WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?
• Jesus clearly taught...“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…(Matthew 28:19)
• The people who heard Peter’s Pentecost sermon asked: “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) He answered: “Repent, and let each of you be baptized…” (verse 38) Their response: “So then, those who had received his word were baptized.” (verse 41)
• “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Acts 8:12) In the records of baptism, it is indicated that the person first “repented” of sin and “believed” in Christ and then was baptized. Those who have made a personal decision to believe in Christ should be baptized.
WHY BE BAPTIZED?
• To follow Christ’s example. A Christian is a “follower of Christ.” “Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan...” (Mark 1:9)
• Christ commanded it. He instructed His disciples to: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...” (Matthew 28:19)
• It is the pattern followed by New Testament believers. “...many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” (Acts 18:8)
• To identify with the Church. “Those who were baptized…were added to the church.” (Acts 2)
• Baptism is also a symbol of one’s union by faith with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3.4)
• Baptism is a public confession of our new life in Christ and a sign of our obedience to His Word. All in all, baptism shows our loyalty and obedience to Christ, His Word and the Church. “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (I John 2:3)
WHEN ARE WE TO BE BAPTIZED?
The most detailed example of baptism is found in Acts 8 where Philip told the eunuch about Christ:
“And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture he preached Jesus to him. And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:35-38)
There is no reason for delay. For a new believer, this is the first major act of obedience unto the lordship of Christ. The key is that after a person declares his belief in Christ, he should be baptized. Because “belief” is the prerequisite for baptism, we do not recognize infant baptism.
HOW ARE WE TO BE BAPTIZED?
From the beginning of the Church, immersion was the recognized method for baptizing believers.
• “And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water” (Matthew 3:16)
• “. . . They both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water… (Acts 8:38,39)
Historically, church leaders agree:
• Martin Luther: “I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely im-mersed, as the word imports and the mystery signifies.”
• John Calvin: “The word ‘baptize’ signifies to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient church.”
• John Wesley: “Buried with Him, alluding to baptizing by immersion ac-cording to the custom of the first church.”
The Greek word “baptizo” means “to dip,” “to immerse,” or “to wash.” Water baptism is an external symbol of the internal washing and renewal that takes place when one believes in Christ. Over the years, traditions, church distinctives, and simply disobedience have deemphasized the importance of immersion.