What is (believer’s) baptism?
Question 9000
See also YouTube video at the end explaining why we should be baptised.
Believer’s baptism is the baptism by immersion in water of those who have personally trusted in the Lord Jesus for salvation. It’s not infant baptism, not sprinkling, not pouring, but the full immersion of someone who has already been saved by grace through faith. The order matters tremendously: faith first, then baptism. Not baptism to be saved, but baptism because you are saved.
The Greek word baptizō (βαπτίζω) means to immerse, to dip, to plunge under water. It was used in secular Greek literature for dyeing cloth, where the fabric was plunged completely into the dye. The same word was used for ships that sank—they were “baptised” into the water. The meaning is clear: full immersion, not a sprinkle or a splash.
The Biblical Pattern
Let’s work through the New Testament and see what pattern emerges. In every single case where we have any detail about baptism, the same sequence appears: hearing the Gospel, believing the Gospel, and then being baptised.
Start with John the Baptist. What did he preach? Repentance. Who did he baptise? Those who repented. Matthew 3:6 tells us “they were baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” Notice that: confessing their sins. This was a baptism of repentance, and you cannot repent if you’re unconscious of your sin—something an infant cannot do.
Look at the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Peter preaches the Gospel. The people are “cut to the heart” and ask “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter’s answer in verse 38: “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” The order is repent, then be baptised. Three thousand were added to the Church that day, verse 41 says, and they “received his word” and were baptised. They received the word first. Infants cannot receive the word.
Acts 8 gives us Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip preaches Jesus to him from Isaiah 53. Verse 36: “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptised?” Philip’s answer in verse 37 (in some manuscripts): “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch responds: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Then, and only then, was he baptised. Faith preceded baptism.
The same chapter shows us Philip in Samaria. Verse 12: “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women.” Believed, then baptised.
Acts 10 shows us Peter preaching to Cornelius and his household. While Peter is still speaking, the Holy Spirit falls on them all. Then in verse 47-48 Peter says: “Can anyone withhold water for baptising these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” They received the Spirit—they were saved—and then they were baptised.
The Philippian jailer in Acts 16 is another clear example. Paul and Silas preach the word of the Lord to him and his household in verse 32. Then verse 33 says “he was baptised at once, he and all his family.” Some try to argue that “his family” might have included infants, but verse 34 removes any doubt: “he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” The entire household believed. That’s why they were baptised.
Acts 18:8 in Corinth: “many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptised.” Heard, believed, baptised. That’s the consistent New Testament pattern.
Acts 19:4-5 is particularly instructive. Paul finds some disciples in Ephesus who had only received John’s baptism. Paul explains: “John baptised with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” When they heard this and understood the full Gospel, verse 5 says “they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Baptism follows understanding and faith.
The Meaning of Baptism
Romans 6:3-4 gives us the theological foundation: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised 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.”
Here’s the picture: baptism symbolises our union with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. When you go under the water, you’re picturing death and burial with Jesus. When you come up out of the water, you’re picturing resurrection to new life with Jesus. This is why immersion is essential—sprinkling doesn’t picture death, burial, and resurrection. You cannot bury someone by sprinkling a bit of dirt on their head.
Think about it practically. If baptism symbolises death to the old life and resurrection to the new, it makes no sense to baptise an infant who has no old life to die to and hasn’t yet experienced spiritual death and resurrection through faith in Jesus.
Colossians 2:12 reinforces this: “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.” Notice that phrase “through faith.” The raising happens through faith. Baptism without faith is just getting wet.
What Baptism Is Not
Baptism does not save you. This is absolutely essential to understand. 1 Peter 3:21 is sometimes misunderstood: “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 Jesus Christ.” Peter is careful to explain what he means: it’s not the physical washing that saves (not as a removal of dirt), but the appeal to God for a good conscience through Jesus’ resurrection. The baptism that saves is the spiritual reality—being united to Jesus by faith—not the physical water.
If baptism saved you, then the thief on the cross wasn’t saved, because he died before he could be baptised. But Jesus promised him “today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). He was saved by faith alone, without baptism. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality, not the means of creating that reality.
Ephesians 2:8-9 is crystal clear: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Baptism would be a work. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone.
Why Not Infant Baptism?
I need to be gracious here because many genuine believers were baptised as infants and hold to paedobaptism sincerely. But let’s look at the issues honestly.
