of Christ" preached through Noah and the prophets in the Old Testament , likewise, He preached to the Gentiles through the apostles.

 

I Peter 1:10-11, "10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."

 

I Peter 3:19-20, "19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."

 

II Peter 1:21,  "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke [as they were] moved by the Holy Spirit."

 

The logical conclusion is that if the Gospel is preached and men and women respond in humble obedience, Christ is also active in their baptism. While it is true, a servant of God is immersing the sinner into the water, we are doing so by the authority of Christ. This being so, we can see that Christ saves the sinner in baptism when they obey that form of doctrine which is delivered.

 

Romans 6:3-4 and 16-18, "3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 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. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

 

Note that it is "the working of God" mixed with the "faith" of the sinner that brings about the "putting off of the body the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ." 

 

Colossians 2:11-12, "11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."

 

The Greek word from which we get the word "working" is "energis," which always refers to a supernatural power. Paul uses the same word to describe the power that was exerted when God raised Christ from the dead by the "working of His mighty power"

 

Ephesians 1:19-20, "19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places]."

We know that Christ is involved in our baptism because we are told that it is at that moment that He adds us to the Church which is the Body of Christ.

 

Acts 2:41 and 47, "41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 47 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved." So we see that the argument: Jesus didn't save anybody because He didn't  baptize them personally, doesn't hold water!