Baptized Into Christ
(Editor's Note: For many years there was a sharp clash between David Lipscomb and certain Baptist editors and papers as to the meaning of the Biblical expression, "baptized into Christ." We give herewith a lengthy quotation from the Journal and Messenger, a Baptist paper published in Cincinnati, Ohio, around the turn of the century, and Lipscomb's response to it. First, the quotation:)
"The minister who proposed to baptize the applicant in order to 'put her into Christ' was not a Baptist, yet have we not seen or heard things quite similar from Baptists? Is there not now and then a Baptist who supposes that baptism puts one into Christ? We wish there were not such, but fear there are some. If asked for the ground of their belief, they would probably quote Rom, 6:3, `So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death,' and Gal. 3:27, 'As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,' but the same persons, when they come to 1 Cor. 10:2, would hesitate to say that all Israelites were baptized by Moses, and they would also hesitate to say that John baptized into repentance or that men of Nineveh believed into Jonah; but they must know that the same preposition is used in all cases, and if it is 'into' in the one case, it ought to be 'into' in all the cases cited.
"But the truth is that 'into' is not its translation in any of the instances noted, and few translators dare so use it. Most of them say 'unto repentance,' 'at the preaching of Jonah.' The truth is that proper baptism is with respect to the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and not into the name, etc. What a world of confusion would be avoided if learned men did not follow their prejudices rather than common sense and the true tenor of God's word in its translation and treatment! No man ever yet baptized another into Christ; and if there is anything which Baptists repudiate, it is just that thing of making baptism a means of regeneration, or entrance into Christ. Let us all speak the same thing all the time."
The above is from the Journal and Messenger, a Baptist paper of Cincinnati, Ohio. We have occasionally seen such criticism of the translation of the preposition "eis," translated usually "into" or "for," from this paper and from other Baptist papers. We would notice such things more often than we do, but those who need the notice seldom see them that is, Baptist papers never publish them. Why should one hesitate to say that he was baptized into Moses any more than that he was baptized into Christ? No one would understand it literally that they were baptized into the material, or fleshly, body of Christ or Moses; but they were baptized into the leadership of each; they were pledged and committed in the act to follow the respective leaders; they were committed to Moses as their leader in crossing the Red Sea, just as persons are committed to Jesus as their leader in baptism. The passage of the Red Sea cut them off from their former leaders and rulers and separated them from their enemies, just as baptism separates from past leaders and rulers and enemies and commits them to Jesus as the new Ruler and Leader. They are baptized into the leadership of Jesus as they were into that of Moses. "Into" should have its common meaning in this passage.
John baptized into repentance, and the Ninevehites repented into the preaching of Jonah. Repentance, as preached by John, was a life work. They were baptized into a life of repentance. Baptism was the first act of repentance, and introduced them into the life work. The preaching of Jonah required a life of turning from their sins into the service of God. When Jonah preached, the people repented and turned into this work pointed out in the preaching of Jonah. Not only is it in harmony with the ordinary translation of the word, but no other word so fully and definitely points out what was the result of the repentance and the preaching. An imperfect definition of the word "repentance" has been adopted, and this probably caused the translators to hesitate about giving the word its common and literal meaning in all instances; but the literal and common definition would best bring out the full and definite meaning in all the cases mentioned. Give the word its true meaning.
Then it is contended that the meaning is "in respect to" — be baptized in respect to remission of sins. What does "in respect to" mean? It is indefinite. If a man were baptized because he does not desire remission of sins that would be in respect to it; if he were baptized for or in order to remission, this would be in respect or in regard to it. "In respect" or "in regard to" only means it in some way relates to remission of sins, without indicating what the relation is, it may mean for remission or against it, but the Greek word shows it is that the person may receive and enjoy remission of sins. Hence, to be baptized into remission is to be baptized into Christ, because in Christ remission of sins and every blessing of God are to be enjoyed. Believe into Christ, repent into Christ, be baptized into Christ, are scriptural statements that show all stand on the same side of remission and are similarly related to it. Believing into Christ leads through repentance into Christ and being baptized into Christ. They are successive steps in that path that leads into Christ.