baptism

Baptism

What does it mean? Does it make a person a Christian? Is it necessary? When should you do it?

Mat 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Baptize the disciples. Disciples are believers.

Mark 16:15-16
15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Baptize the believers. Some say this means that salvation is a condition of baptism as well as believing. However, it does not say that those who are not baptized are lost. It says that those who do not believe are lost.

John 3:3-8
3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.'
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

First it says born of water and the Spirit, then it says born of the Spirit. He's talking about people being baptized when they become believers. He says the Spirit gives birth to spirit. He doesn't say that baptism gives birth to spirit.

Acts 2:38
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

He says you will receive the Holy Spirit when you accept Christ. Repentance and baptism are part of accepting Christ. It says accept Christ. This is a command to turn from worldly ambitions and be baptized. Baptism is symbolic of the transformation; emerging from the old way fresh and clean.

Acts 10:42-48
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,
47 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

These people received the Holy Spirit in response to understanding and accepting the message. Then after they were saved, they were baptized as a symbol of what happened.
By the way, tongues = other languages.

Acts 22:1-16
1 "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said:
3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, `Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
8 "`Who are you, Lord?' I asked. "`I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied.
9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10 "`What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "`Get up,' the Lord said, `and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.'
11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.
13 He stood beside me and said, `Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 "Then he said: `The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.
15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'

This is Paul's conversion experience. In verse 10, he calls Jesus Lord. The others in verse 9 didn't understand. Afterwards, it talks about getting baptized.

1 Pet 3:15-22
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison
20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

In verse 21 it's the pledge that matters, not the washing. The earth got washed during the flood. Only the eight believers were saved.
All the support is for baptizing people after they become believers. And it's not the baptizing that makes a person a Christian, it's accepting Christ.