5 May 2015

3-minute reads in Acts: Baptism

Baptism is referred to 23 times in the book of Acts.  The references seem to fall into three reasonably clear categories.The first group of references is to the historical ministry of John the Baptist, which preceded, and initiated, the whole gospel event of Jesus' earthly ministry.  For example, Judas' replacement must have,
been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. (1:21-22)
Other references to the historical ministry of John include 10:37, 13:24, 18:25 and 19:3-4.
A second category of references is made up of two verses that show the decisive contrast between the baptism with water that John did and the baptism with the Holy Spirit that Christ does.  So in 1:5, for example, Jesus tells the apostles:
John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.
This is completely consistent with what John himself had also taught (Luke 3:16), and Peter recalls Jesus' words later on in Acts, after the Holy Spirit comes on Cornelius (11:16).
The events of Pentecost, as interpreted by Peter’s sermon, reveal that this baptism with the Holy Spirit is now the normative Christian experience of salvation.  For these are the last days (2:16-21), when Christ is risen and ascended at God’s right hand in heaven as Lord and Christ (2:22-36).  As such, he is the one who now pours out the gift of the Holy Spirit (2:33), which is now the defining gift of salvation promised to all who repent and believe (2:38-39).

The third category of references, however, is the largest of the three.  It refers to a baptism done in connection with someone’s conversion.  Given that four of these references are explicitly mentioned as being baptism with/in water (8:36-38; 10:47-48), and another connects baptism with the 'washing away' of sins (22:16), it seems reasonable to conclude that all of the verses in this category refer to baptism with water.
What is striking, though, is the way that so many of these references connect water baptism to a new believer's genuinely human response to the gospel, either in repenting from sin or accepting the gospel and believing in Christ.  For example:
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (2:41)
Or again,
Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. (18:8)
Other examples include 2:38, 8:12-13, 8:36-38, 16:14-15 and 22:16.
Significantly, however, there are also a few references in this category that connect water baptism with a new believer’s conversion, described explicitly in terms of God’s action in giving the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For example, the reason Peter can find no obstacle to baptising Cornelius and his household is because God has already given them his Holy Spirit (10:44-48).
Seeing both sides of Luke's presentation here is immensely important.  In my ministry context, people sometimes debate whether baptism chiefly expresses God’s action in salvation – his gracious gift of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins, or man’s action in salvation - responding to the gospel in genuine repentance and faith.  That may sound like a very academic question.  But it actually has significant implications for pastoral ministry (e.g., for the baptism of infants, to name an obvious one).
Luke, however, seems quite willing to speak in Acts of both realities.  We should not hesitate to speak of repentance and faith as a genuinely human response to the gospel.  And baptism with water is a public sign of this reality: the new life that begins by turning back to God in repentance and trusting in Christ.
Fundamentally, however, salvation is always the gracious gift from God.  Indeed, such is our dire state in sin that we cannot even respond in repentance and faith apart from God granting it to us (e.g., 11:18).  And so baptism with water points also to this much greater, and more essential reality, of baptism with the Holy Spirit, without which no one is saved.


27 Apr 2015

3-minute reads in Acts: The Church and Social Justice

‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’.  (Acts 3:6).
The most difficult thing about Peter’s words to the crippled man is that, actually, he did have silver and gold.  Perhaps not on him at this exact moment, but he could certainly get some if he needed to.  And it seems like this was exactly the sort of situation it was there for.  After all,
‘All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.’  (Acts 2:44-45)
and,
‘There were no needy persons among them.  For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.’  (Acts 4:34-35)
What is the church’s responsibility for social justice?  Is the church only to care for fellow believers?  Or is caring for the poor and oppressed in society what Christians are meant to do in this world?  It sounds like that’s the kind of thing happening in Acts 2 and 4.  So why does Peter tell the crippled man in Acts 3 that he has no silver and gold?  Is Peter just having a senior’s moment?  Or is something else going on?
As we read through Acts, we see that believers keep exercising a great care, expressed in material support, for fellow believers who are in need.  Thus, there were no needy persons among them (Acts 4:34), that is, among the believers.  The widows to whom food is being distributed are from among the growing number of disciples (Acts 6:1).  The severe famine leads the brothers in Antioch, each according to his ability, to provide help for the brothers living in Judea (Acts 11:29).
These things are concrete expressions of fellowship, koinonia, sharing together.  They embody Jesus’ teaching that the disciples must love each other as he has loved them, and that by their love for one another they would be known as disciples of Jesus (John 13:34-35).  They are free to share all things in common precisely because they share Christ in common.  They are obligated to each other as family because of him.
But what, then, of the church’s social justice responsibilities to unbelievers?  To those in sickness and poverty and oppressive social institutions?  Does Acts say anything about these issues? 
A great deal.  And what it consistently shows is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest and most powerful ‘tool’ of social justice and social change.  The crippled beggar receives no silver or gold but he is given the name of Jesus Christ.  And in receiving Christ he is healed, and thereby released from the disability that had left him to beg (Acts 3:7-10).  The slave girl with an evil spirit is released from her slavery (both spiritual and physical) also in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:16-19).  The proclamation of the gospel in Ephesus brings such release to those who had been in the consuming grip of sorcery and magic that on one occasion, 50,000 days’ wages worth of magic scrolls were publicly destroyed (Acts 19:8-20)! 
Time after time, it is the powerful gospel message about Christ that brings liberation and release.
In general, we cope far better with ‘either/or’ answers than we do with ‘both/and’ answers.  However, on the question of whether the church’s social justice responsibilities are toward unbelievers or believers, the Bible’s answer is much closer to ‘both/and’ than ‘either/or’. 
But even ‘both/and’ doesn’t quite hit the mark.  Paul says it most clearly in Gal 6:10:
‘Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.’
Not ‘either/or’.  Not ‘both/and’.  But ‘to these ... and especially to these ...’.  This is one of the ways we live out the gospel.