Welcome!

QUESTION 21:
Is Christian baptism a testimony to the world?

ANSWER:
Sometimes we accept traditions passed on to us as the very word of God. This is what is implied in this question. A casual reading of the scriptures will show that this could not be the case. Acts 8:38 gives us the account of Philip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch. There would not be any early morning spectators there either. To get the real meaning of baptism we must go to the Epistles of Romans and Colossians. Romans 6:3-5, where we learn that in baptism a believer is showing his death with the Lord. It means that I died with Christ, was buried and rose a new creature with Him. Colossians 2:11-13, teaches the same, other than it is called being circumcised in Christ. We are cut off from sins through our being seen of God in Christ when He died. The real meaning of baptism is "identification;" with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. This actually takes place when we trust Him as our Saviour and symbolically when we get baptized.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

Return to Baptism Question Page

Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen