by Michael Wallace
Synopsis: The proper candidate for Christian baptism is one who has complied with the preconditions and freely submits to the gospel plan of salvation.
An Ethiopian, thousands of miles from home, studying the book of Isaiah while riding in a chariot, wonders if he is the "who" of baptism (Acts 8:36). A centurion Gentile and his family receive the Holy Spirit to prove that they were the "who" of baptism (Acts 10:47). This event left such an impression on Peter that the apostle reported the incident not once (Acts 11:4ff) but at least twice (Acts 15:7-8).
These are two extraordinary stories that help us understand the role, purpose, and candidates of baptism. This article will focus on the latter, the "who" of baptism. To better grasp the "who" of baptism, let us consider the inspired words of Peter as he reflects many years after he had commanded the baptism of Cornelius and his household.
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 3:21, ESV).
The most common and direct purpose of immersing yourself in water is to clean yourself, or as Peter acknowledges to remove "dirt from the body." However, Peter takes the act of baptism to a much higher purpose, calling baptism an "appeal to God for a good conscience." By submitting to the simple act of having someone immerse you in water, we are appealing to God to do for us what we cannot do ourselves. That is why Peter calls baptism an appeal. The person who can appeal to God for a good conscience is one who is a suitable candidate for baptism.
Babies and small children are immediately eliminated. My own two little children (ages four and two) are masters already of appealing to Daddy. They are well versed in appealing for things they want, like playing games, reading books, ice cream, or using Daddy's phone. However, they lack the understanding of an informed conscience. They appeal for immediate emotional and physical wants, but the concept of a clean conscience comes later in life. As Paul tells us, he was alive once without the law (i.e., when he was a young child), but when the law came (i.e., when he was old enough to have a trained conscience), sin came alive and he died (Rom. 7:9).
Likewise, Peter's description of baptism serving as an appeal to God precludes those who wish to perform vicarious baptism; that is to be baptized for someone else, i.e., someone who is already dead. In the immediate context of 1 Peter 3:20-21, Peter is directly comparing baptism to the flood of Noah's time. Salvation from the devastating effects of the flood was exclusively available for those who entered the ark. Shem could not enter the ark vicariously for someone else and expect that person to survive the ensuing global flood. Just as the salvation from the flood required a person to enter the ark, baptism is a personal appeal that requires each person to decide for himself if he will make that appeal. We only have one physical birth and one physical death; afterward, each person must give an account of the deeds he has done (Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10).
For someone to appeal to God for a good conscience, he must realize his conscience is not pure. This was the case for honest Gentiles during the time of the Law of Moses (Rom. 2:15). This is precisely the case on the day of Pentecost when those who were at least partially responsible for the death of Jesus realized the sin they had committed against the One whom God had made Lord and Christ. The Holy Spirit bears witness that they were "cut to the heart," and records their probing question, "What must we do?" (Acts 2:36-38). Peter tells them to repent and be baptized. The result of having done so is beautifully captured in Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
One who appeals to God for a good conscience must believe that He is the One who can deliver a good conscience. My little children quickly learned who can provide such needs when they have a boo-boo. It does no good for my four-year-old to go to his little sister when he wants a band-aid because, like him, she cannot reach the first-aid kit. Likewise, a person whose conscience has been pricked must go to the only One who can make it better. One who would draw near to God must believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). One who would be baptized must understand that the power in healing does not lie with self but with God. As Paul tells the saints at Colossae, the cure is made possible through "faith in the working of God" (Col. 2:12). One must believe that the only path is through His Son (John 14:6). Moreover, one must understand that the route through Jesus proceeds through baptism.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4, ESV).
Finally, for one to appeal to God for a good conscience, one must be prepared to change his life. Intuitively, I cannot maintain the same practices that left me with a guilty conscience and resulted in a lost state. Change alone is not enough. In conforming to Christ, I must change my life. Jesus Himself connects baptism with being "taught to observe all things commanded" us (Matt 28:19-20). Peter told those on Pentecost to "repent and be baptized" (Acts 2:38). Repentance demands that I change my life. Immediately after his conversion, Paul taught the inhabitants of Damascus that they should "repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of repentance" (Acts 26:20).
Reflecting on the Ethiopian so many miles from home, hearing Jesus preached for the first time, I can only imagine that he was taken aback at how simple it was to appeal to God for a clean conscience. Here was a man willing to travel thousands of miles to take part in the Mosaic commands, and now he finds water before him. Surely there was more that "hindered" him. Surely there were more requirements. The answer to his question then is the same answer for us today. He confessed his belief in Jesus and showed to all others who may follow his spiritual journey that the "who of baptism" is anyone that would see the need to have a clean conscience, any who would be willing to conform themselves to Christ's commandments, and any who would trust in God (and His power alone) to raise them to walk in newness of life. That is the one who can make an appeal to God for a good conscience, and that is the "who of baptism."
Author Bio: Michael has worked in the petrochemical industry in Houston, TX for twenty years. He is currently in the Learning & Development department of a large Oil and Gas company. He and his wife, Heather, have three children and are members of the Adoue Street church of Christ in Alvin, TX. He can be reached at m.ray.wallace16@gmail.com.
Image: Mark Mayberry accompanies group of Filipino preachers to a baptism in Kalinga Province (2015 Philippines Trip)
