What Does The Bible Teach About Baptism?

What does the Bible teach about Baptism?

It is important that we learn and obey what the Bible teaches about Baptism. First, every Christian, (an individual who places their faith in Jesus Christ “Alone” for salvation), should be Baptized. For a Christian, Baptism is not optional, it is a command (Acts 2:38), and it follows the example of Jesus Christ (Matt. 3:13). Next, Baptism does not and cannot save. Baptism is a natural result of salvation in obedience to God. Peter connected baptism to conversion, on the day of Pentecost when he said, “Repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Those who believe the Gospel had to demonstrate it by the public act of Baptism. Baptism didn’t save them because if we continue in the same passage it reads, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). Receiving the Word of God was what brought salvation, Baptism was the way in which it was demonstrated to the public. Finally, it is not Biblical to baptize a child. You will not find this anywhere in Scripture, Period… A person must understand what baptism is and then make a personal and conscious decision, as a believer in Jesus Christ, to obey God’s command to be baptized. In Acts chapter 8, the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip the evangelist, “What prevents me from being baptized?” Peter answered, “If you believe with all your heart, you may”. This is still the case today, if we believe with all of our heart, (Salvation), then we may obey God’s command and be baptized. Obviously, an infant does not have the capacity to do this. Baptism literally means “Immersion”, to dip or plunge or place completely under water; the term does not allow for Sprinkling or Pouring. During a baptism, the individual is literally immersed or dipped into and under the water.

This is why when believers, in the Bible, were baptized they were immersed. The Bible describes it in that manner: 

They did it in rivers and other large bodies of water big enough to climb into. “John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there” (John 3:23).

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Jesus was not sprinkled either, He came, “Up out of the water” (Mark 1:10), or “Came up immediately from the water” (Matt. 3:16).

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The Ethiopian eunuch and Peter, “They both went down into the water” (Acts 8:38), in verse 39 they also “came up out of the water”.

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They were being (Immersed) baptized by him in the Jordan River” (Mark 1:6).

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John the Baptist stated, “I (Immerse) baptize you with water…” (Mark 1:8), “I (Immerse) baptize you with water...” (Matt3:9), “I (Immerse) baptize in water…“(John 1:26).

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John 1:31,34

No person or church has the right to alter the command of Christ. If an individual or church does this, they place themselves above the Scriptures and also above Christ while cultivating other to follow the same.