“What is baptism” is likely some kind of ID number. I can’t say for sure without knowing what system it came from. Baptism is the Christian ceremony in which water is used in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and which symbolizes washing away sin, being united with Jesus Christ, and becoming part of the church. Most Christians agree that these are the core themes of baptism and that it is connected to faith, repentance, salvation, and new life. The details are more controversial, though: Who should be baptized? How is it done? Is baptism the moment when grace is imparted or the moment when we show others that we’ve received it?
What Is Baptism In Christianity?
Baptism is a Christian rite in which water is applied while saying the words “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Some churches baptize by full immersion, some by pouring, some by sprinkling. It is a public act that declares what is really happening inside. Baptism represents many things, including forgiveness, faith, discipleship, and finally belonging to Christ.
In the New Testament, this is taught by John the Baptist’s ministry, the baptism of Jesus Christ, Christ’s command to make disciples and baptize them (Matthew 28:19-20), and the baptisms in Acts. So when looking at what is baptism from the bible, we shouldn’t boil it down to just one verse. The verses tell us that baptism comes with the call to repent, believe, receive forgiveness and become a disciple.
Baptism is viewed differently by different Christian groups. Some believe it is a means of grace given by God. The Catholic and Lutheran churches see baptism as a sacrament while the Baptist Church sees baptism as an ordinance and a testimony of faith. While they may differ in how they see baptism, they both relate baptism to Jesus’ commandment and connect the believer with the church.
What Is The Meaning Of Baptism For Christians?
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Romans 6 provides a further layer of meaning for the sacrament, portraying our union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Submerging ourselves in the water represents our burial with Jesus Christ, and coming up out of the water symbolizes the beginning of a new way of life. While baptism by immersion emphasizes that visual image, baptism by pouring or sprinkling still signifies the same union with Christ, just in a different visual representation.
According to “what is baptism” , baptism is biblically understood as a decisive change of identity, a change of allegiance, from the old self to Christ. It means that we have become Jesus’ and have accepted the call to follow Him. Baptism does not imply that we are now perfect people but that our relationship with sin has changed. We are no longer slaves to sin, meaning that our final destination is no longer sin, nor will sin control our lives anymore.
In other words, this understanding emphasizes that baptism points to something beyond itself. Instead of focusing on a ceremony, we can see baptism as being both backward looking (to what Jesus has done for us at the cross) and forward looking (towards a life of following him). It keeps our eyes on Jesus, rather than our feelings in the water!
Clean And Unclean: The Biblical Background Of Washing
Ceremonial purity is distinguished from moral purity in the Old Testament. This indicates that it was not the case that ceremonial impurity always equated with sin. For instance, an Israelite could be declared ceremonially unclean for coming into contact with bodily discharges, forbidden foods, some illnesses, or corpses. It did not necessarily mean he had committed any sin. Thus, ceremonial impurity disqualified the Israelite from the worship life of the people, until he had been cleansed.
It was also common in the Old Testament for priests to wash their hands and feet before ministering to God or for people to wash according to a set procedure after they had become ceremonially unclean. These practices were meant to remind the Israelites that they needed to be purified in order to come before a holy God. This same language was also used by the New Testament writers to speak about things like forgiveness, restoration and having a clean conscience.
This background explains where the practice of “what is baptism” comes from biblically, but it doesn’t equate it to Christian baptism. Israel’s washings were many, and dependent on repeated acts. Christian baptism is once-for-all; we’re identifying ourselves with Christ’s once-for-all death and resurrection.
These earlier practices provide background rather than full meaning. They designate water as a means of cleansing, but the New Testament makes Christ and the gospel central, identifying the rite as an entry into his community of covenant.
Why Was Jesus Baptized?
John the Baptist preached a message of repentance. John baptized those who were truly repentant, immersing them in the waters of the Jordan River. In fact, John initially objected when Jesus requested baptism from him since Jesus was without sin and did not need to repent of his sins. But Jesus insisted and John submitted. Jesus explained that He needed to be baptized “in order to fulfill all righteousness”. The Messiah was submitting to God’s will and identifying himself with the sinful men and women He came to save.
