‍Repent and Be Baptized

‍According to the Bible, what is the purpose of baptism?

  Gary Hoge  ·  October 22, 2026

‍What is the purpose of baptism? A common understanding among evangelical Christians is expressed by Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church:

‍Baptism is a public profession of our faith. It is our public declaration of our life as a member of the covenant community under Jesus Christ.¹

‍These Christians also believe it symbolizes the forgiveness of sins that happened the moment they first believed in Jesus. According to the evangelical apologetics website GotQuestions.org:

‍Water baptism also illustrates the spiritual cleansing we experience when we are saved; just as water cleanses the flesh, so the Holy Spirit cleanses our hearts when we trust Christ.²

‍Because they regard baptism as a symbol of spiritual cleansing that has already taken place, they deny that baptism itself brings about that cleansing. Will Graham, writing in Evangelical Focus Magazine says:

‍Baptism cleanses no one from sin. Once again, baptismal water has no type of miraculous power which can cleanse us from our sins. The force which purifies us from sin is not the water but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.³

‍But whenever I ask someone where the Bible says that baptism is supposed to be a public profession of faith, I don’t get an answer. That’s because the Bible never identifies that as its purpose. In fact, several of the individual baptisms recorded in the New Testament appear to have been performed privately, not publicly. 

‍Paul’s baptism, for example, appears to have been performed in a house in Damascus (Acts 9:18–19). Likewise, the Philippian jailer and his family were baptized privately in the middle of the night (Acts 16:33), and the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized in a body of water by the side of the road (Acts 8:36–38). 

‍And none of these accounts suggests that the purpose of baptism was a public profession of faith. In the early years of the Church, that was probably a good thing, because a public profession of faith could get you persecuted, arrested, or even killed.

‍These days, baptism can certainly be a public profession of faith. But that doesn't tell us whether baptism actually accomplishes anything. Is it merely a symbol of forgiveness already received, or is it the means by which God grants that forgiveness?

‍Fortunately, the Bible does tell us what baptism actually accomplishes. It is the ordinary means by which God conveys four gifts:

• The forgiveness of sins
• The gift of the Holy Spirit
• Regeneration, and
• Union with Christ and his Church

‍And through these gifts, baptism saves us. In fact, the Bible explicitly says, “Baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21).

‍Let’s see what the Bible says about how baptism conveys each of these gifts.

‍Baptism and the remission of sins

‍“Repent and be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” – Acts 2:38

‍In Acts 2, when the crowd heard Peter's sermon, they were “cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37–38).

‍Peter's Jewish audience was already familiar with ritual immersion. For centuries, Jews had practiced ceremonial washings for purification in pools called mikva'ot. John the Baptist had also associated baptism with repentance and forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4). Jesus gave this familiar practice a new meaning and purpose. So when Peter told his fellow Jews to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, he was building on something they already understood.

‍Some Christians argue that the proper interpretation of the phrase “be baptized … for the forgiveness of your sins” is “be baptized as a public sign that your sins have been forgiven.” But Peter didn't merely tell them to be baptized. He told them to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. If the phrase means “because your sins have already been forgiven,” it produces the strange result that Peter was telling them to repent because they had already been forgiven. Repentance ordinarily comes first, then forgiveness. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19).

‍Catholics and others believe that the correct interpretation is “repent and be baptized in order to receive the forgiveness of your sins.” That makes sense of the context. Peter was answering people who had just heard his preaching and wanted to know what they must do to receive forgiveness, not how to commemorate forgiveness they had already received.

‍In addition to the context of Acts 2:38, we must also consider the grammar of that verse. That can be tricky because in English the preposition “for” can be either backward-looking (Honor him for his bravery) or forward-looking (Go to the store for milk). So, depending on how we interpret “for” in the phrase “for the forgiveness of sins,” baptism is either “because of” the forgiveness of sins, or “in order to obtain” the forgiveness of sins.

