September 6, 2024
We identify ourselves as Baptists. Other Christian groups had interesting names they called our forefathers. For example, “putrid scab of error” was a name applied to Baptists by other denominations that practiced infant baptism by sprinkling.
Because believer’s baptism by immersion is perhaps the minority view among Christian denominations, as Baptists we need to understand the importance of biblical baptism.
God intervened through an angelic mediator to direct Philip, one of the men chosen in Acts 6 to perform the services of a deacon, to an evangelistic encounter. He was told to get up and travel to Gaza, located south of Jerusalem. The name “Gaza” means “strong.” The Ethiopian official who was there was a God-fearer, a Gentile attracted to the God of Judaism but who did not officially convert to Judaism, likely because of the issue of circumcision.
This unnamed Ethiopian man had traveled for the purpose of worship. As he read a scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, the Spirit commanded Philip to join the Ethiopian in the chariot.
In our day, we might say that God filled out Philip’s visitation card. How does a person know when the Holy Spirit is directing them to act?
Because of the high cost of copying scrolls, there were no paragraphs or punctuation utilized in ancient scrolls. People read out loud and sounded out the words.
Therefore, Philip could hear the passage the Ethiopian read from the scroll of Isaiah. Philip took the initiative by running up to the Ethiopian and asking if he understood what he was reading. The Ethiopian humbly recognized that he needed someone to guide him in understanding what he was reading. Philip preached the gospel from Isaiah to the eunuch, yet he did not carry a scroll.
Effective gospelers have an intimate knowledge of Scripture. Why is it important to point to the Bible when sharing with someone about Jesus?
We possess no knowledge of how the Ethiopian knew about baptism. Perhaps Philip discussed baptism with him after he shared the gospel from Isaiah, but Philip did not suggest baptism. The eunuch requested to be baptized. He inquired whether there was any issue that would prevent him from being baptized. Likely, he asked this question because as a Gentile, he would have been required to be circumcised to become a convert to Judaism.
The Bible does not describe Philip’s answer to the eunuch’s question, but they stopped and Philip baptized the eunuch immediately. Verses 38 and 39 are some of the primary verses Baptists have used to defend baptism by immersion rather than sprinkling. Both men went down into the water, and Philip baptized the eunuch. After the baptism, both men came up out of the water. Baptism, rather than “walking down the aisle and talking to the preacher,” is a new believer’s profession of faith.
Focus question: What makes baptism a pivotal moment in a Christian’s life?
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This lesson was written by Mark Rathel, professor at the Baptist College of Florida in Graceville, Fla., and originally published by The Baptist Paper. This study is based on the Explore the Bible curriculum from Lifeway Christian Resources.