At the baptism of Jesus, Jesus was not confessing his own sins (as he had none) nor was he receiving forgiveness for them; instead he was making public his identification with us sinners. The baptism anticipates what was to happen at the cross, when the sinless Son would ultimately suffer in place of sinners.
In addition, the event is the start of understanding why Jesus was baptized in the first place: his obedience, anointing, and beginning of his ministry. After this event the gospels move on to his temptation in the wilderness and his ministry announcing the kingdom of God.
This story is the one in the gospels that presents the most clear demonstration of the Trinity because we see all three of the persons clearly differentiated without them being mixed together. The Son is baptized by John, the Holy Spirit comes down upon him, and the Father speaks from heaven. This story establishes what baptism is and why it is practiced in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
What Is The Message Of The Baptism Of Jesus?
This event confirms that he is still in line with the ones he has come to save, but also that he is the beloved Son of his Father who never sinned. The Father’s declaration and the descent of the Holy Spirit publicly authenticate and authorize him for his mission. Therefore, his ministry rests on authority, not on self-initiative or personal desire.
Here, Jesus’ baptism represents his obedient solidarity with mankind and the start of his public ministry. The Jordan River is not only a geographical location but also an indicator of Jesus’ special status, authority, and salvific activity, portraying his baptism as the occasion in which he publicly inaugurates his salvific mission.
Why Is Jesus Called God’s Only Son?
It is indeed true what you wrote. The baptism of Jesus is not the moment he becomes God’s “Son.” It is a way in which the Father publicly identifies and vindicates his Son. Jesus is the “beloved Son” long before the day he is baptized.
In the New Testament there is a distinction between the adoptive relationship that we have with God through our faith in Jesus Christ and the unique, eternal relationship of Jesus as the Son. In this passage, the term “Only” emphasizes his unique identity as the Son and reflects his divine nature, his authority and his eternal relationship with the Father.
It’s this difference that’s key to understanding what the baptism means in the Gospels, where the ceremony isn’t about changing Jesus’ divinity, but about showing who he really is. His divine nature is proclaimed by the voice from heaven; the Holy Spirit descending on him sends him on his mission.
Biblical teaching provides Christians with their understanding of the Trinity; God exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who together are one God. It is not that these three persons are roles interchangeable within one person, nor is it that there are three gods. Thus the invocation of all three in a single “name” at the time of baptism grounds the rite of Christian initiation in the Trinity.
Holy Communion And Its Connection To Baptism
While baptism and Holy Communion are associated with one another in Christian worship, they have different roles. Baptism usually serves as a single time when individuals are initiated into the visible body of Christians. However, Communion needs to be repeated in order for it to sustain the life of the church through eating bread and drinking wine, remembering and giving thanks, and participating in Christ.
That may help us see why we practice the two in that order. Baptism is about identification with Christ and his people. Communion is about our continuing fellowship with the crucified and risen Lord. One begins the sacramental or covenantal walk; the other continues and exhibits it over time.
It is important to note that the policies regarding participation in Communion differ widely among churches. Some churches allow only members in good standing who have been baptized and belong to that particular denomination to receive the elements; some churches allow all baptized Christians to participate; some churches allow all people who trust in Jesus Christ to receive Communion. Therefore, you should always check with the specific church regarding admission requirements and procedures prior to attending a worship service where Communion is being offered.
These rites also point to different parts of the gospel narrative. Baptism highlights cleansing, burial, rising from the dead, and entering. Communion highlights Christ’s body being broken for us, his blood being poured out, his death being proclaimed until he comes again.
Is Communion Truly Christ’s Body And Blood?
The Catholic Church believes that the bread and wine used in Communion literally become the body and blood of Christ, even though their appearance does not change. The Lutheran Church confesses Christ’s true sacramental presence without using the same explanation. A number of Baptist churches and other Protestant groups view Communion as an act of remembrance and a symbolic proclamation of the Lord’s death, though they take the observance quite seriously.
The question of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is about the unique ministry of the Spirit, not about how Christ comes to us in communion. We need to keep those two things separate, lest we end up confusing the one with the other. And yet we must speak for each view as best we can, even though our own churches may only affirm one side.