‍Fortunately, the New Testament was written not in English but in Koine Greek. The preposition translated “for” is the Greek preposition εἰς (eis), which ordinarily looks forward, expressing movement toward a destination, goal, or result. Some scholars have argued that it can occasionally mean “because of,” but that interpretation is disputed, and no unambiguous example of such a usage has been established in the New Testament.

‍According to Joseph Henry Thayer, professor at Harvard Divinity School and author of A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, the phrase “for the forgiveness of sins” (εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν) in Acts 2:38 means “to obtain the forgiveness of sins.”⁴ We can confirm that this is the natural meaning of the phrase by examining other places where the New Testament uses the same Greek expression.

‍“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

‍Obviously, Jesus pours out his blood to accomplish the forgiveness of sins, not to commemorate forgiveness already given.

‍“… and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).

‍The same expression also appears in descriptions of John the Baptist's ministry. Mark tells us that John preached “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4; see also Luke 3:3). Although John's baptism was different from Christian baptism, the language is significant. Once again, baptism is associated with obtaining forgiveness, not commemorating forgiveness already received.

‍These verses demonstrate that in the New Testament, the phrase “for the forgiveness of sins” means “to obtain the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus sheds his blood, repentance is preached, and people are baptized in order to obtain the forgiveness of their sins. 

‍“Be baptized and wash your sins away” – Acts 22:16

‍When Saul encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was struck blind and led into the city. Three days later, a Christian named Ananias came to him, restored his sight, and told him that God had chosen him to be a witness. Then Ananias said, “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16).

‍Some Christians argue that it was calling on the Lord's name, not baptism, that washed away Saul's sins. But Ananias didn't simply tell Saul to call on the Lord's name. He told him to get up, be baptized, and wash away his sins, calling on his name. Faith and baptism are presented together, not as competing means of salvation. And Saul had already believed in Jesus for three days before Ananias told him to wash away his sins.

‍Saul became a believer on the road to Damascus, but his sins were forgiven three days later when he was baptized.

‍The witness of the ancient Christians

‍The earliest Christians understood baptism the same way. Writing in the language and culture of the New Testament, and much closer to the time of the apostles, they consistently described baptism as the means by which sins are forgiven.

‍In the Letter of Barnabas, written in the late first or early second century, the author interprets Old Testament imagery of water as foreshadowing baptism, through which believers emerge cleansed of sin:

‍This means, that we indeed descend into the water full of sins and defilement, but come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear [of God] and trust in Jesus in our spirit. (Letter of Barnabas, chapter 11 [c. A.D. 70–135]).⁵

‍Similarly, The Shepherd of Hermas, an early second-century Christian work, explicitly connects baptism with obtaining the forgiveness of sins:

‍“I heard, sir, some teachers maintain that there is no other repentance than that which takes place, when we descended into the water and received remission of our former sins.” He said to me, “That was sound doctrine which you heard; for that is really the case.” (Hermas, The Shepherd, Mandate 4:3:1–2 [second century]).⁶

‍Around A.D. 155, Justin Martyr described baptism as the washing by which sins are forgiven and believers are regenerated:

‍[He] has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration. (First Apology, 66 [c. A.D. 155]).⁷

‍Clement of Alexandria, writing near the end of the second century, likewise taught that baptism cleanses us of sin and remits the punishment due to it:

‍This work is variously called grace, and illumination, and perfection, and washing: washing, by which we cleanse away our sins; grace, by which the penalties accruing to transgressions are remitted; and illumination, by which that holy light of salvation is beheld, that is, by which we see God clearly. (The Instructor of Children, 1:6:26:1 [c. A.D. 190–200]).⁸

‍The New Testament teaches that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, and the earliest Christians understood it that way. They didn't describe baptism as merely a symbol of forgiveness already received, but as the means by which God grants that forgiveness.

‍Baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit

‍“And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” – Acts 2:38

‍When Peter told the crowd at Pentecost to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, he made another promise: “And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

‍Notice the sequence. The people asked what they must do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized, promising forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. He didn't tell them to receive the Spirit and then be baptized as a public demonstration of what had already happened.

‍This was no small promise. The Holy Spirit is God himself, coming to dwell within believers. Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

‍Through baptism, God gives us his Spirit to dwell within us, sanctify us, and make us his children.

