Scriptures: Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:36; Acts 16:25–34
Introduction: Confession and Identity
When we hear the word confession, many of us imagine a courtroom. One of the most memorable courtroom scenes in film comes from the 1947 classic Miracle on 34th Street. Kris Kringle is on trial for claiming to be the real Santa Claus, and his defence attorney is losing badly—until the U.S. Postal Service delivers thousands of letters addressed simply to “Santa Claus.” Bag after bag is dumped onto the judge’s bench until they form a mountain, and suddenly, the trial is turned upside down. Confession here isn’t about guilt—it’s about belief and identity. By delivering those letters, the U.S. government itself effectively testified that Kris Kringle was Santa Claus. And if the government said so, who was the judge to argue?
In the same way, the earliest Christians made a confession not of guilt, but of allegiance. Their simple declaration was: Jesus is Lord. Spoken in an empire that demanded loyalty to Caesar, those three words were a radical, dangerous claim. To confess Christ meant staking one’s whole life, loyalty, and future on Him.
Why the Schleitheim Confession Was Written
By the early 1500s, the Catholic Church was weighed down by corruption. Indulgences were sold as tickets to forgiveness. Faith was something inherited at birth rather than embraced in personal conviction. Scripture itself was locked away in Latin, far from the reach of ordinary people. Reformers like Martin Luther sought to correct these abuses, yet even he along with other reformers like Zwingli and Calvin, retained infant baptism as a way to preserve the bond between church and state.
But a small group of radicals dared to ask a different question: What if baptism belonged only to those who truly believed?In 1527, a persecuted gathering of Anabaptists met in the Swiss town of Schleitheim. Some had already been executed for practicing believers’ baptism; others faced imprisonment. At great risk, they put their shared convictions into writing. The result was the Schleitheim Confession—the first Reformation confession, drafted by Michael Sattler and his companions.
Unlike the ancient creeds that focused on doctrine about God, the Schleitheim articles were practical. They described how Christians were to live—through discipleship, daily obedience, and visible faith. These were not abstract theological debates. They were convictions for which men and women were willing to die. And fittingly, the confession began where the life of discipleship begins: with baptism.
Article I: Baptism According to the Anabaptists
The Confession begins:
“Baptism shall be given to all those who have been taught repentance and the change of life, and who truly believe that their sins are taken away through Christ—and to all those who desire to walk in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and who wish to be buried with Him in death, so that they may be raised with Him in new life.”
This was radical. Baptism was for believers who repented, trusted Christ, and chose discipleship. It was not for infants who could not yet believe. The article goes further: “This excludes all infant baptism, the highest and chief abomination of the pope.” The sharp words reveal a sharp conviction: baptism is inseparable from personal confession of faith.
- Catholic practice linked baptism to salvation itself, washing away original sin at birth.
- Magisterial Reformers retained infant baptism to maintain social order.
- Anabaptists rejected both, insisting that baptism was voluntary, visible obedience to Christ.
The Anabaptist Method: Christ, the Apostles, and Scripture
What gave the Anabaptists the courage to take such a countercultural stand? They did not rely on church tradition, papal decrees, or civic law. Their theological method was simple but radical: test every practice against the words of Jesus, the witness of the apostles, and the testimony of Scripture.
- Christocentric – Rooted in Jesus’ Commands
Jesus said: “Go and make disciples… baptizing them” (Matt. 28:19–20). The order is unmistakable: discipleship, then baptism, then a lifetime of obedience. Even Jesus’ own baptism set the pattern—not to wash away sin, but to identify with us and mark the start of His mission. - Apostolic – Practiced by the Early Church
The apostles modelled baptism as the response of faith. At Pentecost, Peter proclaimed: “Repent and be baptized”(Acts 2:38). The Ethiopian eunuch declared: “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” (Acts 8:36). In every case, belief preceded baptism. - Bibliocentric – Grounded in Scripture
With the Bible newly available in common languages, the Anabaptists held Scripture—not majority opinion, not state edicts—as their final authority. This commitment cost them dearly, but they believed obedience to Christ through His Word was worth their lives.
Paul, Silas, and the Philippian Jailer: From Despair to New Life
Acts 16 gives us a vivid picture of baptism’s power. Paul and Silas, beaten and imprisoned, prayed and sang until an earthquake shook the jail open. Instead of fleeing, they stayed. When the jailer prepared to take his life, Paul cried out: “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” In that moment, despair gave way to hope. That very night, the jailer and his household believed and were baptized—moving from chains to freedom, from fear to joy in Christ.
The same pattern shapes our lives today. Baptism is not only a beginning; it is the rhythm of discipleship. If you have not yet declared your faith publicly, hear the invitation: step into the waters. For those already baptized, remember: it is not past tense but your daily identity—buried with Christ, raised with Him, and called to walk in new life. And like the Anabaptists, test everything—family, money, culture, decisions—by the Word of Christ.
Perhaps today you feel more like the jailer than Paul or Silas—overwhelmed, cornered, ready to give up. Hear the word of the Lord: “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” The same gospel that turned his despair into joy can transform you. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
Prayer of Response
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for entering the waters of baptism and calling us to follow.
Thank You for the courage of the early Anabaptists, who clung to Scripture and obeyed at great cost.
Renew us daily in our baptismal identity—buried with You, raised with You, walking in new life.
Make us a people of living confession, declaring with joy that You are Lord. Amen.