6.15.2026

"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slave whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart [personal saving faith!] that form of doctrine [initial salvation doctrine summed up and made concrete by adult baptism] to which you were delivered [handed over to]." Romans6,17-18. NKJ

"You know well enough that if you put yourselves at the disposal of a master, to obey him, you are slaves of the master whom you obey; and this is true whether you serve sin, with death as its result; or obedience, with righteousness as its result. But God be praised, that you who were slaves of sin, have yielded whole-hearted obedience [personal faith!] to the pattern of teaching [the form] to which you were made subject [consent to adult baptism and to a new master]." Romans6,17-18 NEB

"Once you were slaves to sin, but thank God you have given whole hearted obedience [personal faith] to the pattern of teaching to which you were introduced [the gospel message epitomized by adult baptism]. Romans6,17-18. NJB

Thayer's Greek Lexicon Romans6,17 Strongs 5179 p. 632
"form didaxns ie form of teaching  which embodies the sum and substance of religion and represents it to the mind." 

"Then the rest of humanity, and all of the nations [non Jews] once called mine, who will look for the Lord." NJB (n. q 1985 NJB, Doubleday. p 1825 says the original Greek of 'called mine' is " 'on whom my name has been invoked' (or over whom ... pronounced).' To invoke the name of Yahweh over a people., see 2Ch7,14, or over a place, see 2Ch6,34, is to consecrate it to him." Acts15,17 NJB 

Romans 6,16-17 Joseph Fitzmayer Romans Commentary, JBC 1990, 849: 
"There has been a change of kyrioi [lords], and the Christian through baptism has become "the slave of Christ" (see comment on Rom 1.1; cf 1Cor 6,11). 17. You obeyed  the pattern of teaching to which you have been given over: ...  The difficulty is that the phrase is elliptical ["of, relating to, or marked by extreme economy of speech or writing." Meriam Webster] in the Gk text: it is here taken to mean "hypekousate... to typo didaches eis hon paredothete." The crucial word is typos which basically means the "visible impression" (of a stroke or die), "mark, copy, image." But it was used to designate a "compendious [marked by a brief expression of a comprehensive matter: concise and comprehensive." Merriam-Webster] terse presentation" of some topic (Plato, Rep. 414a, 491c). Coupled with didache, "teaching," it would seem to be used by Paul in the latter sense. He seems to refer thereby to a succinct baptismal summary of faith to which the convert freely was handed over after he had renounced his enslavement to sin. In this case, the vb "handed over" would not refer to the transmission of traditional doctrine (cf 1 Cor 11:23; 15,3) but to the transfer of slaves from one master to another without a pejorative [ie bad] connotation (cf 1 Cor 5,5; Rom 1,24). The allusion would be to the custom of the Hellenistic world in which the transfer was often accomplished with their consent (see J Kurtzinger, Bib 39 [1958] 156-76; F.W. Beare, NTS 5 [1958-59] 206-10, where other less likely  interpretations are noted."
(blodness added for easier comprehension.)

"Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit."John3,5 NIV

"The one believing and being baptized will be saved." Mark16,16 Interlinear Bible, left side margin English Translation "A Literal Translation of The Bible" 1985, Jay Green Sr.   

The Context Of Romans 6 Is Adult Personal Faith Baptism
The initial specific doctrine to which Christians obediently submitted to in personal faith per Romans6,16-18 is adult full immersion baptism.

This is in accord with Jesus' words at John3,5: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." NIV (Mayby I am occasionally slow to hear- but I don't recall hearing the word "water" by all who preach this verse.) 

The entire chapter 6 is about adult personal faith baptism as essential obedience to the gospel message.

It also lines up perfectly with the obedience to the gosple message of Acts 2 and the first Christian Pentecost. Acst2,40: "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." NIV

It also lines up the Matthew 28,19-20 and Jesus' command there to the Apostles to teach all he had taught- as epitomized by adult water baptism.

Romans6,12-13 describes the ongoing consecratory Spiritual effect of faithful adult baptism: "Sin no longer reigns in your mortal bodies. 13 Instead give yourselves to God as a people brought to life from the dead."