‍“The washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” – Titus 3:5

‍Paul makes a similar connection between baptism and the Holy Spirit in his letter to Titus:

‍He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Titus 3:5–6)

‍Paul tells us that God saves us through a washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This washing has been understood by Christians since ancient times as a reference to baptism.

‍Notice that Paul doesn't describe the washing as merely symbolizing a renewal that has already taken place. He says that God saves us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

‍And notice the words “whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.” They recall Peter's explanation at Pentecost that the risen Jesus had received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father and “poured out what you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33).

‍In both passages, receiving the Holy Spirit is part of what God accomplishes in bringing us into the Christian life.

‍What about people who receive the Holy Spirit before or after baptism?

‍The Bible records an occasion when the Holy Spirit was given before baptism, but the circumstances explain why.

‍In Acts 10, Peter was sent to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile. At that time, many Jewish Christians still believed that Gentiles had to become Jews before they could be fully accepted into the Christian community. God had already given Peter a vision challenging his understanding of who was clean and unclean. But God was about to make the lesson unmistakable.

‍While Peter was preaching to Cornelius and his household, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking in tongues and praising God. The Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles (Acts 10:44–46).

‍Peter understood what God was telling him. “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water,” he said. “They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have” (Acts 10:47). He then ordered them to be baptized.

‍When Peter later explained what had happened to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, he asked, “If God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?” (Acts 11:17).

‍God had given these Gentiles the Holy Spirit before baptism to demonstrate that they were just as eligible to become Christians as the Jews. Peter got the message. Far from concluding that baptism was unnecessary because they had already received the Holy Spirit, he immediately ordered them to be baptized.

‍At first, the Samaritans appear to provide another exception to the norm of receiving the Holy Spirit through baptism. They had believed Philip's preaching and been baptized, but Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. Peter and John came from Jerusalem, prayed for them, and laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14–17).

‍But how could anyone know that the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon the Samaritans? Presumably, because there had been no visible manifestation of his presence. But why would we expect there to be? Those of us who have witnessed baptisms know that the Holy Spirit's presence isn't ordinarily something we can see.

‍But when Peter and John laid hands on them, something remarkable evidently happened. Luke tells us that Simon “saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands” (Acts 8:18). Simon was so impressed by what he witnessed that he offered the apostles money to give him the power to confer the Holy Spirit by laying his hands on people (Acts 8:19).

‍We find similar manifestations elsewhere in Acts. When the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household, the Jewish believers knew it because “they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God” (Acts 10:46). And when Paul laid hands on some disciples in Ephesus, “the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:6). In both cases, the Spirit's coming upon believers was accompanied by something others could hear or see. It seems likely that something similar happened in Samaria, and that the absence of such a manifestation was why Luke said the Spirit had not yet come upon them.

‍The Catholic Church distinguishes between the invisible gift of the Holy Spirit received in baptism, which brings about regeneration, and the fuller reception of the Spirit through the laying on of hands in confirmation. Acts 8, then, doesn't appear to describe an exception to receiving the Holy Spirit in baptism. Rather, it describes a further reception of the Spirit through the laying on of hands, accompanied by an extraordinary outward manifestation. Neither this episode nor the extraordinary reception of the Spirit by Cornelius contradicts Peter's promise at Pentecost.

‍The witness of the ancient Christians

‍The early Christians also understood baptism as the means by which believers receive the Holy Spirit.

‍Aphrahat, a fourth-century Christian writer from the Syriac tradition, wrote:

‍For from baptism do we receive the Spirit of Christ. For in that hour in which the priests invoke the Spirit, the heavens open and it descends and moves upon the waters. ... And those that are baptized are clothed in it; for the Spirit stays aloof from all that are born of the flesh, until they come to the new birth by water, and then they receive the Holy Spirit. (Demonstrations, 6:14 [c. A.D. 337]).⁹

‍Cyril of Jerusalem likewise taught that baptism conveys not only forgiveness of sins but also the gift of the Holy Spirit:

‍Let no one then suppose that Baptism is merely the grace of remission of sins, or further, that of adoption; ... whereas we know full well, that as it purges our sins, and ministers to us the gift of the Holy Ghost, so also it is the counterpart of the sufferings of Christ. (Mystagogical Catechesis, 2:6 [c. A.D. 350]).¹⁰

‍These writers understood baptism as more than an outward declaration of faith. Like Peter at Pentecost, they taught that baptism is a means by which God gives believers the Holy Spirit.

