Instruction about Baptism
Basic Christianity 101
#4 in a series of 7
Reverend David Doherty
First Baptist Church
Pie Town, NM
April 2007
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.
Baptist Faith and Message
Baptism - Ceremony by which you enter the church, symbolizing the death and rising from the dead of Christ.
Baptist - One who practices baptism, such as John the Baptist.
Baptized - Ceremoniously dipped in water, symbolizing the death and rising from the dead of Christ.
Hebrews 6
1. Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teachings about Christ, let us continue to be carried along to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith toward God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Strong’s Number: 907
Transliterated: baptizo
Phonetic: bap-tid’-zo
Text: from a derivative of 911; to immerse, submerge; to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet); used only (in the N.T.) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian baptism: --Baptist, baptize, wash.
Strong’s Number: 908
Transliterated: baptisma
Phonetic: bap’-tis-mah
Text: from 907; immersion, baptism (technically or figuratively): --baptism.
Strong’s Number: 909
Transliterated: baptismos
Phonetic: bap-tis-mos’
Text: from 907; ablution (ceremonial or Christian): -- baptism, washing.
Types of baptism
Matthew 3
11. I am baptizing you with water as a token of repentance, but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12. His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire."
Fire –
Matthew 7
16. By their fruit you will know them. Grapes aren’t gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles, are they?
17. In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit.
18. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a rotten tree cannot produce good fruit.
19. Every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.
20. So by their fruit you will know them."
1 Corinthians 3
13. the workmanship of each person will become evident, for the day will show what it is, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
14. If what a person has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
15. If his work is burned up, he will suffer loss. However, he himself will be saved, but it will be like going through fire.
Water –
Ephesians 5
25. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it,
26. so that he might make it holy by cleansing it, washing it with water and the word,
27. and might present the church to himself in all its glory, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, but holy and without fault.
1 Peter 3
21 Baptism, which is symbolized by that water, now saves you also, not by removing dirt from the body, but by asking God for a clear conscience based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Blood –
1 John 5
5. Who overcomes the world? Is it not the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6. This man, Jesus Christ, is the one who came by water and blood-not with water
only, but with water and with blood. The Spirit is the one who verifies this, because the Spirit is the truth.
7. For there are three witnesses-
8. the Spirit, the water, and the blood-and these three are one.
Holy Spirit –
Acts 2
38. Peter answered them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.
Candidate for Baptism
I, ________________________________
Would like to be Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit as in the description of The Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. I wish to do this to profess my faith and show others that I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savoir and will follow him forever.
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Pastors (Rev. David Doherty}
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Parent
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Candidate
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