Jesus Turned the Baptismal Water into Wine, Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we saw that Jesus did not participate baptizing others with water, nor did he submit to the water baptism traditions that were not from God. But yes, Jesus submitted to the water baptism of John the Baptist, because that was an Old Covenant baptism that was from God.

However, Jesus knew he was called to fulfill God’s will of bringing in the Spirit baptism, and as the Roman Church fell into darkness, this vitally important truth was lost.

In Part 2 of this series, we will now consider the three main foundation stones (or “planks”) of the teaching that says water baptism is still required. This installment is longer than Part 1 because I want to cover all three main planks of the modern water baptism teaching together. I appreciate your patience, as the extra detail is important for fully understanding these concepts.

And remember, Jesus turned the baptismal water into wine!

The Three Planks of Water Baptism

The water baptism doctrine of today has three main planks taught as to why this water rite is required, and we will consider them one by one to see if they align with God’s word. We are taught that water baptism—

1. Plank 1: Does water baptism bring salvation and the forgiveness of sins?

Here are some direct quotes of what Jesus taught that brings eternal life. He always says it comes by faith, by believing in him. And as head of the Church, his words should definitely be heard:

^NAS John 3:15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life.

^NAS John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

^NAS John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Notice that Jesus says nothing about the supposed importance of baptismal water in these teachings. And here below, we see John the Baptist (who Jesus said there was no prophet greater than) teaching the exact same thing:

^KJV John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Over and over again in various settings, Jesus teaches that eternal life comes from believing in him, while saying nothing about the water baptism rite as a supposedly all-important requirement:

^NAS John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

^NAS John 6:40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

^NAS John 6:47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

Jesus teaches how to receive eternal life and forgiveness, yet he does not even mention water baptism as a New Covenant requirement—much less as the act that many teach actually saves us.

^NAS John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies,

And, concerning his mother, it was written:

^NAS Matthew 1:21 “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.”

And Paul Agrees with Jesus

The apostle Paul, of course, agrees with the Lord Jesus on what brings salvation:

^NAS Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;

^KJV Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

And Peter, of Course, Also Agrees with Jesus

Just as the apostle Peter spoke these words below, God filled the believing Gentiles with His Holy Spirit (and they had not been baptized with water), proving that water baptism did not save them:

^NAS Acts 10:43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

Conclusion 1: Water baptism does not save us.

Now that we have seen that the first plank fails and that water baptism does not bring salvation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life, let’s consider what Peter meant in Acts 2:38. Sadly, I had not seen this point eight years ago when I wrote The Messiah’s Baptism book, so this is new information.

Notice in the scripture above (Acts 10:43), Peter says it’s “through his name” that everyone who believes receives forgiveness, and compare that to what Peter says below, in what most view as a supposed proof text for water baptism:

^NAS Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So, when Peter seems to say something different here, we need to make sure we accurately interpret it. At first glance, this seems to contradict what the Lord Jesus taught.

Would Peter really contradict what he said in Acts 10:43 and go against all that Jesus and Paul taught, teaching that the forgiveness of sins happens only with a water ritual?

A major grammatical point in the Greek text shows that no, Peter was not contradicting Jesus.

Most English translations of Acts 2:38 say baptized “in” the name of Jesus:

^NAS Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

But, strangely, Young’s Literal Translation says “on” the name…:

^YLT Acts 2:38 and Peter said unto them, ‘Reform, and be baptized each of you on the name of Jesus Christ, to remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,

How can anyone be baptized “on” the name of Jesus Christ?

The Greek word epi that Peter uses here is most often translated as “on” in the New Testament. This is a fully legitimate way to translate this Greek word, yet that does not seem to make sense in the English translation.

However, on page 376 in Daniel B. Wallace’s excellent book, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, he points out that epi in the Greek dative case can mean “on the basis of.”

