13. Adult Baptism
Read 1 Corinthians 1:12-17
There are three points that I want to make.
The first point is that water baptism does not save an individual. Paul knew many others in Corinth whom he had led to salvation (Acts 18), but in verse 16 he didn’t remember if he had baptized any others besides these three families mentioned. The implication is that salvation is not the same as water baptism. And what is implied here is made explicit in 1 Peter 3:21 when he says it is not water baptism which saves but Spirit baptism. Water baptism is simply a sign of that salvation. We have examined [adult] and believe that God has brought [adult] to salvation. And baptism is the sign of a salvation that [adult] already has.
The second point is that it really doesn’t matter which minister baptizes a person. Of the many, many people Paul had led to Christ in Corinth, most were baptized by another minister. And the implication that Paul draws from that is that Baptism does not pledge loyalty to Paul or Appolos or Cephas. It pledges loyalty to Christ. That was Paul’s point in verses 12-13. Christ is the head of the church and all who are baptized are pledging allegiance to the Lord.
The third point is that our union with Christ draws us into unity with each other. Paul says in this chapter that it is inconsistent to be baptized into Christ and yet to lack love to other members of His body. Verse 13 asks, “Is Christ divided?” And of course the answer is “No.” And after the vows are given, I will give each of you the opportunity to vow your love for and support of those who are coming before you for membership. We are one family.
The last point is that baptism is the sign that God embraces not only believers, but believers and their seed. The head of the household represents his whole household to the Lord. Let’s see how that is hinted at here. In Acts 18:8 we read that the whole household of Crispus was baptized by Paul. Here only the head of the household is mentioned. There is a contradiction if the representative aspect of baptism is not noted. Likewise, the “also” in verse 16 implies that the other two baptisms were also household baptisms. But in any case, it is clear that Crispus represents his family. This morning we are bringing in not only the [name of one family] and the [name of second family] as families, but any family that [name of single adult] may have in the future. Long before Abraham had children, God gave the covenant sign of circumcision as the pledge that He would be a God to Abraham, and his children. And that continues to hold true.
As the vows are taken, let’s rejoice in the fact that we have a covenant keeping God. He is a God who is interested in our salvation; who is interested in the salvation of our children and our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren. Let us also realize that God not only pledged Himself to be loyal to us, but He asks us to pledge loyalty to Him as well.