Verses related to Baptism

Theme: Baptism

Bible verse: Acts 2:38 ‘Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’

Question: What is your response to this verse and other verses on baptism? What is it about?

In addition to the many related verses shown below, we also have the sermon and baptism on Sunday morning to move our thoughts.

So please share in whatever aspect of baptism is important to you, there is a wide variety to choose from.

If you need prompting, here are some other questions you might consider in relation to our bible verses:

• Is baptism a physical event that produces a result?
• Is it an outward proclamation and display of an inner change that has already occurred?
• Is it merely immersion in water, or is God active in this event?
• Does our response of baptism open our hearts to be changed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit?
• What importance do the views of the person being baptized have for any of these issues?

Here are some issues on which different denominations may hold various views:

• Immersion or sprinkling?
• Believer’s baptism or Babies baptism?
• Is baptism essential for salvation?

Psalm 51:2, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

Psalm 51:7, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Isaiah 1:16, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil.”

Ezekiel 36:25-26, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…”

Zechariah 13:1, “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.”

1 Peter 3:20-21, “to those who were disobedient 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, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”

1 Corinthians 10:1-2, “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”

2 Kings 5:14, “So he (Naaman the Syrian ) went down and dipped (Hebrew: taval = immerse) seven times in the Jordan according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

Matthew 3:6 “Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him (John the Baptist) in the Jordan River.”

Matthew 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

Mark 1:4 “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Mark 1:8 “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 3:3 “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Luke 3:16 ‘John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

Luke 7:29 “(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)”

John 1:31 “I myself (John the Baptist) did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Matthew 3:15 ‘Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.’

Matthew 28:19 “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”

Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Acts 1:5 “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2:38 ‘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.”’

Acts 2:41 “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

Acts 8:12 “But 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.”

Acts 8:36 ‘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?”’

Acts 9:18 “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.”

Acts 10:47 “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.”

Acts 16:15 “When she (Lydia) and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home.”

Acts 16:33 “At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.”

Acts 18:8 “Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.”

Acts 22:16 “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”

Mark 10:38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” 39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with”

Luke 12:50 “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!”

Romans 6:3-4 “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

Galatians 3:26-27 “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Ephesians 4:4-5 “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism;”

Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”

Hebrews 6:2 “instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.”

1 Peter 3:21 “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” 

John 3:5 ‘Jesus answered, “I tell you (Nicodemus) the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”’

Titus 3:5 “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”

Ephesians 5:26 “to make her (the church) holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word”

Hebrews 10:22 “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

1 Corinthians 6:11 “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Galatians 5:24 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

• Public declaration
• Giving glory to God
• Act of obedience
• Initiation into the life of the church
• Identification with Christ
• A telling of the Easter story, a symbol of resurrection, of death to our old life and rising to the new. Signifies we have died with Christ, been raised with Him, and now belong to Christ.
• Owning their faith and declaring it.
• Response to command of Jesus
• Identify with Christ and the church, no longer living for ourselves but living for Christ.
• We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body
• A symbol or statement – outward sign of inward reality
• Believer’s baptism: faith leads to baptism
• Full immersion symbolises burial
• Any leader can do
• Questions to qualify:
  o Trust in Christ as your Saviour and Lord?
  o Personal relation with Christ?
  o Prepared to obey God’s commands?