Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Northern California Campus. Spirit and Sonship in Paul s Portrayal of Baptism

Transcription

1 Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary Northern California Campus Spirit and Sonship in Paul s Portrayal of Baptism A Paper Submitted for Partial Fulfillment of S5315: Pauline Theology Dr. Michael Martin By Kyle D. Rapinchuk Fall 2013

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Survey of Paul s Use of Baptism... 2 Romans 6: Corinthians 1: Corinthians 12: Galatians 3: Ephesians 4: Colossians 2: Summary of Paul s View of Baptism Jesus Baptism Matthew Mark Luke John Jesus Baptism According to the Gospels Christ as Representative Christ as Representative Man in Atonement Christ as Representative Man in Baptism Romans 6:3, Galatians 3:27, and Ephesians 4: Corinthians 10: Conclusion Bibliography i

3 SPIRIT AND SONSHIP IN PAUL S PORTRAYAL OF BAPTISM Introduction Discussions of baptism, particularly in the realm of the church, largely focus on the proper subject of baptism should the church baptize infants or only believers? Although an important question, too often the meaning of baptism is assumed, and perhaps improperly so. When one turns to the New Testament, certain truths are immediately evident, such as the importance of being baptized. For example, Paul assumes throughout his epistles that all the believers in the churches to which he is writing have been baptized. Paul s argument in Romans 6:1-11 is enough to make this evident, for his argument in this passage is dependent on the fact that all those to whom he is writing have been baptized. Had these believers not been baptized, then his argument would carry no force. More strikingly, Paul had not visited this congregation, so his assumption that they had been baptized must not have been on personal knowledge of the community of believers in Rome, but on a universal practice within the early church. 1 Moreover, Rudolf Schnackenburg argues that Romans 6 not only demonstrates Paul s assumption that all are baptized, but also that they already understand this symbolism of baptism into death. 2 This paper seeks to answer two questions that arise out of a discussion of baptism in the Pauline letters. First, what are the key elements of Paul s understanding of baptism? This paper 1 George R. Beasley-Murray, Baptism, in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. Gerald F. Hawthorne and Ralph P. Martin (Downers Grove: IVP, 1993), 60; James D.G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), Rudolf Schnackenburg, Baptism in the Thought of St. Paul: A Study in Pauline Theology, trans. George R. Beasley-Murray (New York: Herder and Herder, 1964), 33. 1

4 2 will argue that Paul s view of baptism primarily highlights divine sonship and the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Second, why and in what manner does Paul s understanding of baptism relate to Jesus own baptism? For Paul, the purpose of baptism in not only a symbolic retelling of Christ s death and resurrection, though it certainly includes this element; rather, baptism, particularly as it is into Christ, is also a reenactment of the Messiah s own baptism whereby the Church affirms and announces, just as the Father did for the Son in His baptism, that the one who is baptized has received the Spirit and is a child of God. This status is secured through Jesus own representative baptism and the reenactment of Jesus baptism by the believer in his own baptism. Survey of Paul s Use of Baptism The primary texts for understanding Paul s use of baptism are Romans 6:3, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:5, and Colossians 2:12. 3 The goal of this section is to survey Paul s understanding of baptism as it is addressed in the context of these passages. In this way, it becomes possible to draw out the relationships between baptism and other elements with which Paul closely associates it. Romans 6:3 For many scholars, the most significant passage for understanding Paul s view of baptism is in Romans 6:3-11, since this is his most detailed and extended discussion of the rite. Though 3 Some scholars also add 1 Corinthians 6:11 and Titus 3:5 since both speak of washing. However, since there is considerable debate on this issue and neither text uses bapti,zw they will not be included in this study. In one other passage that speaks of baptism, 1 Corinthians 15:29, Paul is using a Corinthian practice as an illustration and does not speak either for or against the practice at this point. Consequently, this paper will not consider it in this survey of Paul s view of baptism.

5 3 some scholars have followed James Dunn in understanding this passage as only speaking of baptism metaphorically, 4 Paul refers in the context of the discussion not to an illustration only but to an actual fact that he assumes about the Roman church that they had in fact been baptized in water. Moreover, his statement in verse three, h' avgnoei/te o[ti ( do you not know ), suggests that the Roman Christians already know about the relationship between baptism and death to sin. 5 In order for Paul s argument to work, then, the best understanding is Paul s assumption that these believers had been baptized and had some notion of its symbolic significance. To what purpose does Paul refer to baptism, then, if they are already aware of its significance? Paul has just completed his argument in chapter 5 that Adam brought sin but Christ brings redemption. Moreover, he argues that where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (5:20). Foreseeing a possible problem, however, Paul interjects by stating a possible response: Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? (6:1). 6 Paul emphatically denies such a view. In an attempt to illustrate why a believer cannot continue in sin, he points out the believer has died to sin. As F.F. Bruce proposes, Their former existence came to an end; a new life began. 7 This dying, Paul argues, came in baptism into Christ, for baptism into Christ is a baptism into His death (6:3). 4 James D.G. Dunn, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Studies in Biblical Theology, Second Series 15 (Naperville, Ill.: Alec R. Allenson Inc., 1970). 5 Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 359; Lars Hartman, Baptism, in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman, vol. 1: A-C (New York: Doubleday, 1992), All Scripture quotations from English Standard Version (Wheaton: Crossway, 2000). 7 F.F. Bruce, Romans, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 6 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985). Paul says something quite similar in 2 Cor 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

