What is baptism and why do Christians get baptized?
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
Baptism is the washing with water that Jesus instituted for his disciples, administered “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). It marks a person as belonging to Christ and his people; for a convert, it is also a public profession of faith and discipleship.
Why Christians are baptized
- Jesus commanded it. Baptism is part of making disciples of all nations, alongside teaching them to obey everything Christ commanded. Jesus gave this commission on the basis of his authority and promised his continuing presence (Matthew 28:18-20).
- It is a response to the gospel. Peter called his hearers to repent and be baptized in Jesus’ name. Those who received his word were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the Christian community that day (Acts 2:38-41).
- It declares union with Christ in his death and resurrection. Romans 6:3-4 says that believers were baptized into Christ’s death and buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised, they might walk in newness of life. Baptism therefore points both to the believer’s identification with Jesus and to the new life his people are called to live.
Does baptism earn salvation?
No. Baptism is commanded, but salvation is God’s gift, by grace through faith, “not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). At the same time, Peter can say that baptism “now saves you,” while immediately explaining that this does not mean washing dirt from the body and that it saves “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).
The hope is therefore not in water, a ceremony, or human merit, but in Christ, who died and rose again. Baptism must neither be treated as a price paid for forgiveness nor brushed aside as though Jesus had not commanded it.
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 11, 2026
Baptism is the sacred rite instituted by Jesus Christ whereby a believer is washed with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, publicly marking them as His disciple. Across Scripture, it stands as an unyielding command of Christ, a vivid picture of union with His death and resurrection, and the visible threshold of fellowship in His body, the church. Understanding its biblical foundations anchors our obedience in the very authority and presence of the risen Lord.
The Lord's Mandate
Christ Commanded Baptism with Universal Authority
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
Jesus explicitly commands His church to make disciples by baptizing them into the singular name of the triune God.
In Matthew 28:19, the risen Christ issues the great commission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Christian baptism is not an optional human custom, but a binding ordinance anchored directly in the sovereign dominion of Jesus. Right before commanding the rite, He declares in Matthew 28:18 that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. The administration of water baptism stands alongside ongoing teaching in Matthew 28:20, accompanied by His enduring promise to remain with His people until the end of the age.
The Gospels demonstrate that outward submission to baptism has always distinguished true obedience from hardhearted rebellion. In Mark 16:16, Jesus warns that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, while unbelief brings condemnation, showing that faith and its outward confession naturally belong together. During His earthly ministry, John 4:1-2 notes that the disciples of Jesus baptized great multitudes under His oversight. Rejecting this sacred wash carried grave spiritual consequences: Luke 7:29-30 records that ordinary people and repentant tax collectors acknowledged God's righteousness by submitting to baptism, whereas the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves by refusing it.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 28:18 | Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been granted to Him. |
| Matthew 28:19 | The risen Lord commands the apostles to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Trinitarian name. |
| Matthew 28:20 | Christ links baptism with ongoing instruction and promises His continual presence until the end of the age. |
| Mark 16:16 | Jesus proclaims that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, while unbelief brings condemnation. |
| John 4:1-2 | The Gospel records that Jesus' disciples baptized more disciples than John the Baptist did during His earthly ministry. |
| Luke 7:29-30 | The people and tax collectors justified God having been baptized, but the Pharisees rejected God's purpose by not being baptized. |
The Gospel Picture
Dying and Rising in Union with Christ
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Romans 6:3-4 (NIV)
Paul shows that immersion into baptism portrays the believer being buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life.
Paul unpacks the theological depth of the ordinance in Romans 6:3-4, explaining that we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. The waters do not merely refresh; they dramatically dramatize death and resurrection. According to Romans 6:3, every believer who enters baptism is plunged into the saving benefits of Christ's cross. In Romans 6:5, Scripture guarantees that if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.
