Matthew 28:18-20 “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
- How One Should Be Baptized: Baptism By Immersion
Baptism is biblically done by immersion. Someone must be fully covered by water, or dunked, in order to be properly baptized. “Sprinkling”, “pouring”, and “effusion” are not scriptural forms of baptism.
- The Word “Baptize” Means “Immerse”
The English word “baptism” means “immersion”. It comes from a Greek word in the New Testament meaning “to dip”, or, “to immerse”. Even when used figuratively in scripture, baptism has a meaning of an immersion into something (e.g., Jesus’ “baptism” of suffering in Luke 12:50; see also Matthew 20:22).
Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death…”
Romans 6:5 “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”
- Jesus Was Baptized By Immersion
Jesus’ baptism is the example for all Christians; we should be baptized how Jesus was baptized.
Matthew 3:16 “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.”
- John “The Baptist” Baptized By Immersion
John was sent from God to baptize (John 1:6, 33; see also Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 4:5-6), and because his baptism was “from heaven” (Matthew 21:23-27), we should be baptized in the way that he performed baptisms—by being dunked in the water.
John 3:23 “And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.”
Matthew 3:6 “And were baptized of him in Jordan…”
- All Of The Disciples Of The Early Church Baptized By Immersion
All recorded baptisms in the New Testament were done by immersion; there is no record of “sprinkling”, “pouring” or “effusion” done by Christians as a means of baptism in the Bible.
Acts 8:38-39 “38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
- The Biblical Pictures Of Baptism Are By Immersion
The Old Testament picture of the Israelites being “baptized” in the Red Sea shows an immersion experience: with the walls of water on both sides, and the pillar of cloud above them. (See also the picture of baptism by the global flood: 1 Peter 3:18-22).
1 Corinthians 10:1-2 “1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
- Who Should Be Baptized: Believer’s Baptism
Biblically speaking, baptism is exclusively for believers in Jesus Christ. If someone is not saved (for example, a member of a false religion), or has not or cannot believe in Jesus Christ (for example, a baby), they should not be baptized. Every family that was baptized in the Bible did not include little children (as the household of Stephanas: 1 Corinthians 1:16; 16:15). Once someone is saved, they should be re-baptized if they formerly were non-scripturally baptized (see the re-baptism in Acts 19:1-5).
- All Of The Disciples Of The Early Church Only Baptized Believers
Faith in Jesus Christ always preceded baptism in practice of the New Testament believers.
Acts 2:41 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Acts 8:12-13 “12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.”
Acts 16:33-34 “33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”
Acts 8:36-37 “36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (See also Acts 10:44-48; 16:14-15; 18:8).
- John The Baptist Only Baptized Believers
John baptized with “the baptism of repentance,” meaning that only those who changed their beliefs to trust in the coming Christ could thus be baptized.
Acts 19:4 “Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
John did not knowingly baptize those who did not believe; he refused baptism for unbelievers.
Luke 7:29-30 “29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.” (See also Matthew 3:7).
III. Why One Is Baptized: The Symbolic Meaning Of Baptism
Water baptism is a purely symbolic ordinance. A wedding ring merely symbolizes being married, but the marriage vows are what make a man and a woman married. In the same way, baptism only symbolizes that we are saved, because we were saved by believing in Jesus Christ and receiving the promise of eternal life. A cap and gown symbolize that one has graduated from school, but it was the academic work they did that makes them a graduate; so also baptism symbolizes that we are now spiritually risen with Christ, but it is the finished work of Christ that saves us. Baptism is symbolic of three things:
- Water baptism is symbolic of our belief in the gospel of Christ––our public identification with Jesus Christ––showing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see 1 Thessalonians 4:14). In baptism, we should recognize what Jesus did for us.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures”
- Water baptism is symbolic of our spiritual salvation in Christ––our immersion into Christ by our spiritual death to sin and spiritual resurrection. Even as Jesus died and rose again, so we who are saved have already died to sin and been made alive in Christ in our spirit (Colossians 3:1). At baptism, we should remember that we have been regenerated.
Colossians 2:12 “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
- Water baptism is symbolic of our decision to follow Christ––our new commitment to be Christ-like and walk as he walked. By baptism, we should immerse ourselves in the things of God.
Romans 6:3-4 “3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Baptism Is Not For Salvation
- Baptism is a righteous work (Matthew 3:13-15), and we are not saved by our righteousness (Philippians 3:9) or by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9; see also Titus 3:4-5).
- Baptism is not a part of the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17), and the gospel is the means of our salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Baptism and the gospel are two different things––Jesus described a difference between when we “teach all nations” (evangelism) and when we are “baptizing them” (baptism) (Matthew 28:19-20). We receive the Holy Spirit at salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14), not baptism (Acts 10:44-48).
- Baptism washes the body, but it cannot forgive the sins of the soul. But for salvation, we must have our sins forgiven by Jesus’ blood (Hebrews 9:22; Colossians 1:14; Revelation 1:5). We are saved by the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-19; Romans 3:25), not the water of baptism; water cannot wash away sin (see Matthew 27:24).
- Baptism was not performed on many people in the Bible, who therefore went to heaven without being baptized (e.g., the thief on the cross in Luke 23:39-43; all Old Testament believers, e.g., Abraham, David: see Romans 4:1-8), and were also forgiven without baptism (e.g., the penitent woman in Luke 7:37-50).
- Baptism is a symbolic ordinance, and does not wash away or forgive someone’s sins. Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17), but he did not need to be forgiven or wash away his sins, because he was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5; Hebrews 4:15; John 8:46).