I been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I been baptized in Jesus name. I would like to hear view on this topic. Should we focus more on the methods are should we focus more on the act itself. Please no debating, lol. This is just a good old eye opening question. Lets let God direct your commits.
Baptism: Whats more important the act or the methods?
- Thread starter ehaile98
- Start date
The act itself is most important.
But this doesn't mean the method is not important.
The Bible gives one proper method. It is the method revealed in the book of Acts. In the name of Jesus (Acts 19:5), and with water, and only if a person believes and confesses that Christ is the Son of God with all their heart (Acts 8, Rom 10:9-10).
There are no instructions regarding whether it should be complete immersion, pouring, or sprinkling with water. I think over the centuries a range of methods have been practiced, with pouring being the most common depending upon availability of water.
But this doesn't mean the method is not important.
The Bible gives one proper method. It is the method revealed in the book of Acts. In the name of Jesus (Acts 19:5), and with water, and only if a person believes and confesses that Christ is the Son of God with all their heart (Acts 8, Rom 10:9-10).
There are no instructions regarding whether it should be complete immersion, pouring, or sprinkling with water. I think over the centuries a range of methods have been practiced, with pouring being the most common depending upon availability of water.
brakelite
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Baptism is a public demonstration of what has already taken place in the heart. It is a physical portrayal of the rebirth already experienced in the spirit....the old man buried and risen again a new person. That is why the method is very important. One doesn't get buried if a clod of earth is simply dumped on one's head. No, immersion is essential to represent the full burial. Nor can one do this himself. One must surrender himself to another to immerse, and to lift up. We cannot raise ourselves from the grave...we cannot give ourselves new life. This must be accomplished by another...Jesus Christ the Righteous. One further point. If you ever present yourself for baptism, let it be real. Let it be a true reflection of the death of self, something that must be continued daily in the heart, and exercised physically on occasions through the washing of feet .There is no profit in being buried alive.
Good point.
B-A-C
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I don't think getting baptized is what saves us. Still, Jesus was baptized, and told us to baptize others. I guess my question would be, why wouldn't someone want to get baptized?
Matt 3:13; Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.
Matt 3:14; But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"
Matt 3:16; After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
Acts 1:5; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Acts 2:38; Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:15; who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:16; For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 11:13; "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
Acts 8:13; Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed
Acts 19:3; And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism."
Matt 28:19; "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
John 1:24; Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.
John 1:25; They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
John 1:26; John answered them saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.
John 1:27; "It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."
I don't think it's commanded that "you must be baptized", but I think the Bible makes it clear it's something we "should" do.
Matt 3:13; Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.
Matt 3:14; But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"
Matt 3:16; After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
Acts 1:5; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Acts 2:38; Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:15; who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:16; For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 11:13; "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
Acts 8:13; Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed
Acts 19:3; And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism."
Matt 28:19; "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
John 1:24; Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.
John 1:25; They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
John 1:26; John answered them saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.
John 1:27; "It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."
I don't think it's commanded that "you must be baptized", but I think the Bible makes it clear it's something we "should" do.
Hi ehaile98: This is an interesting question.
Firstly, it is abundantly clear that Jesus himself commanded, not suggested, that his followers be baptised. Matthew 28:19, 20, (NASB) clearly states: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
Secondly, according to the Greek-English Lexicon, by Liddell and Scott, the word "baptize" comes from the Greek baptizein, which literally means to dip or to plunge. Therefore, the Christian water baptism is a complete immersion beneath the water. It does not refer to the sprinkling of water on the forehead, or half bodily immersion. This is confirmed by the scriptures when referring to the act of water baptism.
Mark 1:9, 10, (NASB) says: "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening , and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him." This shows Jesus was immersed beneath the water and came up out of it. This is also born out by the account in Acts 8:38, (NASB) "And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him."
As regards the Catholic tradition of baptising babies, or the Mormon belief of baptising the dead. Jesus' commandment in Matthew 28:19, 20, shows that his followers were to make disciples of all the nations, then baptise them. Making a person into a disciple requires the persons intellectual capacity to understand who Jesus was and why he was needed to save mankind, in order for them to exercise faith in Jesus. This would be impossible for a baby let alone a dead person.
Firstly, it is abundantly clear that Jesus himself commanded, not suggested, that his followers be baptised. Matthew 28:19, 20, (NASB) clearly states: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
Secondly, according to the Greek-English Lexicon, by Liddell and Scott, the word "baptize" comes from the Greek baptizein, which literally means to dip or to plunge. Therefore, the Christian water baptism is a complete immersion beneath the water. It does not refer to the sprinkling of water on the forehead, or half bodily immersion. This is confirmed by the scriptures when referring to the act of water baptism.
Mark 1:9, 10, (NASB) says: "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening , and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him." This shows Jesus was immersed beneath the water and came up out of it. This is also born out by the account in Acts 8:38, (NASB) "And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him."
As regards the Catholic tradition of baptising babies, or the Mormon belief of baptising the dead. Jesus' commandment in Matthew 28:19, 20, shows that his followers were to make disciples of all the nations, then baptise them. Making a person into a disciple requires the persons intellectual capacity to understand who Jesus was and why he was needed to save mankind, in order for them to exercise faith in Jesus. This would be impossible for a baby let alone a dead person.
For most of time I didn't think I needed to be baptized, and that the act was not important so long as I was a believer. I was a believer, I had prayed the sinners prayer, I was 'born again', I had received baptism of the Spirit and spoke in tongues, I was crucified with Christ, I prayed regularly and read the bible and went to church.
Then about 20 years later, God put on my heart to be baptized by full immersion.
The feeling I experienced after that was indescribable, and I felt released from many things I had previously struggled with.
So now I believe the act of baptism is very important.
Do we spiritualise things so much that we forget that God also works by and in response to actions, methods, and physical things?
What if Christ didn't go through the act of dying on the cross, suppose He only "died spiritually", then what?
Then about 20 years later, God put on my heart to be baptized by full immersion.
The feeling I experienced after that was indescribable, and I felt released from many things I had previously struggled with.
So now I believe the act of baptism is very important.
Do we spiritualise things so much that we forget that God also works by and in response to actions, methods, and physical things?
What if Christ didn't go through the act of dying on the cross, suppose He only "died spiritually", then what?