This physical act points to a profound spiritual reality wrought by the Holy Spirit. Colossians 2:11-12 reveals that believers undergo a spiritual circumcision, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God. When a convert is submerged and lifted from the water, they visibly testify to the truth of Galatians 3:27, having put off their former identity and put on Christ like a new garment. As Romans 6:6-11 concludes, our old self was crucified with Christ so the body of sin might be brought to nothing, empowering us to count ourselves genuinely dead to sin and alive to God.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Romans 6:3 | Paul explains that all who are baptized into Christ Jesus are baptized into His death. |
| Romans 6:4 | Believers are buried with Christ through baptism into death so they might walk in resurrected newness of life. |
| Romans 6:5 | Union with Christ in a death like His guarantees future union with Him in His resurrection. |
| Colossians 2:11-12 | Paul describes spiritual circumcision and being buried and raised with Christ through faith in God's working in baptism. |
| Galatians 3:27 | Those who have been baptized into Christ have clothed themselves with Christ. |
| Romans 6:6-11 | Our old self was crucified with Christ so we might walk in newness of life, dead to sin and alive to God. |
The Apostolic Pattern
Repentance, Faith, and the Water in Acts
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 (NIV)
On the day of Pentecost, Peter binds repentance and water baptism directly to the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Spirit.
On the day of Pentecost, Peter answers the cut hearts of the multitude in Acts 2:38 with an immediate call: Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. The apostolic church never treated baptism as a delayed add-on, but as the normative first step of public discipleship. Acts 2:41 records that those who received his word were baptized at once, adding about three thousand souls. When Philip proclaimed Christ in Samaria, Acts 8:12 notes that both men and women believed and were baptized, followed in Acts 8:13 by Simon the magician. Soon after, on a deserted southern road, the Ethiopian officer halted his chariot in Acts 8:36-38, where both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and came up rejoicing.
Every dramatic conversion in the book of Acts leads straight to the water. In Acts 9:18, blind Saul of Tarsus is restored to sight, rises up, and is baptized immediately, an event recounted in Acts 22:16 as Ananias urges him to wash away your sins, calling on his name. In Acts 10:47-48, Peter witnesses the Spirit fall on Cornelius and commands them to be baptized in water. Whole households follow this apostolic path: Lydia in Acts 16:14-15, the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:31-33 who washed their wounds and was baptized at midnight, Crispus and many Corinthians in Acts 18:8, and the disciples in Acts 19:4-5 who were rebaptized into the name of the Lord Jesus after receiving the complete gospel.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Acts 2:38 | Peter calls the convicted crowd to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. |
| Acts 2:41 | Those who received Peter's word were baptized, adding about three thousand souls to the church that day. |
| Acts 8:12 | When the Samaritans believed Philip preaching the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus, they were baptized, both men and women. |
| Acts 8:36-38 | The Ethiopian eunuch sees water, professes faith, and Philip goes down into the water to baptize him. |
| Acts 9:18 | Immediately after regain of sight and receiving the Holy Spirit, Saul arises and is baptized. |
| Acts 10:47-48 | Peter commands Cornelius and his household to be baptized with water after the Holy Spirit falls upon them. |
| Acts 16:14-15 | The Lord opens Lydia's heart to heed Paul's message, and she and her household are baptized. |
| Acts 16:31-33 | The Philippian jailer believes on the Lord Jesus and is baptized without delay along with his entire household. |
| Acts 18:8 | Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with his household, and many Corinthians heard, believed, and were baptized. |
| Acts 19:4-5 | Disciples at Ephesus who had only received John's baptism are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus after hearing the gospel. |
| Acts 22:16 | Ananias urges Saul to rise, be baptized, and wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord. |
| Acts 8:13 | Simon the magician believed and was baptized, continuing along with Philip in Samaria. |
Cleansing and Conscience
A Good Conscience and Spiritual Washing
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
1 Peter 3:21 (NIV)
Peter identifies baptism as the pledge of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In 1 Peter 3:21, the apostle Peter writes that baptism corresponds to the ark of Noah, stating plainly that baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience. Water possesses no magical power to scrub physical sin, but through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, baptism serves as the outward, covenantal pledge of a cleansed heart. Peter looks back to 1 Peter 3:20, where Noah and seven others were preserved through the judgment waters, showing that God carries His people through death into deliverance.
