Baptism - What does the Word of God Say?


Photo from my day of baptism, right before I went under the water - July 16, 2000

 Baptism


Baptism is very important.  My opinions are very unimportant.  Don’t depend on ancient traditions, which may have strayed from the written Word of God.

What does the Word of God say about baptism?


Colossians 2:8 NKJV  Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.


2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  2  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  3  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  4  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  5  having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!


  1. What is baptism?

    1. Strong’s dictionary definition: Greek word Strong’s G907 ‘βαπτίζω’, baptizō From a derivative of G911; to make whelmed (that is, fully wet); used only (in the New Testament) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian baptism: - baptist, baptize, wash. Total KJV occurrences: 80

    2. From Google: Greek word Baptizo (βαπτίζω) is a Greek verb meaning to submerge, immerse, or dip, famously illustrated by ancient Greek dyers to describe plunging fabric into dye to permanently change its color. It signifies a total transformation or identification where the object is fully covered, used for dyeing, sinking ships, or, in the NT, ceremonial washing. Key Aspects of the "Dyer's Word":

Total Immersion: Unlike bapto (to dip lightly), baptizo implies fully covering or submerging an object.

Permanent Change: In the context of dyeing, the white cloth is plunged into the color and emerges fundamentally altered, a metaphor for spiritual transformation.

Usage in Antiquity: It was not solely a religious word, but used in everyday Greek for dipping cucumbers in pickling brine, sinking ships, and washing hands.

Metaphorical Use: It was used to describe being "overwhelmed" by debt, drunkenness, or intense suffering.

While some scholars note the word can refer to washing by pouring, the prevailing ancient use, especially regarding dyeing, refers to plunging an object into a substance to alter it permanently.

  1. From the Greek word ‘baptizo’,to be baptized is to be fully immersed in water.

  1. Who should be baptized?

    1. Mark 16:16 NKJV  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

    2. Acts 2:38 NKJV  Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

    3. If you believe that Jesus is your Savior, you must be baptized.

    4. Everyone who desires their sins to be forgiven by God, needs to be baptized.

    5. Repentance must come before baptism.  Repentance is not only asking for forgiveness for your sins, but to turn away from sin.  It is a recognized military term to do an about face, to reverse your direction, therefore an infant who cannot repent, who cannot make such a decision should not be baptized, and should be re-baptized when then able to make the decision of turning away from sin, and toward God for themselves.

  2. What baptism formula should be used?

    1. Acts 2:38 NKJV  Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

    2. Acts 8:16 NKJV  For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

    3. Acts 10:48 NKJV  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

    4. Acts 19:5 NKJV  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

    5. Every baptism in the Bible for which we have the formula, was done in the name of Jesus

  3. Does the formula used matter?

    1. Acts 4:10-12 NKJV  let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.  11  This is the 'STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED BY YOU BUILDERS, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.'  12  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

    2. There is the POWER of salvation only in the NAME of JESUS!

  4. Why are we baptized?  What does it accomplish?

    1. Romans 6:1-11 NKJV  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  2  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?  3  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  4  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  5  For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,  6  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  7  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  8  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,  9  knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.  10  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  11  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    2. We are buried in the waters of baptism, and then resurrected like Him, in the newness of life, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  Our old man dies, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, but we are new creatures.  In the waters of baptism, sin is no longer our master.


I exhort you, this is too important to ignore.  Don’t leave this to someone else's opinion, search it out for yourself.  Don’t depend on commentaries, or ancient councils which do not have the authority of the Word of God. 


I love You my God. . .

I thank You for Your Word. . .




Dave

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