6 4 To be baptized into Christ, however, leaves some questions unanswered. For example, what does it mean to be baptized into Christ Jesus (eivj Cristo.n VIhsou/n)? A typical answer has been to understand evbapti,sqhmen eivj as the goal desired and realized through baptism. 8 In this sense, baptized into Christ means that one is baptized in order to be in Christ; 9 it is essentially a movement toward incorporation into Christ and his family, his body, the Church. Incorporation into Christ as part of the people of God does fit the natural argument not only of this passage but of the message of Romans as a whole which is focused throughout on bringing both Jews and Gentiles together as one people of God. That baptized into Christ refers to incorporation into Christ s body is relatively uncontroversial; however, the manner in which one is baptized into His death is more difficult. For Protestant churches today that perform believer s baptism, this passage is typically used to establish baptism as a symbolic rite whereby the believer is reminded of Christ s death and burial and resurrection. In such a remembrance, the believer is exhorted to walk in newness of life. Since Christ s death has freed those in Him from sin, it is now possible to walk in new life. Baptism, then, is an act of obedience to Christ s command and a public profession that one will henceforward walk in this new manner. Being baptized in Christ s death, then, acts as a symbolic ritual reflecting on this new reality, and can become for the believer a reminder that they have made such a decision. 10 For others, however, believers in some way participate in Christ s death. 1962), George R. Beasley-Murray, Baptism in the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 9 Ibid.; N.T. Wright, The Climax of the Covenant: Christ and the Law in Pauline Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991), 48; Thomas R. Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God s Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology (Downers Grove: IVP, 2001), Michael O. Fape, Baptism, in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner (Downers Grove: IVP, 2000), 395.

7 5 The primary voice for this view is George Beasley-Murray, who posits that being baptized into Christ is to participate in it [Christ s death] in some fashion. 11 By participation he argues that believers actually in some sense die with Christ and, when Paul goes on to say that we were buried therefore with him by baptism (v. 4), believers are in some way laid with him in his [Christ s] grave. 12 Though Beasley-Murray should be commended for taking seriously the union between believer and Christ in this dying and burial, his position implies a more mystical union than the passage appears to suggest. A more moderating view recognizes baptism as identification with the Messiah, so that what is true of him becomes true of those who are baptized. 13 In this sense, the believer shares in the death of Christ in the sense that Christ is the representative head of humanity who dies on behalf of humanity, and thus those who are found in Christ, who remember this death through their own baptism, share in the results of that death, burial, and ultimately resurrection. 14 Considering Paul has just finished a discussion on Adam as the representative of sinful humanity and Christ as the representative of redeemed humanity (5:12-21), such a conclusion would make contextual sense Beasley-Murray, Baptism in the New Testament, George R. Beasley-Murray, Dying and Rising with Christ, in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (Downers Grove: IVP, 1993), N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God, vol. 3, Christian Origins and the Question of God (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003), 251; cf. Schnackenburg, Baptism in the Thought of St. Paul: A Study in Pauline Theology, Romans 6:5 and the use of su,mfutoi may support this interpretation. Though used only here in the NT, the word is used in extra-biblical literature, leading BDAG to define it as pert. to being associated in a related experience. Given the context already discussed, a definition along the lines of BDAG would help one to understand that being baptized into Christ is a baptism into His death by means of being associated with Christ as representative in a related experience His own baptism. 15 Schnackenburg, Baptism in the Thought of St. Paul: A Study in Pauline Theology, 155.

8 6 Finally, although Paul discusses baptism in this passage, it is wise to note the use to which he employs the discussion. Baptism is about being in Christ and about sharing in the benefits of the death and resurrection of the Messiah as the representative head of humanity, but the passage itself aims to demonstrate the truth that, not how, believers have died to sin in Christ in baptism and can now walk in newness of life. Thus, while one can conclude some points regarding the nature of baptism, it is far more important to understand Paul s greater argument. In this sense, one recognizes that baptism is employed in this passage to demonstrate a reality those who have died to sin can walk in newness of life because of God s Spirit. Paul will go on in Romans 7:6 to speak of the new life in the Spirit and again in Romans 8:4 point out that believers walk according to the Spirit. The link between baptism and the Spirit is the more significant of Paul s points. Because the believer has been baptized into Christ and into His death, he can now walk in new life by means of the Spirit. As Paul continues in his line of reasoning, he makes two important points about the Spirit. First, those who are led by this Spirit are sons of God (Rom 8:14). Second, it is this same Spirit in Romans 8:16 who declares to the believer that he is a fellow heir with Christ and child of God through adoption the believer, on account of walking in Spirit, shares in the sonship of Jesus Christ. In this way, Paul s illustration suggests that baptism has some relation to these significant truths Corinthians 1:10-17 First Corinthians 1:10-17 deals with an issue of disunity in the Corinthian church. Paul addresses an issue related to those who were separated into factions over the one who baptized 16 Further legitimizing the link between Romans 6 and 8 is Dunn s analysis of the cluster of syn- compounds in Romans 6:4-8 and 8: See Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle, 403.

