Lesson 3
What is “Baptism?”
Here is a one sentence answer….
“Baptism is being immersed in water in
the name of the Trinity for repentance and faith in Jesus indicating
entry into the Christian Church .”
- Acts 8:38 … And he gave orders
to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down
into the water and Philip baptized him.
- T he words “I baptize you in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” can be used at baptism,
but many people are baptized “in the name of Jesus”.
- Matthew 28:19… Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
- Acts 19:5… On hearing this,
they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
- The word REPENTANCE means “turning back to God”.
- Matthew 4:17… From that time
on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is near."
- The word Faith means - “to belief” and “to
trust”. Belief is agreeing to truths and trust is putting
one’s
personal security in someone’s hands. In the bible
baptism is always linked with faith in Jesus.
Believing in the truth about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection,
and also committing oneself to following him in a personal relationship.
- I n the New Testament - baptism was the way people became
followers of Jesus. It is the way to indicate entry into the
Body of Christ – becoming
a member of the church.
- Jesus’ disciples (followers) were called “Christians”,
and this word describes all those who believe in Jesus as God’s
Son in the way in which the New Testament part of the bible explains.
- Acts 11:26… and when he found
him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas
and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.
The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
- The Church is the community of those who
follow Jesus.
Who was baptized in bible times?
The Acts of the Apostles tells us that “wherever and whenever
the gospel was proclaimed, those who believed were baptized immediately”.
There is the big question of whether infants (those too young to
express their belief) were baptized. There are a few “household
baptism” recorded in the New Testament and some argue that there
must have been infants in at least some of these. Others argue that
any infants can’t have been baptized since baptism indicates
faith which the infants wouldn’t have been able to profess.
The text of Acts doesn’t tell us either way,
and there is no definite historical evidence about infant baptism in
the New Testament.
- Acts 16:15… When she and
the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to
her home. "If
you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come
and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
- Acts 16:33… At that hour
of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then
immediately he and all his family were baptized.
- Acts 18:8… Crispus, the synagogue
ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many
of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.
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