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Questions & Answers About Baptism
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Importance of Baptism Question: Why is Baptism
important? In what order does it need to be done? Can you do it before you
are saved...say as a child? What purpose does it serve? Answer: There are four questions here. 1) Baptism is important not only because Jesus was baptized, but because He told His disciples to practice it as well. Mat 28:19, 20 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Mark 16:15, 16 (NIV) He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. John 3:3-5 (NIV) In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." . . . Jesus answered [Nichodemus], "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Further, on the day of Pentecost, Peter said that baptism was the gateway to a person's receiving the Holy Spirit: Acts 2:38 (NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 2) Order. In both Matt. 28 and Mark 16 Jesus pointed out that, first of all the one who wants to be baptized needs to know the Gospel--the Good News of Jesus' Salvation. How else can they become disciples of Jesus. When they know this, then they should be baptized. Then, as in Matt 28, Jesus says that they should be taught "to obey everything I have commanded you." Evidently there needs to be continued instruction even after a person is baptized. 3) Saved before. Whether or not a person can be baptized before they are "saved" depends upon what you mean by the word "saved." The Bible uses the term "saved" to refer to the condition of one who has believed and been baptized. As Jesus pointed out in Mark 16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." In order to be saved, we must both believe in Christ's sacrifice for us and be baptized. There are some exceptions, such as the thief on the cross. But God makes the exceptions, we don't. Whether a child can believe and be baptized depends upon the child's ability to understand the Gospel. Children of six, eight, and ten years old--depending upon the child of course--can understand what Jesus did to save them. But usually children need to be nine or ten before they can believe not only with the heart, but with the head also. 4) Baptism serves several purposes: a. Baptism is an outward expression of the fact that we have repented of and confessed our sins. Luke 3:3 (NIV) He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. b. Baptism is an outward sign that we believe in and have accepted Jesus as our Savior. This witness can be a tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit to encourage others to take the step as well. c. Baptism is the doorway to the church. Paul likens the church to the body and makes this statement: 1 Cor 12:13 (NIV) For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free. . . . d. Baptism is the act with which we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Col 2:11, 12 (NIV) In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (This is the only "sacrament" given in the Bible as a means of remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.)
Infant Baptism Question: Why don't be
baptize babies? 1. The Bible
teaches that baptism is part of our Christian duty.
Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not
believe will be condemned. 2. John the
Baptist baptized Jesus in the waters of the Jordan River. Jesus was
baptized by immersion―being completely submersed in water.
Mark 1:9-11 At
that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in
the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being
torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came
from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." The word
"baptism" comes from the Greek word baptizo that means "to
immerse." Greek women still use the word today in regards to washing their
clothes. They literally say that they "baptize" their clothes. 3. Baptism is a
symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
Col 2:12 having
been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in
the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 4. Preparation
for Bible baptism includes believing and observing all that Jesus taught
in the Bible.
Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not
believe will be condemned.
Mat 28:19, 20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age." There are two
things, among others that pertain to infant baptism: 1. Bible baptism
involves total submersion under the water while infant baptism as
practiced in most churches only involves sprinkling or dabbing water on
the infant's head. 2. In order to
be baptized, the candidate must first believe in Jesus as his/her Savior.
I believe you can see that an infant cannot believe in Jesus as Savior
because a baby cannot reason or know of Christ's sacrifice.
So, taking into
account what we have found, no infant can be a candidate for baptism.
Baptized a second time Question: I was baptized again today(11/01/01). What I'm trying to find out, was I wrong? The first time I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost this time I was baptized in the name of the Jesus Christ. Some of my family members feel that I was wrong and that by being baptized I was joining the church. Answer: Actually, you have touch on two additional topics as well: 2. Being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost as opposed to being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; and 3. Whether or not the act of baptism means that you have joined the church. 1) Your question about being baptized a second time has good precedence in Scripture. Acts 19:1-5 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul found these baptized disciples at Ephesus and discovered that they didn't even know about the Holy Spirit [Ghost]. Upon talking to them he found that they'd been baptized by John as a result of their repentance from sin. When they heard about Jesus they were baptized into the name of Jesus. It was then that they received the Holy Spirit. Back up and look at what's happening here: These men had not been baptized as Jesus commanded [Matt. 28:19, 20] into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. So when they received the "new light" about Jesus, they were baptized in Jesus' name. This would have meant that they were baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son [Jesus] and of the Holy Spirit, for that is the way Jesus commanded them to do it. 2) The second thing you touch on is the belief that it's not necessary [some say that it's even wrong] to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Using the text we have just been discussing, they argue that they need only to baptize people in the name of Jesus. I'll have to leave that up to you, but I prefer to side with what Jesus said in Matt 28.19, 20. So when I baptize people I always baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son-Jesus-and of the Holy Spirit. 3) Now does the act of being baptized make you a member of the church? Yes. Acts 2:40, 41 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Those who were baptized became part of the "church" of the apostles in Jerusalem. God intended that every person who is baptized as a new babe in Christ should be placed into the family of believers. Can you imagine how a baby would fare without parents (even foster or adoptive) or a family to take care of it? The same is true of a babe in Christ. That person needs the love and fellowship of other Christians in order to keep warm in the faith they have espoused. The church is Christ's body. Every Christian needs to consider him/herself a part of Christ―His body, the Church. (Read: 1 Cor. 12 and Eph. 4) As we receive warmth, fellowship, and love from more mature Christians, so we in return will provide these things for new Christians who are baptized into the church in the future.
