Must We Be Baptized?

Jesus said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptiz­ing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom…Ye must be born again” (John 3:3, 5, 7).

Peter said: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). “Once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:20, 21).

Ananias said to Saul, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

Paul wrote: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3, 4). “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:4, 5).

The question of whether or not we must be baptized was answered by the Lord and His disciples twenty centuries ago. Will we accept their answer and obey? That is the real issue today.

–Roger