Scripture constantly associates the outward water of baptism with inward divine cleansing. In Titus 3:5, God saved us by His mercy through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, poured out richly through Christ. Hebrews 10:22 therefore exhorts believers to draw near to God with full assurance, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Ephesians 5:26 affirms that Christ nourishes and purifies His church with the washing of water by the word. Because of its weight in portraying the new covenant, Hebrews 6:1-2 lists instruction about washings among the basic, foundational doctrines of the faith.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 Peter 3:20 | Peter recalls how eight persons were brought safely through the flood waters in the days of Noah. |
| 1 Peter 3:21 | Baptism corresponds to Noah's deliverance, saving not by removing dirt from flesh but as an appeal to God for a good conscience. |
| Titus 3:5 | God saved us not by righteous deeds of our own, but by His mercy through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. |
| Hebrews 10:22 | Believers are urged to draw near with hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and bodies washed with pure water. |
| Ephesians 5:26 | Christ gave Himself up for the church to sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. |
| Hebrews 6:1-2 | Instruction about washings or baptisms belongs to the foundational principles of the doctrine of Christ. |
One Body
Incorporation into the Visible Fellowship of Faith
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NIV)
Baptism signifies the entry of distinct individuals into the one body of Christ by the working of the Spirit.
Baptism is never a solitary confession; it is the visible boundary line across which an individual is gathered into a spiritual family. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, the apostle Paul declares that 'in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.' This water rite proclaims that human divisions of ethnicity, culture, and social standing dissolve within the household of faith. As 1 Corinthians 12:12 demonstrates, just as the physical human body consists of many diverse members working as a single organism, so it is with Christ. Baptism manifests this living solidarity, visibly setting apart those whom the Spirit has redeemed to live as one interconnected people.
Because baptism unites believers to Jesus Christ, it secures an unbreakable corporate fellowship among the saints. Paul underscores this in Ephesians 4:4-6, listing 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism' among the unalterable unities that define the redeemed community under God the Father. Far from serving as a badge of personal preference or party loyalty, baptism binds the heart exclusively to Christ. This is why Paul writes sharply against tribal factions in 1 Corinthians 1:13-17, asking whether Paul was crucified for them or if anyone was baptized into the name of Paul. True baptism silences sectarian boasting, publicly binding the disciple to Jesus alone as a member of His holy bride.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 Corinthians 12:12 | Paul teaches that just as the human body is one and has many members, so it is with Christ. |
| 1 Corinthians 12:13 | For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all made to drink of one Spirit. |
| Ephesians 4:4-6 | Paul lists the foundational unities of the Christian faith: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. |
| 1 Corinthians 1:13-17 | Paul rebukes sectarian factions, insisting that disciples are baptized into the name of Christ, not human leaders. |
The Master's Example
Christ Identifying with His People in Righteousness
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
Matthew 3:15 (NIV)
Jesus explains His baptism as necessary to fulfill all righteousness, sanctifying the waters and identifying fully with repentant humanity.
