Pieper says “Like the word of the Gospel, Baptism is a means imparting the remission of sins, for Scripture declares Baptism is to be used for the remission of sins…” (Christian Dogmatics III, p.264). In support of his statement, Pieper quotes the following passages.
Acts 2:38 (NKJV)
38Then Peter said to them, “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 22:16
16And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Ephesians 5:26
26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Titus 3:4-7
4But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
1 Peter 3:21
21There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Some have said that if Baptism is a medium through which the forgiveness won by Christ is given, why are adults who already believe baptized? The answer is this, the creating and strengthening of faith is accomplished by God, through word of the Gospel and through “water and the Word”.
We do not believe that Baptism saves apart from faith in Christ. What we believe is that Baptism is a medium through which this faith is created or strengthened.
It is beyond argument that baptism is “for the remission of sins”. It does not replace the Gospel message but is to be practiced with it. This fact is clear in Christ’s great commission,
Matthew 28:19-20
19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
In a similar way, the Lord’s Supper does not replace the simple Gospel message, but is to be use with the simple Gospel.
In still other passages Baptism is shown to be more than a symbolic gesture.
1 Corinthians 12:13-15
12For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14For in fact the body is not one member but many.
Luther says it plainly, as Pieper quotes,
“The question solely is (a) whether God has commanded Baptism with water, (b) attached to it His promise of the remission of sins, and (c) thus made it a medium of the forgiveness of sins and a washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Christian Dogmatics III, p.268).
Baptism saves the sinner, but not apart from faith in Christ.
INFANT BAPTISM
The Scripture clearly speaks of adults being baptized, and these adults who have come to faith in Christ already. So what of infant baptism? Does Christ command this?
First of all, we know that all infants are born sinful.
Psalm 53:5
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Secondly, we know that infants can believe. Christ blessed the little children and even infants that were brought to Him.
Mark 10:13-16
13Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
Luke 18:15
15Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
(Concerning the Greek word “Brephos” which is translated “infants” in the above passage. Luke 1:41, 1:44, 2:12, and 2:16 all use this same Greek word to refer to unborn children. 1 Peter 2:2 uses this word to describe children who desire milk. Acts 7:19 use the word for the newborns that Pharaoh instructed the midwives of Egypt to kill immediately upon recognition that they were boys. In 2 Timothy 3:15 Paul reminds Timothy that he has “known the Holy Scriptures” since he was a “Brephos”.)
Thirdly, Baptism is called the “circumcision of Christ” and a “putting off the body of the sins of the flesh”. The baptized are said to be “buried with Him in baptism” and raised “with Him through faith”. Thus Baptism connects one to Christ. Through it the Christian is buried and then raised to spiritual life with Christ.
Colossians 2:11-12
11In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
This connection to circumcision is significant. In the Old Testament it is infants who were circumcised (though at times also adults).
To this we also add that although Jesus does not specifically mention infants in His great commission, He also in no way ruled them out.
Matthew 28:19-20
19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
In connection with this passage, we make it clear to parents desiring baptism for their newborn children that baptism is not a magical seal which then ensures a child will enter heaven. Just as any seed that is planted must be watered and cared for, so also baptized infants must also be raise to know Christ. Their faith must be nourished through childhood by continual feeding with God’s word, and the Gospel of Christ specifically.
“‘We shall therefore always be surer of fulfilling Jesus’ will if we receive the children by Baptism into the communion of the Christian Church than if we do not. Also the primitive Church, as we learn from Tertullian, had the custom of Baptizing the children, a thing they would not have done if the Apostles had denied Baptism to the children’(Dom. D. ev. Luth. K. II, 649 ff.)” (Christian Dogmatics III, p.278).
Surely we don’t want to look only to the practices of past Christians to establish a teaching. However, it is one more thing that points to the validity of infant Baptism.
One might question the sureness of an infant’s salvation. Does Baptism guarantee that an infant has saving faith in Christ Jesus? We point to the command of God: do this with water. We point to the promise if God: this is a medium of forgiveness. We point lastly to the love of God,
Ezekiel 33:11
…As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked…
1 Timothy 2:3-4
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
So, we simply baptize infants and leave it in God’s hands. Our confident that once this “water and the Word” is applied we have nothing to fear for this infant is solely based on a faith in God. He cleanses sinners through the medium of Baptism.
Ephesians 5:25-27
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
For absolute clarity concerning baptism and communion, we offer the following statement:
“Simply put, though: Jesus earned the forgiveness of sins on the cross once for all – the Means of Grace deliver it. The Bible itself does not save (it’s paper and ink), but it delivers Jesus and forgiveness of sins to me. Water of itself does not save, but with the Word in baptism it delivers Jesus and forgiveness of sins to me. Bread and wine of themselves do not save, but with the Word they deliver Jesus and the forgiveness of sins to me.
For forgiveness, life and salvation, we need Jesus. Here is where you will find Him” (Pastor Bruce Naumann).
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