#53 Baptism: A Breeding Ground For Dispute

Joh 3:22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" 27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.

Jesus and His disciples are baptizing in one part of the land  and John is baptizing in another. It’s what Christians do….they go and baptize! Everything is going along just fine. John’s not in prison, people are coming to faith and getting baptized, but then a dispute arises between John and the Jews concerning the Jewish rite of purification.

The nature of the dispute is not revealed, but to this day, it seems that baptism has always been a breeding ground for man-made disputes. What a pity. Back in the day between the Testaments, there was a sect of the Jews called the Essenes. They placed great emphasis on ceremonial purification by water. Maybe they didn’t agree with John’s method. Maybe they didn’t agree with who should be doing the baptizing, or who should be baptized, Maybe they didn’t like the idea that you only needed to be baptized once.

Sounds like the same kind of arguments we hear today.

At any rate, their biggest concern seems to be that this “Jesus” and His disciples have also picked up on this “baptism” thing and every Tom, Dick, and Levi are now coming to Him to be baptized!

Let us all pay close attention to John’s reply because it is at the heart of the divisiveness the church has had with baptism through the ages.  John says, “"A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.

Jesus reiterated the same truth when He challenged the religious leaders of the day with this question from  Lu 20:4 "The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"

Both John’s reply and the question of Jesus can be simply restated this way.  “Is baptism something God does for us or something we do for God?” The answer to that question will go a long way in settling baptism disputes.

If it’s something we do as men….then differences will arise, but if it’s something God does for us, it’s pure grace and well, let’s just stop our arguing about it and do what the Bible says. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go 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, 20 "teaching 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. Mt 28:18-20)

So, “Go, with the authority of Jesus!  Make disciples of all persons by baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then teach them all that Jesus has taught, confident that Jesus is with you in all three aspects of the Great Commission.