WATER BAPTISM

 

BAPTISM

Baptízō (βαπτίζω) is a Koine Greek verb that serves as the root for the English word "baptize" and generally means to immerse, submerge, or dip. While its primary meaning is related to plunging something into a liquid, the term carries a range of meanings depending on the context, including "to wash," "to soak," "to drown," or metaphorically "to overwhelm"

Note:- To take baptism we have condition that Should have true repentance 

Note:- We should not take for marriage and education certificate

A SIGN OF REPENTANCE

In the New Testament, the first person who came announcing

water baptism and baptizing people was John the Baptist. John

came as a forerunner to Jesus Christ. His assignment was to

prepare people for the ministry of Jesus and to introduce Jesus

Christ to the world.

Mark 1:4,5

4John came baptizing (Greek “baptize”) in the wilderness and preaching

a baptism (Greek “baptisma”) of repentance for the remission of sins. 5

 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him

and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

The baptism of John was a baptism of repentance. This

means that those who repented came, and were then baptized

by John.

The words “repent” and “repentance” come from the

Greek word “metanoia,” which means “a change of mind or

purpose,” and always involves a change for the better. In the

New Testament, repentance has to do with a change of mind

and purpose from our own sin and sinful ways and a turning

to God, choosing to embrace His ways.

Repentance as it was fi rst introduced and preached by John,

was accompanied by the following:

• The confession of sins (Mark 1:5). This meant that they

recognized and acknowledged their wrongdoing before God.

Repent, believe and be baptized

Mark 16:15,16

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel

to every creature.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not

believe will be condemned.

Acts 2:38,41

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized

in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall

receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day

about three thousand souls were added to them.

Once we have heard the Good News of Jesus Christ,

repented and believed in Jesus Christ, we are then ready to

be baptized. Repentance and believing in Jesus Christ for

the forgiveness of sins and the salvation He provides is the

prerequisite for water baptism.

When we repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,

we are saved from sin and its consequences. Instead of being

eternally separated from God in hell, we have been made

children of God, saved from eternal damnation, offered

salvation and made part of His Kingdom. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). Eternal life is a

gift of God and not earned by anything we do (Romans 6:23).

When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:13).

Water baptism is something that follows our experience of

salvation. It is an expression of the salvation we have received

having repented and believed in Jesus Christ.

To fulfill all righteousness

It is also interesting to see things from Jesus’ perspective.

Why did Jesus go to be baptized by John the Baptist? What

motivated Jesus to do this even though Jesus fully knew that

John was preaching a baptism of repentance, and Jesus Himself

had nothing to repent of?

Here is what happened as Jesus approached John the Baptist

in the river Jordan.

Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized

by him.

14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You,

and are You coming to me?”

15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus

it is fi tting for us to fulfi ll all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the

water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the

Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved

Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John the Baptist seemed to have an unusual experience

as Jesus came forward to be baptized in water. Suddenly, there

seemed to be a recognition that “This is the One,” just by seeing

Him come toward John. This was unusual. John had not yet

seen the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. The voice from

heaven had not yet thundered. And yet, John knew this was

not just another person coming to be baptized. This was the

Lamb of God, the One who was the entire reason for John’s

ministry. John knew that this was the One.

So, John was reluctant to baptize Jesus. But Jesus requested

for John the Baptist to baptize Him so that they could “fulfi ll all

righteousness,” do all that was right in the eyes of the Father,

do all that the Father wanted done at that moment.

There was something about water baptism that was

“bigger” than repentance from sin. It was something even the

sinless Son of God, the Lamb of God desired to step into. It

was an expression of the will of God being released on the

earth. Everyone who would say “Yes” to the will of God, to the

Kingdom of God being released on the earth, would step into

water baptism as an expression of their “Yes” to God.

A public confession

For many of these people in the Early Church, being baptized in

water was not an easy decision. Many of them were persecuted

for their faith in Jesus Christ. But they took their stand of faith

boldly, knowing in whom they believed.

The Lord Jesus had promised that if we confess Him

before people here on earth, He will confess or acknowledge

us before the Father that we are His own!

Matthew 10:32,33

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess

before My Father who is in heaven.

33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My

Father who is in heaven.

Questions

1) What is the right age to be baptized?

Scriptures does not prescribe an age at which a person is to

be baptized. So, we ought to go with the prerequisites given

to us in Scripture, which are—a person should have repented

and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord

to be baptized. This cannot be done by an infant, and hence,

infant baptism is something that is not prescribed in Scripture.

However, a person at any age, when she or he can understand

the message and meaning of the Good News of Jesus Christ

and personally repent and believe in Jesus Christ, is ready to

be baptized in water.

2) Is there a waiting period from receiving salvation to

when a believer can be baptized in water?

No waiting time is required. In all the instances recorded for us

in the book of Acts, as soon as people made a commitment to

repent and believe in Jesus Christ, they were baptized in water.

However, in order to help people understand the meaning of

water baptism and to do it out of their own free will, it is good

to take time to explain the meaning of water baptism and give

them time to make their own decision to be baptized in water

without any outside coercion and compulsion.

3) What is the “baptism formula” we use?

Based on the Great Commission given to us by the Lord Jesus

and what was practiced in the book of Acts, we use, “In Jesus’

name, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the

Holy Spirit.”

4) Who is authorized to baptize another believer?

Any disciple who has been baptized in water can administer

water baptism to another person who has decided to follow

Jesus Christ.

5) Do I need to be re-baptized?

Since sprinkling water on an infant is not a biblical pattern of

New Testament water baptism, this cannot be considered water

baptism. Hence, a person who was sprinkled as a child would

need to be baptized (completely immersed or submerged) in

water once they have personally received Jesus Christ as Savior

and Lord.

For some, perhaps their parents or friends encouraged

them to get water baptized and they did so as a ritual, but

without genuinely experiencing salvation through faith in

Christ. In such cases, we encourage people to get baptized in

water, having believed in Jesus Christ.

In some cases, people may have strayed from their faith

and walk with God and feel in their own hearts that they wish

to be re-baptized as a sign of them returning to the Lord. They

are welcome to do so as an act of their own personal choosing.

6) Is water baptism necessary for salvation or is it an

expression of salvation?

Salvation is entirely by grace through faith in Christ. Water

baptism is an expression of having received salvation. Although

during His earthly ministry Jesus (through His disciples)

baptized those who chose to follow Him, the Lord promised

paradise to the thief on the cross, leading to salvation. The

thief on the cross did not have the option of being baptized.

Similarly, there would be many who may decide to believe in

Jesus Christ in their fi nal moments on earth and may not have

the opportunity to be baptized. They are saved through faith

in Christ. For those of us who are saved, water baptism is a

matter of obedience that we must promptly fulfill.