‍Baptism and regeneration

‍“Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit” – John 3:5

‍Forgiveness of sins is not the only thing that happens in baptism. God also gives us new spiritual life. The Bible calls this regeneration, or being born again.

‍Jesus explained this to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to him at night:

‍“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:3–5)

‍Some Protestants interpret the water in this passage as referring to natural birth, or to the cleansing accomplished by the Holy Spirit apart from baptism.

‍But consider the context. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again. Nicodemus, thinking of physical birth, asks how someone can enter his mother's womb a second time. Jesus answers by explaining what this new birth involves: being born of water and the Spirit.

‍Jesus isn't describing two separate births, one physical and the other spiritual. He's explaining the one new birth that Nicodemus needs to experience. And he describes it as being born “of water and the Spirit.”

‍Water and the Spirit are precisely what we find associated with Christian baptism elsewhere in the New Testament.

‍As we've already seen, Paul wrote that God “saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). The Greek word translated “rebirth” is palingenesia, which means regeneration or new birth.

‍Jesus speaks of being born of water and the Spirit. Paul speaks of a washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Both describe the same spiritual transformation.

‍This is more than forgiveness. Forgiveness removes sin; regeneration gives us new spiritual life. God doesn't merely forgive our sins and leave us as we were. He makes us new creatures in Christ.

‍The witness of the ancient Christians

‍The early Christians understood Jesus' words to Nicodemus as referring to baptism.

‍Around A.D. 155, Justin Martyr described how converts were received into the Christian community:

‍Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water. (First Apology, 61 [c. A.D. 155]).¹¹

‍Justin then explicitly connected this practice with Jesus' words about being born again.

‍Around A.D. 200, Tertullian likewise described baptism as the means by which Christians receive new life:

‍But we, little fishes, after the example of our ΙΧΘΥΣ Jesus Christ, are born in water. (On Baptism, 1 [c. A.D. 200]).¹²

‍Tertullian's imagery is unmistakable. Just as fish are born in water, Christians are born again through baptism.

‍Justin and Tertullian understood the new birth described by Jesus as something accomplished through baptism. The idea that being born again is an experience entirely separate from baptism is not how these early Christians interpreted his words.

‍Baptism and union with Christ and his Church

‍“All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” – Galatians 3:27

‍Baptism does more than forgive our sins and give us new spiritual life. It also unites us to Jesus Christ.

‍Paul wrote:

‍Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:3–4)

‍Notice Paul's language. He doesn't say that baptism merely reminds us of Christ's death and resurrection. He says that through baptism we are buried with Christ into death so that we may share in his resurrection and live a new life.

‍Paul makes the same connection in Colossians:

‍Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:12)

‍Notice especially the words “through your faith in the working of God.” Baptism isn't something we do to earn salvation. It is something God does for us, and we receive its benefits through faith.

‍In Galatians, Paul wrote:

‍So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Galatians 3:26–27)

‍Here again, faith and baptism are presented together. We become children of God through faith, and Paul immediately explains that those who were baptized into Christ have clothed themselves with Christ.

‍But baptism doesn't merely establish a relationship between an individual believer and Jesus. It also incorporates us into his body, the Church.

‍Paul wrote:

‍For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1 Corinthians 12:13)

‍What is this one body? Paul answers that question later in the same chapter:

‍Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

‍The Church is not merely an organization that Christians decide to join after becoming believers. It is the body of Christ, and baptism is the ordinary means by which we become members of that body.

‍We see this happening on the very first Pentecost. After Peter told the crowd to repent and be baptized, Luke tells us:

‍Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:41)

‍They weren't simply making a public statement about a relationship with Christ that had already been completed. Through baptism, they were being incorporated into the community of believers.