9 7 them. Paul s rebuke mentions that some follow Paul, some Apollos, some Cephas, and some Christ (1:12) and he responds with the question of whether they were baptized in the name of Paul. Paul obviously implies they were not, but rather expects they had been baptized in the name of Christ. Although there are few details in this passage, some have undertaken to suggest the Corinthians believed in some type of mystical bond between the baptizer and the one baptized. 17 With the number and severity of issues arising in the Corinthian church, such a conclusion is not impossible, but the text simply does not provide enough evidence to be any more confident than a guess at the issue. What the reader does learn about Paul s view of baptism here is that putting any emphasis on who baptized misses the point. The significance of their baptism was not in who performed it, but in whose name and to what purpose it was performed. Moreover, for Paul, who asks if Christ is divided (v. 13), whatever the exact nature of the problem, it was an issue of unity. One can conclude that Paul understands that baptism was meant to unite the church under the one in whose name they were baptized, not to separate the church into factions. 1 Corinthians 12:13 Later in 1 Corinthians, Paul again addresses the issue of baptism. Considerable debate arises in this passage over whether water or spirit baptism is the primary referent. Although elements of spirit baptism makes sense in the context, since Paul will go on to speak extensively of spiritual gifts, there are good reasons to recognize a reference to water baptism in this passage. First, David Garland suggests that Paul s argument here leaves the reader to complete the thought: Just as the body has many limbs and organs and despite their number and differences 17 For example, see Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle, 449.

10 8 make up one body, so Christ s body has many limbs and organs and despite their number and differences make up one body. 18 Garland proposes that the mention of Christ in this particular context brings to mind the damaging factionalism of chapter 1 and the question, is Christ divided?. 19 If Garland is right in completing Paul s thought about Christ s many parts, which certainly makes sense in the context, then this passage would be a likely echo of the question in 1 Corinthians 1. Moreover, given that he has returned to the issue of unity in the church, a reminder back to chapter 1 is all the more plausible. If one accepts Garland s connection back to chapter 1, then the reference to baptism in 12:13 would naturally flow out of the context of chapter 1 as well, and the most likely option would be a discussion of water baptism, the same issue that brought division in chapter 1. Second, Thomas Schreiner argues that the context of 1 Corinthians 12 points to Christ as the identification of the one body into which believers are baptized, for He is the one body. 20 Moreover, since the context goes on to discuss entrance into the community, water baptism becomes a more likely reading because the book of Acts and other Pauline texts (specifically Rom 6:3) speak of baptism as the rite of entrance into the community. 21 In verse 13, then, the reader would understand evn e`ni. pneu,mati as instrumental by one Spirit. 22 Paul s point in the passage would then be that water baptism is the means by which the 18 David E. Garland, 1 Corinthians, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003), Ibid. 20 Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God s Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology, Thomas R. Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), Garland, 1 Corinthians, 591.

11 9 believers entered into community, much like the view of Romans 6:3-5, and this baptism was closely linked with the ministering work of the Holy Spirit. Of particular interest in this context is the manner in which Paul goes on to speak of spiritual gifts in the context of the need for unity. Though baptism does not bestow upon the believer the Holy Spirit, it is in the context of the church that spiritual gifts manifest themselves, and participation and identification with the community was effected through baptism. Paul is thus closely linking baptism in this passage with the manifestation of spiritual gifts as one enters the community through baptism, he should manifest and use his spiritual gift in service to the church. Galatians 3:27 Galatians 3:27, like Romans 6:3, speaks of being baptized into Christ. In Galatians 3, Paul is working through a detailed argument for the role of the law up until Christ. The law was a guardian, but now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith (vv ). Paul goes on to argue in verse 29 that all who are in Christ are sons of Abraham and heirs according to the promise. It is highly significant, therefore, that Paul argues that as many as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, a reality which transcends boundaries of race, status, and gender (v. 28). Paul s point, much like that of Romans 6:3 and 1 Corinthians 12:13, is that baptism into Christ is the means by which believers are recognized as part of the community. In this passage, baptism and faith seem to be two sides of entrance into this Christ-communion. 23 The imagery in the passage of putting on Christ fits well with Paul s writing elsewhere in which he tells believers to put away the old self and put on the new self (e.g. Col 3). It also fits well with the baptismal imagery of being cleansed and re- 23 Lars Hartman, Into the Name of the Lord Jesus : Baptism in the Early Church, Studies of the New Testament and Its World (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1997), 55.

