About Baptism

By Bob Thiel, Ph.D.

Is Baptism required for salvation? Do you know the answer to that question? Here is what Jesus Christ, Himself said: Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved;... NKJV. So, first we must believe and then we are to be baptized.
But what’s involved? Do we just get a little water tossed on us and we’re baptized? Or do we get totally submerged in water?
Who is authorized to baptize us? Is it OK if Uncle Jose or Aunt Mary baptize us? Must we be baptized by someone who has an official degree in theology from some university. Or is it possible that we must be baptized from someone that can trace their own baptism back to one of the original Apostles on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:1?
Should you receive counseling prior to committing to the rite of baptism? Have you counted the cost of baptism? What would be the cost of committing to baptism and then later rejecting the Holy Spirit?
What about the Holy Spirit? Do you receive the Holy Spirit upon baptism or is something else required? How about the “laying on of hands? Is that part of the baptism ceremony?
In the book of Mark, chapter 16 and verse 16, Jesus said that in order to be saved one must believe AND be baptized.
Baptism is a requirement for salvation. For the answers to the questions listed above, in addition to answers to many other questions about baptism, read this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bob Thiel, Ph.D.
• Release date: Nov 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781636600765

Bob Thiel, Ph.D.

Dr. Thiel has a Ph.D. in one of the sciences and a foreign Th.D. in early Christianity. As the overseeing pastor of the Continuing Church of God, he works with people around the world to work on Jesus' commissions in Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20, as well as working on other matters written about in the New Testament.

Book preview

About Baptism

How did early Christian leaders baptize?

Is being baptized something you should do?

John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there (John 3:23, NKJV).

Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you yourselves shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. … the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey Him. (Acts 2:38; 5:32, AFV)

Bob Thiel, Ph.D.

About Baptism

By Bob Thiel

(also known as COGwriter)

Copyright 2023, Version 1.1 by NAZARENE BOOKS

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Front cover photo by Joyce Thiel. Back cover photo from Unsplash taken by Martin Sanchez.

NAZARENE BOOKS is wholly owned by Doctors’ Research, Inc. Edition 1.0

ISBN 978-1-63660-0703

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For those seeking knowledge

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What do you know about baptism? What form of baptism was the practice of the early Christian Church?

What is an appropriate baptismal ceremony? Is baptism supposed to be by immersion or sprinkling? What about by fire?

Who should perform the baptism? Who should be baptized?

Is baptism necessary for salvation?

Contents

About Baptism

Who Can or Should Be Baptized?

Baptismal Counseling?

Rebaptism?

God’s Gift of His Holy Spirit

When Should You Be Baptized?

Baptism of Infants/Children

Baptizing or Blessing Infants?

Baptism for the Dead or Be a Worker for Jesus?

Questions and Process

In Name of Jesus Only

Meaning of Baptism: Not Into a Denomination

Baptism by Fire

Conclusion

Contact and Websites

Additional Books by Dr. Thiel, PhD

About Baptism

Do you know much about baptism?

Roman Catholics sprinkle, Baptists and Eastern Orthodox Catholics immerse, and Protestants tend to baptize with one or the other method.

Some claim that they are just baptized by the Holy Spirit.

Does the method matter?

If you have been called to be a Christian (see our free booklet, online at ccog.org, titled: Is God Calling You?), do you need to be baptized?

Could baptism be a salvation issue?

Let’s explore these issues and more.

What Was the Original Practice?

Christian baptism includes the concept of burial, cleansing, and resurrection.

But the idea of being cleansed by water is older than that. Being cleansed by water is shown in several parts of the Hebrew scriptures, also known as the Old Testament (e.g. Leviticus 14:8).

The Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906 teaches that by the time of Jesus, the Jews required converts to be baptized by full immersion before they could be considered to be Jews. Although no specific Hebrew scripture required that, the Jews seem to have concluded thousands of years ago that since the unclean are to be washed (e.g. Leviticus 15:1-27), having unclean Gentiles get baptized was a way to remove their uncleanness. The Jews also have pointed to scriptures such as Zechariah 13:1, Ezekiel 36:25, and Psalm 51:2 to support requiring converts to be baptized.

We can safely conclude that full immersion was the practice of John the Baptist, otherwise he would not have been baptizing where there was much water (John 3:23).

John the Baptist was the first person shown in the Bible to baptize. (Although the New Testament also discusses a type of baptism that happened in a sense in the Old Testament, see 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, it was not the same type of baptism.)

Notice that the Bible shows that repentance was necessary, as well as a lot of water (the Jordan was/is a river), for what John the Baptist did:

2 ... the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Luke 3:2-3).

Jesus of Nazareth, Himself, was baptized (Luke 3:21). Yet,