What is Christian Baptism?

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Christian baptism, which has the form of a ceremonial washing (like John's pre-Christian baptism), is a sign from God that signifies inward cleansing and remission of sins (Acts 22:16, 1 Cor. 6:1 1, Eph. 5:25-27), Spirit-wrought regeneration and new life (Titus 3:5), and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit as God's seal testifying and guaranteeing that one will be kept safe in Christ forever (1 Cor. 12:13, Eph. 1:13, 14). Fundamentally, baptism signifies union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-7, Col. 2:1 1, 12), and this union with Christ is the source of every element in our salvation (1 John 5:1 1, 12).

Receiving the sign of baptism in faith assures those baptized that God's gift of new life in Christ is freely given to them. At the same time, it commits them to live in a new way as disciples of Jesus.

Christ told His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). This formula means that the covenant relation which baptism formally confers is with all three Persons of the Godhead. When Paul says that the Israelites were "baptizer into Moses" (1 Cor. 10:2), he means that they were put under Moses' control and direction. Baptism into the name of the triune God signifies control and direction by God.

The outward signs do not automatically or magically convey the inward blessings that they signify. No prescription of a particular mode of baptism can be found in the New Testament. The command to baptize may be fulfilled by immersion, dipping, or sprinkling, all three modes satisfy the meaning of the Greek verb bapfizo and the symbolic requirement of passing under, and emerging from, cleansing water.



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