1. Baptism Was Commanded by Jesus Christ
After His resurrection, Jesus gave the Great Commission to His disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." This command is binding on the church until the end of the age. Baptism is not optional; it is an act of obedience to the risen Lord. To refuse baptism is to disobey a direct command of Christ.
2. Baptism Is for Believers Only
The consistent pattern of the New Testament is that baptism follows faith. Those who received the word were baptized. The eunuch believed and then was baptized. The Philippian jailer believed in God and was baptized immediately. Baptism is for those who have repented of their sins and placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Infants cannot exercise personal faith, and there is no example or command of infant baptism in the Scripture.
3. Baptism Is by Immersion in Water
The very word "baptism" (Greek: baptizo) means to dip, immerse, or submerge. John baptized in Aenon because there was much water there. Jesus came up from the water after His baptism. The Ethiopian eunuch went down into the water and came up out of it. Baptism symbolizes burial with Christ; burial requires full immersion. Sprinkling or pouring does not accurately represent the biblical symbol of burial and resurrection.
4. Baptism Symbolizes Death, Burial, and Resurrection with Christ
Paul explains that believers are buried with Christ through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so they also should walk in newness of life. Baptism pictures the believer's union with Christ in His death (going under the water), burial (remaining under the water), and resurrection (coming up from the water). It is a vivid gospel picture.
5. Baptism Does Not Save
Baptism is not necessary for salvation. The thief on the cross was promised paradise without being baptized. Paul said that Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the gospel. Salvation is by grace through faith alone, not by works, including baptism. However, baptism is the outward sign of an inward reality. It does not wash away sin in the physical sense; it is the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
6. Baptism Is an Act of Obedience and Public Confession
Baptism is the believer's first act of obedience after salvation. It publicly identifies the believer with Christ and with the local church. With the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. Baptism is the initial public confession that one has died to sin and now lives for Christ. It is not a private ceremony but a public declaration.
7. Baptism Is Administered in the Triune Name
Jesus commanded baptism "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." This formula reflects the triune nature of God. In the book of Acts, baptisms were also administered in the name of the Lord Jesus, which is not contradictory but complementary, as the authority of Jesus encompasses the full triune name. The triune formula is the explicit command of Christ.
8. Baptism Prefigured the Flood and the Red Sea
The apostle Peter compares baptism to the saving of Noah and his family through water. The floodwaters that destroyed the wicked carried the ark to safety. Similarly, the Red Sea baptism of Israel (as described by Paul) pictures the believer's passage from the bondage of sin into freedom. These Old Testament events were types, and baptism is the antitype, not a physical washing but the pledge of a good conscience.
9. There Is One Baptism for the Church Age
Paul declares that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. The baptism of John was preparatory and pointed to Christ. John said, "I indeed baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." The baptism of the Spirit places the believer into the body of Christ at salvation. Water baptism is the outward expression of that spiritual reality. The church observes water baptism until Christ returns.
10. Baptism Is a Prerequisite for Church Membership
In the New Testament, baptism was the initiatory rite into the visible church. Those who gladly received the word were baptized, and the same day there were added about three thousand souls. Baptism precedes the Lord's Supper and other privileges of church fellowship. The order is always: faith, repentance, baptism, and then church membership and communion.
Conclusion
Baptism does not save, but it is the commanded response of a saved person. It is the public burial of the old life and the resurrection to new life in Christ. Every believer should follow the Lord in baptism, obedient to His command, identifying with His death and resurrection, and testifying to the world that they belong to Jesus Christ.