Baptism

Institution, commandment of

Recipient(s)	Reference(s)
John’s disciples *	Mt 3:5–7 (cf. Mk 1:5; Lk 3:7, 12, 21); Jn 3:23
Jesus *	Mt 3:13–17 (cf. Mk 1:9–11; Lk 3:21–22)
Jesus’ disciples **	Jn 3:22, 26; 4:1–2
About 3,000 Jewish men at Pentecost	Ac 2:5, 41
Crowd of Samaritan men and women	Ac 8:5–6, 12
Simon the sorcerer	Ac 8:9, 13
The Ethiopian eunuch (no household)	Ac 8:27, 36–39
Paul the apostle (no household—see 1Co 7:8)	Ac 9:17–18
Cornelius and his household	Ac 10:1–2, 24, 44, 47–48
Lydia and her household	Ac 16:14–15
The Philippian jailer and his household	Ac 16:27, 31–34
Crispus (and probably his household) and many Corinthians	Ac 18:8; 1Co 1:14
About twelve men of John’s disciples	Ac 19:1, 3–5, 7
Gaius (and his household?)	1Co 1:14
Stephanus and his household	1Co 1:16

* John’s baptism
** Christian baptism before the church age

Circumcision was initiatory rite of old covenant: Ge 17:10–14, 23–27; 21:4; Ex 12:48; Lev 12:3; Jos 5:2–9; Ac 7:8
Shedding of blood was integral to old covenant: Ex 4:25–26; Lev 17:11; Heb 9:18, 22
Old and new covenants are essentially identical, continuous: Main topic: Covenant theology; Ro 4:13–18; Gal 3; Heb 6:13–18
Shedding of blood now done away with: 1Co 5:7; Eph 5:2; Heb 7:27; 9:12–14, 25–26; 10:8–14; 1Pe 1:18–19
Circumcision can no longer serve as sign of covenant: Ac 15:1–2; 21:20–21; 1Co 7:18–19; Gal 2:3–5; 5:2–3, 6; 6:12–13, 15
Baptism replaces circumcision as new covenant initiatory rite: Mt 28:19–20; Mk 16:15–16; Ac 2:38; 8:12; 10:47–48; Php 3:3; Col 2:11–12
Signifies admission to covenant community, visible church, ingrafting into Christ: Ac 2:41; Ro 6:3–5; 1Co 12:13; Gal 3:27–29

Circumcision referred to cutting away of sin and change of heart: Lev 26:41; Dt 10:16; 30:6; Isa 52:1; Jer 4:4, 14; 9:25–26; Eze 44:7, 9; Ac 7:51; 15:1–11; Ro 2:26–29; 4:11; Php 3:3; Col 2:11 — see also Ex 6:12, 30; Jer 6:10
Baptism refers to washing away of sin and spiritual renewal: Mt 3:1–2 (cf. Mk 1:4; Lk 3:2–3); Mt 3:11 (cf. Mk 1:7–8; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:26–27, 33); Jn 3:5; Ac 2:3, 38; 11:16; 22:16; Ro 6:3–4; 1Co 6:11; Eph 5:26; Col 2:11–12; Tit 3:5–7; Heb 9:14; 10:22; 1Pe 3:21
Baptism corresponds to characteristic graces of new covenant: Mt 26:28 (cf. Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20); 2Co 3:6; Heb 8:6–13; 10:15–18
Christ’s atonement is the real cutting off of sin signified by circumcision and baptism: Mk 10:38; Lk 12:50; Col 2:11
Sacramental metonymy^[1]: Gal 3:26–27; 1Pe 3:21

