What is baptism?
Translated from the ancient Greek language in which the New Testament was written, the word "baptism" ("baptizo") means "to immerse in water". Baptism is a symbol of death for one's past sinful life (immersion in a watery grave) and a new birth in Jesus Christ for a new life (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12, 13).
At the time of baptism, the former sins of which the person repented are forgiven and symbolically remain in the watery grave (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 1: 4, 5).
What is a covenant with God?
The "promise to God of a good conscience" (1 Peter 3: 21), which must precede baptism, makes this rite a kind of covenant (contract) of the believer with the Lord. The believer makes a vow to God to try to grow spiritually, and God gives him the Holy Spirit to help him (Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 12: 13).
If a person was baptized in infancy, when he did not understand the meaning of what was happening, then such a rite cannot be considered a covenant with God. Therefore, it is good when a person who is baptized in infancy again goes through the rite of baptism, only now consciously, making a covenant with God, as the Bible teaches.
This is necessary first of all for the believer himself. If a person who was baptized in adulthood, going through life, deviated from the truth, departed from the Lord, then the Bible provides for the possibility of re-baptism – the renewal of the covenant with God (Acts 19:1-5; Jeremiah 3: 1).
What was baptism like in New Testament times?
- There is an interesting fact that Christ did not have to be baptized in water, being sinless and not needing to repent (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22), but did so to leave us an example (Matthew 3:15; 1 John 2:6).
- In the time of Christ and the apostles, the rite of baptism was performed by complete immersion in water. Hence its biblical name "baptizo" - "immersion".
- John the Baptist baptized where there was plenty of water (John 3: 23). We read that Jesus "came out of the water" after his baptism (Matthew 3: 16), and the Ethiopian was baptized in the same way (Acts 8:39).
- The first Christians also performed baptism by full immersion. Baptism in other ways was practiced much later.
- The Bible does not describe the obligatory complex liturgy of this rite. Only the conditions of baptism discussed above and the words accompanying the ceremony are mentioned: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
What is baptism?
Translated from the ancient Greek language in which the New Testament was written, the word "baptism" ("baptizo") means "to immerse in water". Baptism is a symbol of death for one's past sinful life (immersion in a watery grave) and a new birth in Jesus Christ for a new life (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12, 13).
At the time of baptism, the former sins of which the person repented are forgiven and symbolically remain in the watery grave (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 1: 4, 5).
What is a covenant with God?
The "promise to God of a good conscience" (1 Peter 3: 21), which must precede baptism, makes this rite a kind of covenant (contract) of the believer with the Lord. The believer makes a vow to God to try to grow spiritually, and God gives him the Holy Spirit to help him (Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 12: 13).
If a person was baptized in infancy, when he did not understand the meaning of what was happening, then such a rite cannot be considered a covenant with God. Therefore, it is good when a person who is baptized in infancy again goes through the rite of baptism, only now consciously, making a covenant with God, as the Bible teaches.
This is necessary first of all for the believer himself. If a person who was baptized in adulthood, going through life, deviated from the truth, departed from the Lord, then the Bible provides for the possibility of re-baptism – the renewal of the covenant with God (Acts 19:1-5; Jeremiah 3: 1).
What was baptism like in New Testament times?
- There is an interesting fact that Christ did not have to be baptized in water, being sinless and not needing to repent (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22), but did so to leave us an example (Matthew 3:15; 1 John 2:6).
- In the time of Christ and the apostles, the rite of baptism was performed by complete immersion in water. Hence its biblical name "baptizo" - "immersion".
- John the Baptist baptized where there was plenty of water (John 3: 23). We read that Jesus "came out of the water" after his baptism (Matthew 3: 16), and the Ethiopian was baptized in the same way (Acts 8:39).
- The first Christians also performed baptism by full immersion. Baptism in other ways was practiced much later.
- The Bible does not describe the obligatory complex liturgy of this rite. Only the conditions of baptism discussed above and the words accompanying the ceremony are mentioned: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).