The Truth About Water Baptism
What do You Think Now?
I challenge you to pray diligently and sincerely about this important topic. God is not afraid of your questions. In fact, God wants us to ask about issues pertaining to our salvation and he will answer you in a powerful way.
As you pray about this Bible study, I would ask you to honestly answer the following questions:
Acts 2:37-41
What does this scripture tell you is the purpose of baptism in regard to your sins?
What does it tell you that you receive from baptism?
According to your answers to the two questions above, which of the following terms best describes the importance of baptism to salvation?
a. Baptism is unimportant to salvation
b. Baptism is symbolic of salvation but not essential
c. Baptism is essential to salvation
Jesus' Ministry
According to Matthew 3:13-17, why was Jesus baptized of John?
At the conclusion of Christ's ministry on earth, what did he command his disciples to do? (Reference Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15-16.)
According to the Book of Acts
In every example of a person accepting Christ, what was the next thing they did?
Acts 2:37-41 The Jerusalem Pentecost
Acts 8:12 The people of Samaria
Acts 8:36 The Ethiopian Treasurer
Acts 10:48 The First Gentiles
Acts 16:15 Lydia
Acts 16:30-33 The Philippian Jailer
Acts 18:8 The People of Corinth
Acts 22:16 Saul, Who Became the Apostle Paul
According to the previous references, what name would you say the disciples used when administering baptism?
When you realize in what name the disciples baptized, does that help you to understand to what name Jesus was referring when he told his disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"? (Reference Matthew 28:19, Luke 24:46-47, John 10:30.)
When you read Acts 4:10-12, do you think that the name is important to receiving salvation?
Romans 6:3-5
What illustration is used in Romans 6:3-5 in reference to baptism?
Is this consistent with what Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3-5?
Is this illustration of burial consistent with other Biblical descriptions of baptism?
Matthew 3:16 Jesus' Baptism
John 3:23 John the Baptist's Ministry
Acts 8:38 The Ethiopian Treasurer's Baptism
Act of Faith or Work?
According to Ephesians 2:8-9, we are saved by grace through faith, and not of works. Keeping this in mind, what does 1 Peter 3:20-21 tell us saves us?
From your conclusion, would you say that baptism is a work or an act of faith?
After all that you have read, what does the Bible say to the following questions:
Is baptism essential to salvation?
Who should be baptized?
How should a believer be baptized? by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion?
In what name should a believer be baptized?
When should a believer be baptized?
Your Salvation
Through this study, what has God revealed to you about baptism?
After reading 1 Corinthians 3:11 and Ephesians 2:19-22, what does God reveal to you about your salvation?
According to Acts 19:1-5, what was done when believers learned that they did not have a proper understanding of baptism?
As you pray about what you have learned, what is God asking you to do?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.