The Lord Jesus Himself stepped into the waters of baptism, not to cleanse personal sin, but to stand willingly with His people. When John hesitated to baptize Him, the Lord declared in Matthew 3:15 that 'it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' In this deliberate act, recorded across Matthew 3:13-17, the sinless Son of God submitted to the rite of repentance, prefiguring His willingness to bear the sins of the guilty upon the cross. As He emerged from the river, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and the Father’s voice sounded from heaven: 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'
The Gospel writers preserve this momentous event as the divine inauguration of the Messiah's public ministry. Mark 1:9-11 shows Jesus coming from Nazareth of Galilee to be immersed in the Jordan, receiving the immediate testimony of heaven. In Luke 3:21-22, Christ's baptism is marked by prayer, during which the Holy Spirit descends in bodily form, visibly equipping the Servant of the Lord for His redemptive mission. John the Baptist bore witness to this miracle in John 1:31-34, explaining that the entire purpose of his preparatory water ministry was that the Son of God might be revealed to Israel. In Christian baptism, believers follow where their Master has already walked.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 3:13-17 | Jesus comes to the Jordan to be baptized by John to fulfill all righteousness, with the Spirit descending and the Father speaking. |
| Mark 1:9-11 | Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan, rising from the water as the heavens open and the Father affirms Him. |
| Luke 3:21-22 | When all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized and prayed, receiving the Holy Spirit in bodily form. |
| John 1:31-34 | John testifies that he baptized with water so the Son of God would be revealed to Israel through the Spirit's descent. |
The Forerunner's Ministry
The Forerunner's Water of Repentance
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Mark 1:4 (NIV)
John's baptism stands at the threshold of the New Covenant, summoning Israel to repentance to prepare their hearts for the Messiah.
Before the institution of Christian baptism in the Great Commission, God sent a herald to prepare Israel for the arrival of her King. As recorded in Mark 1:4, 'John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.' This herald broke centuries of prophetic silence, calling God's covenant people to confess their unworthiness and be cleansed in anticipation of the coming Messiah. John's baptism was not yet the New Covenant sacrament of burial and resurrection with Christ, but an urgent, public summons to moral renewal.
The impact of this prophetic ministry swept the entire southern territory. In Matthew 3:1-6, Jerusalem, all Judea, and the entire district around the Jordan poured out into the barren wilderness, confessing their sins as John plunged them into the current. Luke 3:3 stresses that John traveled into all the region surrounding the Jordan with this unrelenting call to repentance. For a time, the ministries of the forerunner and the Messiah overlapped, as seen in John 3:22-26, where Jesus and His disciples tarried in the Judean countryside while John was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was plentiful there. John's water pointed away from itself, preparing hearts for the true Lamb of God who alone takes away the sin of the world.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 3:1-6 | John the Baptist preaches repentance in the wilderness, baptizing people in the Jordan as they confess their sins. |
| Mark 1:4-5 | John proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, drawing Jerusalem and Judea to the river. |
| Luke 3:3 | John enters all the region around the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. |
| John 3:22-26 | Jesus and His disciples minister in the Judean countryside where baptisms are conducted alongside John at Aenon near Salim. |
Old Testament Shadows
Deliverance Through Water in Redemptive History
They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
1 Corinthians 10:2 (NIV)
Paul identifies Israel's passage through the Red Sea under the cloud as a foundational type of baptism into covenant union.
Long before water was poured in the apostolic church, God embedded living types of baptism into the historical tapestry of the Old Testament. In 1 Corinthians 10:2, Paul looks back across Israel's history and reveals that 'all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.' The Apostle explains that the miraculous exodus through the deep waters was not merely a physical rescue, but a divine shadow of the covenant transition believers experience in baptism. Just as Israel was decisively separated from Pharaoh’s bondage by the waters of the sea, the Christian is cut off from the tyranny of sin through union with Christ.
This pattern of salvation through judgment emerges at the very beginning of human history. In Genesis 7:17-23, God poured out catastrophic floodwaters to wash away the violence and rebellion of a fallen world, while faithfully preserving Noah and his family within the ark. Peter later explicitly identifies the ark floating safely above the deluge as an antitype of baptism, which now saves us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Exodus 14:21-29, the Lord drove back the Red Sea with a strong east wind, creating a wall of water on the right and on the left so His people could walk through dry land to freedom while their oppressors drowned behind them. In every age, the Lord uses water to judge evil while delivering His chosen people safely into new life.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 7:17-23 | The waters of the flood judge the corrupt world while safely bearing the ark of deliverance. |
| Exodus 14:21-29 | Israel walks through the midst of the divided sea, passing from Egyptian bondage into deliverance. |
| 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 | All Israel was baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea during their exodus deliverance. |
The Baptism of Suffering
Christ's Consuming Ordeal on the Cross
But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!