Here below are the meanings that Wallace gives for epi in the Greek dative case:

With dative

1.    Spatial: on, upon, at, near
2.    Temporal: at, at the time of, during
3.    Cause: on the basis of

And that is exactly the construction we have in Acts 2:38: epi is used with the dative case. Therefore, a translation that best fits the whole of Scripture here would be as follows:

…“be baptized [i.e., washed/immersed/cleansed] on the basis of the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”…

Here is another scriptural example of when the Greek word epi in the dative case is properly translated this exact same way:

^NAS Acts 3:16 “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

^GNT Acts 3:16 καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ τοῦτον ὃν θεωρεῖτε καὶ οἴδατε, ἐστερέωσεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ πίστις ἡ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τὴν ὁλοκληρίαν ταύτην ἀπέναντι πάντων ὑμῶν.

Since epi with the dative case can carry the meaning of “on the basis of,” this gives us a legitimate way of understanding Peter’s statement in Acts 2:38 that does not contradict all the other scriptures.

So, a person can be healed “on the basis of the name of Jesus,” and a person can likewise be baptized, washed, and cleansed from sin on that same basis—by believing in Jesus and all that His name encompasses!

This means being forgiven and washed on the basis of the name of Jesus, not by baptismal water. For other examples where epi in the dative case is translated exactly as “on the basis of,” see (NAS) Philippians 3:9 and 1 Timothy 5:19.

This translation fits perfectly with all that Jesus and Paul taught, as it also does with what Peter himself taught, as we saw:

^NAS Acts 10:43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

And this picture of “on the basis of his name” fits perfectly with what Jesus taught them about two weeks before Acts 2:38 took place:

^NAS Luke 24:47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

The salvation, the forgiveness, the washing/baptism (spiritually)—all are connected to his name, who he was, and what God accomplished through him.

Notice also that the word water does not appear in this Acts 2:38 scripture. So, we must accurately determine whether Peter would be saying that the Old Testament water rite brings forgiveness, or the New Covenant Spirit baptism (that Jesus brought in) brings forgiveness and cleansing.

And the context is clear, as just a few verses earlier in this Book of Acts, Peter is speaking about the promise of the Father, the Spirit baptism that Jesus was called to bring in:

^NAS Acts 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

It is true that after God filled the Gentiles with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44), Peter argues for their being allowed the water baptism required for Gentile converts in their day (Acts 10:46–48). But this was only so that these newly believing Gentiles could be accepted into the Jewish community and into their homes.

Without God giving Peter the vision (Acts 10:9–28) and telling him earlier that he was to not reject these Gentiles, Peter never would have entered their homes, to avoid becoming unclean. (This long Jewish history concerning Gentile converts requiring a water baptism was very significant during the time of Christ, and it can be read here).

But Wait—Didn’t Jesus Command Baptism for All Nations?

Someone may ask, “But wait, didn’t Jesus command the apostles to baptize all nations in Matthew 28?” Yes, and since the Roman Church gained control, almost all readers have taken that as proof of water baptism.

But let’s consider from the context why the Spirit baptism (that God said Jesus was to bring in) is the better interpretation here. Centuries of Roman Catholic tradition have conditioned many readers in such a way that every time we see the word baptize, we automatically think of water baptism. But if you look at what Jesus actually said, he mentions nothing about water:

^NAS Matthew 28:19–20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Notice above that Jesus tells them to teach the nations “all that I commanded you,” and there is no scripture in the Bible where he commands water baptism.

However, Jesus did command the Spirit baptism:

^NAS Acts 1:4–5 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;⁵ for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

This is the Spirit baptism that God Himself said Jesus was to bring in. This is the true washing, the true baptism that the Old Covenant ceremonial water could only point forward to.

• Plank 2: We were taught that water baptism provides the answer of a good conscience toward God.

