What Is Baptism?

What Is Baptism? offers a concise introduction to the sacrament of baptism, exploring its meaning, mode, and significance within the Christian faith. Written as part of the Crucial Questions series, this booklet by Dr. R.C. Sproul addresses the key areas of agreement and disagreement among Christians regarding this important practice.

Sproul examines baptism across six chapters, beginning with the relationship between baptism and salvation. He distinguishes the Protestant understanding of justification by faith alone from the Roman Catholic view that baptism serves as the instrumental cause of justification, carefully explaining concepts such as ex opere operato and sacramental efficacy. The booklet then traces the distinction between John’s baptism and the baptism instituted by Jesus, situating both within their biblical and historical contexts.

From there, Sproul considers baptism as a sign of the covenant, its theological meaning as a mark of cleansing and new life in Christ, the question of its proper mode—whether by immersion, sprinkling, or pouring—and the case for infant baptism rooted in covenant continuity. Throughout, he engages the relevant biblical texts and historical arguments with care, while urging charity among Christians who hold differing convictions on these matters.

Key Themes

• The relationship between baptism and justification in Protestant and Roman Catholic theology
• Baptism as a sign and seal of God’s covenant promises
• The biblical and linguistic evidence regarding the mode of baptism
• The case for infant baptism grounded in covenant continuity with the Old Testament

Featured Quotes

“No one can read the New Testament, even in a cursory manner, and not clearly see that baptism is a very important element of the Christian faith.”

“Abraham believed as an adult and then received the sign of the covenant, but his son Isaac received the sign of the covenant before he believed.”