Baptism

“1. Can This Young Person Count the Cost of a Life of Following Jesus?… 2. Can This Young Person Fulfill the Responsibilities the New Testament Gives to Church Members?… 3.

“Baptism is a rite, a symbol, an ordinance of the church. Its power is not in the physical act but in the truth it conveys.” - P&D

“Doing membership interviews is one of my favorite parts of being a pastor…. we ask folks to tell us about their baptism so we can make sure they’ve truly been baptized. Of course, most baptism stories are pretty ordinary: ‘I heard the gospel, believed, and was baptized by a local church.’ But some stories are bizarre or even baffling.” - 9 Marks

“Baptism and the Lord’s Supper happen in lots of places: on university campuses, in homes, among small groups, at weddings. And yet, few Christians stop to ask who the ordinances belong to, let alone who should be the ones administering them.” - 9 Marks

“He said they’ve seen that communion is in the evening service tonight, but they were christened and confirmed, not baptized as believers. He asked your counsel: ‘Are we allowed to participate?’” - 9 Marks

“If the first step of Christian obedience is to be baptized, wouldn’t delaying baptism be an act of disobedience? I don’t think so. In fact, I’d argue there are at least four reasons why it’s wise to examine a baptismal candidate before baptizing them.” - 9 Marks

“This pattern occurs not only in Acts 2 at the formation of the church but also in the primary place we receive detailed instructions on the Lord’s Supper—Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.” - 9 Marks

“Though it’s not a perfect analogy, we might think of citizenship (a thing), a birth certificate (an entry sign of the thing), and a passport (an ongoing sign of the thing). Or think of membership on a team, signing the contract, and wearing the jersey.” - 9 Marks

“Over 16,000 baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in recent ceremonies” - CPost

“Baptism has a marginal role in this picture. Yet baptism is central to the Christian life: commanded by Jesus, taught by the apostles, and honored, practiced, and contemplated from church fathers like Augustine of Hippo and Cyril of Jerusalem through Protestant reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin.