Baptism

 John the Baptist said, "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11 NLT).

The word "baptize" is the Greek word "baptizō." It means "to dip repeatedly, immerse, submerge (of vessels sunk, cleanse by dipping or submerging, wash, make clean with water, wash one's self, bathe, or overwhelm" (The Outline of Biblical Usage by Larry Pierce).

Christian baptism is just one type of baptism, but it is essential because it is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, baptism is a way for us to publicly declare our new life in Christ. It is also a step of obedience based on God’s commands and allows us to follow the example of Jesus, who submitted himself to baptism to "fulfill all righteousness" (Life Church Beliefs). After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy" (Matthew 3:16-17 NLT). Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT). When 3,000 people got saved at Peter's first evangelism crusade, they were baptized and added to the church that day (Acts 2:41). When many men and women believed in Philip’s message of good news concerning God's Kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized (Acts 8:12). "For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives" (Romans 6:4 NLT). "For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead" (Colossians 2:12 NLT).

Four qualifications should be met for those seeking Christian baptism:

1. Instruction- The first requirement for baptism was given by Jesus in the Matthew 28:19-20 passage I quoted above. Christ's command to teach new believers is given twice. They are to be taught before and after baptism. Sinners must first hear and receive the good news to become true believers. Before baptism, believers should receive enough teaching to understand its meaning. After baptism, they should continue to receive instruction to become mature Christians.
2. Repentance- The second condition for baptism is repentance from sin. Peter stressed this during his sermon on the day of Pentecost. Conviction of sins is not enough. Action must be taken. The two commands Peter gave were repent and be baptized. Repentance comes before baptism.
3. Belief- The requirement of believing faith is illustrated by Philip and the Ethiopian man he met on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8). Philip heard the Ethiopian read from the book of Isaiah. He joined him in his chariot to explain the Gospel. As they continued on their journey, the road led past water. Upon the Ethiopian's request and his confession of faith, Philip baptized him.
4. A good conscience toward God- Peter compares Christian baptism in water to Noah's experience and his family, who were saved from judgment as they entered into the ark (1 Peter 3:21). Peter dismisses any idea that the purpose of baptism is any kind of cleansing of the physical body. He says the condition of Christian baptism is the inner relationship of the believer's heart toward God (AMES International School of Ministry).

There are four types of baptism in the New Testament:

1. Christ's baptism of suffering- Jesus said, "I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished" (Luke 12:50 NLT). "You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with” (Mark 10:38 NLT)? Jesus was speaking of the suffering awaiting Him through His death for the sins of all mankind. He was to be immersed in suffering, buried in the tomb, and resurrected in a new body (AMES International School of Ministry).
2. The baptism of John- John the Baptist's baptism is not the same as Christian baptism even though before are in the New Testament. It was a baptism of repentance that would point the way to Jesus. “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins" (Luke 1:76-77 NLT). John the Baptist said, "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11 NLT).
3. Christian baptism- Jesus showed us the example of Christian baptism in Matthew 3:13-17. He didn't need to do it because he was perfect. But he did it to show us the example to follow. "Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” (NLT).
4. Baptism in the Holy Spirit-The baptism of the Holy Spirit is mentioned several times in the New Testament. John the Baptist said, "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11 NLT). "I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Luke 3:16 NLT). "I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit'" (John 1:33 NLT). Right before his ascension, Jesus said, "John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5 NLT). Peter quoted Jesus in Acts 11:16. "Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit'" (NLT). The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:13, "Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit" (NLT).

As far as water baptism goes, a person was baptized in the New Testament immediately upon conversion. There was no waiting period. That stresses the importance of baptism as the next step of obedience to Jesus after salvation. "Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all" (Acts 2:41 NLT).

Babies should not be baptized. Some denominations and churches teach that a baby becomes part of God's Kingdom upon baptism, but there are no references to water baptism for babies. A baby cannot be aware of sin, much less confess it, repent of it, and trust Jesus as Savior. There is no set age for baptism. It depends on the mental and spiritual development of each person to meet the requirements of baptism. You have to understand what you are doing to participate in the act.

If you were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you do not need to be re-baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible does indicate that proper water baptism is done by immersion though, not sprinkling.

