Baptism

[Meshavrischika]

When should it be done?
To whom?
How (immersion, sprinkling, etc.)
What does it signifiy?
Is it essential for salvation?

explain your answers.

 

[jmacvols]

When should it be done?
To whom?

To those who have been taught the gospel and believe, Mt 28:19,20; Mk 16:15,16.

How (immersion, sprinkling, etc.)

Baptizo means to submerge, to dip, immerse. Acts 8:38.

What does it signifiy?

One is baptized into Christ's death and raised to walk in newness of life, Rom 6.

Is it essential for salvation?

Absolutely, it's for the remission of sins and no one will be saved in their sins and water baptism is the only place where sins can be remitted.

 

[mont974x4]

It should be done as soon as practical to anyone who has confesses Christ as Lord. It should be done my immersion.
No, water baptism does not save anyone, it is an outward act that signifies what the Holy Spirit has done inwardly.

 

[Melethiel]

When should it be done?
Preferably, to infants of believing parents who will raise the child in the faith. For adult converts, as soon as possible after proper instruction in the basics of the faith.
To whom?
See above.
How (immersion, sprinkling, etc.)
Doesn't matter all that much.
What does it signifiy?
It not only signifies, but is efficacious for, the putting off the old nature and the putting on of Christ, as well as entrance into the Church. It is not the water itself which does this, but the Holy Spirit acting through the physical means of the water.
Is it essential for salvation?
It is necessary, but not absolutely necessary. It is the normal means of entrance into the Church and regeneration, and like other Sacraments it has the promise of God attached to it. However, we do not limit God - He can work wherever He wishes.

 

[christianmomof3]

When should it be done? noon is preferable for noonies but other times are acceptable for other groups
To whom? to the baptismee of course
How (immersion, sprinkling, etc.) water hose
What does it signifiy? wetness
Is it essential for salvation? only of those who believe it is

explain your answers.

ok - silly answers above, but you will get as wide a variety of answers here as there are members of this board.
It is not an item that is spelled out specifically in the Bible therefore different groups interpret it differently. And some groups go by "Tradition" and don't worry about what the Bible says anyway.
Some groups consider it a "sacrament" and so most discussions of baptism are found in the Sacramental/ordiances section of the forum http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=718
You will find threads about baptism there and arguements to support any and all of the different beliefs regarding it.

I personally support believer's baptism since the Bible says to believe and be baptised and to repent and be baptised and babies can neither profess belief nor repentance.
Immersion is the way it was done in the Bible so that seems to be the way it should be done.
It signifies passing out of death into life and passing through the waters of death and the death of the old man and birth of the new man among other things.
It is not essential for salvation -but should be done anyway. It is an act of obedience.

 

[HighwayMan]

It is water like any other. The ceremony is at most a nice gesture towards God. Everything else is make-believe IMO.

 

[NorrinRadd]

If we take it as a metaphor for burial, it should be by immersion.

If we take it as a variation on the Jewish practice of ritual cleansing and renewal, it should be by pouring or sprinkling.

If we apply a strictly literal definition to "baptizo," it should be by immersion; but by that standard, we should believe that the Holy Spirit is really the Holy "wind," "literally" a current of air.



If we take it *only* as a way of declaring our faith volitionally and publicly, it should not be done to babies.

If we take it as the NT "sign" of the Covenant, replacing circumcision, it's ok to do it to babies.

 

[MamaZ]

water Baptism to me is after confession of Christ
We need to be immersed
Does water baptism save a person? No

 

[Meshavrischika]

do you think it's based on mikvah?

 

[vanshan]

If we believe salvation comes by grace, without any work on our part, it's only logical that it can come even at infancy, so babies should be baptized. It's certain that our enemy would not wait to attack young children, so having them brought into the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ early is an advantage for them. They will have to exercise free will to remain in Christ as they age, but their intellectual understanding is not required for them to be in Christ. Entire families where baptized according to Acts, with no mention of those family members who could intellectually grasp God's grace.

Basil

 

[MamaZ]

If we believe salvation comes by grace, without any work on our part, it's only logical that it can come even at infancy, so babies should be baptized. It's certain that our enemy would not wait to attack young children, so having them brought into the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ early is an advantage for them. They will have to exercise free will to remain in Christ as they age, but their intellectual understanding is not required for them to be in Christ. Entire families where baptized according to Acts, with no mention of those family members who could intellectually grasp God's grace.

Basil

How can a baby confess Christ?

 

[vanshan]

How can a baby confess Christ?

How could God withold His grace from a child or someone else who intellectually is unable to understand the gospel?

Basil

 

[Meshavrischika]

do you think it's based on mikvah?

cough

 

[vanshan]

The cleansing baptisms, or baptism of repentance done by John the Baptist, were preparation rituals for the spiritual baptism made available through Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

 

[MamaZ]

How could God withold His grace from a child or someone else who intellectually is unable to understand the gospel?

Basil

Who said He did? Gods grace is not in water baptism.

 

[MamaZ]

cough

What does that word mean? LOL..

 

[Meshavrischika]

but they obviously didn't magically start with John the Baptist. This was an accepted practice of cleansing/purity.

 

[Meshavrischika]

What does that word mean? LOL..

it's that thing you take Robitussin DM for

 

[MamaZ]

it's that thing you take Robitussin DM for

No the other word..

 

[Meshavrischika]

Who said He did? Gods grace is not in water baptism.

children, mentally handicapped, etc. are not required under Judaism to observe the law or be held by it, so I assume that this would carry forth into Christianity (since Christ is about forgiveness and ultimate sacrifice)