College of Mental Health Counselling
The Timing of Baptism in the Earliest Church For A More Biblical Practice
prepared by Daniel Keeran, MSW, Victoria, Canada
The Timing of Baptism in the Earliest Church prepared by Daniel Keeran, Victoria, Canada (Scripture quotes are from the New International Version, Zondervan.)
The timing of baptism soon after believing the message about Jesus of Nazareth, may have been because in early Christian thought, baptism is how: 1) one enters into Christ and his death and 2) receives the forgiveness of sins, new life, and the Holy Spirit as a gift according to Acts 2:38 and Romans 6:3-4. Baptism was commanded by Jesus to his apostles in the ending of the account of his life as recorded by Matthew and another by Mark. This baptism was then preached in the first Christian sermon found in Acts, chapter 2 and was part of the Christian message thereafter. The idea of saying a prayer for salvation appears to be absent from the New Testament after the beginning of the church in Acts chapter 2.
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mark 16:15-16 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” If baptism in water was commanded by Jesus to his apostles, we would expect to find it in their teaching and presentation of the good news about Jesus. And if baptism carried salvific purpose, we would expect to read that those who received the good news were baptized as soon as possible rather than waiting for a future date or special day. On the other hand, if baptism was nothing more than a symbol and carried no salvific purpose, we would not be surprised if people waited until a later date to be baptized, but this does not appear to be the case.
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Some Timing Verses Acts 2:36-41 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 8:12 when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Acts 8:35-38 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. Acts 10:47-48 Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
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Acts 16: 30-33 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved— you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. Acts 16:14-15 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. Acts 18:8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized. Acts 19:1-7 Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. Acts 22:14-16 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see
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the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ “ Email me to assist you in baptism collegemhc@gmail.com If I am too far away from you, I may be able to contact someone near you to assist you, and I will then provide you with their contact information. The reader may also be interested in this paper.
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