Water is clearly and obviously required: Jn 3:23; Ac 8:36; 10:47
Passages cited for immersion: Mt 3:16 (cf. Mk 1:9–10); Mt 3:5–6 (cf. Mk 1:5); Jn 3:23; Ac 8:38–39; Ro 6:4–5; Col 2:12
Passages cited for aspersion (sprinkling): Nu 8:7; 19:13, 18–20; Ps 51:7; Eze 36:25; Heb 9:10, 13–14, 19, 21; 10:22
Passages cited for affusion (pouring): Joel 2:28–29; Ac 2:4, 33; 10:45–48; 11:16
Baptism signifies death and resurrection (implying immersion is a necessary symbol): Mk 10:38–39; Lk 12:50; Ro 6:3–14; Col 2:11–13; 1Pe 3:21–22
Baptism signifies spiritual washing (implying water is only necessary symbol): Ps 51:7; Eze 36:25; Jn 3:25–26; Ac 2:38; 22:16; 1Co 6:11; Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5; Heb 9:14; 10:22; 1Pe 3:21; Rev 1:5 KJV
Notable Old Testament (LXX) uses of baptizō: Nu 19:13, 18–20; Ps 51:7; Eze 36:25
Places where baptizō and baptismos are not typically translated “baptism”: Mk 7:4; Lk 11:38; Heb 6:2; 9:10
Examples of baptisms where immersion would have been inconvenient: Ac 2:41; 9:18; 10:47–48; 16:22–33
“…in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”: Mt 28:19
“…in the name of the Lord Jesus”: Ac 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5

Adults should be baptized only upon profession of faith: Mk 16:16; Ac 2:37–38, 41; 8:12–13; Ac 8:37 KJV (not in earliest MSS); Ac 10:44–48; 16:14–15, 31–34
Infants and children of believers should also be baptized: Ge 17:7, 12, 23; Mt 18:3 (cf. Mk 10:15; Lk 18:17); Mt 19:13–15 (cf. Mk 10:13–14, 16; Lk 18:15–16); Ac 2:38–39; 16:31; Ro 4:11–12; 1Co 7:14; Gal 3:9, 14; Col 2:11–12
Household baptisms: Ac 10:24, 44, 47–48; 16:14–15, 31–34; 18:8; 1Co 1:16 — see also Ge 17:23–27; Ex 12; 20:5–6 (cf. Dt 5:9–10); Jos 2:13, 18; 6:23–25; 24:15; Mt 10:12–14 (cf. Mk 6:11; Lk 9:5; 10:5–6, 10–11); Lk 19:9; Jn 4:53; 2Ti 1:16; Heb 11:7–9
Children included in visible church, new covenant community: Mt 19:14 (cf. Mk 10:14; Lk 18:16); Ac 2:39; 1Co 7:14; Eph 6:1–4 (cf. Eph 1:1); Col 3:20 (cf. Col 1:2)

Types and symbols of: Ex 13:21; 14:21, 26–28, 30–31; Nu 9:15; 1Co 10:2
Ceremonial washings in the old covenant: Ex 30:17–21; Lev 14; 15; Nu 8:5–7; 19:8; 1Ki 7:38–39 (cf. 2Ch 4:6); Ps 51:7; Eze 36:25; Heb 9:10

Examples of salvation before or without circumcision/baptism: Lk 23:39–43 (see also Jn 19:32–33; Heb 9:17); Ac 10:44–48; Ro 2:26–29; 4:11
Examples of circumcision/baptism before or without salvation: Ac 8:13, 21–23; 8:14–17; 19:2–7; Ro 4:12
“Born of water” in Jn 3:5 indicates inward washing and renewal: Isa 44:3–5; Eze 36:25–27; Jn 4:10, 14; 7:37–39; 1Co 12:13; Eph 5:25–27; Tit 3:5; Heb 10:22
Salvation is not of works: Main topic: Gospel; Isa 64:6; Lk 17:10; Ro 3:20–21, 27–28; 6:23; 9:31–32; 10:3–13; 11:6; Gal 2:16, 21; 3:10–12, 18; 5:4–6; Eph 2:8–9; Php 3:8–9; 2Ti 1:8–9; Tit 3:5

Both instituted by God: Mt 21:25 (cf. Mk 11:30–31; Lk 20:4–5); Jn 1:33
Both connected with radical change of life: Lk 1:13–17; Jn 1:24–25, 29–31
Both stand in sacramental relation to forgiveness of sin: Mt 3:1–2 (cf. Mk 1:4; Lk 3:2–3); Mt 3:7–8 (cf. Lk 3:7–8); Ac 2:38
Yet they are distinct: Mt 3:11 (cf. Mk 1:7–8; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:26–27, 32–33); Ac 19:1–6

Metonymy is a figure of speech where a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it. In this context, baptism is a metonymy for the entire conversion experience or the spiritual realities it represents—such as faith, repentance, and union with Christ. ↩︎