WATER BAPTISM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
I. Who is a proper candidate for baptism? Who is qualified to be baptized? Who should be baptized?
A. Those that have been taught first (Matthew 28:19).
B. Those that have had the gospel preached to them (Mark 16:15).
C. Those that believe the gospel about Jesus dying for their sins, being buried and rising again on the third day. (Mark 16:15, 16cf. 1Corinthians 15:1-4)
D. Those that gladly receive the word (Acts 2:41).
E. Those that repent (Acts 2:38).
F. Those that confess Christ to be the Son of God (Acts 8:36-38, Romans 10:10, 1Timothy 6:12,13).
II. What is the purpose of baptism? What does baptism accomplish? What is the result of baptism? For what reason is a person baptized?
A. To be saved (Mark 16:16, 1Peter 3:21).
B. For the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
C. To wash away sins (Acts 22:16).
D. To get into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3).
E. To be buried with Christ (Romans 6:4).
F. To get into Christ (Galatians 3:27).
G. To put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).
H. To get into “one body” (1Corinthians 12:13).
I. To receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
III. What is the act of baptism? What does it look like or require? How do you baptize?
A. By being in water and coming up out of water. (Mark 1:9,10)
B. By being where “much water” is found. (John 3:23).
C. By “both” the preacher and the sinner going “down into” water and “coming up out of” water (Acts 8:38,39).
D. By being buried (Romans 6:4).
E. By being “planted” (Romans 6:5 KJV)
F. By being “raised” (6:4)
G. By having our “bodies washed” (Hebrews 10:22)
IV. When should we be baptized? After one has met all the above requirements of #1, above (who?). How long should one wait for actual baptism?
A. No promise of a tomorrow or even the rest of today (James 4:13,14 )
B. To delay is to add to your sin (James 4:17).
C. “Now” is the day of salvation (2Corinthians 6:2).
D. Same day you “receive” the word (Acts 2:41).
E. Same hour you believe and receive the word of the Lord (Acts 16:32,33).
July 9, 2001
Norman Mc Leod