‍The witness of the ancient Christians

‍The early Christians likewise understood baptism as the means by which believers were united to Christ and incorporated into his Church.

‍Cyril of Jerusalem explained that through baptism Christians become participants in Christ's death and resurrection:

‍For since the true Vine was planted in this place, we also by partaking in the Baptism of death have been planted together with Him. (Mystagogical Catechesis, 2:7 [c. A.D. 350]).¹³

‍Cyril went on to explain that although baptism represents Christ's death symbolically, the salvation it conveys is real.

‍Augustine likewise taught that baptism incorporates believers into Christ's body, the Church:

‍And inasmuch as to this belongs baptism, in which we are buried with Christ, in order to be incorporated into Him as His members. (On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, 1:26 [c. A.D. 412]).¹⁴

‍The New Testament and the early Christians teach the same thing: baptism unites us to Christ and makes us members of his body, the Church. It is not merely a declaration of a relationship already established, but the means by which God brings us into that relationship.

‍Baptism and salvation

‍“Baptism ... now saves you” – 1 Peter 3:21

‍We've seen that baptism is associated with the forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, regeneration, and union with Christ and his Church.

‍But the Bible goes even further. It explicitly says that baptism saves us.

‍Peter wrote:

‍And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21)

‍This is a remarkable statement, particularly in light of the claim that baptism doesn't save anyone.

‍Peter doesn't say that baptism merely symbolizes a salvation already received. He says that baptism now saves you.

‍Some Christians point out that Peter says baptism is “not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.” They take this to mean that the physical act of baptism has no saving effect.

‍But Peter isn't denying that baptism saves us. He's explaining how it saves us. It isn't the physical removal of dirt that accomplishes anything. It is the spiritual reality associated with baptism, made effective through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

‍The Greek word translated “pledge” in the NIV is eperōtēma, which can also be understood as an appeal or request. That's why the ESV translates the passage as “an appeal to God for a good conscience.”

‍On that reading, baptism is not merely a declaration that we already possess a good conscience. It is an appeal to God for one.

‍And notice what Peter says at the end: baptism saves us “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” The saving power doesn't come from the water itself. It comes from Jesus.

‍This is precisely what Catholics believe. Water has no magical power to forgive sins. God forgives sins through baptism because Christ instituted it as a means of conveying the grace he won for us through his death and resurrection.

‍Peter isn't the only New Testament writer who connects baptism with salvation.

‍Jesus told his apostles:

‍“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

‍Jesus connects belief and baptism with salvation. He doesn't describe baptism as an optional ceremony performed after salvation has already occurred.

‍Some Christians point out that Jesus says those who do not believe will be condemned, without adding “and are not baptized.” But that doesn't negate the first half of the statement. Jesus tells us that those who believe and are baptized will be saved. The fact that unbelief is sufficient for condemnation doesn't establish that baptism is unnecessary.

‍But isn't salvation by faith?

‍Yes. Catholics believe that salvation is entirely a gift of God's grace, received through faith. Nothing we do can earn it. But the fact that salvation is a gift doesn't mean there can be no conditions for receiving it. The giver of a gift has every right to establish the conditions under which it will be given.

‍If Jesus establishes baptism as the ordinary means of receiving the new birth, then being baptized isn't an attempt to earn salvation. It is simply accepting God's gift on the terms he has established.

‍Why did Jesus command baptism?

‍Protestants acknowledge that Jesus commanded baptism, but many of them don't seem to know why. Because they believe salvation has already occurred before baptism, they explain the command primarily as a matter of obedience.

‍According to GotQuestions.org:

‍The primary reason for a believer to be baptized is obedience to Christ.¹⁵

‍Elsewhere, the same website states:

‍Baptism is simply a step of obedience, a public proclamation of your faith in Christ alone for salvation.¹⁶

‍That's a rather strange explanation. We generally understand why Jesus commanded us to do the things he commanded. He tells us to forgive others, love our enemies, care for the poor, and avoid sin. These commands have purposes beyond simply demonstrating our willingness to obey.

