The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1955-10-15

celebrate this aa ID assn
event, may be that DIR. Foreman
the church does not know quite
what 1t means. We know what
other Christian festivals mean
Pentecost Sunday, Christmas,
Good Friday and so on. But
what does the baptism Of Jesus
mean?
Surely Not for His Sins
The heart Of the difficulty is
just this: Jesus was baptized by
John. and Johns baptism, we
read over and over again. was a
baptism Of repentance. So we can
put the dilemma this way: Was
this baptizing Of Jesus also a
baptism OF repentance. and If so,
what could he have had to re.
pent of Or was it altogether diff
ferent. and If so. then what did
1t mean II 1t did not mean re-
pentance? Since the Bible does
not answer this question clearly,
and since the church has no
standard or orthodox" eXplana.
ton, perhaps the best thing this
column can do Is to run over q
few answers to that question:
Why was Jesus baptized? The
reader Is invited to think about
these and take his choice. One
answer, which has three forms,
the church has thought about,
but generally has not taken seri-
ously. 1t Is the theory that Jesus
was baptized. like every one else
there at the Jordan. In token of
repentance for sin. One extreme
form Of this theory is that Jesus
repented of his own sins. Only a
person who thinks Of Jesus as an
ordinary man could believe that,
and the church does not believe
1t. Another form Of this idea is
that Jesus repented of his sinful
nature; the idea being that if it
had really human nature it must
have been a sinful one even If he
never sinned. Gust as one may
have a weak constitution that new
er breaks DOWN. This again the
church has overwhelmingly op,
posed.
"Te Fulfill All Righteousness"
Jesus himself gave a reason
for being baptized. The trouble
is, he did not explain what he
meant. He said he did it "to full
fill all righteousness" Matthew
3:15). 1t is quite plain that he
meant he would not be doing right
Ii he were not baptized. But just
what does fulfilling all righteous
ness" mean? The explanation
most widely accepted in the
church is that being baptized was
part of the Jewish law at the
time, and that Jesus as a loyal
Jew observed this as he observed
other laws Of his religion. There
are two weak spots in this theory,
One Is that there is little or no
evidence that baptizing or being
baptized was regular religious
observance among the Jews, and
the other is that Jesus did not feel
obligated to keep strictly all the
laws. otherwise he would hardly
have had the attitude toward the
Sabbath which we know he had.
Friend Of Sinners
Still another explanation which
is impressing large number OF
Christians today. is that Christ,
by insisting on being baptized,
over Johns protests that he did
not need it. In dramatic way
was taking the side of sinners.
We think of Jesus taking our part
and representing us on the Cross.
But. it is asked. when did Jesus
first identify himself with sim
ners7 Not until his last Friday
morning. On the contrary, the
suggestion is that Christ there
at the Jordan had the opportunity
TO take his place. publicly and
for all TO see. either with those
who despised sinners and made it
hard for them and were proud
Of themselves. or with those who
by being baptized were honest
enough to confess their sins and
TO express their deep desire to
be rid Of them. So Jesus identi-
fes himself once and for all with
the repentant.--not that ne him
self needed to repent, but to show
that the repentant are his peo-
pie. First to last he was the
Friend of Sinners.
,a,asd on outlines copyriEhted by the
nIvisiop If Christian Education. Ma
1orai CounctI Of the Churches Of Christ
II, The q. 8. A. Released By Com IN uuity
Press Service.)