WHY STUDY YOURSELF PART 2

So is this all there is to the meaning of baptism? According to scripture there are two baptisms.
Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
John 1:33 [John speaking] “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me; ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

For this article we will follow water baptism. This leads us to the second question: What does it mean? In the above scriptures we see plainly that it is for the repentance of sins. Does this mean that we merely get baptized and our sins are gone? Repentance in the Greek means to think differently. Remission in the Greek means deliverance, forgiveness, and liberty. We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. This means that a person repents, asks forgiveness and becomes a new creation. Of course if the person is merely speaking empty words then there is no repentance, so one is not a new creation.

Now that we know what it is and what it means, we come to: How is it done? Exactly how are we to be baptized? Depending on what church, or denomination, baptism is done any one of a number of different ways. Instead of talking about what difference beliefs do let’s stick with the facts and see what the Word of God says. Matthew is the first book that records baptism and it is John the Baptist at the River Jordan. Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:9, Luke 3:16, John 1:26, all record how he baptized in the River Jordan. Acts 1:5 is Jesus Himself telling how John baptized in the River Jordan. If we go back to those same verses and go down a few scriptures each book also tells of Jesus Baptism and how He came straight up out of the water.

In the water and came straight up out of the water, it sounds like only one thing to me. What does it not say? It does not mention pouring or sprinkling. It says very simply in and out of.

We can gather from this that to be baptized means to repent and be fully wet [by going in and coming out] from water. That brings us to: What is the right way to do it?


God Bless,
rECj