Category: Musings on Baptism
But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 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. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise (Gal. 3:23-29).
Here again danger lurks on both sides of the path; or as Luther said, there are two sides of a horse and falling off either side is still falling off. For those who want to take v.27 and teach that baptism, all by itself through the act alone, is what immerses a person into Christ, we would remind that Paul has spent a great deal of time in Galatians emphasizing faith as the sole means of God's blessing. Men are not justified by the rituals of, or obedience to, God's Law (2:15f.). Nor do men receive God's Spirit by doing good works, but through faith alone (3:1f.). Nevertheless, he does affirm that all who are baptized have clothed themselves in Christ Jesus (3:27). Is he flip-flopping and now giving baptism efficacy? By no means! But if we think in terms of a person believing the gospel and immediatetly calling out to God for forgiveness through baptism, then we can understand why Paul can speak of faith and baptism together. Baptism is not faith, nor is it the means of justification, but it is the expression of faith and has great illustrative value when describing what the gospel accomplishes for the believer. Just as a believer is covered completely with water in baptism, so he is covered completely with Jesus Christ. The picture is beautiful and meaningful.