The Essentiality of Confession

By: Ben F Vick

To confess means to acknowledge. To confess one's faith in Christ is to acknowledge one's faith in Christ. Prior to an individual's being immersed into water for the forgiveness of sins, he must acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God. In the account of the conversion of the Ethiopian nobleman we read that when he and the preacher came to water, the treasurer inquired, "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" Philip said, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." (Acts 8:36-37).

Some versions omit Acts 8:37; however, if one is reading the text as rendered in these versions, it is clear that something was omitted. The civil servant saw water, having been taught the necessity and urgency of being immersed, he inquired about his being baptized. Then the next verse in these according to these translations, reads that the chariot was stopped and the Ethiopian was baptized. The Ethiopian's question is left unanswered, according to the rendering of many translations. However, Philip, the preacher, had to say something. The candidate had to express something; otherwise, why stop the chariot and submit to the act of baptism? The context demands that an answer by Philip was given, and a response by the Ethiopian was made.

Though Acts 8:37 is not found in the vast majority of the manuscripts extant, it is included in the Received Text upon which the King James Version is based. It is found in the Old Latin Version and the Vulgate. It was cited by Irenaeus and Cyprian. It is found in Wycliffe's New Testament of 1388. It is included in Tyndall's New Testament of 1526.

In Paul's first letter to his son in the gospel, he said, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses" (I Timothy 6:12). It is my judgment that this good profession which Timothy made before many witnesses was prior to his putting on his Lord in baptism. The tense of the verb in Greek may indicate this.

Paul's words to the Roman saints teach the essentiality of confessing Christ; "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). The original word in the Greek means to profess, to declare openly and voluntarily. It implies the yielding or change of one's conviction. One should not be fearful to day before others that he believes that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. That testimony cost Jesus his life (1 Timothy 6:13).

Though one must confess Christ prior to baptism, one is also by his teaching and life to acknowledge him. Even in the face of death, one must confess Christ. During the reign of Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 161-180) many Christians met their deaths at the hands of persecutors. Polycarp, a student of John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," was apprehended, and brought into the stadium to be slain. Marcus Aurelius was Emperor of Rome at this time. The proconsul gave Polycarp, the aged disciple of Christ, an opportunity to renounce Christ and live; however, Polycarp is reported to have said: "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, who hath saved me?" Subsequently, he was burned at the stake (Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Baker's Book House, PP 20-25, Nov. 1980).

In giving instructions to his disciples before He sent them out on the limited commission Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33). In the midst of telling them about the persecutions that would come their way, Jesus warned them not to fear. He said that they would be hated for His name's sake. He pointed out that they would have to flee from city to city. (Did not Paul have to do this after his conversion?) Several times Jesus said, "Fear them not" (Matthew 10:26, 28, 31). Complete love will cast out fear; when faith is strong, fear flees. Faith will spur one to acknowledge or confess Christ before men; fear will lead one to deny the Lord. Was it no fear that caused Peter to deny the Lord? Of course later, after our Lord's resurrection, Peter professed his love of the Lord.

The confession that one makes prior to baptism is NOT: "I believe that God for Christ's sake has forgiven my sins." One cannot find in the New Testament any candidate for baptism making such a confession. It is false for one to make such a statement before his baptism, for salvation follows baptism. Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16).

Someone might say: "Well I believe that one can be saved, even if he did not know that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins."  First, what one believes must be based on evidence from the Bible. Please show the proof. Second, sincere, honest people have been wrong. Look at Saul of Tarsus. He thought he was right with God in persecuting the early church, but he was wrong. Third, under the law of Moses, an Israelite would make various offerings to the Lord, each having a certain purpose, i.e. a grain offering, an heave offering, a sin offering, etc. The purpose or the intent of the offering was just as much a part of obedience as the sacrifice offered. Brother Owen Olbricht wrote, "The intent behind the act was as much a part of the faith and obedience as the act itself. A person who does a right act with the wrong intent is just as disobedient as the person who does the wrong act or does not act at all" (Baptism -- New Birth or Empty Ritual,p.30).

This excursion may seem to have been off-track, but it is really not. If one's confession is wrong, then he was not taught right. One cannot be taught wrong and converted right. So, one must be taught of God (John 6:44-45). One does not enter the new covenant unless he has been instructed, unlike entrance into the old covenant by physical birth (Hebrews 8:11).

Have you confessed Christ? Are you professing him in word or deed? Or, are you denying him by your words and life?