Baptism

“Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.” – Acts 18:8
 
What is Baptism? Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as an act of obedience to Jesus’ command (Matthew 28:19-20). It is a picture of Christ’s burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It is a symbol of the new life that the resurrected Christ gives to believers (Romans 6:4). It is a picture of the grace of God, but it does not bring or add to the saving grace already given to us in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). It serves as a public declaration of a person’s faith in Christ as their Savior from sin and sin’s consequences and a public promise to follow Christ as Lord for the rest of that person’s life.
 
Why be baptized? We do it to follow Christ’s example (Mark 1:9). We do it to obey Christ’s command (Matthew 28:19-20). We do it to declare to the world that we are Christ’s followers (Acts 18:8).
 
Why do Baptists emphasize immersing people in water? The first reason is simply because we are following the pattern established by Christ (Matthew 3:16). Secondly, every instance of baptism in the Bible was by immersion under water (for example Acts 8:38-39). Thirdly, immersion is the best way to picture death and burial of our old way of life before trusting Christ and the resurrection to a new life of following Him as Lord. It also communicates our assurance of resurrection life after physical death.

Who should be baptized? Each person who has trusted (believed in) Christ’s atoning work as their only source of forgiveness for sin and who has committed to follow Christ for the rest of their life should be baptized (Acts 2:41). Since baptism in the Bible is reserved for those who believe and who choose to commit to following Jesus, we do not baptize children until they are old enough to understand and trust Christ and commit to follow Him for themselves.
 
Should I be baptized again if I was baptized as an infant? We encourage that you be baptized again if you have not been baptized by immersion since you became a Christ follower. It does not devalue a prior experience, but it reflects your desire to obey Christ’s command.