The Role of Baptism
Where does baptism fit into the picture? The same place as confession and repentance. Saving faith is alwaysdemonstrated in repentance, confession and baptism. These are not acts we perform to be saved. Instead, they are obedient responses to God in faith. As a person responds to God in saving faith, he will be compelled by the Holy Spirit to repent of his sins, to confess Jesus as Lord, and to manifest his faith through the symbolic act of baptism.
Baptism is a beautiful symbol of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In like manner, it also symbolizes a death, burial and resurrection that has taken place in the life of the Believer - his death to the power and consequence of sin, the burial of his old fleshly self, and his resurrection as a new spiritual being in Christ (Rom. 6:3-8).
Some people have dismissed baptism as unimportant and therefore optional. This is a very un-Biblical attitude. Jesus commanded baptism (Matt. 28:19). The Apostles baptized all their converts and did so immediately after their confession of faith (Acts 2:38-41, Acts 8:35-38, Acts 10:43-48, and Acts 16:30-33). Peter characterized baptism as "an appeal to God for a good conscience" (I Peter 3:21).
Baptism is always portrayed as a vital step in the initial conversion process. It is the witness that the conversion process has been completed and the discipleship process is ready to begin.
Water Baptism According to The WORD
The purpose of this writing, How to Baptize by Immersion, is to demonstrate, according to the WORD, the steps to effect water baptism. Before water baptism takes place, the baptismal candidate MUST hear the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, how we baptize in water should be very similar or identical to how water baptism occurs in the Scriptures for nothing has changed. Therefore, I will not examine what happen before water baptism like physical preparations. There is plenty of information on the Web covering this aspect of water baptism. I shall focus my attention on three areas: What the Baptizer should say; What the Baptismal Candidate should say and What the Baptizer Should Do.
In The Water
The baptismal candidate is ready for baptism he is in the water. Water baptisms, according to the WORD, were done in open bodies of water. These were mainly streams or rivers. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the river Jordan. Jesus baptized everyone, including all his disciples, in rivers. However, the important factor is not “where” water baptism occurs but “How”. Where water baptism happens is immaterial. It is not important according to the Word, and it’s not important today because the Bible is silent on this point. How water baptism happens is most significant.
Consequently, a baptismal candidate could be baptized in any body of clean water, as long as he can be immersed or submerged into it.
(1.)Water Baptism – What The Baptizer Should Say
Immediately before Philip baptize the Ethiopian eunuch he explained that there is one hindrance to water baptism, Acts 8:37. This was not a hindrance for the Ethiopian eunuch because he believed. Therefore, before the baptizer immerses the baptismal candidate into the water, one thing is supreme. The most important thing, at this point, is a question.
(2.)Water Baptism – What The Baptismal Candidate Should Say
This question will reveal or not the only Scriptural hindrance to water baptism. The baptizer should ask the baptismal candidate, “Do you, say the baptismal candidate’s name, believes, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?” If the baptismal candidate answers in the affirmative, immerse him. If he does not believe Jesus is the Son of God he should not be baptized.
The baptismal candidate response to the above question is a confession of his faith in Jesus Christ. By his confession, he has validated his faith, in Jesus Christ.
The baptizer having established the baptismal candidate’s faith in Jesus should say a few more things. First, he should say the Scripture; say the person’s name; say the purpose of the baptism and say the promise.
Then the baptizer should speak the Scripture, Matthew 28:19. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” This utterance is not a mere repetition of this Scripture but a demonstration of its application.
Therefore, in applying Matthew 28:19, the baptizer could say, the baptismal candidate’s name, I now baptize you in THE NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remissions of your sins, on the confession of your faith in Christ and you too shall receive the Promise of the Holy Ghost not long afterwards.
(3.)Water Baptism – What the Baptizer Should Do
Invoking the Name of Jesus Christ in Water Baptism by Immersion
Immediately, as the baptizer confesses the name of Jesus on and over the baptismal candidate he immerses the latter in the water, ‘ONCE’. Folks, there is no partial immersion. Therefore, the baptizer should “completely” submerge the baptismal candidate in the water burying him in the water. The immersion of the baptismal candidate is very, very brief, one or two seconds is perfect.
Was Christ buried three times for the world? Baptism in Jesus’ name is spiritually burying the baptismal candidate in Christ death; Christ died ONCE and he was buried ONCE. Water baptism according toMatthew 28:19 is baptism in “THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”, this is one name, Jesus Christ. Therefore, immersion is done once in the name of Jesus and not merely repeating the Scripture.
The baptizer who baptizes a person invoking, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” and immersing the baptismal candidate three times into the water has not baptized that person in any name. “Father” is not a name; “Son” is not a name and “Holy Ghost” is not a name each is a title. Jesus Christ satisfies these three roles.
Finally, nobody is baptized, in the Scriptures, invoking those three titles. However, Believers werebaptized “calling on the the name of Jesus” Christ. This is not a denominational thing this is what the Scriptures teach. Your name identifies you. We are identified with Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven because we are baptized in water by immersion calling on the name of Jesus. If you have not the name of Jesus you do not belong to him. To whom do you belong? Get baptize in water by immersion calling on the name of Jesus and receive his authority to represent him in the earth.
