What is baptism and how is it described in the Bible?
Baptism is the rite performed with water that marks entry into the Christian faith; its Greek root means "to immerse." In the New Testament, baptism first appears with John the Baptist, who practices a "baptism of repentance" in the Jordan River and calls people to a changed…
Baptism is the rite performed with water that marks entry into the Christian faith; its Greek root means "to immerse." In the New Testament, baptism first appears with John the Baptist, who practices a "baptism of repentance" in the Jordan River and calls people to a changed life. Jesus himself is baptized by John at the start of his ministry; Matthew's Gospel describes the heavens opening, the Spirit descending like a dove, and a voice saying, "This is my beloved Son." Though Jesus is held to be without sin, his baptism is explained in his own words as "the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness." After the resurrection, baptism becomes part of the commission Jesus gives his disciples: the closing chapter of Matthew records the command to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The book of Acts shows the first community's practice: Peter's call at Pentecost is "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins," and thousands are baptized that day. In Romans, Paul deepens the meaning: going under the water pictures sharing in Christ's death, and coming up from it rising to a new life. Church traditions differ on the mode of baptism (immersion or pouring) and its timing (infant or adult); what they share is the understanding of baptism as a beginning bound up with repentance, faith and joining the community. The related chapters can be read on this site.