12 10 clothed. Moreover, as John Calvin points out, the metaphor of putting on Christ as a garment means that they are so closely united to him, that, in the presence of God, they bear the name and character of Christ, and are viewed in him rather than in themselves. 24 This representative role in baptism fits closely with the representative notion of Christ s redemption in Galatians 4:4, where Christ is sent to redeem those under the law that they might receive adoption as sons. The reference to Galatians 4:4 is particularly helpful for this discussion because Paul continues his line of argumentation from chapter 3 into chapter 4. Not only does baptism demonstrate participation in this new community, but he goes on to argue, as he did in Romans 6-8, that the new life in the spirit is a life of sonship. In Galatians 4:1-7, Paul explains that God sent the Son to redeem those who were under the law so they might become fellow heirs and sons with Christ. R.E.O. White describes the progression in this passage well: One corollary of the relation of baptism to the Spirit, for Paul s mind, was the connection between baptism and spiritual sonship. To be led by the Spirit is to be a son of God; the Spirit conferred in baptism is the Spirit of sonship, witnessing to our adoption into the divine family, inspiring our prayer to the divine Father. 25 W.F. Flemington argues similarly that the associated idea which St. Paul develops most fully in this baptismal context is that of Divine Sonship, both the unique Sonship 24 John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians, in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I&II Thessalonians, I&II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, trans. William Pringle, vol. XXI, Calvin s Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005), R.E.O. White, The Biblical Doctrine of Initiation (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960), 204; See also Y.B. Tremel, Baptism--The Incorporation of the Christian into Christ, in Baptism in the New Testament: A Symposium (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1964), 193 There is, however, a clear progression in the way that this fact of belonging to Christ is explained: baptism makes the Christian a son of God (3:26; 4:1-6); it confers on him adoption as a son; it allows him to speak to the Father as if he were the Son in person; it transforms him and conforms his to the image of the Son.

13 11 of Jesus and the derived sonship of the believer. 26 He bases his conclusion on the close link between verses in which the sonship of Christians in verse 26 is defended on the basis of their baptism in verse More specifically, Schreiner suggests the use of gar is the ground for this assertion, namely that all believers were clothed with Christ when they were baptized into Christ. 28 Thus, there is abundant evidence for a close link between baptism into Christ in Galatians 3:27 and the themes of divine sonship and the gift of the Holy Spirit in the immediate context. Ephesians 4:5 Ephesians 4:5 is another difficult text due to debate over its referent. Some suggest the reference to baptism in this passage is metaphorical and therefore merely representative of the whole process of conversion. 29 Against this view, however, Andrew Lincoln argues for water baptism, and understands one baptism not as the number of times an individual should undergo the rite, but rather it is one because it is initiation into Christ, into the one body. 30 Yet a third view is espoused by Bruce who suggests it does not matter whether it was water or spirit 26 W.F. Flemington, The New Testament Doctrine of Baptism (London: SPCK, 1948), Ibid. 28 Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ, Frank Thielman, Ephesians, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010), 259, following Dunn, Baptism in the Holy Spirit. 30 Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians, Word Biblical Commentary 42 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 240.

14 12 baptism, only that it was Christian, and therefore involved both the application of water and was closely associated with the gift of the Spirit. 31 A fourth possibility presents itself, however. Similar to his argument in Galatians 3, Paul sets forward in Ephesians 4 that both Jews and Gentiles are one people of God in Christ, and therefore he urges them to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). In verses 4-6, Paul lists seven ones one body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, and Father. Five of these body, Spirit, hope, Lord, and Father are clearly external to the believer. In the context, it seems best to understand faith as in one object of faith, not that an individual only has one faith. If correct, then six of these items are clearly external to the believer. In determining Paul s emphasis on baptism in this passage, then, the context helps the reader in two ways. First, the reader understands Paul is seeking to bring unity between Jews and Gentiles. The best explanation is that he is uniting them in emphasizing an external reality of baptism rather than pointing them inwardly to their own experience of baptism. 32 Second, the reader would be led to believe that if six of the seven ones relate to something external to the believer, the seventh would likely be external as well. What, then, could be understood as one baptism, external to the believer, yet shared between both Jews and Gentiles? Two possibilities arise. First, Paul could be referencing, as he did with faith, that there is no difference between the baptism of the Jew and the baptism of the Gentile it is the same, and therefore one, baptism, therefore there ought not be any division. The context certainly supports such a conclusion. Second, Paul could 31 F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984), This would be similar to what he does in 1 Corinthians 1 in taking the emphasis off the individual s own baptism and who performed it and focusing instead on the fact that it is in the name of Christ, the external reality.

