The Acts of the Apostles
give five examples of new converts being baptized. Each is from a different
social class of society.
The Men and Women
of Samaria
Philip the evangelist preached
in Samaria and had many who believed the Gospel message.
|
Acts
8:12 says |
 |
“...when
they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God
and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” |
In a society where men normally
dominated religious life, both men and women
were baptized following their profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
The Ethiopian
Government Official
Philip was then sent by the
Holy Spirit to speak to an Ethiopian government official.
|
|
Acts
8:35-38 |
The conversation between
Philip and the Ethiopian is recorded:
“Then
Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good
news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water
and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?’
And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch
went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
| Lydia the Business
Woman
On one occasion when the
Apostle Paul was preaching in Thyatira, a business woman heard him and
opened her heart to the Lord. |
 |
|
|
Acts
16:14-15 |
“One
of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from
the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart
to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household
were baptized, she invited us to her home."
Lydia already believed in
God, but now opened her heart to receive Jesus as her Savior (As did the
rest of her family). She and her whole family were baptized.
| The
Prison Warden
Paul was in prison for preaching
the Gospel. During an earthquake all of the prison doors flew open and
the prisoners chains came loose. The warden thought everyone had run away
and was about to kill himself. But Paul stopped him and said they were
all still there; the warden’s response was to ask: |
 |
|
|
Acts
16:30-34 |
“‘Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus,
and you will be saved-- you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word
of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of
the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately
he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house
and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come
to believe in God-he and his whole family.”
 |
Crispus
the Religious Leader
Many people in Corinth responded
to Paul’s preaching including Crispus one of the town’s religious leaders: |
|
|
Acts
18:8 |
“Crispus,
the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and
many of the Corinthians who heard him [Paul] believed and were baptized.”
This probably cost the religious
official his position in the community. Yet he was not ashamed to identify
himself publicly as a follower of Jesus Christ by being baptized.
Frequently
Asked Questions...?
How is baptism
supposed to be done?
The word “Baptism” as found
in the Bible is a Greek word that means “to immerse” when translated into
English. Because of the importance of the symbolism and identification
involved in baptism there is only one method that is acceptable Biblically
- full immersion. The person is totally submerged
in water.
Where is baptism
to be done?
Baptism can be done anywhere
there is enough water to immerse a person. It can be done in a church,
in a river, a swimming pool, a lake, or in an ocean. Baptism must be a
public ceremony. It is a public declaration of identification with Jesus
Christ.
Should I be "rebaptized"
if I was baptized as a baby?
As we said, baptism is an
outward testimony of something that has happened inside, and a public identification
with Jesus Christ. It follows logically that babies cannot understand the
Gospel message and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, so it would be
meaningless to baptize them.
Infant baptism is not a BIBLICAL
practice. There is no record of an infant ever being baptized in the Bible.
So, if you were baptized as an infant, when you accept Jesus as your Savior,
YES,
you do need to be baptized again, by immersion, to fully identify
with Jesus Christ.
Continued:
Page
1 | Page 2 | Page
3
|
