Questions on Baptism

[Rukkus]

I've recently been doing a study on baptism and have read most (if not all) the scriptures that have to do with it. So I'm just wondering if someone, who feels they have a good understanding of it, to maybe address it, then let me ask some questions . . .

thanks

[Leonard]

There are several current threads on the topic now......

[Khristeeanos]

I might suggest searching the OT for the symbolism that would become Christian believers baptism.

Here are a few.

• Exodus 19:10-14
  And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain." After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
  
  Leviticus 11:32
  When one of them dies and falls on something, that article, whatever its use, will be unclean, whether it is made of wood, cloth, hide or sackcloth. Put it in water; it will be unclean till evening, and then it will be clean.
  
  Leviticus 14:8
  "The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. After this he may come into the camp, but he must stay outside his tent for seven days.
  
  Leviticus 16:4
  He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on.
  
  Deuteronomy 23:10-11
  If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp.
  
  Psalm 51:2, 7
  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin...Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
  
  Isaiah 1:16
  wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong
  
  Jeremiah 4:14
  O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?
  
  Ezekiel 36:25
  I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.
  

Don't forget that 1 Peter 3 says that Christian baptism is forshadowed in Noah's Arc.

[Rukkus]

Alright, so here are some questions . . . Do you have to be baptized in order to be saved? When the Bible talks about baptism in the Holy Spirit, is that being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues? Or is it being born of the Spirit, and being immersed into the Body of Christ? If someone could answer these with scripture, I would appreciate it.

[Rukkus]

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[Rukkus]

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[Khristeeanos]

Alright, so here are some questions . . . Do you have to be baptized in order to be saved? When the Bible talks about baptism in the Holy Spirit, is that being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues? Or is it being born of the Spirit, and being immersed into the Body of Christ? If someone could answer these with scripture, I would appreciate it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

While the truth of the matter is absolute and doesn't change with the opinions of man, but the answer you get depends on who you ask.

If you ask a Lutheran or Catholic, you will get a yes answer. If you ask most Protestants, you will get a no answer.

The only thing we can do is look at the Bible and I also think it is helpful to look into what the early church taught and believed.

Here are some of the verses that talk about baptism after the resurrection of Jesus in the New Testament:

Matthew 28:19-20

Mark 16:15-16

John 3:3-5

Acts 2:37-38

Acts 22:16

Romans 6:3-4

1 Corinthians 12:13

Galatians 3:26-27

Ephesians 5:25-27

Colossians 2:11-13

Titus 3:5

1 Peter 3:21

Look up those verses and then visit the following link:

Early Christians speak of baptism

[JesusisGod2]

My question would first of all be Why wouldnt one want to be baptised?

Baptism is not what saves, the blood of Christ does. However, it does have purpose.

1 Peter 3:21

21) Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

I have heard many commentary's on this verse, most saying that this is proof that baptism is not necessary for salvation and I agree.

However, lets look at this verse a little deeper, its not saying that you shouldn't be baptised, but it is saying that the reason that we are baptised should be a heart appeal to God for a clear conscience, not to be baptised because our "religion" tells us to. All this does is remove dirt from the body and not our conscience.

In my opinion when one truley finds Jesus and have been born again, the water is something that they can't wait to have. We see an example of this in acts.

Acts 8:36

As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"

When you look at this verse, you can feel the excitement in this man, "Look Water" "What prevents me from being baptised?"

Its not the baptism that saves, but the appeal to God for a clean conscience which only the blood can do, but this is not to say that baptism is something to take lightly or we can ignore.

Now for some it is impossible to be baptised, such as those who are saved at their moment of death such as the theif on the cross or the death bed salvations that you have heard.

My personal opion is if one doesnt want to get baptised after they have found Jesus, they may want to search themselves and ask themselves they know Him, or do they just know of Him.

Now there are t6hos who put too much emphasis on the baptism and not on the Baptiser (Jesus), this is where you find infant baptism, and those who are baptised and have not even come close to repentance (The appeal to God for a clean conscienc, I.E. to be born again), they do this as a religous rite, does this save them? My answer to that is NO!

You cannot go around the Savior by different gates such as baptism, works etc and expect to be welcome in the kingdom, Jesus is the way, the Only way.

Again if one doesnt want to or even refuses to be baptised, if I were that person, I would examine myself and see if I were truely of the faith. I guess I really dont understand exactly what the controversy is about being baptised, why wouldnt one want to be baptised?

Its hard to put thoughts in type, but I hope that helps.

God Bless

Kevin

[Ovedya]

Alright, so here are some questions . . . Do you have to be baptized in order to be saved?

Technically, no. Baptism in the Bible is a sign of your consecration to the Lord. It is a proclamation to the world and to the powers and pricipalities of your dedication to the Lord the Jesus.

When the Bible talks about baptism in the Holy Spirit, is that being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues?

No. There is a great amount of confusion in Christendom about this. The confusion lies mainly between the difference associated between being filled with the Spirit as life - as the factor of your salvation - and being filled with the Spirit for power to preach the gospel of the kingdom, and to manifest God's authority in the church.

With regard to salvation, everyone who believes into the Lord Jesus is filled with the Spirit. This is the promise of John 14 being fulfilled in the lives of everyone who believes into the Lord. According to the Bible everyone who believes into the Lord is posessed by the Lord, and is filled with the Triune God as life, becoming a partaker of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4; Heb. 12:10; 6:4; 3:1).

With regard to power, the Holy Spirit was given to the church in Acts 2 as a single infilling, empowering all members of the household of God to preach the gospel and to function in the Body of Christ, to build up the Body and to display God's authority on the earth (cf. Acts. 2:4; 1 Cor. 12:10; 28; 30; 14:4-6; 19). According to 1 Cor. 14, the primary exercising of the gift of the Spirit in the church is prophesying, because prophesying builds up the church, and is a gift that is give to the church that all members can exercise.

Or is it being born of the Spirit, and being immersed into the Body of Christ? If someone could answer these with scripture, I would appreciate it.

Yes. Being born of the Spirit means that you are intitiated into the Body of Christ as a member of the Body. Technically speaking, baptism positions a member of the Body of Christ to the work which God has called us all into as members of His household. But this is accomplished not through a separate experience or through a special "commissioning" of God of the individual member. It is the result of the consecration of the members, which is confirmed by water baptism. This is why it is so important for a member to be of a certain maturity - a certain age.

[Khristeeanos]

Alright, so here are some questions . . . Do you have to be baptized in order to be saved?

Technically, no. Baptism in the Bible is a sign of your consecration to the Lord. It is a proclamation to the world and to the powers and pricipalities of your dedication to the Lord the Jesus.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rukkus, here is an example of the statement I made earlier:

While the truth of the matter is absolute and doesn't change with the opinions of man, but the answer you get depends on who you ask.

For the record, you will never find a passage in the Bible that says baptism is merely a sign.