15 13 be pointing the reader to the baptism of Jesus Christ. It is the representative baptism of Jesus, on behalf of all humanity, both Jews and Gentiles, which would serve as a unifying feature and therefore an appropriate point in the argument in Ephesians 4. James Torrance draws out the significance of this understanding of Ephesians 4 the believer s own baptism into Christ sets forth the one baptism of Christ. 33 In one s own baptism, he participates in the one baptism of Jesus, and in this way, Jesus death was our death, his burial our burial, his resurrection our resurrection his baptism for us our baptism. If baptism sets forth the love of the Father, it is grounded in the substitution [and representation] of the Son. 34 This approach would also fit the context of unity, since unity between Jew and Gentile elsewhere is grounded on their common status in Christ. If the latter view is accepted, then Paul would affirm in Ephesians 4 that in one s own baptism he is united to Christ s baptism by virtue of Christ s representation as the head of new humanity. Colossians 2:12 The final Pauline passage on baptism to discuss is Colossians 2:12. Colossians 2:12 is a significant passage in the discussion, particularly for those who hold to a mystical union in baptism. In this passage, Paul begins with an exhortation to walk in Christ (2:6). In walking in Christ, Paul warns the believers not to be taken captive by empty philosophy, but to remember they are filled in Him, circumcised in Him, buried with Him in baptism, and raised with Him through faith. This passage makes two important points with respect to this discussion on baptism. 33 James B. Torrance, Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1996), Ibid.

16 14 First, it is through baptism, just as it was in Romans 6:3-5, that the believer shares in Christ s death, and here also His victory over it. For those with a more mystical view, being buried with Christ in baptism means that in some way the believer is actually laid in the grave with Christ. 35 In a similar manner, the believer is raised with Christ in baptism, an element implicit in Romans 6:3-5 but made explicit in Colossians 2: The explicit nature of this connection, however, is perhaps evidence against a mystical view. If one participates mystically in Christ s death and burial through baptism, and if resurrection is also linked with baptism, as Colossians 2 makes clear, then one would have to argue that one participates mystically in Christ s resurrection. Yet it would seem that Paul s teaching is that one can walk in new life in the present by the Spirit (Rom 6-8; Gal 3-4), while participation in a resurrection like His remains future (1 Cor 15). If this is the case, then Paul likely has some non-mystical connection in view. Second, the significance of being buried with Him in baptism is linked closely with the fact that believers are filled in him as the head of all rule and authority (v. 10). In some sense, Christ s position as the head of all rule and authority makes it possible for all who are united with Him in his death through baptism to likewise be raised with Him by the powerful working of God (v. 12). Summary of Paul s View of Baptism In light of the exegesis of the Pauline passages regarding baptism, what conclusions can one draw? First, Paul assumes all believers have been baptized and this rite was part of their initiation into the community. Second, Paul speaks of believers participating in some way in 35 Beasley-Murray, Baptism, 62.

17 15 Jesus death and resurrection through their own baptism. This participation is likely not mystical, but it is also not merely symbolic. Moreover, Paul closely links baptism with the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit, though he does not imply the Holy Spirit only comes into the believer at baptism nor that He comes apart from faith. Finally, Paul associates the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit s role in leading the believer to walk in newness of life with the Spirit s role of affirming and bearing witness to the believer s sonship. Jesus Baptism In light of the previous survey of Pauline baptismal accounts, it is interesting to note that two of Paul s major themes sonship and the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit figure prominently in Jesus own baptism in the Gospel accounts. W.F. Flemington notices these similarities and concludes it can hardly be accidental that several passages in Acts and Paul s epistles highlight the same two themes as Jesus own baptism. 36 He continues, suggesting that in our attempt to describe the antecedents of Christian baptism we do well to give a conspicuous place to the baptism of our Lord. It may be that this event has exercised a more considerable influence than has hitherto been recognized. 37 Before considering the reason for these similarities and the use to which Paul may have put them, one must consider the manner in which the gospel writers portray Jesus baptism in order to establish a point of comparison with the Pauline material. In exploring Jesus baptism, it is particularly worth noting those aspects of Jesus baptism which are distinct from John s baptism for the remission of sins. In exploring the gospel accounts in this manner, one will find that all four gospels record the account of Jesus 36 Flemington, The New Testament Doctrine of Baptism, Ibid.

18 16 baptism, and all four accounts link Jesus baptism with the anointing of the Holy Spirit on Jesus and the declaration of His sonship. 38 Matthew Matthew s gospel provides the most detailed account of the purpose of Jesus baptism. Jesus says in 3:15 that His baptism is fitting to fulfill all righteousness. Lars Hartman posits that fulfilling all righteousness means Jesus baptism was that which God wanted, or fulfilled His will. 39 Such a view fits well with those, like D.A. Carson, who define righteousness in the early chapters of Matthew as a pattern of life in conformity to God s will. 40 Douglas Hare argues similarly for God s will in this case, adding that God s will for the Messiah to be baptized is likely to stress Jesus solidarity with sinners. 41 After Jesus baptism, the Spirit descends like a dove. Since Matthew has already made clear that Jesus was Messiah from His birth, 42 the anointing of the Holy Spirit is not His initiation as Messiah, but rather marks Jesus as the servant of Isaiah and provides Jesus with divine empowerment by which he will be able to attack Satan s forces and thereby exhibit the proximity of the kingdom of heaven. 43 Thus, the Spirit 38 David S. Dockery, Baptism, in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, ed. Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight (Downers Grove: IVP, 1992), Hartman, Baptism, D.A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5-10 (Grand Rapids: Global Christian Publishers-Baker Book House, 1999), ), Douglas R.A. Hare, Matthew, Interpretation (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 42 That Matthew saw Jesus as Messiah from birth is clear in Matthew s fulfillment passages in 1-2, particularly with respect to the genealogy and virgin birth. 43 Hare, Matthew,

