Baptism

Faith Church March 21, 1992

- we've been studying the church the last few weeks as part of this
larger study on Basic Bible Truths
- This morning we'd like to begin by seeing what God's Word says about
baptism
- now, we're not discussing baptism simply because we're a Baptist
church, we're discussing baptism because it's a major Bible doctrine

I. Baptism Was Ordained By Jesus Christ

- some folks have a condescending view of Baptists or
baptism (cf. "all they care about is dunking people in the
tank.")
- its important to see that baptism isn't the product of human
thinking/reasoning--it's was and is our Saviour's
idea

A. Instituted by Him

1. Great commission - Matt. 28:19-20

2. apostles understood - Acts 2:41

3. NT Practice - Romans 6:3-5

B. Intended to be universal and perpetual

1. Jesus recognized John's baptism from heaven
Matt. 3:2-3

2. His submission shows obligation

3. His disciples continued it - John 3:23, 4:1,2

4. the commission is binding

5. therefore, no church can repeal

II. Mode of Baptism: Immersion

A. meaning of "baptizw"

Liddell and Scott Greek Lexicon - "to dip in or under
water"

Sopocles Lexicon (140 BC - 1000 AD) - "to dip,
immerse, sink"

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - "It may be remarked
that no Baptist has written a lexison
of the Greek language, and yet the standard
lexicons, like that of Liddell and Scott, uniformly
give the meaning of baptizw as "dip" or "immerse."
They do no give "pour" or "sprinkle", nor has
anyone ever adduced an instance where this verb
means "pour" or "sprinkle."

B. NT usage

1. Every passage where the word occurs either
requires or allows for immersion.

cf. Mark 1:9-10, into the water, up out of the
water

2. the word is never used in a passive sense

- cf. never "water was baptized on someone"

C. the symbol requires immersion

Mk. 10:38 (symbol of death)
Luke 12:50
Rom. 6:3-5

point is - the image is destroyed by any mode other
than immersion