Luke 12:50 (NIV)
Jesus characterizes His impending cross and passion as a baptism of suffering in which He is engulfed for sinners.
In Luke 12:50, Jesus lays bare the agonizing heart of His redemptive mission: "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!" Here, baptism transcends the physical waters of the Jordan to designate the terrifying deluge of divine judgment and suffering that Christ would absorb on the cross. To be baptized in this ultimate sense was to be completely submerged beneath the wrath of God against human sin, overwhelmed by waves of holy justice so that His people might be brought out alive on the other side. Earlier, in Mark 10:38–39, when James and John ambitiously sought seats of honor in His coming kingdom, Jesus redirected their gaze to this very cost: "Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" Though they boldly declared they could, Jesus clarified that while His followers would indeed share in sacrificial suffering for His name's sake, His personal ordeal was unique and unrepeatable in its atoning efficacy. Christian water baptism derives its profound spiritual meaning directly from this terrible immersion at Calvary. When a believer is lowered beneath the water and lifted back up, they are not engaging in an empty ceremony; they are being visibly plunged into the historic reality of Christ's suffering, burial, and triumphant resurrection. His baptism of anguish purchased the clean conscience and eternal life symbolized in our own baptism.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Mark 10:38-39 | Jesus asks James and John if they can be baptized with the baptism of suffering and death He must endure. |
| Luke 12:50 | Jesus declares He has a baptism to undergo, expressing holy distress until His sacrificial ordeal is accomplished. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 1 · Genesis 7:17-23 |
| Exodus | 1 · Exodus 14:21-29 |
| Matthew | 5 · Matthew 28:18, Matthew 28:19, Matthew 28:20, Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 3:1-6 |
| Mark | 4 · Mark 16:16, Mark 1:9-11, Mark 1:4-5, Mark 10:38-39 |
| Luke | 4 · Luke 7:29-30, Luke 3:21-22, Luke 3:3, Luke 12:50 |
| John | 3 · John 4:1-2, John 1:31-34, John 3:22-26 |
| Acts | 12 · Acts 2:38, Acts 2:41, Acts 8:12, Acts 8:36-38, Acts 9:18, Acts 10:47-48, Acts 16:14-15, Acts 16:31-33, Acts 18:8, Acts 19:4-5, Acts 22:16, Acts 8:13 |
| Romans | 4 · Romans 6:3, Romans 6:4, Romans 6:5, Romans 6:6-11 |
| 1 Corinthians | 4 · 1 Corinthians 12:12, 1 Corinthians 12:13, 1 Corinthians 1:13-17, 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 |
| Galatians | 1 · Galatians 3:27 |
| Ephesians | 2 · Ephesians 5:26, Ephesians 4:4-6 |
| Colossians | 1 · Colossians 2:11-12 |
| Titus | 1 · Titus 3:5 |
| Hebrews | 2 · Hebrews 10:22, Hebrews 6:1-2 |
| 1 Peter | 2 · 1 Peter 3:20, 1 Peter 3:21 |
The story in order
- The Flood (c. 2348 BC) · Genesis 7:17-23 · Water judges the world and bears the ark of deliverance.
- Israel's Exodus (c. 1446 BC) · Exodus 14:21-29 · Israel passes through the sea, baptized into Moses.
- John's Ministry (c. AD 27) · Matthew 3:1-6 · John preaches repentance and baptizes in the Jordan.
- Jesus' Baptism (c. AD 27) · Matthew 3:13-17 · Jesus is baptized to fulfill all righteousness.
- Jesus' Disciples Baptize (c. AD 27-29) · John 4:1-2 · Jesus' disciples baptize more than John.
- Jesus' Baptism of Suffering (AD 30) · Mark 10:38-39 · Jesus speaks of His coming baptism of suffering.
- Pentecost (AD 30) · Acts 2:38 · Peter calls for repentance and baptism.