Where does baptism fit into the picture? The same place as confession and repentance. Saving faith is alwaysdemonstrated in repentance, confession and baptism. These are not acts we perform to be saved. Instead, they are obedient responses to God in faith. As a person responds to God in saving faith, he will be compelled by the Holy Spirit to repent of his sins, to confess Jesus as Lord, and to manifest his faith through the symbolic act of baptism.
Baptism is a beautiful symbol of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In like manner, it also symbolizes a death, burial and resurrection that has taken place in the life of the Believer - his death to the power and consequence of sin, the burial of his old fleshly self, and his resurrection as a new spiritual being in Christ (Rom. 6:3-8).
Some people have dismissed baptism as unimportant and therefore optional. This is a very un-Biblical attitude. Jesus commanded baptism (Matt. 28:19). The Apostles baptized all their converts and did so immediately after their confession of faith (Acts 2:38-41, Acts 8:35-38, Acts 10:43-48, and Acts 16:30-33). Peter characterized baptism as "an appeal to God for a good conscience" (I Peter 3:21).
Baptism is always portrayed as a vital step in the initial conversion process. It is the witness that the conversion process has been completed and the discipleship process is ready to begin.
Water Baptism According to The WORD
The purpose of this writing, How to Baptize by Immersion, is to demonstrate, according to the WORD, the steps to effect water baptism. Before water baptism takes place, the baptismal candidate MUST hear the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, how we baptize in water should be very similar or identical to how water baptism occurs in the Scriptures for nothing has changed. Therefore, I will not examine what happen before water baptism like physical preparations. There is plenty of information on the Web covering this aspect of water baptism. I shall focus my attention on three areas: What the Baptizer should say; What the Baptismal Candidate should say and What the Baptizer Should Do.
In The Water
The baptismal candidate is ready for baptism he is in the water. Water baptisms, according to the WORD, were done in open bodies of water. These were mainly streams or rivers. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the river Jordan. Jesus baptized everyone, including all his disciples, in rivers. However, the important factor is not “where” water baptism occurs but “How”. Where water baptism happens is immaterial. It is not important according to the Word, and it’s not important today because the Bible is silent on this point. How water baptism happens is most significant.
Consequently, a baptismal candidate could be baptized in any body of clean water, as long as he can be immersed or submerged into it.
(1.)Water Baptism – What The Baptizer Should Say
Immediately before Philip baptize the Ethiopian eunuch he explained that there is one hindrance to water baptism, Acts 8:37. This was not a hindrance for the Ethiopian eunuch because he believed. Therefore, before the baptizer immerses the baptismal candidate into the water, one thing is supreme. The most important thing, at this point, is a question.
(2.)Water Baptism – What The Baptismal Candidate Should Say
This question will reveal or not the only Scriptural hindrance to water baptism. The baptizer should ask the baptismal candidate, “Do you, say the baptismal candidate’s name, believes, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?” If the baptismal candidate answers in the affirmative, immerse him. If he does not believe Jesus is the Son of God he should not be baptized.
The baptismal candidate response to the above question is a confession of his faith in Jesus Christ. By his confession, he has validated his faith, in Jesus Christ.
The baptizer having established the baptismal candidate’s faith in Jesus should say a few more things. First, he should say the Scripture; say the person’s name; say the purpose of the baptism and say the promise.
Then the baptizer should speak the Scripture, Matthew 28:19. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” This utterance is not a mere repetition of this Scripture but a demonstration of its application.
Therefore, in applying Matthew 28:19, the baptizer could say, the baptismal candidate’s name, I now baptize you in THE NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remissions of your sins, on the confession of your faith in Christ and you too shall receive the Promise of the Holy Ghost not long afterwards.
(3.)Water Baptism – What the Baptizer Should Do
Invoking the Name of Jesus Christ in Water Baptism by Immersion
Immediately, as the baptizer confesses the name of Jesus on and over the baptismal candidate he immerses the latter in the water, ‘ONCE’. Folks, there is no partial immersion. Therefore, the baptizer should “completely” submerge the baptismal candidate in the water burying him in the water. The immersion of the baptismal candidate is very, very brief, one or two seconds is perfect.
Was Christ buried three times for the world? Baptism in Jesus’ name is spiritually burying the baptismal candidate in Christ death; Christ died ONCE and he was buried ONCE. Water baptism according toMatthew 28:19 is baptism in “THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”, this is one name, Jesus Christ. Therefore, immersion is done once in the name of Jesus and not merely repeating the Scripture.
The baptizer who baptizes a person invoking, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” and immersing the baptismal candidate three times into the water has not baptized that person in any name. “Father” is not a name; “Son” is not a name and “Holy Ghost” is not a name each is a title. Jesus Christ satisfies these three roles.
Finally, nobody is baptized, in the Scriptures, invoking those three titles. However, Believers werebaptized “calling on the the name of Jesus” Christ. This is not a denominational thing this is what the Scriptures teach. Your name identifies you. We are identified with Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven because we are baptized in water by immersion calling on the name of Jesus. If you have not the name of Jesus you do not belong to him. To whom do you belong? Get baptize in water by immersion calling on the name of Jesus and receive his authority to represent him in the earth.