‍But when asked why Jesus commanded baptism, the answer seems to be little more than “Because he said so.” It's rather like a child asking a parent why he has to do something and being told, “Because I said so.”

‍Of course we should obey Jesus. But obedience explains why we should do what Jesus commands, not why he commanded it in the first place.

‍And in the case of baptism, Jesus hasn't left us guessing. The New Testament tells us exactly what baptism accomplishes. It conveys forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, regeneration, and union with Christ and his Church.

‍We should be baptized because Jesus commanded it. But Jesus commanded it for a reason.

‍What about people who cannot be baptized?

‍The Catholic Church recognizes that God is capable of saving someone who hasn't been baptized.

‍The thief on the cross is an obvious example. Jesus promised him paradise even though he had no opportunity to receive Christian baptism (Luke 23:39–43). See my article What About the Thief on the Cross?

‍But the fact that God can save someone without baptism doesn't mean that baptism is unnecessary for people who have the opportunity to receive it.

‍God is not bound by the sacraments he has established. We, however, are responsible for obeying what he has commanded.

‍The thief's salvation demonstrates that God merciful, not that baptism is optional.

‍Conclusion

‍What, then, is the purpose of baptism?

‍According to the New Testament, baptism is the ordinary means by which God forgives our sins, gives us the Holy Spirit, regenerates us, and unites us to Christ and his Church. Through these gifts, baptism saves us.

‍That is a very different understanding from the idea that baptism is merely a public profession of faith, a symbol of forgiveness already received, or a “step of obedience” we perform simply because Jesus commanded it.

‍Of course, baptism is a profession of faith, and it certainly has symbolic significance. The water signifies cleansing, and immersion represents our burial and resurrection with Christ. But the New Testament doesn't stop with what baptism symbolizes. It tells us what baptism accomplishes.

‍Jesus didn't say, “Whoever believes and is saved will be baptized,” as some Christians would have it. He said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.”

‍And Peter didn't say that baptism merely symbolizes salvation. He said, “Baptism now saves you.”

‍The question isn't whether water has some miraculous power of its own. Nobody claims that it does. The question is whether God uses baptism to accomplish what Scripture says it accomplishes.

‍According to the Bible, he does.

‍__________

^‍1 Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, “Lesson 3: The Profession of Faith and Baptism,” Journey Through the Church Covenant (February 2007), 1. https://tmbcdetroit.org/images/lesson13.pdf.

^‍2 Got Questions Ministries, “What is the symbolism of water baptism?,” https://www.gotquestions.org/water-baptism.html

^‍3 Will Graham, “A Beginner’s Guide to Baptism,” Evangelical Focus, October 21, 2017. https://evangelicalfocus.com/magazine/2959/A-Beginners-Guide-to-Baptism

^‍4 Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1889), 94, s.v. “βαπτίζω.” https://biblehub.com/thayers/907.htm

^‍5 Letter of Barnabas, 11. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0124.htm

^‍6 Hermas, The Shepherd, Mandate 4.3.1–2. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/02012.htm

^‍7 Justin Martyr, First Apology, 66. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0126.htm

^‍8 Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor, 1.6. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/02091.htm

^‍9 Aphrahat, Demonstrations, 6.14. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/370106.htm

^‍10 Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catechesis, 2.6 (also numbered Catechetical Lecture 20.6). https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310120.htm

^‍11 Justin Martyr, First Apology, 61. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0126.htm

^‍12 Tertullian, On Baptism, 1. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0321.htm

^‍13 Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogical Catechesis, 2.7 (also numbered Catechetical Lecture 20.7). https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/310120.htm

^‍14 Augustine, On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants, 1.39 (XXVI), c. A.D. 412. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/15011.htm

^‍15 Got Questions Ministries, “Why Should I Be Baptized?” https://www.gotquestions.org/why-should-I-be-baptized.html

^‍16 Got Questions Ministries, “I Have Just Put My Faith in Jesus—Now What?” https://www.gotquestions.org/now-what.html