SPECIAL STUDY ON BAPTISM

Taken from Baptism:  A Biblical Study
By Jack Cottrell
Material reprinted with permission from
College Press Publishing Co.,
Joplin, MO  64802

Dr. Cottrell is Professor of Theology at
Cincinnati Bible Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio

Galatians 3:26-27

	The meaning of baptism is found in Galatians 3:26-27, which reads, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  The key to understanding this passage is the concept of sonship as related to heirship.  This is summarized in Galatians 4:7, “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”
	The main point for our purposes will be this:  the state of sonship, which qualifies us to inherit God’s blessings of salvation, is entered into in Christian baptism. 

I.  SONS OF GOD

	To understand the point of Galatians 3:26-27, we must understand the point of the whole context of Galatians 3:1-4:7.  The central idea here is the significance of Abraham and our role as sons of Abraham.  According to Paul, the gospel itself was preached to Abraham when God promised that through him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (3:8; Gen. 12:3).  That is, through Abraham the full contents of the gospel offer would be made possible for all families and nations of the earth.
	The contents of this gospel offer as specified in this passage are the same basic elements of the “double cure” mentioned in several other places and discussed in some detail in connection with Acts 2:38.  The first element is forgiveness or justification.  Just as Abraham was justified (counted righteous) by faith, God promised that He “would justify the Gentiles by faith” also (3:6, 8).  The other element is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was not enjoyed by Abraham himself but was a major part of the blessing that would come to others through him.  This is seen in Galatians 3:2-5 and 4:6, and especially in 3:14, where “the blessing of Abraham” is equated with “the promise of the Spirit.”
	These gospel gifts are described as “the blessing of Abraham” (3:14), as “the promises . . . spoken to Abraham” (3:16), and especially as “the inheritance” which Abraham was given the privilege of leaving to his offspring or heirs (3:18).
	Now, the main question that arises at this point is this:  who are Abraham’s heirs?  Who will inherit these gospel blessings:  To put it another way, who is considered to be a son of Abraham?  Sonship is the crucial idea.  It is essential to have the status of a son, since in the Old Testament economy ordinarily only sons could inherit the family assets.  As long as any sons were living, women and slaves did not receive an inheritance.  Only if there were no sons could the daughters be heirs (Num. 27:1-11; 36:1-12), and only if there were no natural heirs at all could slaves be designated to inherit the property (Gen. 15:3).  Thus to be an heir of Abraham, one must be a son of Abraham.  Until we are sons, our status is no different from that of slaves (4:1-7); we have no claim to the inheritance.
	At this stage in the argument, Paul makes the very unexpected point that Abraham has only one true son and heir, namely, Jesus Christ (3:16).  He notes that the promises were given to Abraham and to his seed, singular.  They are not given to many seeds, plural, but just to the one seed or offspring, which is Christ.  Technically speaking He is the only seed “to whom the promise had been made” (3:19).  Thus He is the only true son and heir of Abraham.  The rest of us, whether Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, all seem to be left out.
	But here is where the gospel, the good news, gets even better.  Though Christ is the only true son and heir, anyone who is “in Christ Jesus” (3:14) or united with Christ is counted as a part of Christ Himself and therefore as a son and therefore as an heir!  This is the main point of Galatians 3:16-19.  Of course, Jesus is still the only natural son; the rest of us are sons by adoption (4:5).
	Since being united with Christ is our only hope of receiving the gospel blessings, our main concern should thus be how to become one with Christ.  As we have already seen in our study of Romans 6:3-4, and as we shall see below, baptism marks our entry into this union.

II.  CLOTHED WITH CHRIST

	Before we turn to the discussion of baptism itself, we must explore the meaning of the expression “clothed with Christ” as it appears in Galatians 3:27, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  The imagery itself is quite vivid.  Christ is compared with a garment that we put on and begin to wear at our baptism.  But what does the image represent?
	This same image or figure of speech is found in other places in Scripture besides here.  Its meaning varies according to the context.  Sometimes it seems to be equivalent to the second part of the double cure, to the “putting on” of a new nature through regeneration and a working out of that new nature in sanctification.  We put off the old sinful self (Rom. 6:6) and put on a new holy one (Eph. 4:22-24).  In a sense this “new self” is none other than Christ Himself, as Paul exhorts us to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14).  “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me,” says Paul of himself (Gal. 2:20).  The point is that we “put on Christ” when we are living in obedience to God’s will by the power of Christ working in us and according to the example of His life.
	Another possible meaning of “clothed with Christ” relates the image to the first part of the double cure, or justification.  The key verse here is Isaiah 61:10, “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness.”  In contrast to the “filthy garment” of our own futile “righteous deeds” (Isa. 64:6), God gives us the gift of His own righteousness to cover us like an all-encompassing robe.  This is the “righteousness of God” which the New Testament makes central to the gospel (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:21; 10:3; II Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).  This “righteousness of God” is nothing less than the blood of Christ, by which He satisfied the righteous demands of God’s law by paying the penalty for our sins.  Thus to be “clothed with Christ” in this sense means to be covered by His blood as if it were a “robe of righteousness” covering all our sin.
	Both of these aspects of salvation are included in the total Biblical concept of “putting on Christ” or being “clothed with Christ.”  It is doubtful, however, if either is specifically in view in Galatians 3:27.  In view of the context, it is most likely that the main point Paul wants to get across with this image is simply union with Christ in and of itself.  When we are clothed with Christ, we are identified with Him; we are in Him; in a sense we are a very part of Him.  What is true of Christ in a sense becomes true of us, too.  The whole point of this is that because we are one with Christ, we share his sonship and heirship with regard to the blessing of Abraham.  Indeed, this is the only way we can share in these things.
	The two following verses (3:28-29) confirm this understanding.  Verse 28 says that all who are clothed with Christ are “one in [en] Christ Jesus.”  The word in is the Greek preposition en, which can also be translated “with” or “by.”  In my opinion, it should be translated “with” in Galatians 3:28), so that it reads “you are all one with Christ Jesus.”  This is the idea demanded by the context; the whole point is that we have been united with Christ, that we are one with Christ.  Verse 29 affirms this union in still another way, by stating that “you belong to Christ.”  Then follows the conclusion to which all of this has been leading.  If you belong to Christ (are clothed with Him, are one with Him), “then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (3:29).  It does not matter if you are a Gentile, or a woman, or a slave—none of whom could inherit property according to Old Testament law.  If you are in Christ and one with Him, you will be treated like a son and therefore will receive the inheritance anyway.  This is summed up in 4:7, “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”

