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,
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:
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:
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.
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.