Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!
Water Baptism
“And he said to them, go to all the world, and preach my gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; and he who does not believe shall be condemned.” (Peshitta Mark 16:15-16)
These are the words of Jesus Christ Himself as He was speaking to His disciples just before His ascent into the Heavens. This is the final instructions to His disciples on what they were to do when He left them. Jesus Christ made it very clear that they were to baptize all of the world! In fact, I think that Jesus Christ made it very clear here in verse sixteen, that He equated baptism with salvation.
It seems the Apostle Peter had also understood baptism as an essential part of salvation when he preached on the Day of Pentecost. In the Book of Acts, the Apostle Luke recorded Peter’s sermon to the crown of devout Jews the need for water baptism in the name of the LORD Jesus!
The Apostle Peter understood that water baptism was a requirement for salvation. The rest of the apostle’s present did not correct Peter, so they also understood the same thing. If Jesus commanded water baptism and the Apostle Peter preached it, who are we to say that we do not need it for today?
Later, the Apostle Philip, also water baptized people in Samaria! “But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, they were baptized (water), both men and women. (Peshitta Acts 8:12).
Philip would later also baptize an Ethiopian God-fearer out in the desert. “And he commanded the chariot be stopped: and both went down into the water, and Philip baptized the eunuch.” (Peshitta Acts 8: 38).
When Saul, the accuser of the brethren, traveled to Damascus to arrest the Christians there. Jesus intervened and converted Saul in a miraculous way! When Saul (Paul) agreed to salvation, he was baptized in water! “And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.” (Peshitta Acts 9: 18).
When the Apostle Peter traveled to Caesarea to preach to Cornelius and his family and friends, he baptized them all in water. After the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they were all baptized in water! “Then Simon Peter said to them, can any man forbid water, that these people who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we have, should not be baptized?” (Peshitta Acts 10:47).
When the Apostle Paul was preaching to some disciples of John the Baptist, he felt that it was necessary to rebaptize them in water and they had received Spirit baptism. “When they heard these things, they were baptized in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ.” (Peshitta Acts 19:5).
The Word of the Lord is very clear by the mouth of Jesus Christ and the actions of all of His apostles that we should all be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ, so that our sins may be washed away!
William J. Roop, M.A.B.S.
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