Lower Bucks Church of Christ
WHAT ABOUT BAPTISM? There is so much
unnecessary disagreement in the religious world over baptism. (The
denominational world says things like this: We are saved by faith only; then we
are to be baptized. Baptism is not for salvation and has nothing to do with
salvation because we are saved before we are baptized. Baptism can be a pouring,
a sprinkling, or an immersion; it does not matter. Baptism is only the outward
sign of an inward grace. Etc.) To learn the truth, all you really need to do is
simply read what the Word of God actually says on this important Bible subject.
It is not that hard. You can understand what the truth is about baptism. Forget
what men and man-made denominationalism say about baptism. Read it for yourself
and believe! Here are the verses: · Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came to them and
spake unto them, saying, ‘All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on
earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world.’” · Mark 16:15, 16 “And he said unto them, ‘Go
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be
condemned.’” · John 3:3, 5 “Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, Except one be born anew (“again” – NIV), he cannot see the
kingdom of God.’ . . . Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except
one be born of water and [the] Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God.’” · Acts 2:38-41, 47 “And Peter [said] unto them, ‘Repent ye, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your
sins (“so that your sins may be forgiven” – NIV); and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all
that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.’ And
with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves
from this crooked generation.’ They then that received his word were baptized:
and there were added [unto them] in that day about three thousand souls. . . .
And the Lord added to them (“to the church” – NKJV) day by day those that were
saved.” · Acts 22:16 “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and
wash away thy sins, calling on his name.” · Romans 6:1-23 “What shall we say
then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. We who died
to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? Or are ye ignorant that all we who
were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried
therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness
of life. For if we have become united with [him] in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also [in the likeness] of his resurrection; knowing this, that our
old man was crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be done away, that
so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified
from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him; knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more
hath dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but
the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Even so reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: neither
present your members unto sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present
yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments
of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are
not under law, but under grace. What then, shall we sin because we are not under
law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye present
yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But thanks be to
God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to
that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin,
ye became servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of
the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members [as] servants to
uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members [as]
servants to righteousness unto sanctification. For when ye were servants of sin,
ye were free in regard of righteousness. What fruit then had ye at that time in
the things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But
now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto
sanctification, and the end eternal life. For the wages of sin is death; but the
free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” · I Corinthians
12:13 “For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or
Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.” ·
Galatians 3:26-29 “For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be
neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male
and female; for ye all are one [man] in Christ Jesus. And if ye are Christ’s,
then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.” · Ephesians 4:4-6
“[There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of
your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who
is over all, and through all, and in all.” · Colossians 2:9-15 “For in him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in him ye are made full,
who is the head of all principality and power: in whom ye were also circumcised
with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the
flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with him in baptism,
wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who
raised him from the dead. And you, being dead through your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, you, [I say], did he make alive together with him,
having forgiven us all our trespasses; having blotted out the bond written in
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it
out that way, nailing it to the cross; having despoiled the principalities and
the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” · Titus
3:4-7 “But when the kindness of God our Savior, and his love toward man,
appeared, not by works [done] in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but
according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and
renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus
Christ our Savior; that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.” · I Peter 3:20-22 “The longsuffering of
God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that
is, eight souls, were saved through water: which also after a true likeness doth
now save you, [even] baptism (“this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you
also” – NIV), not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
interrogation (“pledge” – NIV) of a good conscience toward God, through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ; who is on the right hand of God, having gone into
heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” All
Examples of Conversion in the Book of Acts: (1) Pentecost – Acts 2:1-47 cf. 4:4;
5:14; 6:7; (2) The Samaritans – Acts 8:4-12; (3) The Eunuch – Acts 8:26-29; (4)
Paul – Acts 9:1-19; 22:3-16; 26:8-20; (5) Cornelius – Acts 10:1 - 11:18;
15:7-11; (6) Lydia – Acts 16:14, 15; (7) The Jailer – Acts 16:27-34; (8) The
Corinthians – Acts 18:8 cf. I Corinthians 12:13; 15:1, 2; II Corinthians 1:21,
22; (9) The Ephesians – Acts 19:1-5 cf. Ephesians 1:3-14; (10) Others – Acts
9:35, 42; 11:21; 13:48; 14:1; 17:12, 34; 21:20, 25; etc. (All Scripture
quotations are taken from the American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.)
(From Valley Church of Christ, AZ)