What Were The Circumstances Surrounding Baptisms In The Bible
If we read about the baptisms in the New Testament we find some similarities.
Baptisms in the Bible were joyful events. Each believer who was baptized believed in the good news they had heardthat Jesus was the Son of God and the long awaited Messiah.
They confessed their sins and gave up their own desires to follow Him. And, they desired to be baptized as a result of their repentance.
Baptism Should Be Performed By Immersion
Baptisms in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are performed by immersion, meaning a person is immersed all the way under water and brought back up. The Bible tells us that when was baptized, went up straightway out of the water . Baptism by immersion is beautifully symbolic, not only of the washing away of sins, but of death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism signifies the end of your old way of life and birth to a life committed to Christian values .
Latter-day Saints believe that baptism must be performed by someone who holds proper priesthood authority. That authority directly from Jesus Christ was returned through the restoration of His Church.
Is It Ok To Be Baptized As A Baby
The Roman Catholic Church considers baptism, even for an infant, so important that “parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks” and, “if the infant is in danger of death, it is to be baptised without any delay.” It declares: “The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial …
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Meaning Of The Greek Verb Baptizein
The Greek-English Lexicon of Liddell and Scott gives the primary meaning of the verb baptízein, from which the English verb “baptize” is derived, as “dip, plunge”, and gives examples of plunging a sword into a throat or an embryo and for drawing wine by dipping a cup in the bowl for New Testament usage it gives two meanings: “baptize”, with which it associates the mention of Naaman dipping himself in the Jordan River, and “perform ablutions”, as in Luke 11:38.
Although the Greek verb baptízein does not exclusively mean dip, plunge or immerse , lexical sources typically cite this as a meaning of the word in both the and the New Testament.
“While it is true that the basic root meaning of the Greek words for baptize and baptism is immerse/immersion, it is not true that the words can simply be reduced to this meaning, as can be seen from Mark 10:3839, Luke 12:50, Matthew 3:11 Luke 3:16 and Corinthians10:2.”
As already mentioned, the lexicographical work of Zodhiates says that, in the second of these two cases, the verb baptízein indicates that, after coming from the market, the Pharisees washed their hands by immersing them in collected water. Balz & Schneider understand the meaning of , used in place of , to be the same as , to dip or immerse, a verb used of the partial dipping of a morsel held in the hand into wine or of a finger into spilled blood.
Who Can Baptize You
But, “in case of necessity, baptism can be administered by a deacon or, in his absence or if he is impeded, by another cleric, a member of an institute of consecrated life, or by any other Christian faithful even by the mother or father, if another person is not available who knows how to baptize” (canon 677 of the …
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Misconceptions About Christian Baptism
Misconception: Sprinkling or pouring water on a person is an acceptable substitute for complete immersion.
Fact: The baptisms mentioned in the Bible all involved immersion. For example, when the disciple Philip baptized the Ethiopian man, they went down into the water for the baptism. Afterward, they came up out of the water.Acts 8:36-39. c
Misconception: The Bible implies that infants were included when entire households were baptized. For example, it says of a jailer in Philippi: He and his entire household were baptized.Acts 16:31-34.
Fact: The account of the jailers conversion indicates that those who were baptized understood the word of Jehovah and that they rejoiced greatly. Those facts lead to the conclusion that any infants in the jailers household would not have been included in the baptism, because they could not understand the word of Jehovah.
Misconception: Jesus taught infant baptism by saying that the Kingdom belongs to young children.Matthew 19:13-15 .
Fact: Jesus was not discussing baptism when he said those words. Instead, he was showing that those who would qualify for the Kingdom of God must be childlikemeek and teachable.Matthew 18:4 Luke 18:16, 17.
a The Greek word translated baptism comes from a root that means to dip in. See the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Volume I, page 529.
Baptism Found In The New Testament
Water baptism is one of the church ordinances the other one is the Lords Supper to commemorate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The words baptism and baptize are exclusively found in the New Testament, and the first association we often have when thinking about baptism is with the figure of John the Baptist, who carried out the Old Testament ministry as forerunner of Jesus Christ, the foretold Messiah .
The gospels reveal the purpose of this special role assigned to John the Baptist:
John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins .
John will help many people of Israel return to the Lord their God. John himself will go ahead of the Lord and make people ready for His coming. He will be powerful like Elijah and will have the same spirit. He will make peace between fathers and their children. He will cause people who are not obeying God to change and start thinking the way they should .
Paul also affirms this ministry, as he said, Johns baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus .
Therefore, the water baptism by John the Baptist signifies the act of repentance, which brings pardon and forgiveness of sin . True repentance means to repent from sins and to return to the Lord .
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Does A Christian Need To Be Baptized To Be Saved
No. Its the blood of Jesus that saves us, not baptism. Salvation is a free gift of God. We are saved by grace through faith. The Bible is very clear about how we are saved. Baptism symbolizes salvation but is not a way to earn salvation.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast .
One story in the Bible that demonstrates this concept is the story of the thief on the cross. As Jesus hung from the cross, there was a thief on the cross next to him. As both men hung dying, they had a conversation.
The thief declared his belief in Christ Jesus as the Son of God. He asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus told the thief he would be in heaven with Him.
you will be with me in paradise .
The physical act of baptism isnt what changes a person. Its the Holy Spirits work that makes the difference.
How Do You Baptize Someone
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Baptism Is About Immersion In A New Community
How do we understand this new life? This was the question that faced the early Christians, and equally, it faces us today. Too often is baptism understood individualistically. Whether the baptism is for an adult or an infant, it is assumed that it is a rite for the individual alone. Sure, family and friends may watch with enthusiasm and rejoicing, but in no way are they involved in the baptism itself. The baptism is a blessed occurrence between the individual and his/her Lord.