One of the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to fill and baptize the believer. "And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:4 NLT). The Holy Spirit dwells in us after we become believers. "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself" (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT). The Holy Spirit unites us with God and other believers. "But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him" (1 Corinthians 6:17 NLT). The Spirit prays for us. "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words" (Romans 8:26 NLT). Our guide is the Holy Spirit. "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future" (John 16:13 NLT). The Holy Spirit shows Christ's love to and through us. "And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love" (Romans 5:5 NLT). When we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, he conforms us to Christ's image. "So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image" (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT). The Holy Spirit reveals biblical truth to us. "But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets" (1 Corinthians 2:10 NLT). The Holy Spirit teaches us. "But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you" (John 14:26 NLT). The Holy Spirit inspires us to true worship. "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24 NLT). The Holy Spirit strengthens us. "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit" (Ephesians 3:16 NLT). The Holy Spirit gives us life. "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you" (Romans 8:11 NLT). The Holy Spirit sanctifies us. "As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). The Holy Spirit changes us. "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5 NLT). The Holy Spirit convicts us when we do wrong. "And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged" (John 16:8-11 NLT). The Holy Spirit gives assurance of salvation to the believer. "For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children" (Romans 8:16 NLT). The Holy Spirit gives us liberty. "And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death" (Romans 8:2 NLT). The Holy Spirit can speak through us. "But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit" (Mark 13:11 NLT). The Holy Spirit demonstrates God's power. "And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:4 NLT). The Holy Spirit gives us power to witness. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8 NLT). The Holy Spirit inspires us to worship. "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24 NLT).

If one wishes to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, several things must happen.

1. You must repent and be water baptized- Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38 NLT).
2. You must believe it is for you. "This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God" (Acts 2:39 NLT).
3. You must desire it- "On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory) (Acts 7:37-39 NLT).
4. You must realize it is a gift- "Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:2, 5, 14 NLT).
5. You must yield to God- And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:4 NLT). 
6. You should request the prayer of other believers (Acts 2, 4, 8-9, 10, 19).

Remember Jesus' promise: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8 NLT). The outward physical sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues. "Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied" (Acts 2:2-4; 10:44-46; 19:6 NLT).

The true evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit is the Christian's powerful witness about the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (NLT). The fruit of the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is the results of what happens when a person has the Holy Spirit in them. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is listed in Galatians 5:22-23. "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things" (NLT)!

All the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for us today. They were not just for the early church. The purpose for all of these gifts, primarily, is the propagation of the Gospel message around the world. That is still going on. So the gifts are still just as relevant and needed for today as they were when God first gave them beginning in the book of Acts.

There are four main objections people have to the physical sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit: the gift of being able to speak in other tongues.

1. Some say that there doesn't need to be a second experience of Holy Spirit baptism after a person receives Christ because all true Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. It is true that all Christians have the Holy Spirit, but it is not true that all Christians have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, including myself. The apostles believed in Jesus before they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from Heaven" (Acts 24:49 NLT). John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5 NLT). It wasn't until the Day of Pentecost after Jesus ascended that the Holy Spirit began baptizing believers. "And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:4 NLT). Later, there were some Samaritan believers who had believed and been baptized, but they had not received the Holy Spirit yet. "When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:14-17 NLT). The same was true with some Ephesian believers in Acts 19:1-6. "While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' he asked them. 'No,' they replied, 'we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' 'Then what baptism did you experience?' he asked. And they replied, 'The baptism of John.' Paul said, 'John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.' As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied" (Acts 19:1-6 NLT). There is a difference between the Holy Spirit being with you and being in you. "He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you" (John 14:17 NLT).
2. "Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not" (1 Corinthians 12:30 NLT)! This is not referring to whether some people are baptized in the Holy Spirit while others are not, but instead is talking about the exercise of certain spiritual gifts.
3. Some worry that the physical sign of Holy Spirit baptism, speaking in tongues, is of demonic origin. For that reason, they dismiss the entire doctrine and experience. But this need not be so. Jesus said, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." God will not give you anything that is not good for you.
4. Some discount the Holy Spirit baptism experience because they say it is all about emotion. But being a genuine believer doesn't take away all room for emotion. "And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:52 NLT).

So as we see, all objections to the baptism of the Holy Spirit are not valid when we look at examples from Scripture.