First, there is not a single clear example in the New Testament of an infant being baptised. Not one. Every baptism we read about follows faith. The argument from “household baptisms” doesn’t work because in every case where details are given, the household believed. The Philippian jailer’s household believed (Acts 16:34). Cornelius’s household received the Spirit (Acts 10:44-48). Crispus’s household believed (Acts 18:8).
Second, the symbolism breaks down completely. How can an infant be united with Jesus in His death if they haven’t yet died to sin? How can they be raised to new life if they haven’t yet been made alive in Jesus? The picture becomes meaningless.
Third, infant baptism usually rests on a covenant theology argument that conflates the Old Covenant sign of circumcision with the New Covenant sign of baptism. But Colossians 2:11-12 shows these are different. The true circumcision is “not made with hands” but is “the putting off of the body of the flesh.” Physical circumcision was a sign of being in the covenant community of Israel. Baptism is a sign of having already been saved by faith in Jesus. Different covenants, different purposes.
Fourth, nowhere in Scripture are we told to baptise infants. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 is clear: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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.” Make disciples, baptise them, teach them. You cannot make an infant a disciple. Discipleship requires understanding and commitment.
The Mode Matters
Why immersion? Because that’s what the word means and because that’s what the symbolism requires. When John baptised in the Jordan, Matthew 3:16 says Jesus “went up out of the water.” If He was only sprinkled, why would He need to come up out of the water? The same phrase appears in Acts 8:39 with the Ethiopian eunuch: “they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him. And when they came up out of the water…”
The early Church practised immersion. The Didache, written around AD 100, discusses baptism and prefers running water (like a river) or, if that’s not available, immersion in other water. Only if there’s insufficient water does it permit pouring water on the head three times. The preference was always immersion because that’s what baptism means and what it pictures.
Practical Application
So what does this mean for us? If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ and you’ve never been baptised by immersion following your conversion, you should be baptised. It’s not optional. Jesus commanded it in the Great Commission. It’s the first act of obedience after salvation.
Some people say “I was baptised as an infant, so I don’t need to be baptised again.” But that wasn’t biblical baptism. You weren’t baptised as an infant; you were sprinkled or had water poured on you before you could believe. Biblical baptism is the believer’s response of obedience to Jesus’ command following salvation.
Others say “I’m not good enough to be baptised yet.” That misunderstands what baptism is. You’ll never be good enough. That’s the whole point. Baptism pictures death to the old self and resurrection to new life in Jesus. It’s not a reward for being good; it’s a declaration that you’ve been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Still others say “I’m afraid” or “I don’t want to do it publicly.” But that’s precisely the point. Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Jesus. Romans 10:9 says “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Baptism is the outward confession that corresponds to the inward belief. If you’re ashamed to be baptised, there’s a deeper issue to address about whether you’re truly willing to follow Jesus who said “whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed” (Luke 9:26).
Conclusion
Believer’s baptism is beautiful. It’s a one-time public declaration: “I was dead in my sins, but Jesus died for me. I was buried with Him, and now I’m raised to new life.” It’s putting a stake in the ground, saying “I belong to Jesus now.”
It doesn’t make you more saved. It doesn’t make you a better Christian. It doesn’t earn God’s favour. But it is the right and obedient response to what God has done for you. And there’s tremendous joy in it.
I’ve baptised hundreds of people over the years, and I never tire of hearing their testimonies. Each one is a celebration of God’s grace. Each one is a picture of the Gospel. Each one reminds us that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus alone, and that this salvation transforms everything.
If you’ve trusted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and you haven’t been baptised by immersion following your conversion, don’t delay. It’s the first step of obedience in your new life. If you were “baptised” as an infant, consider carefully what Scripture teaches. The pattern is consistent throughout the New Testament: believe, then be baptised.
And if you’re not yet a believer, understand that baptism cannot save you. Only Jesus saves. Repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ, who died for your sins and rose again. Then, once you’re saved, follow Him in believer’s baptism.
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised 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.”Romans 6:3-4
Bibliography
- Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.
- Schreiner, Thomas R. and Shawn D. Wright, eds. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. NAC Studies in Bible & Theology. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2006.
- Malone, Fred A. The Baptism of Disciples Alone: A Covenantal Argument for Credobaptism Versus Paedobaptism. Cape Coral: Founders Press, 2007.
- Jewett, Paul K. Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.
- Wright, Shawn D. Baptism: Three Views. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2009.
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