I am going to get baptised on
20.11.2005 at the place, where Int. Church of Ljubljana meets.
www.ljchurch.net
(at 5 pm.)
The Ordinance of Baptism
The Importance of Baptism
The importance of baptism is underscored by the following considerations.
1. Christ was baptized. (Matt. 3:16)
There exists a sense in which we follow the Lord when we are baptized.
I Peter 2:21 “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow.
2. The Lord approved of His disciples baptizing. (John 4:1,2)
3. Christ commanded that people be baptized in this age. (Matt. 28:18-20)
Clearly this command was not only for the apostles who heard it, but for His followers throughout the entire age, since He promised His presence to the end of the age.
4. The early church gave an important place to baptism. (Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12-13, 36, 38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15, 33; 18:18; 19:5)
The early church never conceived of a believer remaining unbaptized.
5. The New Testament uses the ordinance to picture or symbolize important theological truths. (Rom. 6:1-10; Gal. 3:27; I Peter 3:21)
6. The writer of Hebrews terms baptism a foundational truth. (Heb. 6:1-2)
It is no more optional or less significant than the doctrines of repentance, resurrection, and judgment. (Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, p. 422)
The Meaning of Baptism
Biblically, baptism is associated with forgiveness (Acts 2:38; 22:16, with union with Christ (Rom 6:1-10), making disciples (Matt. 28:19), and repentance (Acts 2:38).
Theologically, baptism may be defined as an act of association or identification with someone, some group, some message, or some event.
Illustration: Shirt dipped in blue dye is now identified as a blue shirt.
Examples of Various Baptisms
Examples include: Greek mystery religions, Jewish proselyte baptism.
Biblical examples of other various kinds of baptism include:
1. John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance
Matt. 3:6, 11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
2. Jesus’ baptism of suffering
Luke 12:50 “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished.”
II Cor. 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
3. Baptism for the dead (I Cor. 15:29)
4. Baptism of Moses
I Cor. 10:2 “And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
5. Baptism of Noah
I Peter 3:20-21 “The patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
6. The baptism of the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:5 “For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
I Cor. 12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews of Greeks, whether slaves of free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
Romans 8:9 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
7. Baptism into the Lord Jesus Christ
Acts 19:5 “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Gal. 3:27 “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Rom. 6:1-10 Read verses 1-4 aloud together
Infant Baptism
Argument for infant baptism is that whole households were baptized. This argument is not clear at best. What is obvious is that faith in Jesus always precluded baptism in each narrative.
The position against infant baptism is:
1. The scriptural order is always believe and then be baptized. (Matt. 3:2-6; 28:19; Acts 2:37-38; 16:14-15, 34)
2. Baptism is the initiatory rite into a believing community, the Church, therefore it should be done to believers.
3. The age of children is never mentioned in any passage that mentions household baptism. But it is said that all who were baptized in those households believed.
(Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, p. 423)
Rebaptism
There is only one clear example of people being baptized twice (Acts 19:1-5).
The Time of Baptism
The examples in the New Testament indicate that believers were baptized right after they believed. Baptism was conditioned upon their confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
