• Everyone who desires to become a Christian must face the question of baptism

– Every church (except Quakers) requires an act they call baptism

• Any person who wants to become a member of a church must decide what baptism is and what it is for

– ““But this would require a knowledge of But this would require a knowledge of dead languages.”dead languages.” –Wrong! • Any person of average intelligence can

read any standard translation and understand what God requires of him

• The MethodThe Method: Reading through

– Ps.119:160

• The entiretyentirety

• The sum sum

–The sum total

• The AttitudeThe Attitude: A clear mind

I I Baptism PassagesBaptism Passages

Mt.3:• 5-6, John baptized in the Jordan River

– He did something with water

• 11, John baptized with water – “Unto repentance” = in order that they

may live the changed life

• 13-16, went up immediately (He had been at or in the river itself)

• (1) Baptism required water • (2) after baptism, came up from it • (3) fulfilled a “needneed,” “righteousnessrighteousness”

Mt.28:18-19

• To be done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

– Must be very solemn, important

• All nations are subject to it

Mark 1:4-5, 8-9• Baptism of repentance for remission

of sins (Mk.1:4)

• Two facts:

1. Mt.3:11, man’s part: renounce sinrenounce sin

2. Mk.1:4, God’s part: pardon sin in pardon sin in connection with baptismconnection with baptism

• 8-9, baptized in wilderness in the Jordan River (5, 9)

Mk.16:15-16

• For every creature

• Targets same audience as Mt.28

–Adds the precondition of beliefAdds the precondition of belief

Luke• Lk.3:3

– People from all around Jordan came to receive a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins

• Lk.7:29-30 – By rejecting John’s baptism,

Pharisees…rejected the counsel of counsel of GodGod concerning themselves

– “rejected the purpose of Godpurpose of God…” (ESV)

• God wanted them to be baptized; they rejected it

Jn.3:22-23

• Much water explains why John and Jesus used the Jordan River

– A little water would not be enough

Ac.2:38, 41

• 38, apostles begin what Jesus commanded (Mk.16:15-16)

• 38, anotheranother precondition: repentance precondition: repentance

• 38, repentance and baptism are for for forgiveness of sinsforgiveness of sins

• 41, gladly receivinggladly receiving His word is the opposite of the Pharisees and scribes (Lk.7:30)

Acts 8

• 8:12, Samaritans were baptized– Philip (not an apostle) could preach

apostles’ message and baptize

– No congregation present to witness the event

• 8:35-39, bothboth went down into water, bothboth came up

– Confirms our conclusions in Mt.3 and Mk.1

Ac. 9, 10, 16

– 9:18, Saul was baptized • 22:16 shows whywhy he was to do it

(wash away sinswash away sins)

• Parallels 2:38 (forgiveness of sinsforgiveness of sins)

– 10:48, Cornelius and others were baptized in name of Jesus Christ (as 2:38)

– 16:15, Lydia

Acts, concluded

• 16:31-34, Philippian jailer

– Baptized the same hour of the night

– No congregation there to witness it

• 18:8, Corinthians heardheard, believedbelieved, and were baptizedwere baptized

• 19:1-7, Ephesians were baptized

Ro.6:3-4• Baptized into Christinto Christ • Baptized into His death into His death • BuriedBuried (in water)

• Explains Mt.3, Mk.1, Ac.8 • Both went into the water to bury

the person in water• ““But if you leave him there, he will But if you leave him there, he will

drown!”drown!” – Jesus, eunuch, and others were Jesus, eunuch, and others were

raised up… Ro.6:4-5raised up… Ro.6:4-5

Col.2:12

• Christ was buriedburied and raisedraised

• By baptism we are buriedburied and raisedraised

• Explains why John used the Jordan:– Both people went down into the water

– Both came up out of it after the burial was completed

IIII ConclusionsConclusions::1. Baptism is an act in which one is

buried in water, and raised in imitation of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection

2. It is done by Christ’s command, by His authority. Ps.137:5-6

3. The blessings following baptism:– SalvationSalvation (Mk.16:16) – Forgiveness of sinsForgiveness of sins (Ac.2:38) – Washing away sinsWashing away sins (Ac.22:16) – Put us into ChristPut us into Christ (Ga.3:26-27)

IIIIII Will We Take Will We Take God’s Word Seriously?God’s Word Seriously?

• ““But I was baptized as a baby; the But I was baptized as a baby; the preacher sprinkled water on my head; preacher sprinkled water on my head; my mother told me so” my mother told me so”

– Baptism requires faithfaith (Mk.16:16), repentancerepentance (Ac.2:38), confessionconfession (Ro.10:10)

• A baby cannot believe . . .A baby cannot believe . . .

– Baptism is a burialburial (Ro.6; Col.2)

““But I was immersed, so my baptism But I was immersed, so my baptism must be okay”must be okay”

• Ac.19:1-7 – – These correctly followed three of the

four elements of scriptural baptism:

• WhoWho? BelieversBelievers (Mk.16:16)

• WhatWhat? In waterIn water (Ac.8:36-38)

• HowHow? ImmersionImmersion (Ac.8:36-38)

• WhyWhy? ForgivenessForgiveness (Ac.2:38)? ?

Paul’s response (vv. 4-5):

• Purpose matters!

• If not, why did Paul immerse them?If not, why did Paul immerse them?

• Ep.4:5, there is one baptism

– There is one Lordone Lord: no other will do

– There is one faithone faith: no other will do

– There is one baptismone baptism: ? ? ?

Does purpose matter?

• In marriage?

• In children?

• In war?

• In worship and charity?

• In fun?