Romans 6:3

... All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death...

Main points

• Baptism is not any man’s idea; it is an injunction from God.

• Baptism is not a ritual. It expresses our identification with Christ.

• Jesus was immersed when He was baptised leaving an example for us.

Jesus never asked His disciples to remember His birth but His death and resurrection. He gave the local church two ordinances to administer; Baptism and the Lord’s Table by which we remember His death and resurrection. An ordinance means that these practices were ‘ordained’ or ‘set apart’ as special by the Lord.

Both are symbolic reminders and clear object lessons of the ‘Gospel’ (Good news) that Jesus dies for our sins, was buried and rose again (1 Cor 15:1-4)

What does baptism mean?

1. The literal meaning of the word ‘baptise’ is to immerse, to submerge, to dip, to plunge, to place under, to sink.

2. It is a symbol of identification. Baptism is the outward, public symbol of an inward spiritual commitment.

a. Before Christ’s ministry: identification with John the Baptist’s message – Luke 3:3

b. Christ: identification with humanity – Luke 3:21

c. For followers of Christ: identification with His death, burial and resurrection – Romans 6:4

What does the bible teach about baptism?

1. The baptism of his followers was commanded by Jesus Christ – Matt 28:19-20

2. It was practiced by the Church.

a. Acts 2:41 – Jewish believers in Jerusalem. Almost immediately after receiving Christ, these adult believers were baptised.

b. Acts 8:12 – new believers in Samaria. They were baptised after believing, and they were men and women, not infants.

c. Acts 3:26-39 – an Ethiopian in the desert. Note that the baptism of the Ethiopian says something about the mode of the baptism; “they went down into the water.” Why would they need to do this if baptism involved some means other than immersion?

d. Acts 9:18 – Saul (later became Paul) in Damascus.

e. Acts 16:14-15 – Lydia in Philippi

f. Acts 16:33 – the jailer in Philippi

g. Acts 18:8 – new believers in Corinth. Notice that belief preceded baptism.

Summary of what is seen in the early church

• Baptism is for every believer in Jesus Christ. When someone believed they were baptised.

• Baptism is a ‘believer’s only’ action. No one was baptised until after they believed in Jesus.

• Baptism is an act done by those old enough to believe: none of the people baptised in the scripture were said to be infants.

• Baptism is not an action to be put off for a long period of time; after a new group of people believed in Christ they quickly identified with Him by being baptised

• Baptism is not what saves us – Mark 16:15-16, 1 Cor 1:14-17, Luke 23:43, Acts 2:38

• Baptism was done by immersion – Acts 8:38-39. People were baptised in places of water. The Ethiopian came up out of the water.

• Baptism is a necessary public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ – Romans 10:9, Matt 10:32-33

How should someone be baptised?

Because the word means ‘immersion’ and because the symbol is to be “identified with death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ” (Romans 6:4), it only makes sense to be baptised one time backward by immersion in water after salvation.

People are not buried frontward or sideways, they are buried backwards. People are not buried two or three times, they are buried once.