19 17 now bestows on Him a greater manifestation of divine power so he can fulfill his ministry. At this same time, heaven is opened and the Father declares, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, emphasizing Jesus sonship. Although a Christian reading in wider context of the canon can understand this as a statement of Jesus role as the second person of the Trinity, it is more directly related to Jesus fulfillment of the Messianic promises of the offspring of David. Moreover, links with the servant passages in Isaiah suggest he also fulfills His role as the faithful Israelite who represents God s people. If Jesus solidarity with the people is the reason for Jesus baptism in Matthew s account, then it is possible that Jesus baptism becomes a model for the Matthean Christians, an example of obedience and humility, which reminds them they, too, are God s sons. 44 Mark Mark s baptism account is shorter than Matthew s, though it includes both the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the declaration of Jesus sonship. In some ways, the shorter account helps to highlight these two points as the prominent ways in which Jesus baptism differs from the baptism John has been giving to the people. Considering how Jesus identity as the Son of God is such a prominent theme in Mark, the declaration of His sonship takes on added significance. A second intriguing note about Mark s baptismal account is that Jesus alone seems to be addressed by the voice and the Spirit. For Mark, this is a secret epiphany, a truth which others must discover by watching and discerning the meaning of Jesus life and teaching. 45 Mark s more 2009), Hartman, Into the Name of the Lord Jesus : Baptism in the Early Church, Lamar Williamson Jr., Mark, Interpretation (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press,

20 18 secret baptism may speak to the need in Christian baptism to make public what Jesus baptism represented privately. Luke Luke s account at first draws a much closer connection between Jesus baptism and that of the people. He writes, Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized (Luke 3:21). Fred Craddock suggests Luke s reason for including Jesus baptism in a dependent clause is to highlight the postbaptismal revelatory character of Jesus experience. 46 Craddock also points out that Luke has already recorded John s arrest and imprisonment before Jesus baptism. He is not suggesting John did not baptize Jesus, but rather the move seems intended to put the focus solely on Jesus. 47 As in Mark, the announcement of Jesus sonship seems meant for Jesus only, not the crowd. 48 Finally, as was the case with Matthew and Mark, the anointing of the Holy Spirit does not make Jesus Messiah, but instead it empowers Him to begin His ministry. As Joel Green explains it, Jesus identity as the Son of God and His experience of the Holy Spirit are central to His preparation for ministry. 49 He argues the two are inextricably linked, with the Spirit foundational for His sonship, for the Spirit both certifies and makes sonship possible. 50 Green goes on to suggest that in the world 2009), Fred B. Craddock, Luke, Interpretation (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 47 Ibid., Ibid., Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), Ibid.

21 19 of ancient Israel the concept of sonship was correlated with the son s active obedience to his father and his representative service on his father s behalf. 51 Finally, Green associates the title with its use in the genealogy in 3:38 to argue for the representative character of Jesus for all humanity. 52 It is in this manner, as the representative of humanity, that Jesus close baptismal connection with the people in verse 21 may find the best explanation. John Finally, John s gospel is in some ways the antithesis of, though perfectly compatible with, Luke s account. Whereas Luke removes John the Baptist from the picture to focus on Jesus, the apostle John tells the story of Jesus baptism through John the Baptist. The point of such a change seems to be John s goal of establishing why the disciples of John would leave to follow Jesus. Simply stated, John had spoken of one who would come after him who was greater than he (vv ), and he is now bearing witness that the one he spoke of had come (vv ); therefore, he expects his disciples will follow Jesus when he points out Jesus, which they do (vv ). Nevertheless, despite the radical change in perspective, John s two main points of testimony are the anointing of the Spirit and the sonship of Jesus. Jesus Baptism According to the Gospels In light of these brief expositions of the gospel accounts of Jesus baptism, one can make a few points of summary. First, Jesus baptism was necessary to fulfill all righteousness, meaning that Jesus baptism was essential for obeying the will of the Father. Second, Jesus submission to John s baptism, since not for the remission of His own sins, appears to be 51 Ibid. 52 Ibid.