There is truth to this. We cannot deny that it is an individual person who is baptized. But is this all that goes on? Viewing baptism as pertaining to an individual alone means we will fail to see how baptism sparks an entrance into a new community. Baptism is not simply a rite of individual religiosity. Rather, baptism speaks to an activity of the entire community of faith, of which the individual has now become a member. In baptism, one becomes a member of a baptized people.
Does The Bible Teach Infant Baptism
No, it does not. Christian baptism is for those old enough to understand and believe in the good news of the Kingdom of God. It is linked with hearing Gods word, accepting it, and repentingactions that an infant cannot take.Acts 2:22, 38, 41.
In addition, the Bible shows that God views the young children of Christians as being holy, or clean in his sight, because of the parents faithful course. If infant baptism were valid, those children would not need to have the merit of someone else extended to them. b
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The Meaning Of Baptism
The Bible compares baptism to burial. Water baptism symbolizes a persons dying to his past course of life and beginning a new one as a Christian dedicated to God. Baptism and the steps that lead up to it are Gods arrangement for a person to gain a clean conscience based on his faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thus, Jesus taught that his disciples must get baptized.Matthew 28:19, 20.
Baptism Signifies Entrance Into A New Life
Here the symbolism that is linked with the previous point renders the figure complete. Not only are we buried with Christ in baptism but “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” . This new life represents a higher level of human experience in which new values and desires replace the former sinful desires. We become “partakers of the divine nature” because in accepting Christ we have been given “power to become the sons of God” . The animating force behind this new life is revealed by Paul in Galatians 2:20, where he says, “And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Finally, the newly baptized believer who is “risen with Christ” out of the watery grave will reveal this by his desire to “seek those things which are above,” and he will set his “affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” There is now a new power at work.
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What Does Baptism By Fire Mean
“Baptism by fire” is a phrase commonly used to describe a person or employee who is learning something the hard way through a challenge or difficulty.
In many cases, someone who starts a new job must undergo a baptism by fire, meaning they must immediately deal with one or more difficult situations. No one is immune to a baptism of fire, which means new and old employees, members of a company’s management team, and others can experience one. The phrase, which has its roots in the Bible, originated in Europe.
Baptism Symbolizes The Death And Resurrection Of Christ
Baptism testifies of your conviction to follow Jesus and is integral to the life and faith of the Christian. Its that conviction that drives you to live out your faith boldly and without trepidation.
When a new believer makes a commitment to Jesus Christ, baptism is an ideal next step. The biblical practice of baptism is an outward demonstration of an inward commitment.
The word baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo which means to immerse, submerge to make fully wet.
In the Adventist church, baptisms involve new believers being fully immersed under water then immediately brought back up.
This motion of submerging oneself in water, then rising back out, symbolizes the death and burial of Jesus Christ. When one comes up out of the water they are symbolically raised to a new life in Christ. Its an exciting and important part of a new Christians life.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. .
Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead .
And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ .
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The History Of Redemption
The Gospels set the baptism of Jesus in the context of the age-long unfolding of the history of redemption, which takes place according to the plan of God. The background of this history is found in Genesis 13, in the events of creation and the fall. The fall of Adam is followed by the first promise of redemption, found in Genesis 3:15, the promise of her offspring, the offspring of the woman, which already points to Christ .
God called John the Baptist to serve as the forerunner of the Messiah: I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire . The Gospels indicate that John is the fulfillment of the prophecies in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 concerning a prophetic forerunner . John proclaims that the kingdom of heaven is at hand .
God has always been ruling over the world , but the kingdom of heaven comes when God climactically exerts his power to accomplish the salvation of his people. John announces that this decisive time of salvation is at hand. And Jesus, the one greater than John, actually brings this kingdom in an inaugural form as he casts out demons and heals diseases . The decisive events that bring salvation are Jesus death and resurrection.
Examples Of Baptism By Fire
The phrase baptism by fire can be used to describe any number of situations. For instance, a new trader may find the market is moving violently and often against them. They survive their baptism by fire if they can successfully execute their trades with minimal or no losses regardless of which way the market moves.
Similarly, the chief executive officer of a big company may suddenly face their own baptism by fire when a public relations crisis hits. This may be because the company physically abused a customer on video or because of a problem with the company’s product line.
For example, in 2009, Michael McCain, CEO of Canadian meat company Maple Leaf Foods, faced a series of issues after the company’s cold cuts were linked to a national listeriosis outbreak that caused 22 deaths. McCain issued an apology and an expanded product recall.
Here are a few other situations in which someone may have to undergo a baptism by fire:
- A new hospital intern is scheduled to work a 48-hour shift in the emergency room
- A writer reassigned to the Washington D.C. desk is asked to cover a breaking White House scandal and deliver the story to the managing editor by 5 a.m. the next day
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The Basis For Baptism
To His small band of faithful followers the resurrected Christ, just prior to His ascension, said:
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, Therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matt. 28:18-20
Here is a solemn responsibility for the apostles, and, after them, the Bible teachers and elders of the church. It is their responsibility to baptize those who have become followers of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission is not to evangelize. It is to make disciples. How is this done? The process begins with evangelism which leads to conversion. Those converted are to be baptized and indoctrinated. The commission requires the teaching of baptism to the new converts and suggests that discipling is not complete without baptism. The practice of baptizing others, then, is based directly on the command of our Lord.
Here is an ordinance for the Christian church. If an ordinance is simply a ritual or a rite prescribed by our Lord, practiced in the early church, and expounded by the apostles in the epistles of the New Testament, then baptism is certainly an ordinance. It was given by our Lord It was widely practiced in the early church . It was expounded by the apostles in the epistles . The ordinance of baptism, then, is based directly on this command of the Lord.
John 14:15