Is Infant Baptism Supported By The Bible?
Supporters of infant baptism point to household baptisms in Acts, the inclusion of children within God’s covenant dealings, and the close relationship between baptism and circumcision suggested by covenant theology. They argue that God’s promise precedes a child’s mature understanding and that Christian parents should raise baptized children toward personal faith.
While the family texts in Scripture don’t tell us the ages of everyone in the household, there is still disagreement as to what they teach. For paedobaptists, this pattern is argued to support the inclusion of children within the covenant community, while for Baptists, the accounts are contended to either emphasize personal belief or align with the New Testament sequence of hearing the gospel prior to baptism. Therefore, we can have the same facts, and draw different conclusions, because our premises are different (that is, what do we believe about who are the members of the covenant).
For churches that baptize infants, what is the point of baptism? It marks God’s promise, incorporates the child into the visible church, and calls the family and congregation to nurture faith. The child must still come to personal trust and discipleship rather than relying on the ceremony alone.
Those who advocate for believer’s baptism see a clear command in the New Testament that people must repent and have faith before being baptized, and as a result they only baptize those able to personally confess their faith in Christ. This then leaves us with the question: is God’s covenant applicable to the children of the faithful or is it reserved for each individual disciple who makes a personal profession of faith?
What Is The Purpose Of Baptism?
The reason that Christians are baptized first is because Jesus gave an order that they should go and make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Christians should follow God’s commands even if we don’t understand all of the nuances of some theological debates. The purpose of baptism is to submit oneself to the Lordship of Christ and to the teachings, worship, and discipline of his Church.
A second reason for baptism is public identification: it’s a visible declaration or sacramental enactment that a person is “on Jesus’ side.” It’s especially significant in situations where following Jesus costs you in terms of your family or society. For that reason, the cause of baptism can’t simply be custom, family pressure, or a good picture for the church.
Third, there’s the matter of forgiveness and new life. Sacramental churches describe the event in terms of grace, regeneration, or being incorporated into Christ; those churches that call it an ordinance refer to it as a testimony that we have already been saved by our faith. In both cases, it is linked with discipleship rather than considered simply as an event in itself.
So what is baptism in christianity intended to do? It joins water, God’s promise, faith, and the church’s witness in a commanded act. Depending on the tradition, church membership may follow immediately or require further instruction, a profession of faith, or pastoral approval.
Does Baptism Save?
These verses from Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38 show how baptism is part of the gospel. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Then, Peter replied, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
Likewise, the New Testament emphasizes that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our works. There is no deed we can perform to put God in our debt. Different strands of Christianity debate the relation between these truths and the strong baptismal language of the Bible.
Most sacramental churches teach that God uses baptism as a channel of grace, stressing that the efficacy of baptism lies in God and his promise, not in the worthiness of the baptizer, the water, or the person baptized. Some of these churches also allow for exceptions when someone expresses the desire to be baptized, yet dies before being able to receive it.
The Baptist churches and others of like persuasion hold that the rite is an ordinance for those who are already saved by faith. In that sense, baptism is a sign of regeneration, not a cause. A willful rejection can be seen as rebellion; however, baptism doesn’t secure one’s salvation.
The controversy surrounding “what is baptism” shows one major difference between some of the various Christian doctrines regarding baptism: whether baptism is simply obedience to Christ’s command or is considered a work that earns salvation. While the former view is held by many different Christians, they all agree that it does not earn your way to heaven; the doctrine behind all responsible views of Christianity is that salvation is in Christ alone.
What Baptism Looks Like
The answer to the question, “What is the message of the baptism of Jesus?” doesn’t determine which baptism practice your church uses.
