BAPTISM OF BELILEVERS AND UNION WITH CHRIST 2, Acts 8:29-42, 20230913

Last week, by GOD’s enlightenment, His Holy Spirit reminded us that before our LORD Jesus Christ began His ministry, He submitted himself to John the Baptist to be baptized in the Jordan River.

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.

This was His commandment. The question for centuries has always been, should Christian parents have their infants or young children under 18 be baptized?

It is encouraging to see parents bringing their infant children to the minister to be dedicated in the Church, and requesting for GOD’s blessings upon them. However, the Gospel did not require infants to repent of their sins and be baptized. Rather, it was the adults or those old enough to understand the requirements.

Also, the Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) records that our LORD Jesus Christ and other adult candidates walked into the Jordan River to be baptized. There were no infants or younger children in the river for baptism.

Matthew 3:5-7:

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and ALL Judæa, and ALL the region round about Jordan, 

6 and were baptized of him in Jordan (River), CONFESSING their SINS.

7 But when he saw many of the (ADULT) PHARISEES and SADDUCEES come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 

8 BRING forth therefore FRUITS (EVIDENCE) meet for REPENTANCE. Amen!

In verse 7 above, we know that John the Baptist did not baptize children; he baptized tax collectors and other adults, who walked into the river to confess their sins. Therefore, infant baptism is unscriptural.

Also, verse 6 tells us that they (ADULT) PHARISEES and SADDUCEES “CONFESSING their SINS.” How can infants and children truly confess their sins? It is Scripturally impossible, and we know it.

Now, what should we say about adult Christian who also submit to the sprinkling of water on their heads as baptism? There is no Scriptural record that the Apostles either sprinkled water on infants or adults. Therefore, sprinkling of water is also invalid and unchristian for both infants and adults.

What do you do if, as an adult or infant, water was sprinkled on your head? Simple! You have to re-confess the unscriptural sprinkling of water to your Pastor, and request for the Scriptural baptism in a river that our LORD commanded His Apostles. Let’s remind ourselves again:

Matthew 3:16-17:

The teaching of the New Testament is that the people who are to be baptized are those who have ALREADY GIVEN EVIDENCE that they are REGENERAGTE or BORN AGAIN; let us remember that ONLY BELIEVERS WERE BAPTIZED in the New Testament.

Therefore, it is NOT the ACT of BAPTISM that makes them BELIEVERS. Rather, it is because they WERE ALREADY BELIEVERS, or are PRESUMED to be BELIEVERS, that enabled them to be BAPTIZED.

Do we remember the Ethiopian eunuch? Philip the evangelist baptized him BECAUSE he BELIEVED on the LORD Jesus Christ. Let’s read the great example in Acts 8:29-35:

29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 

30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, understandest thou what thou readest? 

What does “preached unto him Jesus” mean?

Answer in Luke 24:27, Acts 17:2, and Acts 28:23: