Hello and welcome to Van Life Devotions. We are in Turkey visiting the areas that had churches which Jesus addressed in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Today we are in Laodicea. I have already shared about the message of Christ to this church in a previous devotion. Today, I am in the largest of the 20 churches that archaeologists have discovered in this area. This church is known as the Church of Laodicea. Archaeologists date this church building to the first quarter of the fourth century, shortly after the Edict of Milan that established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire.
What I found interesting is this ancient baptistery. It has two sets of steps with the person walking down one set of steps into the water representing their old life. They were baptised in the water, burying their sinful life, to be then raised up out of the water walking up the other steps as a sign of their new life. It’s quite moving to think of my many brothers and sisters in Christ who were baptised in this baptistery.
We know from the Book of Acts that the Early Church were obedient to our Lord’s command to go into all the world making disciples, baptising them. On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached a gospel message with people so moved that they asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37 NIV). And Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 NIV). Repent first then be baptise. And so, in response we read in verse 41, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41 NIV). And from this day, many throughout Acts were baptised.
When I saw this baptistery, it revealed to me that the church was still teaching people of the necessity of baptism. Just up the road, 15 kilometres from here is Colossae where Paul reminded the church that met there what baptism means. In Colossians 2 verse 12 Paul writes: “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead” (Colossians 2:12 NLT).
The practise of baptism by immersion for those who were old enough to repent and believe started to change around 200 years later. Historians wrote that sprinkling was introduced for those Christians who were very sick and couldn’t be immersed fully in water. At this stage, baptism was still only for those who were old enough to repent and believe. However, it was long afterwards that Infant Baptism was introduced, particularly after the writings of the North African theologian Augustine in the fifth century had popularized the theory of original sin did the church start to practice sprinkling of children. It wasn’t until the Council of Ravenna in 1311, that Infant Baptism was officially accepted. However, as Brenner, a Roman Catholic says, “For 1300 years was baptism generally and regularly an immersion of the person under water...”.
Baptism is not just a nice thing to do. It is showing the world that in obedience to Christ’s command, your baptism is an outward sign of your inner commitment that you have made in following Jesus as Lord. It is putting to death your old way of living but raised to a new life with Christ.
If you are not baptised by immersion, I encourage you to be baptised. Search the Scriptures and talk to your pastor asking that you need to be baptised in obedience to Christ’s command. God bless you.
Let’s Pray:
O God, as I reflect of the many who were baptised in this very baptistery, I am again moved by people’s obedience to You. May the church continue to make disciples, baptising in Your name. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
David Moyes
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