Liberty University School of Divinity
The Role of Baptism in the Book of Acts
Outline
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 3
Thesis Statement………………………………………………………………………… 3
The meaning of baptism …………………………………………………………………. 5
The role of baptism in the Book of Acts…………………………………………………. 5
Baptism for the remission of sins…………………………………………………………. 5
Baptism as the beginning of a new existence……………………………………………….. 6
Baptism as a sign of believing in Christ………………………………………………….. 7
Baptism and repentance…………………………………………………………………. 7
Baptism as the gateway to salvation……………………………………………………… 7
Role of Baptism in God’s plan of salvation………………………………………………. 8
2
Examples of citing the Bible ……………………………………………………………… 8
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………. 9
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………… 10
Introduction
What is Luke’s presentation of the role of spirit baptism in achieving God’s plan of
salvation? Salvation is enshrouded in baptism which takes two forms water and Spirit
baptism. Spirit baptism does provide one with an opportunity to let go of their sinful nature
and transition into a righteous nature. Most Christians comprehend one form of baptism that
is water baptism. The proposal seeks to focus on the Spirit baptism and its role in salvation.
In the book of Luke 3:16, John the Baptist said that he was going to baptize them with water,
but the one who will come after him will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. The one
who he was referring to was Jesus Christ.
3
The book of Acts chapter 2 delves in depth in elucidating the baptism by the Holy
Spirit, and its impact on the people who experienced it. In Acts 2:2-4, the disciples were the
first people in masses to be baptized by the Holy spirit. There was a noise that came from the
sky that sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the entire house. The disciples saw
what looked like tongues of fire that spread and touched everyone in the room and they were
filled with the Holy Spirit. The immediate effect according to Acts 2:4 is that they began to
speak in other languages that they were not familiar with before.
Therefore, in the act of baptism by the Holy Spirit Jesus is the baptizer while the
medium is the Holy Spirit. This point is further elaborated in Acts 2:38, where Peter states
that everyone should turn away from their sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
The baptism will lead to the forgiveness of sins and will provide them with an opportunity to
receive God’s gift that is the Holy Spirit. The verse has different interpretations based on
what Peter told the people. Some scholars believe that baptism comes after the forgiveness of
sins while others believe that the verse means that their sins were already forgiven and he was
employing them to be baptized.
What then is the role of baptism by the Holy Spirit? In Acts 2:14, Peter echoed the
message of Prophet Joel who stated that in the last days God would pour His Holy Spirit that
will enable people to proclaim the Lord’s message in different spheres of the world. Based on
this verse the Holy Spirit will help in spreading the word of God to all people irrespective of
their religious inclinations and cultures. In the book of Luke 10:21, the Holy Spirit brings joy
in the lives of Christians and enables them to comprehend the scriptures better. How does the
Holy Spirit perform this role and how is it interlinked with God’s salvation plan? In Luke
10:21, it is written that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed that the Lord had
shown to the unlearned what he had concealed from the wise. 1
4
Does God’s plan encompass everyone on earth? In the book of Acts11:17, when the
Holy Spirit descended it went to the Gentiles who were not baptized by water. An indication
that God had wanted not only the Jews to come to him but also people from other nations
through one way that is repentance and living by His Word.
Christians and scholars alike have sought to understand the concept of baptism and its
role in Christianity and salvation. In the Book of Acts, the subject of spirit baptism is widely
mentioned and based on readings from this book; it is clear that spirit baptism plays the role
of remission of sins. Based on this, it can be established that the role of spirit baptism in
cleansing sins is considered an important undertaking in the lives of Christians and those who
seek to convert to Christianity. The Book of Acts also speaks about the understanding of
God’s words and repentance as a requirement for baptism, which to a great extent portrays
baptism as playing a role ensuring that individuals repent and understand the word.
Thesis Statement: The spirit baptism does play an integral role in ushering Christians into a
new age. The manifestation of the spirit baptism takes place after the person has confessed
their sins and through faith they enter into a new covenant.
The meaning of baptism
In Acts 2:38, Peter alludes that baptism is a process in which an individual decides to
leave their life of sin and begin a new chapter of life, characterized by believing in Jesus
Christ and his teachings. 2 About this, Luke writes about two types of baptism: baptism by
1 Lawrence O. Ekundayo, “The Practice of Baptism and Its Justification in Anglican Church.”
IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 21, no. 4 (April 2016):35.