In an article with a great title "Does your Baptism Mean Anything To You? Thinking about Romans6,17-18"  (Mar23 2023) Jameson Steward looks at the meaty baptismal verses of Romans 6,3-7 and 6,17-18 and praise God has the faith courage to state the obvious: Adult baptism cannot be seprated from the biblical gospel- the "good news" of Christ 1Cor15,1-4:     

"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." NIV 

Note that Romans 7- about this same gospel's promise of freedom after slavery to sin and the law and Romans 8- freedom of life in the Spirit- ie freedom from condemnation and the realm of the flesh- builds on the foundational gospel baptismal theology of Chapter 6 of dying to sin and being brought to resurrectional faith and life.

And as the J. Fitzmayer analysis of Romans6,17-18 shows above, adult personal faith baptism is the obedient, faithful and consensual handing over to a new Lord and committment point from being mastered by sin to now being mastered by Jesus.

Losing Our Lives For the Sake Of The Gospel Too
Have you as a bible based faither ever lost "sight" of Jesus and God?  Have you ever asked "Where are you God in this situation? Of course you and and all honest bible Christians have experienced this. And if we who are faithful occasionally lose sight of God like this- it happens more than we would like- think how easily it is for people who have never professed Jesus and known him and been obedient to him. They are truly and still spiritually blind and lost.

When I accepted Jesus as Lord and savior- by God's grace I had read a good bit of the New Testament bible. At least enough to know the basic core faith acts of the gospel- you repent in personal faith, you profess Jesus as Lord and savior in personal faith and you get baptized with that same faith. In my experience in almost 40 years as a Christian, studying scripture, and testifying to Jesus, it is still way easier for me to recall and remember and profess the basic prophetic gospel of the Apostles Peter and Paul and John the Baptist preached than it is for me to verbalize and understand what our almighty Lord and God is doing in any given situation. His ways are not our ways.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs3.5-6 NIV 

But there are even times we trust our Lord Jesus and our father God with all the trust we have- and yet we still don't know how in practical here and now terms to serve our loving God in faithful obedience.

Perhaps this is why Jesus told some of his still confused followers and believers- who  are still claiming to have never been enslaved the following that they must not only lose their life for His sake and the gospel's sake:

^"When He had called the people to himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, 'Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.' ” Mark8,34-38 NKJ

Are we as Christian adults and churches too ashamed of the words of the gospel message of adult baptism to consistantly to teach it and to celebrate it and make it the norm for everyone in our churches? 

So while losing our life for Jesus' sake may be a real challenge of wisdom to figure out- the basic core gospel is often so much easier to remember than it is to quickly discern what God is doing and where God is in any situation. This greater facility of knowing the gospel (Love your neighbor as yourself, forgive and you heavenly father will forgive you, better to give than recieve, and all the rest, repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins) comes partly from having a conscience and also from the unforgettable initial core gospel of the Christian movement- proclaimed at Pentecost- as written down and revealed in the New Testament. This core gospel boils down to this: We repent of all our sins and are forgiven by God, we profess Jesus as Lord, we get baptized and committ our lives and our bodies, minds, souls and spirits and live as a spiritual or living sacrifice" (Romans12,1) another baptismal referance to God!  

My Testimony About My Full Immersion Adult Baptism 
I usuallty do not give much personal testimony at all when I preach and teach. But I thought I had finished this teaching a few days ago and the Lord insisted I was not done until I put in my personal testimony about my own adult baptism. So here goes.

By 2008-2009 I slowly but surely realized I had left something fundamental undone in the biblical faith walk I was aiming for. I had been a Christian for over twenty-two years, I knew the core biblical gospel included baptism, but I hadn't fully studied and wrestlle with the biblical import of adult "believer's baptism," by full immersion ie people who know what they are doing- expressing repentant personal faith with big gratitude and joy. 

I was attending a church that helped me learn that Acts2,38-39 vitally links adult water baptism to the promise of Holy Ghost baptism (and thus I now believe and teach that the two baptisms are the "one baptism" -water and Holy Spirit- that the Apostle Paul speaks at Ephesians4,5, regardless of which type of baptism comes first.) I also learned that John3,5 says that we are born again of both water (adult baptism) and Spirit or we don't inherit the kingdom of God. I also learned that Acts2,21 "all who call on the name of Jesus shall be saved" clearly echoes Acts2,38 baptism in his Name name and is also a baptismal referance (and I now know that Acts15,17 speaks of Jesus calling upon a people to Himself by baptism. See NJB He calls upon us and we call on his name in response and get adult water baptized). 

Now Matthew28,18-19 Jesus speaks of baptism in Name of Father Son and Holy Ghost- that's fine too.

