Baptism

BAPTISM

INTRODUCTION: Baptism is ordained of God and should be the first step taken by God’s children.

I.     What constitutes scriptural baptism?

A.   Scriptural baptism may be defined as “the immersion in water of a born again believer
        by the authority of a local, visible, New Testament Church, in the name (by the author-
        ity) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

B.   The succession of the Lord’s churches down through the ages is, in truth, the succes-
        sion of Heaven’s baptism.

C.   Questions over baptism are no new thing.

1.     God’s people have given their lives throughout the church age standing for this

doctrine.

2.     Baptists were called Ana-Baptist during the reformation period by the reformers,

as well as the Catholics, because they refused to accept infant baptism and would

not recognize Catholic or Protestant baptism as being scriptural.

II.     Why baptize by immersion?

A.   Baptism is a transliterated word. Rather than translating the word baptism, the Bible

translators brought the Greek alphabet characters into English letters. By so doing, the

Greek word bapto was brought into English without defining its Greek meaning.

1.     Bapto — means to dip, immerse, bury.

2.     Rantizo — Greek verb — sprinkle; this word is never used in connection with

baptism.

3.     Ekxeo — Greek verb — pour out; this word is never used in connection with

baptism.

B.   All New Testament examples of baptism are by immersion.

1.     Jesus was immersed, Matthew 3:16,17.

2.     The Ethiopian eunuch was immersed, Acts 8:38,39.

3.     John baptized near Salim because there was much water there, John 3:23.

4.     The Bible states baptism is a burial, Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:4.

5.     Baptism pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, I Corinthians 15:3,4;

Romans 6:3-5.

III.    Who has the authority to baptize?

A.   God instituted baptism, and the Scriptures reveal a chain of authority for its adminis-

tration.

1.     John the Baptist is the first link in the chain of authority, John 1:6; Mark 1:4.

2.     Jesus walked approximately 60 miles to receive John’s baptism because he was

the only one with authority. This authority was confirmed by the Father, Son and

Holy Spirit, Matthew 3:14-17.

B.   Jesus had all authority, Matthew 28:18.

1.     Jesus gave the authority to baptize to His church, John 3:22; 4:1,2.

2.     Christ gave the “Great Commission” to His church, Matthew 28:19,20.

V.       How many baptisms are there?

A.   There is only one baptism, Ephesians 4:5.

B.   God recognizes no other baptism, Acts 19:1-5.

1.     If John had baptized these men, they would have known about the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 3:11.

2.     It was impossible for John to have baptized these people.

a.  John had been dead for 23 years. He was put in prison and killed just a few
      months after Christ was baptized, Matthew 4:12; 14:10,12.

b.  John never left the Holy Land, but these people were in Asia Minor (Turkey),
      hundreds of miles away.

3.     Apollos probably baptized these people, Acts 18:24.

a.  The reason God did not recognize this baptism is because Apollos did not have
      church authority, Acts 18:25.

b.  Apollos had been baptized by John and was one of his disciples.

c.  John’s disciples did not have the authority to baptize.

d.  Paul had church authority, so God recognized his baptism, Acts 13:1-3.

e.  The Antioch church sent Paul and Barnabas with the authority to baptize.

V.         What will baptism do for us?

A.   Baptism puts us in a position to serve God and robes us with Christ, Galatians 3:27.

B.   It is an act of righteousness, Matthew 3:14; Revelation 19:7,8.

C.   Baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God, I Peter 3:21.

D.   It separates our life for service, Acts 2:40-42.

VI.      Who can be baptized?

A.   Believers only can be baptized.

B.   John demanded repentance and faith before baptism, Matthew 3:7,8.

C.   The first church preached repentance and faith before baptism, Acts 8:12.

D.   The thief on the cross was saved without baptism, Luke 23:33, 39-43.

E.   The Philippian jailor was saved without baptism, Acts 16:30,31.

F.    Baptism is a work of righteousness, but salvation is not by works, Ephesians 2:8,9;
        Titus 3:5.

VII.   Why be baptized?

A.   We cannot receive eternal rewards without scriptural baptism, II Timothy 2:5.

B.   If our life is going to testify for Jesus, it must be done in His body (the church),
        Ephesians 3:21.

C.   We are new creations, II Corinthians 5:17.