#310 WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?

The Bible not only teaches us what baptism is, but also teaches us who is to be baptized.  As we study together, please have a pencil and paper handy so you may jot down the scriptures given for future study.  The Bible clearly sets forth conditions that must be in the heart of the individual who has heard the gospel preached and desires to be baptized.  In Mark 16:16 Jesus says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Therefore, one must be a believer in order to be a subject of baptism.  In Acts 8, Philip instructed the eunuch who was reading in Isaiah 53.  The eunuch wondered if the prophet was speaking of himself or another.  Philip made it abundantly clear as he preached unto him Jesus.  They came to a certain water and the eunuch says, "Here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?" In Acts 8:37 Philip said, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." In chapter 2 of the book of Acts the Apostle Peter for the first time in the Christian era answers the question of those who wanted to be free from their sins.  In verse 38 he says, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." In Romans 6:4, Paul tells us we are raised from baptism to walk in a newness of life.

From these verses we see that a penitent, believing individual who is willing to confess the Lord can be baptized in order to walk in newness of life.  A person failing to qualify in any one of these areas should not be baptized.  For example, since an infant cannot be a believer, the infant should not be baptized.  If a person is baptized to please someone else rather than being a sincere believer in Christ, this person should not be baptized.  If a person is unwilling to cease the practice of sin and live a new life in Christ Jesus, he should not be baptized.  The student who is interested in further study along this line should read carefully the entire chapters from which verses have been quoted in this study.