BIBLE TEXTS for BAPTISM:

Discuss the Baptism of Jesus:

Mark 1:9-11 (Jesus’ example…water immersion…Trinity expressed.)

Matthew 3:13-17 (Answers question WHY did Jesus need baptism…emphasize “now”…the point of “fulfilling all rightesousness”…the “we” could be Trinity rather than John and Jesus.)

THREE PICTURES of Baptism in the NT:

Picture # 1: NEW BIRTH

John 3:1-7

(Deal with “waters” imagery in verse 5…alludes to natural birth waters of mother…but coupled with “the Spirit” as a pictured in waters of Baptism…flesh and Spirit…thus Spiritual Birth…the “Second Birth.”) (Baptism as the first picture of new birth…you are acknowledging that you are a new spiritual baby.)

Picture #2: DEATH/NEW LIFE

Romans 6:3-5 (Baptism as second picture…of Death and New Life…imitation of Christ…in death, burial, resurrection. We ca also reference Gal.2:20…crucified with Christ.)

Picture #3: NEW CLOTHES

Galatians 3:26-28 (Baptism as third picture…of being clothed with Christ…clothes a statement of identity…in Baptism you are declaring that you have a new identity…no longer is your identity determined by whether you are Jew/Greek…Slave/Free…Male/Female…but you clothe yourself with Christ…thus Jesus Christ is your statement of identity.)

KEY TEXT: What is REQUIRED for Baptism?

Acts 8:35-38 (Philip and an Ethiopian (non-Jew) (a eunuch)…verse 37…from heart belief…belief with ALL the heart…declaring Jesus Christ as ‘Son of God.’)

Other Texts:

Acts 2:37-38 (Baptism commanded…gift of the Spirit flowing from obedience to repentance and baptism.)

I Corinthians 12:13 (Baptized [water or Spirit baptism…or both] by the Spirit into the Body.)

Acts 8:12 (For first followers of Christ, baptism was regular expression…”were being baptized”…Luke’s note of “men and women alike.”)

Colossians 2:12 (Similar to Romans 6…but with stress on ‘through faith’…thus expression of faith…not knowledge, perfection, removal of sin, etc.)