The sacrament of baptism is a central practice in Christianity. However, there are different ways of performing baptism, which include immersion, affusion, and aspersion. Immersion is the process of completely submerging the candidate in water, while affusion is the pouring of water over the candidate’s head, and aspersion is the sprinkling of water on the candidate. Baptists and Orthodox Christians perform baptism by immersion. Catholics and many Protestants perform baptism by affusion. The practice of aspersion is often used in emergency situations, such as when a person is critically ill or is traveling and a priest is unavailable. Immersion is a powerful visual representation of death and resurrection. Affusion is a practical and accessible choice, working well for infants and folks with mobility issues. It is also a way to perform baptism in a way that is more hygienic than immersion. Aspersion is the most efficient way to perform baptism. However, it might seem less meaningful because it’s so minimalistic.
| Baptism method | Best for | How it is performed | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full immersion | Churches emphasizing burial and resurrection imagery | The person is lowered completely under water, then raised | Strongly depicts Romans 6:4; follows the usual sense of Greek baptizō | Requires a pool or safe body of water; accessibility can be difficult |
| Pouring (affusion) | Congregations with limited water or mobility needs | Water is poured over the person’s head, commonly three times | Practical indoors; accommodates illness, disability, and cold climates | Burial-and-rising symbolism is less visually explicit |
| Sprinkling (aspersion) | Traditions emphasizing cleansing and covenant signs | Drops of water are sprinkled on the person’s head | Uses very little water; easy for infants and people confined to bed | Critics see weaker support as the ordinary New Testament mode |
| Infant baptism | Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Reformed churches | An infant receives immersion, pouring, or sprinkling, usually with sponsors | Expresses covenant inclusion; places formation within the worshiping community | The recipient cannot personally profess faith; rejected by credobaptist churches |
| Believer’s baptism | Baptist, Pentecostal, Anabaptist, and many evangelical churches | A person professes faith before baptism, often by full immersion | Connects baptism to repentance and personal discipleship | Children who believe may wait until leaders judge their profession mature |
The practice of Christian baptism has taken a variety of forms over the years. It has been administered by full immersion, pouring (affusion), or sprinkling (aspersion). It has also been practiced both on infants and on those making a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
What Happens In Baptism?
The difference in answers comes from how different denominations interpret baptismal promises. In Catholic and Lutheran teaching, forgiveness of sins, regeneration and the gift of the Holy Spirit are conferred by God in baptism. In many evangelical churches, baptism is understood as a public declaration of faith and testimony to one’s inward conversion that has already taken place.
The answer to “Does baptism save?” is sometimes sacramental, sometimes ordinance, and sometimes other things, too. Baptism may be linked with the gift of the Spirit, or some may argue that conversion, baptism, and spiritual empowerment at some future time should not be conflated. But no one claims that the minister is able to convey the Spirit by a mechanistic rite.
Is Baptism Human Obedience Or God’s Work?
Baptist ordinance theology places a high priority on the believer’s response to God’s grace. They believe a person first believes in Jesus Christ and then responds to His command to be baptized. Baptism is a public profession which witnesses to a salvation God has already accomplished. Thus, belief must come before baptism for only a true believer can make a personal profession of the gospel.
Both Catholics and Lutherans agree that sacramental action only works because God grants the grace that the sacrament symbolizes; therefore infants may be baptized, since the gift does not require active participation or mature thought to be received. Both traditions recognize faith’s importance, though they disagree about the timing of its necessity, its relationship to the act of sacramentalism, and whether it is human beings or God who are acting.
Biblical Teachings That Shape Baptism
He urges the use of these six key controls when interpreting a rite, and warns that no one should build an entire doctrine based upon a single sentence.
From a biblical perspective, we can see baptism as being linked to the Trinitarian character of God and his saving work in Jesus Christ. In Matthew, John the Baptist’s call to repentance is realized in Jesus’ baptism where the Father speaks and the Spirit descends, thus revealing God’s character, and in the Great Commission, in which Jesus commands his disciples to baptize others in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as a sign of entering into discipleship (Matt 28:19–20). In Acts, baptism is associated with repentance and forgiveness of sins as well as receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and is the means by which the people of God are defined beyond traditional Jewish social and ethnic markers, whether in Samaria (Acts 8) or among Gentiles (Acts 10). In Romans 6:3–4, Paul explains that baptism signifies participation in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, and forms the basis for our way of life. And in 1 Peter 3:21, the author explains that baptism is not simply about getting physically clean, but it is about asking God for a clear conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Key takeaways
Baptism is an important rite by which Christians identify themselves with Jesus and with the church, employing water as its symbol. It is grounded in the story of Jesus’ baptism, which revealed his identity, purpose and special relationship to the Father and the Spirit. Today, there is wide variation among Christians about infant baptism, the mode of baptism (dunking, pouring or sprinkling), and the role of baptism in salvation. Such differences often arise from interpretations of scripture, which some use to emphasize baptism as something humans do for God, others to emphasize it as something God does for us, and still others to combine both.
