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All Christian Churches to the best of my knowledge practice Baptism, but do all of them do it Biblically? Not at all!
The word Baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo, which was a common term in the dyeing industry, that meant to immerse it in a coloring (dye) solution. You can not dye a fabric blue by sprinkling it, but by immersing it in blue dye. Despite what some Churches teach and what people believe, infant Baptism (Christening) is not Scriptural and cannot be found in the Bible. As you read the New Testament, I challenge you to show me any references to infant Baptism, I will list some of the so-called proof texts below, for your reference.
Acts 11:14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all
thy house shall be saved.
Acts 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and
washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Acts 18:8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue,
believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing
believed, and were baptized.
Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he
should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom
of God.
Did you see the words infants, in any of the above Scriptures? NO, matter of fact I see in Acts 18 verse eight the words hearing and believed, has a baby ever confessed their faith and trust in Christ to you?
Mark 16:16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.
But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
Luke 3:3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River,
preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their
sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
Luke 3:12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and
asked, "Teacher, what should we do?"
John 3:22 Afterward Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem, but they stayed in
Judea for a while and baptized there.
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God,
and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the
church--about three thousand in all.
Acts 8:12 But now the people believed Philip's message of Good News concerning
the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women
were baptized.
Acts 8:13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following
Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the great miracles and signs
Philip performed.
Acts 8:16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only
been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 8:36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said,
"Look! There's some water! Why can't I be baptized?"
Acts 8:38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water,
and Philip baptized him.
Acts 9:18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained
his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.
Acts 13:24 But before he came, John the Baptist preached the need for everyone
in Israel to turn from sin and turn to God and be baptized.
Acts 16:15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she
asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am faithful to the Lord," she
said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we did.
Acts 16:33 That same hour the jailer washed their wounds, and he and everyone in
his household were immediately baptized.
Acts 18:8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all his household believed
in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also became believers and were baptized.
Acts 19:5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus.
Acts 22:16 And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and have your sins washed
away, calling on the name of the Lord.'
Rom 6:3 Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized
to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him?
Col 2:12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him
you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who
raised Christ from the dead.
Many of the verses above show two facts, belief, then Baptism, I have never
heard a baby, profess Christ, and then ask to be Baptized, have you?
Holman Bible dictionary states the following:
BAPTISM The immersion or dipping of a believer in
water symbolizing the complete renewal and change in the believer's life and
testifying to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the way of
salvation.
John's Baptism John the Baptist immersed repentant sinners: those who had
a change of mind and heart (John 1:6,11). John's baptism--for Jews and
Gentiles--involved the same elements later interpreted in Christian baptism:
repentance, confession, evidence of changed lives, coming judgment, and the
coming of the kingdom of God through the Messiah, who would baptize with the
Spirit and with fire (Matt. 3:11). John thus formed a purified community waiting
for God's great salvation.
Jesus' Baptism John also baptized Jesus, who never sinned (Matt. 3:13-17; John
1:13-16). Jesus said that His own baptism was to fulfill all righteousness
(Matt. 3:15). Thus Jesus acknowledged that the standard of life John demanded
was correct for Himself and for His followers. In this way He was able to
identify with sinful mankind and to be a model for others to follow. In this way
Jesus affirmed John and his message. The coming of the Spirit and the voice from
heaven showed that Jesus represented another point in God's revelation of
Himself and formed the connection between baptism and Christ's act of
redemption.
To be baptized is to clothe oneself with Christ (Gal. 3:27 NRSV, NIV). Baptism
refers to the suffering and death of Christ (Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:50).
Christian baptism is in a sense a sharing of this death and resurrection and all
that brought Christ to those events (Rom. 6:1-7; Col. 2:12). Baptism shows that
a person has died to the old way of life and has been raised to a new kind of
life--eternal life in Christ (Matt. 28:19-20; Col. 3:1; 2 Tim. 2:11). The
resurrection from the water points to the Christian's resurrection also (Rom.
6:1-6).
Believers' Baptism In the New Testament baptism is for believers (Acts 2:38;
8:12-13,36-38; Eph. 4:5). Water apart from personal commitment to Christ makes
no difference in the life of anyone. In the New Testament baptism occurs when a
person trusts Christ as Lord and Savior and obeys the command to be submerged
in water and raised from it as a picture of the salvation experience that has
occurred. Baptism comes after conviction of sin, repentance of sin,
confession of Christ as Lord and Savior. To be baptized is to preach a
personal testimony through the symbol of baptism. Baptism testifies that "ye are
washed ... ye are sanctified ... ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,
and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11).
If you want to follow God, and to know the truth, read His Word, because it is
the only true authority.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
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This page was last updated:
Wednesday February 13, 2008