- Samaritan Conversions (c. AD 34) · Acts 8:12 · Samaritans believe and are baptized.
- Saul's Conversion (c. AD 35) · Acts 9:18 · Saul is baptized after his sight is restored.
- Cornelius' Household (c. AD 41) · Acts 10:47-48 · Cornelius' household is baptized after receiving the Spirit.
- Lydia's Conversion (c. AD 50) · Acts 16:14-15 · Lydia and her household are baptized.
- Philippian Jailer (c. AD 50) · Acts 16:31-33 · The jailer believes and is baptized with his household.
- Ephesian Disciples (c. AD 54) · Acts 19:4-5 · Disciples are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
- Apostolic Teaching (c. AD 65) · Hebrews 6:1-2 · Baptism is a foundational doctrine of Christ.
Key words
- Baptism (baptizo (Gk. βαπτίζω))
- A sacred rite instituted by Christ, involving water, signifying union with His death and resurrection, and incorporation into His body. · Matthew 28:19
- Disciple (mathetes (Gk. μαθητής))
- A learner or follower, one who is instructed and committed to Christ. · Matthew 28:19
- Regeneration (paliggenesias (Gk. παλιγγενεσίας))
- Spiritual rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. · Titus 3:5
- Good Conscience (syneideseos agathes (Gk. συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς))
- A clear conscience before God, resulting from Christ's atoning work. · 1 Peter 3:21
- Washing of Water (loutero hydatos (Gk. λοῦτρον ὕδατος))
- The cleansing action of baptism, symbolizing spiritual purification. · Ephesians 5:26
- One Body (hen soma (Gk. ἓν σῶμα))
- The unified community of believers in Christ, the church. · 1 Corinthians 12:12
Baptism is neither an empty ritual nor an optional extra for the Christian, but the joyful, public pledge of a life surrendered to the risen Savior. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ and have not yet passed through the waters of baptism, take this step of loving obedience in your local church. In doing so, you step into the visible fellowship of God's redeemed people under the enduring promise of Christ’s presence.
47 passages, each cited once.
How the major Christian traditions read this
All Christians confess that baptism was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ in the triune name (Matthew 28:19) as an essential mark of discipleship and union with Him.
Catholic
We hold that Holy Baptism is the first and foundational sacrament of the New Law instituted by Christ, necessary for salvation (John 3:5). In baptism, original sin and personal sins are genuinely remitted, and the recipient is reborn as an adopted child of God and incorporated into the Church (Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21). Because grace is God's unmerited gift, infants are brought to baptism to receive new birth and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, being marked indelibly for Christ.
Scripture: Matthew 28:19, John 3:5, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21
Orthodox
In the Holy Mystery of Baptism, we are united to Christ through triple immersion in the name of the Holy Trinity, dying to the old man and rising into the life of the kingdom (Romans 6:3-4). Baptism confers real regeneration, the forgiveness of sins, and cleansing from ancestral guilt (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27). We baptize infants because the promise of God's life extends to the whole household, immediately following baptism with Chrismation and the Eucharist so that the new believer fully participates in the divine life.
Scripture: Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:27
Lutheran
We teach that baptism is a means of grace through which God Himself works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and grants eternal salvation to all who believe His word (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21). It is not merely water, but water comprehended in God's command and connected with His promise (Titus 3:5). Therefore, we baptize infants as well as adults, bringing children into God's covenant grace where the Holy Spirit creates and nourishes saving faith.
Scripture: Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21
Reformed & Presbyterian
We confess that baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament ordained by Christ to be a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, ingrafting into Christ, regeneration, and remission of sins (Romans 4:11; Colossians 2:11-12). It replaces circumcision as the sign of God's enduring promise to believers and their children (Genesis 17:7; Acts 2:39). While baptism does not automatically save ex opere operato, the Holy Spirit truly conveys the grace signified to the elect in His appointed time.
