Bible Study # 11
BAPTISM
The word baptism is the Greek word ‘baptisma’; it is derived from ‘bapto,’ which means “to dip,” “to soak.” From the way the Greeks used this word and from what the Bible teaches us, we believe that the correct way to baptize is by immersion and not by sprinkling, as some Christian churches practice.
There are aspects of the Christian life where the way of doing things is not relevant, but in the case of baptism it is, and the reason is obvious: only the method of immersion can represent the reality of all the types and figures that the Bible uses when it teaches us about baptism. For example, Scripture says: “we have been baptized into His death …” “because we are buried together with Him into death by baptism…,” “because we were planted together with Him in the likeness of His death…” (Romans 6: 3, 4, 5).
When the person who is baptized is submerged in the water and then brought up out of it, he is fulfilling the likeness of being buried and raised together with Christ. The method of sprinkling in no way conforms to the teaching of Scripture.
1. What did John the Baptist preach and do?
Matthew 3: 1-6 “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, when he said: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 4 And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem went out to him, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.”
2. Why was Jesus baptized, and what happened on the day of His baptism?
Matt. 3: 13-17 “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent him, saying: I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? 15 But Jesus answered him: Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. 17 And a voice came from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
3. Besides believing, what else is necessary to do to show our acceptance of the Gospel?
Mark 16: 15, 16 “And he said to them: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
4. With what did Saint Peter link baptism in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost?
Acts 2: 38 “Peter said to them: Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
5. In whose name should those who accept the faith of the Gospel be baptized?
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”
6. When we are baptized into Christ, into what are we baptized?
Romans 6: 3 “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?”
7. Most Christians believe that baptism is merely a rite or a ceremony, but what is the true, deep, and spiritual meaning of baptism?
Romans 6: 3-13 To be baptized in the name of Christ means that we are united with Him, we lose our name and take on His; now we are Christians
Baptism is not a rite, it is a lived experience. It is not a ceremony, it is an experience of sharing with Christ in His redemptive acts. When we are baptized into His death, our old man is crucified and buried with Him. We die to sin so that we no longer serve sin. In baptism, we also rise with Him to live the new life of the new man in Christ Jesus.
8. Whom do all who are baptized into Christ put on?
Galatians 3: 27 “for all of you who have been baptized into Christ are clothed with Christ.”
The Greek verb to clothe that is used in this passage means “to enter into,” “to get inside clothes.” The idea expressed is that Christ is the garment and we are the body that is covered with the garment. When we are baptized we get inside Christ, we wrap ourselves in Christ, we hide in Christ. Now He is the one who is in view and we are hidden in Him. When people look at us they see the beauty and perfection of Christ because we are clothed with Him.
9. In what manifestation of power must we believe for the resurrection to be real in our baptismal experience?
Colossians 2: 12 “buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him, through faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead”
10. In what way does baptism represent the unity and equality of all the members of the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 12: 12, 13 “For as the body is one, and has many members, but all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
11. Should we prevent or postpone the baptism of a person who has believed in Christ with all his heart?
Acts 8: 34-39 “And the eunuch answered Philip, and said: I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of some other? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him the gospel of Jesus. 36 And as they went on the road, they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said: Here is water; what hinders me from being baptized? 37 Philip said: If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still; and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.”
12. What is the relationship between baptism and the believer’s rising up?
Acts 22: 16: Titus 3: 5; 1 Peter 3: 21 “And now, why do you delay? Rise up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”
“he saved us, not by works of righteousness which we had done, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and by the renewal in the Holy Spirit”
“The baptism that corresponds to this now saves us (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but as the aspiration of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”
13. In what way did the Hebrews receive baptism after they left Egypt?
1 Corinthians 10: 1, 2. “For I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea”
14. In what other baptism do believers in Christ participate?
Matthew 3: 11; Acts 1: 4,5 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he who comes after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry, is mightier than I; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”
“And being together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you have heard from me; 5 for John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now”