Christian Baptism Question: What is Christian baptism? Answer: Some people say that sprinkling, or pouring water on the head is sufficient. Some believe that a person must be baptized as a baby, while others believe that they should be old enough to understand Scripture and believe before they are eligible. Some believe that a person can baptize themselves, while others believe that it must be done by ordained clergy. One man actually wanted to be baptized in a tank of rose petals! So you see how confusing this can be. But I believe that we should go to the Bible and let God's holy word answer the question, rather than listening to what the church or someone else might say. The first incidence of baptism mentioned in the Bible was when John the Baptist was baptizing at the Jordan River (his name was John, and he baptized people in the river; that's why they called him “John the Baptist”) Mat 3:1-6 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. You'll find the same story in Mark 1; Luke 3; and John 1.
Jesus came to John in order to be baptized: There's an interesting phrase that gives us a clue about how to be baptized: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.” If He came up out of the water, then He must have been in the water when He was baptized. So baptism must have something to do with being in the water. Another interesting piece of the puzzle is revealed when the Apostle John describes why John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon: (the Apostle John and John the Baptist were two different people) John 3:23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized. John the Baptist had to have plenty of water in order to baptize people. That makes sense when we remember that Jesus came up out of the water after He was baptized. It's interesting, in this respect, to see the meaning of the word “baptism”. The original word the apostles used to describe the act is the Greek word baptizo. As you can see, the English word “baptism” is not a translation of the Greek word, but a transliteration (sorry for the big word)—merely taking the word over from the Greek and making it an English word. The meaning of the Greek word baptizo is simply “to immerse,” “to put under.” Modern Greek women still use that word when they wash their clothes: they baptizo their clothes. This word has retained its original meaning for more than 2500 years! There is more. The example of Philip the deacon shows the same idea: Acts 8:35-39 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" . . . And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. You'll notice that they “went down into the water and Philip baptized him. Then they came up out of the water, . . .” They had to be in water in order for the baptism to take place. This wouldn't be necessary if baptism were by sprinkling, pouring, rose petals (!), or simply praying that God would wash our sins away. There is a good reason why baptism is a total immersion in water: Col 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When we're lowered into the water, Paul says, we’re “buried with him” (Jesus). Then we rise from the water through faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. So baptism represents Christ's burial and resurrection. But to be buried, we have to be dead. Eph 2:1-6 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, Do you see the beauty of the act of baptism? We are dead to sin, but then we accept Jesus as our Savior from sin. Then we are buried in the water, as He was buried in the grave; symbolically all our sins are washed away. Finally we are raised up out of the water, even as God raised Jesus out of the grave. And having had this total, public expression of acceptance of Jesus as our Savior, we walk in a new life in Christ. So Christian baptism is really by immersion only. What formula should the pastor use when baptizing people? Some have felt that we are to baptize only in the name of Jesus, citing this and other texts: Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. However, Jesus told us: Mat 28:19, 20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Jesus wants us to use the “formula” of (something like) “I now baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is the statement I use when baptizing people. If I'm baptizing someone I feel may be sensitive to the “in the name of Jesus Christ” theory, then I will say: “. . . in the name of the Father and of His Son Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit.” There is a reason for this. When we baptize someone in the name of “the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” we are declaring our allegiance to the Trinity—the Godhead (Col 2:9). This is so very important, as the Father is the great God of all time, His Son, Jesus, is God our Savior, the one who died on the Cross for our sins, and the Holy Spirit is God’s representative whom Jesus sends to all those who accept Him as Savior (He actually draws us to believe in Jesus as our Savior). Is it necessary to be baptized in order to be saved? Yes, if the opportunity is available to us. Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. “But what about the thief on the Cross?” He couldn’t have been baptized, and yet Jesus promised Him salvation. The thief died before He had the opportunity to be baptized. If he had lived there are a number of things God would have expected of him—among them, he would have had to stop stealing, and he would have had to be baptized. You see, there are exceptions to the command to be baptized: but God makes the exceptions, not us. If we have the opportunity to be baptized and refuse to take it, then we cannot expect to be saved, Refusing the be baptized is a refusal to accept Jesus fully as our Savior. So we can’t expect that Jesus will save us, when we’ve actually made up our own rules of salvation.
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