Minister: Ordinarily clergy, but anyone can baptize in emergency
Meaning and Theology
Baptism is the foundational sacrament of Christian
initiation, the door to life in the Spirit and entry into the Church. Through baptism, a person is incorporated into
Christ's death and resurrection, dying to sin and rising to new life.
It washes away original sin and all personal sins, imparts the
grace of justification, and makes the baptized a member of Christ's Body,
the Church. The baptized person becomes a "new creation," adopted as God's child and temple of the
Holy Spirit.
Although Jesus had no sin to wash away, He submitted to baptism by John the Baptist
in the Jordan River. At this moment, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father's voice declared, "This is my beloved Son."
This event revealed the Trinity and inaugurated Jesus' public ministry.
Christ's baptism consecrated water as a means of sanctification and demonstrated the pattern of Christianbaptism.
The Great Commission
After his resurrection, Jesus commanded his apostles, "Go therefore 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). This commission
established baptism as the universal means of entry into the Christian community and initiated the Church's mission to baptize all who believe.
On the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached and
3,000 were converted, he proclaimed: "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). The book of Acts repeatedly shows baptism as the normative response to faith in Christ,
with entire households being baptized.
Symbolism
Cleansing and Purification
Water symbolizes the washing away of sin. Baptism cleanses the soul from all stain of sin—both original sin inherited from Adam and any personal
sins committed before baptism. The prophet Ezekiel
prophesied: "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses."
Paul teaches that baptism unites us to Christ's death and resurrection. Being immersed in water symbolizes burial with Christ; rising from the
water symbolizes resurrection to new life. "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4).
Jesus told Nicodemus, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Baptism is spiritual rebirth,
being "born again" or "born from above." The baptized person becomes a new creation in Christ, receiving a new identity as God's adopted child.
The person is fully submerged in water. This was the common practice in the early Church and most clearly symbolizes death and resurrection.
Many Baptist, Orthodox, and other Christian traditions practice baptism exclusively by immersion.
Affusion (Pouring)
Water is poured over the person's head. This became common in the medieval period and is widely practiced in Catholic and Protestant churches.
It symbolizes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Aspersion (Sprinkling)
Water is sprinkled on the person's head. This is the least common form but is considered valid by churches that practice it.
Baptismal Formula
Christian baptism is performed "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," the Trinitarian formula commanded by Christ.
As water is applied, the minister says: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." This invocation of
the Holy Trinity distinguishes Christianbaptism from other ritual washings
and is essential to its validity.
Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed churches practice infant baptism, believing that God's grace precedes human response and
that children of believers should be included in the covenant community. They point to household baptisms in Acts and the parallel between
circumcision (given to infants under the Old Covenant) and baptism (under the New Covenant). Infants are baptized into God's grace; faith will
be nurtured as they grow.
Baptist, Pentecostal, and many evangelical churches baptize only those who have made a personal profession of faith, arguing that baptism should
follow conscious belief and repentance. They emphasize biblical examples where people believed and then were baptized, and view baptism as a
testimony of faith already received.
Baptism is the gateway to the other sacraments. In Catholic and Orthodox traditions, it is the first of three sacraments of initiation, followed
by Confirmation (or Chrismation) and the Eucharist.
One must be baptized to receive the other sacraments. Baptism incorporates believers into the Church and begins their journey of discipleship.
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' But Jesus answered him, 'Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'"
Source: Gospel of Matthew, New Testament (c. 80-90 CE)
Gospel of Mark:1:9-11
"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'"
Source: Gospel of Mark, New Testament (c. 66-70 CE)
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"
Source: Gospel of Matthew, New Testament - The Great Commission
Gospel of Mark:16:15-16
"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'"
"Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, '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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.'... So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls."
"And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, 'See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?' And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him."
Source: Acts of the Apostles, New Testament - Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
Acts:16:31-33
"And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.' And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family."
Source: Acts of the Apostles, New Testament - Philippian jailer and household baptized
"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into ChristJesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
Source: Epistle to the Romans, New Testament (c. 57 CE) - Baptism as participation in Christ's death and resurrection
Galatians:3:26-27
"For in ChristJesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
Source: Epistle to the Galatians, New Testament (c. 49 CE)
1 Corinthians:12:13
"For 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."
Source: First Epistle to the Corinthians, New Testament (c. 53-54 CE) - Baptism unites all into one body
Colossians:2:11-12
"In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."
Source: Epistle to the Colossians, New Testament (c. 60-62 CE) - Baptism as spiritual circumcision
"Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?' Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'"
Source: Gospel of John, New Testament (c. 90-110 CE) - Jesus and Nicodemus
Titus:3:4-7
"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Source: Epistle to Titus, New Testament (c. 63-65 CE) - Washing of regeneration
"God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 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, through the resurrection of JesusChrist."