This next verse from Peter (which must also be interpreted correctly) comes while Peter is talking about those who were saved by believing in God’s plan through Noah. And remember those who believed Noah were not immersed in water, since they stayed dry on the ark:

^NAS 1 Peter 3:21 And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

The Greek word translated “corresponding to that” is antitupos, which gives us our English word antitype.

 Those who believed in God’s plan through Noah are an antitype of (i.e., they point forward to, or they correspond to) those who accept the plan of God through Christ and are Spirit-baptized by believing.

Peter is contrasting the Spirit baptism (which saves) with the Old Covenant water baptism (a ritual cleansing, which essentially now is only removing dirt from the flesh).

But wait, someone may ask, haven’t we been taught that it is the water baptism that brings the clear conscience with God?

In the scripture above, Peter shows that the Spirit baptism is what now saves you, and it is what provides a good conscience through Christ’s resurrection. It is by believing in God’s plan through Christ that we are saved and can have a clear conscience.

The writer of Hebrews (who I believe was Paul) says this exact same thing below, saying that the water baptisms cannot accomplish a clear conscience, but Christ’s shed blood does. Here, he says the sacrifices and various ceremonial washings (the Greek word translated “washings” below is actually baptisms) could not clear the conscience:

^NAS Hebrews 9:9–10 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,¹⁰ since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.

Again, most English translations do not use the word baptisms here and instead use washings. That translation difference can make it harder for a reader of English to see the connection between Jewish ritual baptisms and the supposed Christian baptism that Paul said Christ did not send him to do.

A more accurate translation of what Paul actually wrote says “baptisms,” not “washings”:

^YLT Hebrews 9:10 only in victuals, and drinks, and different baptisms, and fleshly ordinances—till the time of reformation imposed upon them.

^GNT Hebrews 9:10 μόνον ἐπὶ βρώμασιν καὶ πόμασιν καὶ διαφόροις βαπτισμοῖς, δικαιώματα σαρκὸς μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἐπικείμενα.

You can see that the word and, in English (before “fleshly ordinances”) is not in the original Greek; therefore, this addition in this English translation loses Paul’s meaning that these various baptisms were the fleshly ordinances).

Paul is saying that the water baptisms are no longer imposed now that we are in the New Covenant. Paul writes that the sacrifices and baptisms could not perfect the conscience (i.e., Hebrews 9:9–10 further above), and just a few verses later, Paul writes about that which does cleanse the conscience:

^NAS Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The apostle John (who wrote 1 John 5:1) of course agrees:

^NAS Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,

So, in 1 Peter 3:21, Peter is not teaching that water baptism saves us and clears our conscience, because God never wanted this rite in the New Covenant. God wanted the one baptism—the baptism He called His son Jesus to bring in—the Spirit baptism.

If we are born of God by faith in the shed blood of Jesus, we already have a clear conscience, so a water rite is not needed.

Conclusion 2: Water baptism is not the answer of a good conscience toward God!

• Plank 3: Water baptism buries us with Christ and raises us to new life

Yes, we are to be buried with Christ, but not in water. Since Rome took over the Church, we have been taught that our “old man” (our former self before being born again) is to be buried with Christ in a water baptism, and that we rise out of the baptismal waters as a new man in Christ.

But this is not what Paul meant in those scriptures. Does Paul, who we saw clearly taught against water baptisms, now do a complete reversal in his teachings and teach the great importance of being buried with Christ in a water rite?

Here is how Paul taught we are all baptized:

^NAS 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…

 ^NAS Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Paul shows above that it is the Spirit baptism that brings us into the spiritual body of Christ; this is the baptism Jesus was to bring in, the one baptism for the New Covenant.

Paul teaches the same thing to the Galatians:

^NAS Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Paul says nothing about water here. He understood that water baptisms were Old Covenant rites from the ritual law, and very early on in Corinth, he discontinued doing them and even thanked God for it.

And the three scriptures that lead up to this Galatians 3:27 verse plainly show this.

