Baptism
Why do we baptize?
We as believers in Christ practice baptism for three main reasons:
To follow the example of Jesus. (Mark 1:9)
To obey Jesus’s commandments. (Matt 28:19)
To publicly declare that a person is a believer. (Acts 2:38)
SIGN UP FOR BAPTISM
What is baptism?
“Baptism” comes from the Greek word baptízō, which means “to submerge, dip under, immerse.” So put simply, baptism is immersing an individual in water and raising them up again from it.
Biblically-speaking, baptism signifies the following:
Baptism portrays the death and resurrection of Christ. (Romans 6:3-4)
Baptism demonstrates a person’s union with Christ in his death and resurrection. (1 Cor. 12:13, Col. 2:12)
Baptism proclaims cleansing from sin. (Acts 22:16, 1 Pet. 3:21, Heb. 10:22 )
Baptism symbolizes deliverance from judgment. (1 Pet. 3:20-21)
Water baptism is a New Testament ordinance. John the Baptist was the first to preach baptism, and Jesus Himself came to John to be baptized (Mark 1:1-10). During His earthly ministry, Jesus authorized His disciples to baptize (John 4:1, 2). When He was ready to ascend into Heaven after His resurrection, His last command was “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). This is the biblical formula for water baptism. In some cases, we find the name of Jesus is mentioned in connection with water baptism. This is not to contradict the command of Christ but merely to show the distinction between the baptism of John and the baptism of Christ. It also shows the authority Jesus bestowed upon his disciples by authorizing them to perform the baptismal ceremony.
In light of what baptism signifies, it can be concluded that baptism is to be administered to those who give a sincere profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament gives further support for “believer’s baptism”:
Who can be baptized?
The new testament only describes the baptism of believers.
Of the numerous baptism accounts in Scripture, it is only ever those who have repented of their sins and turned to Christ that we see being baptized. Belief is consistently seen as the prerequisite for baptism. (See Acts 2:38; 2:41; 8:12; 8:35-36; 9:18; 10:48; Acts 16:14-15; 16:33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16)
Paul and baptism
In Galatians 3:27, Paul assumes that those who have been baptized have “put on Christ” (have been saved). His question in Romans 6:3 carries the same assumption: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”