III.  FAITH, BAPTISM, AND SONSHIP

	Now we return to the question raised at the end of section I above.  According to this passage, how does anyone become clothed with Christ or united with Christ, and thus share in His sonship and inheritance?  The two conditions specified here are faith and baptism.
	The primary requirement for sharing in the Abrahamic inheritance is faith.  This is one of the main themes of the book of Galatians.  Apparently the churches of Galatia were under pressure from the group known as the Judaizers to include circumcision in the list of requirements for becoming a Christian.  Since circumcision was the primary symbol of the whole Mosaic law, this was equivalent to requiring obedience to law as a condition for receiving saving grace—an impossible contradiction.  Throughout this third chapter especially, Paul stresses the contrast between the law-system of salvation, in which one is saved by his works, and the grace-system, in which one is saved by faith.  “This is the only thing I want to find out from you,” he says to the Galatian Christians:  “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”  (3:2; see 3:5).  The inheritance is not received by legal conditions (and thus by works), but by faith in God’s gracious promises (3:14, 18, 22).
	This is the background for the crucial statement in Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”  Here “sons of God” is no different from “sons of Abraham” (3:7); the inheritance is through Abraham but is ultimately from God.  The important point is sonship itself, since only sons can be heirs.  How do we become sons?  Through faith in Christ Jesus.
	This is highly appropriate, since Abraham’s own acceptance with God was through faith.  “Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (3:6; see Gen. 15:6).  That is, through his faith he was justified.  As “Abraham the believer” (3:9), he is a model for anyone who wants to be adopted into his family.  Only when we imitate his faith can we be his sons:  “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith that are sons of Abraham” (3:7).  Only when we imitate his faith can we be his heirs:  “So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer” (3:9).  Like Abraham, we, too, are “justified by faith” (3:24).
	It is not just a question of what is appropriate, however, as if inclusion in Abraham’s family were merely an apt or suitable reward for someone who imitates his faith.  We cannot forget Paul’s point that only one “seed” or son is a rightful heir to the Abrahamic promises (3:16), and that son in Christ.  A faith like Abraham’s does not in and of itself bestow upon us the status of sonship, but it does bring us into union with Christ, and this is what includes us in Abraham’s family.  “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (3:29).  We must not forget the Christological focus of our faith nor the Christological basis of the inheritance itself.
	Verse 26 is very clear that faith is necessary for the status of sonship:  we are “sons of God through faith.”  But verse 27 is just as clear that baptism is the action that unites us with Christ, thus making our sonship possible:  “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  The expression baptized into Christ is the same as that in Romans 6:3.  In that discussion, the idea of “into Christ,” with the Greek preposition eis, refers to the event of entering into union with Christ.  According to both Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27, the action that brings this about is baptism:  we are baptized into Christ.
	Galatians makes this connection between baptism and union with Christ even more emphatic when it says that baptism into Christ is equivalent to clothing yourselves with Christ.  The concepts are almost equated.  If you have done one, says Paul, then you have done the other.  If you have been baptized into Christ, then you have clothed yourselves with Christ.  They are practically the same thing.
	The concepts are almost equated, but not quite.  More precisely, they are brought into such a close cause-and-effect relationship that we cannot separate them.  Being clothed with Christ is the necessary result or effect of being baptized into Christ.  This is the point of the sequence of the ideas in the verse.
	The sequence of the concepts is worth noting for another reason.  We may remember that the common Protestant understanding of baptism is that it is an act that follows the reception of salvation in order to symbolize the fact that one has already become one with Christ.  But if this were true, the order of Galatians 3:27 would have to be just the opposite:  “all of you who were clothed with Christ were then baptized into Christ.”  But this is not what it says, because this is not the way it happens.  It is the other way around, as the verse indicates.
	How can we be sure this verse is speaking of water baptism, though?  Could it be referring to Holy Spirit baptism, and not to water baptism at all?  A discussion of I Corinthians 12:13 shows that this kind of distinction is not Biblically valid; there is only “one baptism” (Eph. 4:5).  When the Galatians who originally received Paul’s letter read this statement about their own baptism, only one event would have entered their minds:  their immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