But I identify with the core gospel of baptism of Acts2,38 which specifically links calling on the name of Jesus in adult baptism, to the the remission, the blotting out, of our sins by the One Lord and savior who died for us on the bloody cross of Calvary.   

I had been infant baptized, sprinkled with water. Then at twenty eight, I had been sprinkled again, two years after repenting and professing Jesus as Lord and savior at twenty six. I went into seminary-ministry at twenty nine years old, almost thirty. In 1996 I was baptized in the Holy Spirit- and with that thankfully ministered in the Spirit's power and grace- but by 2008-2009 I realized there was something missing that I had left out.

So in personal faith and with a sharper bible knowledge of what new baptism meant, I chose to do just what the core gospel message of the New Testament says to do. In 2009 I called on the name of Jesus and I got baptized in his Name, not to join another church, not to follow a formula, but by faithful odedience seek the blessing of our one baptism and our one Spirit and our one saving faith all of which define our one body of believers, the church.

I got dunked in a modest round ended galvanized metal feed trough in Vermont. I saw a photo, or had photo of this faith event, but I don't know where it is now. But I do remember my face was really shining afterwards not because I am particularly good, but because the Lord's favor, the Lord's face so to speak shined on my personal faith obedience to the form and contents of the intial core gospel message of our new testament bible as epitomized by full immersion adult baptism in Jesus Name.

The most famous priestly prayer in the Hebrew scriptures-is for all the people of Israel, just like adult baptism for Christains, is found at Numbers6,24-25. It's really simple prayer for God- who is Spirit- to shine on his people. Similarly, adult baptism is a simple act of personal for salvation by calling on the name of Jesus, the name of God in the flesh, and choosing to die to pourselves so God who is Spirit can more fully shine on us and into us: "The Lord bless you, and watch over you; the Lord make his face [think the loving intimacy of God's approval] shine upon and be gracious to you [save you and fill you with the Spirit]; the Lord look kindly on you and give you peace [like the peace of salvation for us Christians].

There's a Christian artist Alison McCugh in Vermont. She has a song "For A Soul." She and her husband Pat have "the Dwelling" ministry downtown Burlington that meets on 6:30 pm at 150 Cherry ST on Tuesdays. This song for me means that after all Jesus did on the cross of Calvary for me- and for all souls, all us humans- so now I come out of the recreative waters of baptism a new creature and new life so what am I going to do for him and other eternal souls who may not know him yet- what am I going to do out of Holy Ghost love and gratitude for his mercy on me, for my eternal soul. 

Jesus name baptism on Pentecost was the way the Christian church began its unity and showed its faith and joy and gratitude for our Lord Jesus and what he did for our souls. He called them to the water. He called them to life out of the death of sin. He called them and us to be his faithful people, shiny people, his face to face people, the people who know him and occasionally even shine for him. So on Pentecost they call on his Name and commit themselves fully to Him as Lord, to him as the only perfect human, to Him as Lord and savior- not Caesar or the High Priest or the Sanhedrin. Instead of committement to mere men they changed their committment to the man-God Jesus as Lord and savior of their new and everlasting life.            

Oh don't you love Jesus for his boundless mercy. In adult personal faith baptism we recognize hat he made the atonement for our sins, he satisfied God's wrath on my sin, and yours, and thus cleansed us of our sin nature gave us a new budding nature, no longer a nature that worships all the worthless and weakening idols that enslave us.

He gave his perfect soul, his perfect human life, over to death and the humiliation and hatred of those who knew him not, for my soul and yours.

So that we could be freed up and more committed to serve him, and not leave undone what he would have us do for other souls, for his sake, and for the sake of the gospel for other folks who might not know him yet.    

So in my personal faith adult baptism my faith skates were newly sharpened so I could go deeper into gospel service and knowledge, knowing the Spiritual strength of having a Lord above all Lords, and a savior above all saviors, and a friend above all friends, who wants me when I am in need so that I can help another soul know this kind of peace and gratitude and gospel purpose.               

When and How And Why Did Paul Become A Slave To Christ
Since Paul is the principal proponent of baptismal faith obedience and change of masters- we might profitably ask- given the clear baptismal context of Romans 6- when and how and why did the Apostle Paul become Jesus' slave? 

