Cheat Sheet #23

As you read this section, keep in mind that the New Testament is not merely a history book, it's meant to change us to become more and more like Jesus. When we read any passages in the New Testament, our goal should be to discern what God wants us to believe and do so that we can be obedient to Him.

The following passage is referred to as "the Great Commission" by pastors and Bible teachers because this is what Jesus commanded the Church (i.e., all Christians) to do:

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."" (Matthew 28:18-20)

In the above passage, notice that Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples and then baptize them. As my series called Everything We Need to Know about Water Baptism explains, water baptism is not a requirement for receiving salvation because it's only for people who have already received salvation, and it must be done by full immersion.

After the cross we see a consistent pattern in which people were baptized in water immediately after they believed in Jesus. Here are all of the passages after the cross that describe people being baptized in water:

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

"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. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw." (Acts 8:12-13)

"The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 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?" And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him." (Acts 8:34-38)

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." 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 10:45-48)

"One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us." (Acts 16:14-15)

"He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized." (Acts 16:30-33)

"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 18:8)

"While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 19:1-5)

The above passages show that people were baptized in water immediately after they believed in Jesus, just as He commanded us to do in the Great Commission (above).

We've seen that Jesus commanded that His disciples must be baptized in water (Matthew 28:19), and we've seen that new disciples were baptized in water immediately after they received salvation, and my series on water baptism (above) shows that full immersion is the only proper method of baptism. After the cross, a "disciple" is a person who has received salvation through proper faith in Jesus (for the full New Testament teaching on how to receive salvation and make sure you're going to heaven, see my article called How to Receive Salvation). If the only baptism you've received was as an infant or by some method other than full immersion then you've never had a valid Christian baptism. If you've never had a valid Christian baptism, this won't keep you out of heaven (as my series on water baptism shows) but it means that you're living in disobedience to God and you'll be disciplined (perhaps severely) both in this life and in heaven (see my articles called Cheat Sheet #11, Cheat Sheet #12, and Cheat Sheet #13). In order to get into obedience concerning baptism, find the right church and tell them that you're a Christian and you need to be baptized in water by full immersion. God wants us to go to a specific church, and if we're paying attention then He will lead us to it (see my article called How to Discern God's Guidance).

As a Christian, have you been baptized in water by full immersion as Jesus commanded, after you were old enough to understand what Jesus did for us?