WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WATER IN WATER BAPTISM?

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

August 27, 2015

What Happened To The Water In Water Baptism? As a Bible believing preacher I believe the Bible (KJV) means what it says and says what it means about all doctrines and that includes water baptism.

In Acts 2 after the men who crucified Christ heard Peter preach it says in verse 37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Now notice what he told them to do in verse 38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The point I wish to make about Peter’s answer is that according to him, water baptism PRECEDED the remission of sins and receiving the Holy Ghost which is salvation. He told them to be baptized FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS. The Bible means what it says and says what it means. It clearly says that if these men wanted their sins remitted and forgiven they had to be first baptized in water. Water baptism in Acts 2:38 was not an option. It was absolutely necessary for the remission of sins and receiving the Holy Ghost. Why deny the obvious?

Many fundamentalists and especially Baptists have a problem with Acts 2:38 because of their private doctrines about water baptism. And when a Campbellite (Church of Christ) comes along and quotes this verse to them most of them end up denying what it says or changing the words in the verse to fit their own private doctrines about water baptism. I saw a Campbellite preacher make “mince meat” out of two independent Baptist preachers in a debate about Acts 2:38. He held their feet to the fire and they could not answer him. After he got through with them I told him that I agreed with him. This almost floored him, because I was with these two Baptist preachers in a witnessing booth at the flea market in Mobile, Alabama. I told him that what he said was exactly right and what they said was wrong.

BUT then I opened my Bible and took him to Acts 10 and showed him something about the water in water baptism that he never saw and he could not answer it. I SHOWED HIM THAT THE WATER IN WATER BABTISM CHANGED.

Here is what I showed him:

Acts 10:44-48
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

This is the record of the conversion of Cornelius and his house. A major change took place concerning water baptism when God saved Cornelius. Do you see what it was? He was baptized in water AFTER he received the Holy Ghost. And when a person receives the Holy Ghost they are saved according to Romans 8:9. He was first saved and then was baptized.

In Acts 2:38 water baptism PRECEDED salvation and receiving the Holy Ghost, whereas in Acts 10 water baptism came AFTER salvation and receiving the Holy Ghost.

In Acts 2 a man was required to be baptized BEFORE he could be saved, whereas in Acts 10 Cornelius was baptized AFTER he was saved.

In Acts 10 Peter found out that water baptism was no longer necessary for the forgiveness of sins and receiving the Holy Ghost.  And from that time forward, anyone who was baptized was baptized for other reasons than for salvation.

I will also point out that if you carefully read about the conversion of Paul in Acts 9, he too was baptized AFTER he received the Holy Ghost. But it’s not as obvious as it is in the case of Cornelius. So, the water in water baptism changed.