Articles
Word Of The Week: Baptism
Most would recognize this word as a religious rite, but there is great diversity in the meaning of that rite. In Biblical days the word simply meant “the processes of immersion, submersion and emergence” (W.E. Vine). It did not mean to pour on, sprinkle or merely touch with water.
Jesus stated the essentiality of baptism in unmistakable terms: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). The force of this statement is seen in the conversions recorded in the book of Acts.
Baptism is not a work of man; it is a command of God (Acts 2:38). It is not a ceremony done for an infant but the careful response of faith and conviction. It is not a mindless formality but humble submission to God.
It is the obedient act of a sinner who wishes to identify with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 6:3-6) in order to receive the forgiveness of sins.
