{"id":11341,"date":"2021-07-17T12:57:14","date_gmt":"2021-07-17T16:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/?p=11341"},"modified":"2021-07-17T12:57:14","modified_gmt":"2021-07-17T16:57:14","slug":"rom-63-4-is-this-passage-describing-water-baptism-or-something-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/rom-63-4-is-this-passage-describing-water-baptism-or-something-else\/","title":{"rendered":"Rom 6:3-4 – Is this passage describing water baptism? \u2013or something else?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Problem:<\/strong> Some interpreters argue that Paul is referring to water baptism in this passage. For example, John Stott argues that this refers to water baptism:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Baptism means water baptism unless in the context it is stated to the contrary. It is true that the New Testament speaks of other kinds of baptism, for example a baptism \u2018with fire\u2019 and a baptism \u2018with the Spirit\u2019. Some commentators have suggested that Paul here is referring to baptism with the Spirit as uniting us with Christ, and have quoted 1 Corinthians 12:13 as a parallel. But it is safe to say that whenever the terms \u2018baptism\u2019 and \u2018being baptized\u2019 occur, without mention of the element in which the baptism takes place, the reference is to water baptism. Whenever water baptism is not meant, however, the alternative baptismal element is mentioned; for instance, \u2018with the Spirit\u2019.[1]<\/p>\n

Douglas Moo also argues that this refers to water baptism. He writes, \u201cPaul usually uses the verb baptize to refer to Christian water baptism (1 Cor. 1:13-17; 12:13 [though debated]; 15:29; Gal. 3:27). Moreover, the noun \u2018baptism\u2019 (Gk. baptisma) in verse 4 almost always has this meaning.\u201d[2]<\/p>\n

Thus he concludes, \u201cWith the great majority of commentators, then, we think Paul here refers to water baptism as the point in time at which people become joined with Christ. When we were baptized \u2018into\u2019 Christ\u2026, we were baptized \u2018into his death.\u2019\u201d[3]<\/p>\n

Later he argues that water baptism in Romans 6 stands as a \u201csynecdoche for the entire conversion experience,\u201d which would include faith, repentance, etc.[4]<\/p>\n

Thus, to be clear, Moo does not believe in baptismal regeneration.[5]<\/p>\n

Is this passage referring to water baptism?<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong> While there are many passages that prescribe water baptism in the New Testament, this is not one of them. Even if baptizo was always used to refer to water baptism, this would not preclude another usage. In other words, why would we assume that baptizo must always be referring to water baptism? Who made that rule? This is a case of circular reasoning.[6]<\/p>\n

Baptizo literally means \u201cto dip in or under\u2026 to dye\u2026 to immerse\u2026 to suffer shipwreck\u2026 to drown.\u201d[7] This word is used to describe immersion into Jesus himself (1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27), fire (Mt. 3:11), suffering (Mk. 10:38-40), judgment (Lk. 12:50), Moses (1 Cor. 10:2), dipping a finger in water (Lk. 16:24), dipping bread in a cup (Jn. 13:26), or dipping clothes in blood (Rev. 19:13).<\/p>\n

Because baptism can refer to any number of substances, we need to look to the context to understand its meaning. Since Paul specifically tells us that we are baptized \u201cin Christ Jesus,\u201d then this refers to spiritual baptism.<\/p>\n

[1] Stott, J. R. W. (2001). The message of Romans: God\u2019s good news for the world (p. 173). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.<\/p>\n

[2] Douglas Moo, Romans: The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 193.<\/p>\n

[3] Douglas Moo, Romans: The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 193.<\/p>\n

[4] Douglas Moo, Romans: The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 204. Likewise, Thomas Schreiner holds the view that water baptism, faith, and repentance are all combined here, because in Paul\u2019s mind, an unbaptized Christian \u201cwould be an anomaly.\u201d In Schreiner\u2019s view, water baptism and spiritual baptism are both in view. Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 306-310.<\/p>\n

[5] Douglas Moo, Romans: The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 206.<\/p>\n

[6] Words can be used in different contexts in different ways. For example, Paul uses the word \u201cdeath\u201d in different ways throughout the book of Romans.<\/p>\n

[7] Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 530). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.<\/p>\n

\n

“now ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
\n(Rom 6:3-4)”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Problem: Some interpreters argue that Paul is referring to water baptism in this passage. For example, John Stott argues that this refers to water baptism:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[22,8,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-errors","category-bible-study","category-bible-teaching","no-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11341\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pathway2truth.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}