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• Written by Bryant Evans

Baptism and the Old Testament

Baptism as an essential element of salvation is unique to the New Testament. However, we may gain some insight and understanding from the Old Testament. Inasmuch as the Old Testament is our "schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:24), we can learn much from a study.

The Israelites were God's people (Exodus 6:7) and were uniquely chosen by God for his own purposes. Likewise, the church is God's people today. They are chosen by God for his own purposes as well (1 Peter 2:9). Inclusion in either group, the Israelites or the Church, came through the grace of God with certain requirements. A close look will show similarities between the Israelite requirement of circumcision and the Christian requirement of baptism.

Circumcision, the surgical removal of foreskin from the male, was given by God as a requirement to be included in the Hebrew nation. In Genesis 17, God sets the act of circumcision as a requirement for entry into the covenant he will establish between himself and the Children of Israel. God was clear that the male not circumcised would be "cut off" or excluded from the nation (Genesis 17:14). The Scriptures make clear that Abraham, without complaint or questioning, was himself circumcised at age 99, his son Ishmael at age 13 and later Isaac at 8 days (Genesis 17:24, 25,; 21:4). Every male Jew was either circumcised or excluded from God's covenant.

From a strictly human perspective, circumcision makes no sense. We cannotunderstand why God would require such a procedure that has no apparent spiritual value. The Bible never seeks to explain circumcision it only commands it under the old law. Circumcision is not a part of the New Testament and Christians today are not subject to it (Galatians 2:3) just as they are not subject to any other Old Testament teaching. However Paul links circumcision to our obedience through baptism.

Consider Colossians 2. Paul declares that the Colossians are made complete in Christ through "the circumcision made without hands" (Colossians 2:11). He says the "circumcision of Christ" is the "putting off the body of the sins of the flesh." And in the very next verse, he links baptism when he says the Colossians are "buried with him in baptism" (Colossians 2:12). Clearly, Colossians 2 links the Old Testament command of circumcision with the baptism of the New Testament. Now let's look carefully at baptism and see what similarities exist.

First, both circumcision and baptism come from the mind of God. Neither was created by man. Second, there is no obvious "reason" for either action. The mind of man cannot understand all the things of God. Obedience, in both cases, requires that we surrender our mortal understanding in submission to God. Finally, each act was required for inclusion into the body of God's people. Sometimes we just accept what God has said in faith. Attempting to apply human understanding to God's way is nothing more than walking by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). instead, let us walk by faith.