JOHN’S BAPTISM [Editor’s note: The following “article” is an excerpt from a speech by W.L. Oliphant in the Oliphant-Rice Debate from 1935. We are indebted to Tant Williams of South Houston, Texas, for calling our attention to it.] There were three classes who came to John for baptism. (1) Those who knew and were willing to confess that they were sinners. These, John baptized without question, since his baptism was for the remission of sins (Mark 1:5; Matt. 3:6). (2) Some came for baptism who claimed they were children of Abraham, that is, were already saved. These, John refused to baptize. “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matt. 3:7-9). John, knowing that his baptism was for the remission of sins, would not baptize those who thought they were already saved. To have baptized them would have been to have denied the divine purpose of baptism -- the very thing my opponent is doing in this discussion! (3) The third class coming to John for baptism consisted of but one person; that is, Jesus. “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and cometh thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him” (Matt. 3:13-15). Because John’s baptism was for remission of sins and because he knew that Jesus had no sins, he refused to baptize Jesus. “I have need to be baptized of thee,” John insisted. But Jesus said, “Suffer it to be so now.” The term “suffer” suggests permitting that which, under the rules, would not be allowed. The idea is that of making an exception to general practice. In our every-day language, Jesus said to John: “I understand that your baptism is for remission of sins, and that, I, having no sin, do not need it, but we must make this one exception, since it is becoming that I do that which I command others to do.” Then John “suffered him”; that is, made the one exception. This is the only instance in all the Bible of anyone’s being baptized for any purpose other than the remission of sins; and it was done, according to our Lord, himself, as an exception to the divine rule. I challenge my opponent to find another person in all the New Testament who received baptism which was not for the remission of sins. To accept John’s baptism was to justify God. “And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John” (Luke 7:29).
Posted on: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 04:36:45 +0000
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