Scripture: Genesis 17:7, Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:39, Romans 4:11, Colossians 2:11-12
Anglican & Episcopal
We receive baptism not only as a sign of profession and badge of Christian difference, but as an effectual sign of regeneration or new birth (Articles of Religion 27; Titus 3:5). Through this instrument, those who receive it rightly are grafted into the Church, promises of forgiveness and adoption are visibly signed and sealed, and faith is confirmed by virtue of prayer to God (1 Corinthians 12:13). The baptism of young children is retained as agreeable with the institution of Christ (Mark 10:14).
Scripture: Matthew 28:19, Mark 10:14, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Titus 3:5
Baptist
We hold that baptism is an ordinance of Christ appointed only for those who personally repent and profess faith in Him (Acts 2:38, 41; Acts 8:36-37). It is administered properly by full immersion in water, which vividly pictures the believer's death to sin and resurrection to walk in newness of life through union with Jesus (Romans 6:3-5). Baptism does not regenerate or wash away sins by the water itself; rather, it is a pledge of a good conscience and a public testimony of inward grace already received.
Scripture: Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:36-37, Romans 6:3-5
Methodist & Wesleyan
We observe baptism as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signaling regeneration and the new birth wrought by the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; Titus 3:5). It initiates the believer into the body of Christ and marks reception into the covenant of grace. Because God's prevenient grace reaches out to all before we can respond, we gladly baptize the infants of believing parents, claiming God's promised mercy while calling them to claim that faith personally as they mature (Acts 2:39).
Scripture: Matthew 28:19, John 3:5, Acts 2:39, Titus 3:5
Pentecostal & Charismatic
We practice water baptism by immersion for believers who have repented and accepted Christ as Savior (Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47-48). It is an act of obedience testifying to our cleansing from sin and burial with Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). We distinguish water baptism from the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which is an empowering endowment for witness and ministry promised to all believers (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4).
Scripture: Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4, Romans 6:3-4
Non-denominational & Evangelical
We understand water baptism as an essential step of Christian obedience following personal conversion (Acts 2:41; Acts 16:30-33). It serves as an outward public demonstration of an inward spiritual reality—proclaiming that we have died to our old life and been raised to new life in Christ (Romans 6:4). While immersion does not impart salvation, which comes solely by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), every believer is commanded to follow Christ in baptism as a testimony of their faith.
Scripture: Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:41, Romans 6:4, Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 16:30-33
Where they differ
Who should be baptized
- Catholic
- Infants and adult converts alike receive baptism.
- Orthodox
- Infants and adult converts are both baptized.
- Lutheran
- Infants and adults are both properly baptized.
- Reformed & Presbyterian
- Believers and their infant children are baptized.
- Anglican & Episcopal
- Both infants of Christians and adults receive baptism.
- Baptist
- Only individuals who personally profess faith are baptized.
- Methodist & Wesleyan
- Infants and adult believers are both baptized.
- Pentecostal & Charismatic
- Only confessing believers who choose Christ are baptized.
- Non-denominational & Evangelical
- Only individuals who have personal saving faith.
Scripture: Acts 2:38-39, Acts 16:31-33, Colossians 2:11-12
How baptism effects spiritual grace
- Catholic
- It remits sin and regenerates ex opere operato.
- Orthodox
- It cleanses sin and grants new spiritual birth.
- Lutheran
- It conveys real regeneration and creates faith.
- Reformed & Presbyterian
- It is an effectual sign and seal of grace.
- Anglican & Episcopal
- It is an instrument conferring new spiritual birth.
- Baptist
- It is a symbolic picture of regeneration already received.
- Methodist & Wesleyan
- It is a sacramental sign conveying initiating grace.
- Pentecostal & Charismatic
- It is a symbol testifying to inward cleansing.
- Non-denominational & Evangelical
- It is an outward symbol of inward salvation.
Scripture: John 3:5, Romans 6:3-4, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21
Your pastor can tell you where your church stands.
Scripture cited
- Matthew 28:18-20
- Acts 2:38-41
- Romans 6:3-4
- 1 Peter 3:18-22
- Ephesians 2:8-9