Frequently asked questions
What is the true meaning of baptism?
What it means is that baptism cleanses us of sin, unites us with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, brings us into the Christian community, and commits us to a new life of discipleship. Many churches describe this as grace received or faith confessed or both.
According to the Bible, to ask what is baptism you need to look at the commands, stories, and doctrinal passages together. One picture will not fully capture the concept of baptism.
What is the purpose of baptismal?
Baptism can be understood as an act of obedience to Jesus’ command, but also as a way of showing that you belong to Christ and his church. In some traditions, baptism represents or even brings about forgiveness and new life. This makes Christianity visible and very much a communal experience.
In terms of grammar, baptismal generally refers to things associated with baptism, like the baptismal font or the baptismal promise, and the ceremony itself is referred to as baptism.
Why do we need to be baptized?
Christian baptism is based on Jesus’ command to baptize as part of making disciples (Matt. 28:19-20). In the New Testament, baptism is connected with repentance, belief, and the remission of sins and is the public expression of becoming a member of the church. We must not misunderstand baptism, however, as an invitation to neglect our commitment to grow in Christ. Baptism is only the beginning of following Christ.
Another important part of why we baptize is because it is a public event and thus makes our faith public in front of the church community. It doesn’t just serve as a private confession of faith; it also introduces the believer into the church, welcoming them into fellowship with other believers in corporate worship, and committing them to the path of discipleship.
What are the three purposes of baptism?
Sacramental and ordinance traditions differ in their views of baptism’s purposes. All recognize three primary ones. These are (1) obedience to Jesus Christ; (2) identification with Christ’s death and resurrection; and (3) entry into the Christian community. Differences come when we ask where the saving realities of forgiveness and regeneration occur. Sacramentalists see them as occurring in the ceremony. Ordinance enthusiasts believe they precede it and that the ceremony is mainly a declaration that they have already occurred.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit (also referred to as Baptism in the Holy Spirit) is a term used in the Christian religion to describe a spiritual experience that marks a person’s conversion or a person’s spiritual empowerment, although there is no consensus as to the relationship between the two or even whether they are related at all. Various groups of Christians have contrasting beliefs concerning the nature and effects of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Some Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians believe it to be a separate experience from conversion which often produces speaking in tongues and the manifestation of other spiritual gifts. Other Christians, including some Reformed and Evangelical groups, believe that believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit at the time of their conversion and united into the body of Christ. Still others, in traditions such as Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, equate it with the act of baptism, as part of the process of becoming a Christian.
What is the difference between baptism and christening?
Baptism is the Christian sacrament of admission into the Church, using water and invoking the Holy Trinity. A christening is an act of giving a name to, or baptizing, an infant during a church service. The terms are used interchangeably in common parlance, especially in denominations where infant baptism occurs.
Some might use baptism and christening interchangeably while in other places they could be considered a single service or two separate concepts. Regardless, the question about the baptism of Jesus is about the identity and mission of Christ, not about infant naming.
What Baptism Calls Christians to Do
What is baptism concludes that what baptism calls us to do as Christians is to believe in Jesus Christ, heed his commands, join his community of people, and enter the new life that water signifies. Although we disagree with one another about the age of those to be baptized (infants or believers), whether baptism is a means of salvation or not, and whether immersion or pouring or sprinkling is the proper mode, the substance of the call is the same.
These differences should be respected and examined, not mocked. There are some real similarities: purification, incorporation into Christ, entrance into the Church, discipleship to the Triune God. Baptism displays the gospel in a very physical way – it is an act of obedience that uses water, God’s promise, and faith. Whatever you call it – sacrament or ordinance – the ritual points us to Jesus and exhorts those who are baptized to walk with him.
