What is meant in Ephesians 4:5 that there is ‘one baptism’

TL;DR:

The phrase “one baptism” in Ephesians 4:5 refers to the shared, full commitment of all believers to Christ, symbolized by both Spirit and water baptism. This shared experience unites believers into one body, forming the basis for Christian unity.

what does the bible say?

In Ephesians 4, Paul is telling the believers that they are to live in unity with one another (Ephesians 4:1–3). The grounding for that unity is found in our relationship with the Spirit, Jesus, and the Father. In God, we are “one body” (the church) and have “one hope” (salvation), “one faith” (same confession), and “one baptism.”

The type of “baptism” is not specified. However, while Paul could very well be referencing either the Spirit or water baptism, the early church did not separate these as distinctly as we do. To be a believer means one was baptized by the Spirit at conversion (John 1:33). Likewise, members of the early church were baptized in water almost immediately after being saved (Acts 2:38; 8:34–39). Therefore, all Spirit-baptized believers were also water-baptized believers. Rather than trying to determine a specific type of baptism, it is better to understand Paul talking about the net result of baptism: the believer’s full immersion into the body of Christ. Thus, “one baptism” simply means that all believers are fully committed to Christ, joined to the body through the internal regeneration of the Spirit and known as members of the body by their public baptism.

from the old testament

The phrase, “one baptism,” is not found in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

Ephesians 4:4–6 reads, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call– one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” The question is what “one baptism” means in these verses.
To start, the New Testament refers to two types of baptism: water baptism (Acts 8:34–39) and Spirit baptism (Acts 10:40, 11:15–16).
In the Ephesians passage, Paul is clearly talking about how believers are unified by being parts of “one body” and sharing in “one Spirit,” having “one hope” and “one faith,” with all serving “one God and Father.” So, the “one baptism” phrase is adding to the list of reasons why they are to be unified in peace with one another (Ephesians 4:1–3).
However, though it is clear that they share in the same baptism, what is not clear is whether Paul meant they were unified in water baptism or Spirit baptism. “One baptism” could refer to Spirit baptism because Paul also says, “one Spirit,” which could be taken to mean that everything else (the hope, faith, and baptism) are spiritual. However, “one baptism” also fits with water baptism, as all believers are expected to be baptized (Acts 2:38).
Because Paul’s focus is on unity, not on baptism, and that either could fit, it is unlikely that Paul is trying to highlight a particular type of baptism. All believers have the Spirit upon conversion and are commanded to be baptized after they are saved.

implications for today

As believers, we share the same fundamental beliefs and relationships with God as all other believers. That is a relationship that comes by the gift of the Spirit to us and evidenced by our public baptism. A believer cannot be partially baptized any more than he can be partly a Christian. Therefore, Paul says that our shared experience of baptism, among other things, allows us to be unified in peace (Ephesians 4:3). We obtain that unity by walking in a manner worthy of our calling as brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 4:1). That means that we gently and humbly show tolerance for other believers out of love and patience (Ephesians 4:2).

Until Jesus returns, we will always find ways to disagree. This is, in part, because we are not yet perfect and misunderstand Scripture, coming to different conclusions about less important aspects. Therefore, there will always be tension among believers throughout the world until Jesus returns. However, how we treat one another despite the differences is a witness to the world just how great our God is.

Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). It is our love—our loving of one another despite our disagreements—that stands out in a world that is constantly fracturing and fighting based on even the smallest difference between people.

understand

“One baptism” signifies all believers’ shared commitment to Christ.
“One baptism” includes both Spirit and water baptism without emphasizing one over the other.
This shared baptism unites believers as one body in Christ.

reflect

How does knowing you share “one baptism” with all believers affect how you see and relate to other Christians?
How are you living out the commitment to Christ that your baptism symbolizes?
When you face disagreements with other believers, how do you demonstrate unity and love despite differences?

engage

How can our shared baptism shape how we treat fellow believers with different views or backgrounds?
What does it practically look like for a church to live in unity because of “one baptism”?
How can we encourage each other to walk in a manner worthy of our shared calling in Christ (Ephesians 4:1)?