Baptism Q & A

Question #1: Why make such a big deal about baptism?

Answer: Because did.  

¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20, ESV, emphasis added)

Question #2: Who should be baptized?

Answer: – those who have heard  the gospel, repented of their sin, and personally trusted  Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

⁴¹ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church—about three thousand in all. (Acts 2:41, NLT; cf. Acts 8:12-13; Acts 18:8)

Question #3: So, should infants be baptized?

Answer: , because they have not yet heard the gospel, repented, and believed.  The Bible has no command to baptize infants, nor is there an explicit example of infant baptism in the Bible.
Resource: Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ (B&H Publishing, 2006).

Question #4: So, how old should a child be to be baptized?

Answer: Old enough to hear the gospel and for there to be . . .

• Evidence of genuine .
• A credible testimony of .
• Evidence of of life. 

Question #5: How should a believer be baptized?

Answer: By , because . . .

(1)  The meaning of the Greek New Testament word translated “baptize” [βαπτίζω, baptizo] is to .
Is there another Greek New Testament word for “pour”?  Yes.  Is there another Greek New Testament word for “sprinkle”?  Yes.  And, in the Greek New Testament, these words for “pouring” and “sprinkling” are never used to teach baptism.

(2) Immersion best conveys the essential meaning of baptism—i.e., union by faith with Christ in his , , and .
⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4, ESV)

Question #6: Should I be baptized more than once?

Answer: , we should be immersed as a believer only once, but participate in the Lord’s Supper again and again until the Lord returns.

Question #7: So, in light of what the Bible teaches, why would a person who has genuinely repented and believed not want to be baptized?

Answer: Because of . . . , , or family .                          

Question #8: Is baptism by immersion as a believer necessary to obedience to Christ and to membership at Ingleside? 

Answer: .

“We believe the Scriptures teach that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in Christ, into the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost; to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem his faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect, in His death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation, and to the Lord’s Supper.”  (Article 14, “Ingleside Articles of Faith”)

Question #9: So, what do I do if I want to be baptized at Ingleside?

Answer: Get the conversation started with one of our pastors or by emailing baptism@ingleside.org.

(1) Conversation with a pastor to clarify your understanding of the gospel and to share your story of turning from sin (repentance) and trusting in Christ (faith).

(2) Record your video testimony. (optional)

(3) Schedule the date of your baptism.

Baptism in the Lake   Wednesday, June 28