Paul agrees with Jesus that salvation and our standing as children of God come by faith, by believing, not by undergoing a water rite:

^NAS Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.

^NAS Galatians 3:25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

^NAS Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

We become born again children of God when we believe, not after a water rite. The following is an especially important scripture that I can’t believe I missed in my book!

^NAS 1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God;

We are not born again (meaning born from above or born of God) by a water ritual, when a man says a phrase over us, but right when we believe. This is when the old man dies and we rise to walk in newness of life…Whoever believes is born of God. The Holy Spirit washes us as soon as we believe; this is the Spirit baptism that Jesus provides.

Clearly, Paul taught against water baptisms, and he even thanked God that he had baptized so few of them:

^NAS 1 Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

This statement fits with the understanding he then expresses—that water baptism was not part of the gospel Christ sent him to preach:

^NAS 1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.

If water baptism was a part of the gospel, you can be assured Paul would never have written this. How does water baptism make the cross of Christ void? Because it implies that the shed blood and sacrifice of Christ on the cross is not enough, and that you still need another man to immerse you and say a phrase over you. Then—and only then—are you right with God, with a clear conscience.

So, when Paul writes in Romans 6:4 (below) about being “buried with him through baptism,” he had to mean the Spirit baptism that Jesus was to bring in, since under God’s inspiration Paul wrote elsewhere, “by one Spirit we were all baptized” (1 Corinthians 12:13), and that there is now “one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).

Roman 6 is another portion of scripture commonly understood as referring to water baptism. But considering Paul’s statements to the Corinthians (such as we are all baptized by one Spirit), we must be careful interpreting what Paul actually says. Again, Paul does not add the word water here, because he means this spiritually:

^NAS Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

The object of this baptism is not water but Christ himself. Believers are baptized “into Christ Jesus” and “into His death.”

Our old man is not buried with him in a water baptism. Jesus was not buried in water, but in a dry tomb, so how can we be buried “with Him” in water? The Jews never buried their dead in water. Paul continues and again mentions no water here:

^NAS Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

And Paul also says here that our old self was crucified with Christ, but this of course is also meant spiritually, just like the baptism was:

^NAS Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;

We do not lie down in the form of a cross to fulfill this naturally, and we should not get into the baptismal water to fulfill the baptism naturally.

It is only by the Spirit baptism that our old self is crucified (or buried), and we then become members in the spiritual body of Christ. This is what Jesus taught; salvation comes when we believe in him.

Some teach that you are “born again” only through a water baptism rite, not understanding what Jesus meant in John 3:1–18. They teach that the “old man” can be dead and buried only through a water baptism. But this goes against all that we saw Jesus and the apostles teach—that salvation comes by believing in him (see 1 John 1:5).

God requires no water, He seals you, and no extra man is needed with a water baptism rite. Paul taught the Ephesians that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit (thus born again) when you believe:

^NAS Ephesians 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

And he taught the Galatians that we are sons of God through faith…and this happens when you believe:

^NAS Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

As soon as we believe, the old man is dead and buried, and new things have come! This is what God’s word says, and this is what Paul taught:

^NKJ 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

This all happens by faith—the “old man” is passed away right when you believe, and no water is required. This is the New Covenant Spirit baptism, as Paul writes below:

^NAS Colossians 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Notice where Paul places the emphasis: Believers are raised with Christ “through faith in the working of God.” This aligns perfectly with what we saw the Lord Jesus teach. Notice that Paul does not mention water, a human administrator, or a ritual act. The baptism in view joins the believer to Christ’s death and resurrection through faith.

We are not born from above by a water baptism rite, but when we accept Christ and are Spirit baptized into the family of God, as we saw previously:

^NAS 1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

^NAS 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…

Conclusion 3: Our “old man” is not buried in a water baptism, but when we believe in Christ and are born from above!

For Part 3, click here, where we will consider a few more points about water baptism and also see how this water rite became so predominant in the New Covenant Church.