5
water and baptism by the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:5, Luke talks about baptism by the Holy
Spirit by recalling what Jesus said to the disciples “For John baptized you with water, but in a
few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Baptism in the Holy Spirit is
differentiated from water baptism in that after baptism with the Holy Spirit, an individual
receives power, following the encounter with Spirit of God (Acts 1:8). The entire book of
Acts does portray the power of the Holy Spirit after the baptism that took place in Acts 2.
After the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, they received the power to perform miracles
and wonders the same way Jesus Christ performed numerous miracles in the book of Luke
(Acts 5:12-42). 3
The role of Baptism
Baptism for the remission of sins
This alludes in various instances in which baptism is mentioned in the Book of Acts
and where individuals get baptized on different occasions. The verse, ‘Repent, and let every
one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:38) demonstrates that baptism is for the forgiveness
of sins. Besides showing that individuals who are baptized are forgiven, Peter in this verse
further calls on individuals to repent, which essentially refers to an acknowledgment of a life
of sin and the desire to have one’s sins forgiven to begin a new life. 4
2 Richard Carlson, “The Role of Baptism in Paul’s Thought,” Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and
Theology 14 (July 1993):255.
3 Robin M. Jensen, Baptismal Imagery in Early Christianity (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group,
2012), 65.
6
The verse Acts 2:38, has initiated a lot of discussion in Christianity. According to
Dunn’s interpretation, the verse talks about a new covenant that came into existence after the
repentance of sins. In the book of Luke, only Jesus Christ had the holy spirit as all the other
people had not had their sins purged via spirit baptism. The day of Pentecost provided an
opportunity for the believers to be filled with the holy spirit as their sins had been cleansed
via the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 5
On the other hand, Ervin does provide a different interpretation of the verse where he
breaks the relation between salvation and the gifts of the holy spirit. According to him, he
does believe that the start of Christianity is limited to repentance and water baptism. The gift
of the holy spirit is secondary to the Christian faith. 6
David Petts is another Scholar who came up with a new interpretation of Acts 2:38, he
does associate the spirit baptism with the missionary work. According to him forgiveness and
the reception of the holy spirit are intertwined, unlike Dunn who does separate the two. Dunn
interprets the verse to mean that forgiveness of sin has to occur first before the spirit baptism
takes place in a person. 7 For David Petts to support his argument, he does point out the case of
Cornelius in Acts 10:43, where in faith he reached to God for forgiveness and received both
forgiveness and the holy spirit. 8
4 Jim Spruce, Baptism: An important step in your life with Christ (Kansas City: Nazarene Publishing
House, 2012), 15.
5 William, Atkinson, Baptism in the Spirit Cambridge (The Lutterworth Press, 2012), 10.
6 Howard, Ervin, Conversion-initiation and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: A in the Holy Spirit
(Hendrickson Publishers; 1984), 65.
7 James, D. Dunn, Baptism in the Holy Spirit: A Re-examination of the New Testament Teaching on the
Gift of the Spirit in relation to Pentecostalism Today (Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd; 2010), 80.
8 David Petts, “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The theological Distinctive,” (Pentecostal perspectives.
1998):65.
7
Max Turner, another scholar, does present another interpretation of the verse Acts
2:38, according to spirit baptism is part and parcel of Christianity but it was not intertwined
with missionary outreach work. According to him the book of Acts does not indicate that all
the Christians who received spirit baptism took part in evangelical work. It was limited to
only a select few individuals like the apostles. 9 He says that the spirit baptism takes place in
an individual for a particular purpose not necessarily taking part in the apostolic activity.
Based on him the spirit baptism does provide people with an opportunity to experience Jesus
Christ directly. It does come into place through faith when one does accept Jesus in their
lives. 10
Based on my understanding of the verse I concur with Dunn’s interpretation of Acts
2:38. Spirit baptism is based on forgiveness of sins where one confess and through their faith
in Jesus Christ they receive salvation. Despite my personal views, my research paper will aid
in deeply explaining the verse as it is central in comprehension of the role of spirit baptism in
salvation.
Baptism as the beginning of a new existence
Baptism is a declaration of one’s willingness to act according to the teachings of Jesus
Christ. Hence the reason baptism has often been considered as a rite of initiation. According
to Carlson 11 , baptism can be considered a Christian initiation rite, through the introduction of
an individual into Christian ways, having read the word and understood it. A similar
connotation is given in Romans 5:12-21, where Paul notes that individuals who are baptized
9 Max, Turner, Power from on High: The Spirit in Israel’s restoration and witness in, Luke-Acts (A &
C Black; 1996),398.
