BAPTISM

What is the Significance of Baptism in the Bible?
The noun "baptism" and the corresponding verb, "baptize," come directly from Greek to English with only slight spelling modification. The word used literally, denotes to immerse, dip, or submerge. When employed metaphorically, it suggests the idea of being overwhelmed. It can take several senses in the New Testament, depending upon the context. 

  • It was used concerning the overwhelming suffering that Christ would endure at Calvary (Lk. 12:50). 
  • "Baptism" describes the extraordinary measure of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, received by the apostles on Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:4), and later by the first Gentiles to whom the gospel was extended (Acts 11:15-17). 
  • It is symbolically used to describe the punishment of hell (Mt. 3:10-12). 
  • The most common use of baptism involves an immersion in water as an act of spiritual obedience. 

John the Baptizer (Mt. 3:6) introduced water immersion first in the New Testament. Subsequently, baptism was administered by Jesus' disciples (Jn. 4:1-2). Finally, it was authorized under the "great commission" (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16). 

The baptism of the Christian age embodies immersion in water (Acts 8:38-39; Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12) for a person who has the ability and willingness to both believe the gospel message and repent of sin (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38). 

The purpose of the ordinance is to obtain pardon (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). At baptism, one enters a relationship with Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27) and becomes a part of the Lord's spiritual body (1 Cor. 12:13), the church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18, 24). This is the same realm known as the kingdom of God, entered by the "new birth" process (Jn. 3:3-5). 

The modern practices of "baptizing" infants, "sprinkling" water as a substitute for immersion, and baptizing people who labor under the illusion that God, for Christ's sake, has already forgiven them find no support in the New Testament. 

Water immersion is the "one baptism" (Eph. 4:5) that continues to the end of time (cf. Mt. 28:19-20).

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Adapted from the book "Bible Words and Theological Terms Made Easy" by Wayne Jackson