22 20 explained most convincingly as a deliberate act of solidarity with sinful men and women. 53 Third, although Matthew s account portrays the event as more public, the more private nature of Mark and Luke s accounts suggest the main point in the baptism was not a public declaration of Jesus Messiahship but rather the more private experience of the Father s declaration of sonship and the anointing of the Holy Spirit for His ministry. As Flemington highlights, it is the fact that for Jesus the moment of baptism coincided with an experience of holy spirit and a realization of his unique divine Sonship that is most striking. 54 Christ as Representative With a survey of both Paul s passages on baptism and the gospel passages on Jesus baptism completed, how can one both understand the foundation for Paul s view of baptism and then the way in which it may relate to Jesus baptism? Scholars typically propose one of three foundations for the Christian practice of baptism. The first is Jewish proselyte baptism. This practice was administered, along with circumcision, to those who converted to Judaism. The practice was understood to cleanse the convert from moral and cultic impurity. Some suggest John s baptism for the remission of sins is based on this type of practice. 55 The second possible foundation is the practice of washings by the Qumran community. Since they had a negative view of the priests and the temple practices of the time, their only available rituals were the baths 53 George R. Beasley-Murray, Baptism--Biblical Theology, in New Dictionary of Theology, ed. Sinclair B. Ferguson, David F. Wright, and J.I. Packer (Downers Grove: IVP, 1988), Flemington, The New Testament Doctrine of Baptism, Dockery, Baptism,

23 21 described in the Old Testament. 56 This practice, likewise for cleansing from sin, required true repentance and brought with them an eschatological expectation. John s baptism for remission of sins also focused on repentance and Messianic expectation, so it does demonstrate similarities with this perspective, though it is not identical. The third possible foundation is that Christian baptism was founded upon the initiation practices of the mystery cults. Although a popular view for a time, there is not sufficient evidence about the initiation practices of the mystery cults for this to be any more than a conjecture. However, based on the way that Paul uses baptism to highlight divine sonship and the gift of the Holy Spirit and the fact that Jesus own baptism emphasizes these same two points, this paper proposes a fourth foundation for Christian baptism according to Paul Jesus own baptism. 57 That the two focus on similar points establishes a close connection to be sure; nevertheless, can one explain how, and if, Paul intends his reader to understand the similarities? The next section aims to demonstrate that Paul s understanding of Christ as representative with respect to atonement can be applied to Christ s baptism as well, yielding a helpful model for understanding Christ s own baptism as the model and foundation for the Christian s own baptism Ibid., The goal in this section is not to locate the foundation of Jesus baptism, but rather to draws points of comparison in order to understand better the practice as Paul understands it. Regardless of the cultural foundation or significance of Jesus baptism, any new expressions of baptismal significance are simply reinterpretations through the lens of Jesus own baptism. 58 Since Romans 6:3 links baptized into Christ and baptized into His death, this provides a particularly helpful illustration drawn out of Paul s own comparisons. It is also intriguing that Jesus calls his own death a baptism. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" (Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:50). It may be that Jesus already has in mind what Paul merely makes explicit, that baptism is a visible representation of Christ s atoning work on the cross.

24 22 Christ as Representative Man in Atonement Christ as representative is not a foreign concept to Pauline studies, but it is usually discussed in the context of the atonement. Although conversation often revolves around Christ s substitutionary atonement, the notion of representation is closely linked. There is, of course, a sense in which one must distinguish between the notion of substitution and representation. A common way of distinguishing between the two is to explain how in substitution, the Messiah takes the place of humanity, whereas in representation the Messiah takes His place alongside humanity. 59 Nevertheless, Paul identifies Jesus as fulfilling both tasks. In defending this claim, Everett Harrison writes, But his redeeming work is not only substitutionary; it is also representative. One died for all, and therefore all died (2 Cor 5:14). So Christians are viewed as being identified with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. 60 Dunn argues similarly that substitution tells only half the story, since Jesus does not die in the place of sinners so that they will never die. They will still experience death, but Jesus death makes it possible now for the believer to share in Christ s death through his own. Consequently, in Dunn s mind, to say that Jesus died as representative of Adamic humankind and to say that Jesus died as sacrifice for the sins of humankind was for Paul to say the same thing. 61 That both substitution and representation are present in Paul s view of the atonement is borne out in Romans 5:12-21 (cf. 1 Cor 15) which provide sustained expositions of Jesus 59 Beasley-Murray, Baptism in the New Testament, 57 58; Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle, Everett F. Harrison, Romans, in Romans through Galatians, vol. 10, The Expositor s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle, 223.

25 23 representative significance as Paul compares and contrasts Christ with Adam. 62 The logic of Romans 5 suggests Adam is the representative of fallen humanity; all who have sinned are in Adam. 63 Conversely, Christ is the representative of new humanity; all who have received his gift of grace are in Christ. Douglas Moo comes to a similar conclusion in his discussion of Romans 5: He suggests there is good evidence for understanding Paul s point in this passage along the lines of Jewish notions of corporate solidarity and the representative character of individuals. 65 Though the nature of this representative character is difficult to determine, 66 Moo does conclude that Paul affirms the reality of a solidarity of all humanity with Adam in his sin without being able to explain the exact nature of that union. 67 With respect to Christ s work, then, it would likewise be an act of solidarity with all humanity and serve a representative function. Paul provides another passage of Christ s representative work in 2 Corinthians 5: Here he argues in verses that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for 62 James D.G. Dunn, Paul s Understanding of the Death of Jesus, in Reconciliation and Hope: New Testament Essays on Atonement and Eschatology, ed. Robert Banks (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), An interesting issue arises at this point. If one reads this passage, as many Reformed theologians do, as sinning in Adam s sin, then it would seem to reflect a form of Christmysticism, which would almost necessarily be imported into the baptism passage of Romans Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, He also summarizes Romans 5:12-21 in much the same manner when he refers to in Adam and in Christ as two realms which people participate in by the founding acts of these realms Adam s sin and Christ s obedience. Ibid., Ibid., For a detailed analysis of the issues involved, see Moo s discussion in Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, 327, n Ibid.