Acts9,13-14 gives a real good clue. It tells of the already faithful Ananias' protesting to Jesus about following the Lord's command to help the blinded Paul, ie lead him to salvation: “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 

On this violent mission Paul clearly isn't the slave of Christ yet- in fact he is coming to arrest all who "call on your name." To call on the Lord's Name- even to call Jesus 'Lord' is to grant him the status of God, even God in the flesh. This was shocking and unacceptable to the religious leaders back in Jerusalem.

Moreover, by calling on His name they are professing faith in Him and getting baptized in his name by the Apostolic church living for the .

 Acts2,21 says- "All who call on the Name will be saved." This is a baptismal referance.

Acts15,17 is about the name of the Lord Jesus being invoked upon and into the faithful by baptism: https://zionpentecostmission.com/acts15,17personal-faith-adult-baptism-the-name-of-jesus-invoked-over-and-into-us.html

In fact, at Acts22,16 Ananias specifically and unmistakably equates and defines the Apostle Paul's baptism as "calling on his name":
"A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ " 

Oh glory to God for his Word- Paul as Ananais explains- is given an extra rich and multifold prophetic blessing: God has chosen him to know his will!  And chosen to talk to Paul! And chosen to let him see God face to face to "See" the righetous one resurrected as he did when he was blinded by the light!

By these miraculous, providential and prophetic events- that gave Paul his obedient Apostolic faith and status- Paul is changing allegiances from being a slave to sin and death- by arresting those who are calling on the name of Lord Jesus in baptism- by himself calling on His name in faith at his own baptism for eternal life!   

Paul Expresses Our New Baptismal Allegiance As A New And Beneficial Slavery To The Risen Christ:
"So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
Romans7,4-6 NIV
 
Abraham was God's slave (Psalm105,42) and Moses too (2Kings18,12) and Joshua (Judges2,8).

This is high and faithful and grand company of slaves of Jesus like Paul and us to belong to!

The ordinary Apostles saw their resurrected Lord. Then they got their fill of the Spirit in the upper room, when the tongues of fire came down on Penetcost.

Paul also saw the resurrected Lord who confronted him face to face. Paul also had met his new Lord-master and Savior!

So, it was time- and past time to voluntarily be his slave, time and past time for him to call on the one name that saves, and get adult baptized unto a blessed
and eternal life.

Paul learned the hard way- no man- even the smartest and most gifted in any religious tradition- can serve two masters! 

This great Pharisee, among  Pharisees, at Romans1,1 now refers to himself only as a slave- a very obedient, personally faithful, baptized slave.

Galatians1,10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." NKJ

Phillipians1,1: "Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:" Legacy Standard Bible.

Paul got the new master's message real quick!

And he surrendered himself, consecrated himself, body, and soul, mind and spirit, with a fully and personally faithful obedient heart: to repentance, to profession, and sacrificially committed his whole new life to the service of Jesus and to the gospel. By so doing he freely choose bondservitude unto freedom, freedom from the law of sin and death, and the reign of the flesh, after he met his resurrected Lord and submitted to Him and the essence and epitome of the core gospel by faithful adult baptism.

Conclusion
Adult water baptism isn't any new sacramentalism. 

It's the teaching of Lord himself, John the Baptist, the ordinary Apostles, the extraordinary course Apostle Paul, and the clear revelation of new testament scripture as a whole. 

It's part and parcel of the core gospel message of salvation as revealed in the New Testament. It's a constituent fundamental part of the gospel Word for which we are ready to lay down our lives. It is clearly linked to salvation per John 3,5 and Mark16,16, Acts2,38, Romans15,17 and Acts16,31-33 and Acts19 and Matthew28,19 and our text today Romans6,17-18.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon Romans6,17 Strongs 5179 p. 632
"form didaxns ie form of teaching which embodies the sum and substance of religion and represents it to the mind."

That is, obedient personally faithful adult baptism- which is the context of Chapter 6 - well represents and summarizes and epitomizes our bible based Christian faith.      

The English translation that perhaps best captures the obedient and essential nature of adult baptism is the New English Bible:  

"You know well enough that if you put yourselves at the disposal of a master, to obey him, you are slaves of the master whom you obey; and this is true whether you serve sin, with death as its result; or obedience, with righteousness as its result. But God be praised, that you who were slaves of sin, have yielded whole-hearted obedience [personal faith!] to the pattern of teaching [the form] to which you were made subject [consent to adult baptism and to a new master per Fitmayer's exposition above]." Romans6,17-18 NEB

Br. Tobin Hitt
Connecticut USA
June 2026