Unmentioned Baptisms

 

Introduction

Recently, I preached a sermon on the errors of The Sinner’s Prayer and emphasized the importance of baptism. I included a chart, a preacher once used that showed all of the conversions in Acts. The focus, there, was that every conversion mentioned the individual(s) being baptized with scripture to support it.

After the service was over, a member of the congregation came to me and pointed out that there were two conversions that had no scripture reference at all. Both situations had no mention of them being baptized but, through necessary inference, that was the conclusion you had to draw. They were not the exception to God’s plan of Salvation.

 

The Conversion Chart of Acts

 

As you will notice, in the above chart, these are the conversions mentioned in the book of Acts. The importance of this chart is, this is when the New Testament era (The Church Age) began. Jesus gave the command to be baptized in Mk. 16:16; Mt. 28:19. The apostles fulfilled that command on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36-41) and forward from there.

You will see that there is a scripture reference, under baptism, for each conversion. This is not to say that some didn’t believe or repent or confess or weren’t saved. We can draw the necessary inference that they followed the pattern as in all of the examples. The purpose of a baptism reference, being mentioned in all, is that God knew that there would be some who decided that it is not essential for salvation. This chart proves that it is.

 

The Twelve

The first unmentioned baptism are the 12 apostles themselves. We know that Peter stated in Acts 2:38, “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.” And those who believed were baptized and then added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47).

But what of the apostles themselves? They are not mentioned, does that mean they were the exception? The answer is No. People would draw the wrong conclusion stating that they want to be saved like the apostles in similar fashion to stating that they want to be save like the thief on the cross.

I’m going to suggest to you that the reason the 12 weren’t mentioned is that the focus is on those who heard the gospel message preached which, later, means that you and I are saved by the very same message. The 12 were doing their duty as preachers of righteousness but that doesn’t make them the exception. Jesus was baptized in Mt. 3 to set the example (1 Pet. 2:21) of what was to come. He wasn’t, by any means, a sinner to be washed clean.

You will also notice that John the Baptizer wasn’t baptized either. He was doing this under the Old Law to bring people to the new law of Christ (Lk. 2:2-4; Col. 2:11-14)

 

Apollos

In Acts 18, we meet a man by the name of Apollos (verse 24); one who was a bold preacher for the truth. However, his knowledge was limited. It’s stated, as such, in verse 25, This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.

There’s nothing against John’s baptism; it led people to salvation under the Old Law and set things in order (Mt. 3:1-3) for the coming messiah. When Jesus was resurrected, and before He ascended into Heaven, He gave the Great Commission to His disciples (Mt. 28:18-20). This set forth the new covenant and the current way to salvation.

Apollos was one who was baptized by John and knew only that mode of baptism. Aquila and Priscilla heard him preach, then pulled him aside to teach more accurately (Acts 18:26). He then would have been re-baptized in the name of Jesus before he continued on.

We can draw this necessary inference from Acts 19:1-5; as those in Ephesus, at the time, were baptized in the name of John. Given that Apollos was in Ephesus, before meeting Aquila and Priscilla, we can conclude that those of Acts 19 were baptized by Apollos and, therefore, incorrectly. When Paul came into the same area, he correctly re-baptized them.

 

Re-baptism is Scriptural

We can conclude, from Acts 19:1-5, that if an individual was taught right and baptized wrong, they can be re-baptized and live their lives knowing that they are right with God. I have witnessed this personally and have heard stories of others. Incidentally, one cannot be taught wrong and baptize right. It’s just not possible.

If you are unsure of your own baptism, consult the scriptures for the truth and seek out one who can re-baptize you correctly. Otherwise, you will miss out on the eternal life promised to those who are saved.

 

Conclusion

Baptism is, indeed, necessary as part of salvation; to wash away one’s sins (Acts 22:16). If you disagree, please share you reasoning in the comments below with scripture to support your stand. The only way one can truly know what God wants us to do, is by reading His Word (Acts 27:24-25).

The main purpose of this article is to show that I am one who admits error, when it is shown to me, and that I repent of such an occurrence. Going forward, I will do better as a teacher of God’s word.

I don’t want to be one who teaches falsely or deceives individuals for ill-gotten gain or popularity. But rather to show from the scriptures the things that I have taught to be true (Acts 17:11).