Baptism unto Salvation

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on November 28, 2013 at 2:33pm

There are three basic baptisms mentioned in Scripture that refer to your question.

1) Baptism that is related to repentance, which is what John the Baptist was doing.

2) After the cross there is the Baptism by water that is in Jesus name/Trinity.

3) There is what is called being baptized with the Holy Spirit (this is different than what some groups are talking about today). This includes receiving the Spirit of God who then indwells us.

 

Note:
Luke 3;3
John 1:33-34

Matthew 28:19

Acts 2:38

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on November 28, 2013 at 6:04pm

John’s baptism of repentance was different then the Christian baptism. His was a baptism of repentance in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. It was not a baptism of identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, for at that point he had not yet died. Baptisms or “washings” were frequently employed in Jewish spiritual matters. Upon hearing Paul’s explanation, these disciples of John who were caught in a dispensational overlap from the Old Testament era were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. This baptism indicates immersion, or dipping or dunking into water (to symbolize death and resurrection). The identification with the name of Jesus was to emphasize the significance of this baptism as distinctly Christian as opposed to that of John in preparing the Jews for the first coming of the Messiah. The emphasis was especially upon identification with Christ. Paul then laid hands on them and the Holy Spirit came on them. This experience illustrates the oneness and unity of the church. Believers are baptized by one Spirit into one body. 

Mark 16:16 Here, it appears that baptism is a prerequisite to salvation. In the early church baptism was the outward declaration of conversion, so even though the ordinance has no saving merit, the close connection is natural because it is the sign of genuine faith. It is an external sign showing an inward heart change. 

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