According To The Scriptures:

WHY BE BAPTIZED?

 
According to Acts 2:38, is a person baptized for the remission of sins? No!

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).

Those who have been taught that a person receives the remission of sins at baptism, please read:

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Tim. 2:15).

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation" (II Peter 1:20).
In order to get a true meaning of a Scripture, it must be studied with every Scripture on the same subject.

The apostle Peter stated in Acts 2:38 that the person that repents and is baptized shall receive remission of sins and shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Now find out the order in which these occur.

Peter said:
"To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43). Remission of sins comes at the point of believing, not at the point of baptism.
 
"The Holy Ghost fell on all which heard the word" (Acts 10:44). The gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out on those who "heard the word" (Acts 10:45).
 
They spake with tongues and magnified God (Acts 10:46). Can a lost person magnify God? No!
 
Did Peter say they had received the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:47)? Yes!
 
Did Peter say that the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning? Yes!  "And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning" (Acts 11:15).
 
"Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:17).
According to Acts 11:17, were Peter and other believers saved like the household of Cornelius? Yes! It is very plain that they were saved by believing on Jesus Christ.

So why be baptized if believers already have all the blessings mentioned in Acts 10:43-46? God said for everyone to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38).

Baptism identifies the believer with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:4). Baptism is only baptism if the believer is "buried" (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:14). This rules out sprinkling or pouring. Having to repent rules out infant baptism.

Baptism must be the continuation of the baptism of John the Baptist. The person replacing Judas Iscariot had to have companied with the apostles, beginning from the baptism of John (Acts 1:22).
 
The only institution that has the authority to baptize is the one that was present when Jesus was on earth -- His church.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matt. 28:19-20)

If a person who believes that Jesus is Lord and Saviour, has sins remitted (Matt. 10:43), is born of God (I John 5:1), has the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16), has the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:44), has the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:45), magnifies God (Acts 10:46), has received the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:47), is not condemned (John 3:18), shall not come into condemnation (John 5:24), has everlasting life (John 6:47) -- if a believer has all of this before baptism, then why be baptized? Because the Word of God commands it!

"...Repent, and be baptized every one of you..." (Acts 2:38).

The Lord's Supper pictures the death of our Lord (I Cor. 11:23-26).

Baptism pictures the burial and resurrection of our Lord (Rom. 6:4).

 

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 For a deeper study on this or any other Bible subject contact:
 
 E. L. Johns