10 Max, Turner “Power from on High,” 399.
11 Richard, Carlson “The Role of Baptism in Paul’s Thought,” 255.
8
by the spirit experience a transformation, in which their former sinful existence is negated
Carlson 12 and they are inaugurated into a Christ-ruled reality or existence.
Baptism as a sign of believing in Christ
According to the Book of Acts, it is evident that spirit baptism is only for those who
believe, such that baptism plays the role of ensuring that people understand God’s word. In
Acts 18:8, many Corinthians who heard the word and believed were baptized; while in Acts
2:41, ‘those who gladly received his word’ after hearing Peter’s sermon were baptized. Given
that baptism is meant for those that hear the word and understand it (Acts 2:36-37), and
receive its message (Acts 2:41), individuals who refuse to believe cannot be baptized.
2.4 Baptism and repentance
Repentance is a prerequisite of baptism as provided in Acts 2:38. Peter instructs
‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ….’ He does not
simply ask them to get baptized but instead asks them to repent first, an indication that
getting baptized is a major decision to turn away from sin and commit towards serving Jesus
Christ. 13
Baptism as the gateway to salvation
12 Richard, Carlson “The Role of Baptism in Paul’s Thought,” 257.
13 Thomas R. Schreiner, and Wright D. Shawn, Believers Baptism. (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group,
2007),43.
9
A controversial question that arises based on the teachings on baptism as given in the
book of Acts is whether baptism is compulsory for Christians to receive salvation. This is
based on Acts 2:38, where Peter calls on repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
This is invariably interpreted as meaning that baptism is a prerequisite for forgiveness, hence
the importance placed on baptism. Paul was also baptized to be forgiven his sins and Ananias
asking him to get baptized while calling on the name of the Lord to be redeemed can interpret
it to mean that one cannot be saved if they have not been baptized. While this view is greatly
supported, the bible numerously talks about the forgiveness of sins without mentioning
baptism 14 .
In Acts 10:43 for example, Peter says to Cornelius that everyone who believes in God
will receive forgiveness. Furthermore, it was only after Cornelius, and his family believed
and received the forgiveness that they were baptized (Acts 10:47-48). Cornelius was spirit
baptized when he was in prison. This is an indication that the spirit baptism took place. This
is an indication that salvation does precede water baptism. 15
Role of Baptism in God’s plan for salvation
Examples of Citing the Bible
14 Neville G. Callam, ” Baptists and the Subject of Baptism,” Ecumenical Review 67 (October 2015):
335.
15 Timothy W. Readers, “Cleansing through Almsgiving in Luke-Acts: Purity, Cornelius, and
the Translation of Acts 15:9,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 78, no. 3 (July 2016): 464.
10
Acts 1:5
Acts1:8
Acts 2: 2-4
Acts 2:14
Acts 2: 36-37
Acts 2:41
Acts 10: 47-48
Acts 11: 15-18
Luke 3:16
Romans 5:12-21
Conclusion
11
Bibliography
Atkinson, William. Baptism in the spirit, Luke-Acts, and the Dunn Debate. Cambridge:
Lutterworth Press, 2012.
Callam, Neville G. “Baptists and the Subject of Baptism.” Ecumenical Review 67, (October
2015): 334-361.
Carlson, Richard. “The Role of Baptism in Paul’s Thought.” Interpretation: A Journal of
Bible and Theology 14, (July 1993):255-266.
Dunn, James D. Baptism in the Holy Spirit: A Re-examination of the New Testament
Teaching on the Gift of the Spirit in relation to Pentecostalism Today. Hymns Ancient and
Modern Ltd; 2010.
Ekundayo, Lawrence O. “The Practice of Baptism and Its Justification in Anglican Church.”
IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 21, no. 4 (April 2016): 32-38.
12
Ervin, Howard. Conversion-initiation and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: A in the Holy Spirit.
Hendrickson Publishers, 1984.
Jensen, Robin M. “Baptismal Imagery in Early Christianity.” Grand Rapids: Baker
Publishing Group, 2012.
Petts, David. “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The Theological Distinctive.” Pentecostal
perspectives (1998): 98-119.
Reardon, Timothy W. “Cleansing through Almsgiving in Luke-Acts: Purity, Cornelius, and
the Translation of Acts 15:9.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 78, no. 3 (July 2016): 463-
482.
Schreiner, Thomas R., and Shawn D Wright. Believers Baptism. Nashville: B&H Publishing
Group, 2007.
Spruce, Jim. Baptism: An important step in your life with Christ. Kansas City: Nazarene
Publishing House, 2012.