26 24 all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Paul views Christ s death as representative for fallen humanity, so that in Christ all die. In his resurrection, he becomes representative of the new creation Paul goes on to identify in verse 17. But Christ is only representative of the new creation in as much as those who have died are then found to be in Christ. James D.G. Dunn defines this representative role well: Jesus became one with man in order to put an end to sinful man in order that a new man might come into being. He became what man is in order that by his death and resurrection man might become what he is. 68 He is therefore representative of both fallen man (Rom 8:3) on whose behalf he dies and the new man (1 Cor 15; 2 Cor 5) on whose behalf he is raised. To summarize, one might say the Messiah represents humanity in such a way that, for those who are in Him, what is true of him is true of them. 69 Christ as Representative Man in Baptism If Paul has spoken of Christ as representative man for both fallen and redeemed humanity with respect to the atonement, is it possible to apply His representative status to baptism as well? Beasley-Murray thinks the evidence best points to such a conclusion. He writes, Jesus went to the baptism of John, not as a private individual, but as one convinced of His vocation to be the Messiah and therefore as a representative person. 70 Schnackenburg argues similarly, suggesting that the motif of representation in the Adam-Christ parallel formed the foundation for Paul s 68 Dunn, Paul s Understanding of the Death of Jesus, 126. Italics original. 69 N.T. Wright, Paul: In Fresh Perspective (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 113; cf. Dunn, Paul s Understanding of the Death of Jesus, Beasley-Murray, Baptism in the New Testament,

27 25 theology of baptism generally. 71 He makes this connection on the basis of the Semitic idea of corporate personality, whereby the Messiah represents God s people and makes it possible to bring into a single perspective the salvation-event in baptism and the death and resurrection of Christ. 72 Hartman links this representative baptism idea to Paul s formula baptized into Christ. He suggests that the expression is vague, and thereby it is not impossible that Paul s use of the phrase could be understood locatively, so that baptism meant being put into Christ, the New Adam, a kind of corporate personality. 73 James Torrance agrees and draws an inference about the Christian s baptism from his understanding of Jesus representative baptism: The act of baptism in water sets forth Christ s baptism for us, thus making baptism a participatory sign. 74 Finally, Lamar Williamson draws a connection between Jesus baptism in Mark and being baptized into Christ in Romans 6 and Galatians 3. He argues that Jesus baptism in Mark highlights Jesus identity Jesus is who God says he is. Likewise, the believer s baptism establishes his own identity. In Galatians 3 particularly, that identity is clearly linked with the status as sons and daughters of God. Baptism is important, then, because it, like Jesus baptism, establishes the believer s identity as God defines it His son or daughter. 75 Despite many scholars suggesting this relationship, one must demonstrate Paul had such a view in mind. There are several suggestions in the Pauline material that he did in fact hold such a view. 71 Schnackenburg, Baptism in the Thought of St. Paul: A Study in Pauline Theology, Ibid., Hartman, Baptism, Torrance, Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace, 77, Williamson, Mark,

28 26 Romans 6:3, Galatians 3:27, and Ephesians 4:5 The exegesis section earlier has already discussed Paul s baptismal passages in more detail. Here it is only necessary to remind the reader of some of the conclusions of those passages which speak to the issue of representation in Jesus baptism. First, Romans 6:3 is tied closely to the preceding context of 5:12-21 in which Paul contrasts Adam as the head of sinful humanity and Jesus as the head of redeemed humanity. It is natural in the context to understand that if baptism is symbolic of the Christ s representative role in His death that it may also speak to His representative role in other respects, especially baptism. Second, Galatians 3:27, like the Romans passage, is closely tied to a context where Paul goes on to speak about Christ s representative role in death (Gal 4:4). Once again, the context helps the reader to infer what Calvin makes explicit, that they are viewed in him rather than in themselves. 76 Since baptism plays a key role in this passage of entrance into Christ, being viewed in Christ with respect to His baptism is not a big step from His representative role in His death. Third, Ephesians 4:4-6 proclaims the believer can share in the one body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, and God, each of which is external to the believer. The one baptism, then, should be understood in the context as something outside the believer himself. Though he is baptized, the one baptism is the baptism of Christ that he now participates in through his own baptism, not mystically, but in the sense of reenactment by which the same announcement made in Jesus representative baptism becomes the announcement for the believer as well. Each of these three Pauline baptismal passages, therefore, provide contextual support for a view of representation. 76 Calvin, The Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians,