No where in Scripture does it describe baptism as an ACT FOR THE AUDIENCE. Scriptures do not describe baptism as a
public celebration either. This is eisegesis. If it were the case that baptism is a PUBLIC CELEBRATION we would expect verses speaking about baptism to mention the individuals who witness the baptisms to be the focus, or the testimonies of individuals to be the focus. In most cases, people are baptized as soon as possible,
often without audiences as in the Samaritans in
Acts 8:12-13, Ethiopian eunuch 8:34-39, Saul of Tarsus 9:17-18, 22:12-16, Cornelius and family 10:14, 44-48, Lydia and family 16:13-15, the Philippian jailer and family 16:30-34, Crispus and family 18:7-8, and the Ephesian disciples 19:1-5. We also do not see any testimonies for the public before baptism, past “they believed” (present in some examples and not others) which may or may not have been a vocal profession.
Furthermore, your quotation of
Acts 10:47-48 and your emphasis on the word "AFTER" (They were baptized
after receiving the Holy Spirit) seems to be cherry picked and ignores other aspects of baptism and the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. THERE IS NO NORMATIVE WAY THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GIVEN IN BAPTISM, ONLY THAT THE PROMISE IS GIVEN (ACTS 2:39).
The gift of the HS may come immediately before baptism (Cornelius, Acts 10) immediately after baptism (Acts 8 & 19) or during (
Acts 2:38-39,
9:17). Complicating this, out of the eight descriptions of baptism in the Book of Acts, faith as a prerequisite is not mentioned in all of them, and repentance as a prerequisite for baptism is only mentioned once.
My Dear Brother,
Thank you for raising this thoughtful challenge. You're absolutely right to insist that our view of baptism should be rooted in Scripture, not tradition or personal interpretation. That’s why I appreciate the opportunity to slow down and examine the biblical witness together not just to defend a point, but to sharpen each other in the truth (Proverbs 27:17).
Let me begin by addressing your key concern:
You stated that
“nowhere in Scripture does it describe baptism as an act for the audience,” and that describing it as a
“public celebration” is
eisegesis.
I hear your concern but let’s pause and consider what Scripture actually shows us, in both
principle and
practice.
1. Baptism Is a Confession Before Men
Matthew 10:32
“Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”
While not explicitly about baptism, this sets a clear precedent for a
public identification with Christ. Baptism in the early church was the
first act of obedience that visibly declared allegiance to Christ
before men.
Acts 2:41
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
Three thousand people baptized
publicly, in Jerusalem, during Pentecost. That was no private event. It was certainly seen by the watching Jewish community.
2. The Pattern of Baptism Shows Witness
You're correct in citing multiple cases in Acts where we aren’t told explicitly about a crowd but absence of detail doesn't mean absence of witness. For example:
- Acts 8:12-13 The Samaritans believed and were baptized. Philip wasn’t alone; he was preaching to crowds (v.6).
- Acts 8:38-39 The Ethiopian eunuch was alone with Philip, yes, but Philip was the witness. One person is enough to affirm the public act. The same goes for Ananias baptizing Paul (Acts 9:17-18).
- Acts 16:33 "The jailer and his household were baptized. Who witnessed? His household did. That’s public within his sphere of influence".
- Acts 10:47-48 "Cornelius’ entire household was present. Peter said, “Can anyone forbid water?” indicating others were there".
So while the
Bible doesn’t always describe a large audience, it consistently includes
others witnessing the baptism whether an apostle, a household, or a gathered crowd. Baptism is not private. It is personal, yes, but never hidden.
3. “Public Celebration” in Biblical Terms
The term
“public celebration” is a modern phrase, but the
concept is deeply biblical. Consider:
Romans 6:3–4
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?... that we too may walk in newness of life.”
This is a
declaration of death to the old life and resurrection into a new one. In the early church, baptism meant radical departure from paganism or Judaism into Christ. That was not done secretly.
Galatians 3:27
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
The Greek word
“put on” (ἐνεδύσασθε) implies a
public clothing, like wearing a new uniform,
a visible declaration of belonging. That is the essence of “public celebration.”
4. On the Holy Spirit’s Timing and “Normative” Experience
You made an excellent point,
the timing of the Holy Spirit’s arrival varies in Acts. That’s true.
But remember:
Acts is descriptive, not always prescriptive. It shows God’s flexibility in different situations (Jew, Samaritan, Gentile) as the gospel spread.
Acts 2:38–39 is the clearest promise:
“Repent, and be baptized... and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off…”
The pattern here is
repentance → baptism → reception of the Spirit and Peter says this applies to
all who are called.
But whether the Spirit comes
before,
during, or
after baptism, that only strengthens the point:
baptism is never the cause of salvation, it is the response to it.
5. Faith and Repentance as Prerequisites
You stated that faith and repentance are not always mentioned before baptism. That’s true
in the text, but let’s read
in light of what’s assumed.
Acts 8:12
“But when they believed Philip as he preached... they were baptized.”
Acts 16:31–33
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household… and he was baptized at once…”
Faith is often summarized in the narrative because it is
assumed no one in the New Testament was baptized without belief, except possibly inferences made in modern theology.
Dear Brother,
You are right to urge caution against
eisegesis, but let’s also be careful not to swing the pendulum so far that we deny the
communal, declarative, and public nature of baptism in Scripture.
To say baptism is
only private, never public, or that it is
not a celebration of new life, is to miss the tone and the testimony of Acts, where believers gladly, boldly, and publicly proclaimed:
“I belong to Jesus!”
With love for the truth and grace in Christ,
Pastor Waris,
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40)
