New Testament Baptism

New Testament Baptism

The New Testament gives a number of illustrations of baptism which show beyond any doubt that those who had been baptized were fully submerged in water. By following the pattern as given in scripture and as employed by the early New Testament church, we are assured of God's acceptance of our baptism.

Throughout the Old Testament, God gave specific instruction on how He wanted His worship to be patterned. Starting in Genesis we learn that Cain offered unsuitable worship and it was rejected by God, (Genesis 4:1-5). Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord and were destroyed for it, (Leviticus 10:1-3). God's explanation to Aaron, the father of Nadab and Abihu was, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." Our obedience to God's will is how we glorify God. By following exactly the pattern given in the New Testament for baptism, we glorify God in that we respect and honor His instruction on how it is to be performed. Our children glorify us to the world when they are obedient to our instructions, in the same way, the Christian glorifies God when they are obedient to Him.

When Philip baptized the Ethiopian Eunuch, they "went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him, (Acts 8:38), when they were finished, they "were come up out of the water, (Acts 8:39). When Jesus was baptized by John, they also were in the midst of the waters because they "went up straightway out of the water", (Matt 3:16), after the His baptism. We have two Biblical examples of baptism where the text clearly points out that they were in the water. The fact that Jesus served in one of the examples reinforces the fact that this form of baptism met with the approval of God.

In Paul's letters to the Romans and Colossians, he makes two references to Baptism as being a "burial with him [Christ]", (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12), and then in both letters, he refers to being risen with Christ, (Romans 6:5, Colossians 2:12). So we learn from Paul that our baptism is a burial and resurrection in the likeness of Jesus when He died and was resurrected. Therefore the only possible way to accomplish this is to be fully submerged beneath the water, "buried", and then rising from beneath the water.

Those who have never submitted to baptism, or have done so by the pouring or sprinkling of water have not been buried with Christ according to the pattern for baptism we have in the New Testament and have put themselves in the same situation that Cain and others did who chose to change the pattern God authorized for the observance of His commandments.

Baptism is described as a burial in scripture, therefore it must be a burial in practice.

Series of studies on Baptism

Baptism Defined | New Testament Baptism | Which Baptism is it? | Baptism of The Holy Spirit