	Verse 26 speaks of becoming sons through faith; verse 27 speaks of being united with Christ through baptism.  How are these concepts related?  Are they the same thing, or is there just a logical (if not chronological) sequence in view?  The answer is that they are not the same, but again are so closely related as cause and effect that they cannot be separated.  That is, the sonship in verse 26 is the effect of the union with Christ in verse 27.  Verse 26 affirms that we are sons of God through faith, and verse 27 explains how this came about.  The key is the word for (Greek, gar) at the beginning of verse 27, which has the force of because.  We are sons of God through faith, because we have been baptized into Christ.  Union with Christ is the cause or prerequisite of sonship.  And since union with Christ is entered into at baptism, then baptism also is a prerequisite of sonship.
	There is a further significance of this for baptism:  that which happens in baptism is the prerequisite of that which is said to happen through faith.  We are sons of God through faith, but this sonship is not acquired as soon as we have faith.  Rather, it is acquired when this faith leads us into the baptism which unites us with Christ.  This should serve as a caution against the common error of equating the Biblical expression “through faith” with the quite different concept “as soon as we have faith.”  As an analogy, having ten dollars may be a necessary prerequisite for getting into a ball park and seeing the ball game, but this does not mean that one will see the ball game as soon as he has the ten dollars.  He still has to go to the place where the ball game is being played.  Likewise, having faith is a necessary prerequisite for sonship and thus heirship, but we still have to go to the place where this sonship is bestowed, which is baptism.
	This does not detract at all from the significance of faith, but rather simply shows the strong bond and affinity between faith and baptism, a fact that is pointed out in a discussion of Mark 16:16.
	This affinity between faith and baptism is underscored all the more by the fact that such a strong statement affirming the saving significance of baptism appears in a context where a law-system (salvation by works) is contrasted with the grace-system (salvation by faith in God’s promises).  In the book of Galatians as a whole and in chapter 3 especially, Paul is attacking the idea that a sinner can be saved by works of law—especially the Law of Moses, and especially the work of circumcision.  But in this very context where salvation by works is condemned, salvation (specifically union with Christ) by baptism is affirmed.  This shows that baptism is not to be considered as a work, viz. [that is to say], as an act of obedience done simply because God as Lawgiver has commanded it.  It is instead a vital part of the grace-system itself.  That is, baptism is itself a work of divine grace in which the human side has the character of faith rather than works.
	A final point concerning baptism is the relationship between it and circumcision.  Baptism is commonly regarded as the New Testament successor to Old Testament circumcision; it is seen as having the same basic relation to the New Covenant as circumcision had to the Old Covenant.  A moment’s reflection, however, on the way circumcision is treated here in Galatians as opposed to the way baptism is regarded, should dispel the notion that they are in any way equivalent.  Circumcision is rejected not because it has been replaced by baptism but because no mere work of human obedience can be a prerequisite for receiving grace.  Circumcision is such a work and thus is excluded from the conditions for receiving grace, and is excluded in the harshest of terms.  Baptism, on the other hand, is linked with faith and is spoken of quite naturally as that which brings us into saving union with Christ and thus into sonship and heirship themselves.  A contrast more pronounced than this would be difficult to imagine; the discontinuity between circumcision and baptism is thus quite complete.

IV.  SUMMARY

	In this consideration of Galatians 3:26-27, we have discussed first of all the general context, which is dealing with the question of who may inherit the blessing of Abraham.  Who are Abraham’s sons and heirs?  Actually there is only one true son, Jesus Christ.  But the good news is that anyone who is in Christ is also counted as a son and thus as an heir of the gospel promises.
	We have also discussed the meaning of the term “clothed with Christ.”  In some contexts, it refers to imitating Christ in holy living, namely sanctification.  Another understanding is that it refers to our being covered with the blood of Christ as with a “robe of righteousness,” or justification.  In Galatians 3:27, however, it seems to have the more general significance of union with Christ as such.  To be clothed with Christ means to be one with Him and thus to be treated as He is treated, namely, as a son and heir.
	Finally we have discussed how faith and baptism are related to sonship.  They are specified here as the two basic conditions for becoming one with Christ and thus sons and heirs with Him.  Baptism itself is the specific point where we become one with Christ or clothed with Him.  Union with Christ logically follows baptism as its precondition—not vice versa, as many think.  Likewise, becoming sons of God through faith (3:26) logically follows becoming one with Christ in baptism (3:27).  That which happens through faith does not happen until baptism.  Baptism is thus embraced together with faith in the grace-system, and is not a work of law like circumcision.  The contrasting ways in which baptism and circumcision are treated in Galatians show that baptism cannot be the New Testament equivalent of circumcision.