Fundamental Principle #4

>>>That Baptism is an ordinance of the Christian church, to follow faith and repentance, an ordinance by which we commemorate the resurrection of Christ, as by this act we show our faith in his burial and resurrection, and through that, of the resurrection of all the saints at the last day; and that no other mode fitly represents these facts than that which the Scriptures prescribe, namely, immersion. Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12. FP1872 5.2

The Ordinance of Baptism

I. Baptism Follows Faith and Repentance

Key Texts:

Mark 16:16 – “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”

Acts 2:38 – “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”

Acts 8:36–37 – The Ethiopian eunuch confessed his faith before baptism.

Discussion:

• Baptism is not the cause of salvation, but the response of a repentant believer.

• It follows personal faith — not performed on infants who cannot repent or believe.

• It is an outward sign of an inward change (2 Cor. 5:17).

Key Point: Baptism is the believer’s public declaration of repentance and faith in Christ.

II. Baptism as a Memorial of Christ’s Resurrection

Key Texts:

Romans 6:3–5 – Baptism represents death, burial, and resurrection with Christ.

Colossians 2:12 – We are “buried with Him in baptism” and “raised with Him.”

Discussion:

• Baptism is not only about washing away sins but entering into the story of Christ’s death and resurrection.

• Going under water symbolizes burial with Christ; rising out of the water symbolizes new life in Him.

• It points forward to the believer’s own resurrection at the last day (1 Cor. 15:20–23).

Key Point: Baptism unites us symbolically with Christ’s death and assures us of resurrection hope.

III. Baptism as the Ordinance of the Christian Church

Key Texts:

Matthew 28:19–20 – The Great Commission: “Go… baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Acts 2:41 – Those who gladly received the Word were baptized and added to the church.

Galatians 3:27 – “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Discussion:

• Baptism is not optional; it is commanded by Christ as part of discipleship.

• It marks the entrance into the visible body of Christ, the church.

• Baptism is an ordinance (commanded practice), not a sacrament that magically imparts grace.

Key Point: Baptism is God’s appointed way of identifying with His people and obeying Christ’s command.

IV. The Scriptural Mode: Immersion

Key Texts:

John 3:23 – John baptized “in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there.”

Acts 8:38–39 – Philip and the eunuch “went down into the water” and “came up out of the water.”

Romans 6:4 – Baptism = burial, requiring full immersion.

Discussion:

• Sprinkling or pouring does not represent burial and resurrection.

• Early church history confirms immersion as the original practice.

• The meaning of the Greek word baptizo = “to immerse, dip, submerge.”

Key Point: Only immersion fully represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

V. Baptism and the Hope of Resurrection

Key Texts:

1 Corinthians 15:29 – Baptism tied to the hope of resurrection.

Romans 6:8 – “If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16 – At the last day, the dead in Christ will rise.

Discussion:

• Baptism looks forward in hope — just as Christ rose, we too shall rise.

• Every baptism is a testimony to belief in eternal life through Jesus.

Key Point: Baptism strengthens the believer’s assurance of future resurrection.

Reflection & Discussion Questions

• Why must faith and repentance come before baptism?

• How does baptism symbolize both Christ’s resurrection and our own?

• Why is immersion the only fitting biblical mode of baptism?

• How does baptism mark the beginning of a new life in Christ?

• In what ways does baptism connect me to the hope of the resurrection?

✅ Summary:

Baptism is the Christian’s first step of obedience after faith and repentance. It is a God-ordained ordinance that symbolizes Christ’s death and resurrection, affirms the believer’s new life, and proclaims the hope of eternal resurrection. Only immersion fully represents this divine truth.