Episode Transcript
Are you ready to experience the amazing love of God and his plan for your life? Are you curious about the fast fulfilling bible prophecies? Amidst the rapidly changing world, secrets of prophecy is your gateway to unlocking these exciting realities. Join pastor David Price on a journey of discovery that will not only transform your life, but will equip you with inner peace and an unshakable hope to face the future. Once again, it is my special privilege to welcome you to our secrets of Prophecy series.
And session 20. We're going to look at the very interesting subject of buried underwater. You know, in terms of looking at biblical baptism, there are so many different ways and so many different methods that in tonight's session we're going to look at all the different ways and we are going to try and find what God's word actually says about it.
So let's have a look at our five discovery questions. Firstly, number one, we want to ask how important is the christian rite of baptism? How crucial is it to understand the way that God wants us to be baptised? Number two, what is the official Bible method of baptism? We're going to look at the way that Jesus Christ was baptised. Number three, what three things does baptism actually symbolise? Because it is very symbolic and has a lot of different meanings.
Number four, what are christians supposed to be baptised into? There's a lot of controversy over that today. And number five, is it ever wise to delay one's decision to be baptised? So that is our study tonight. Those are some of our summary questions and I want to just say that I think the Bible should never be open without prayer.
Father in heaven, again, we would ask for guidance, direction and blessing from your powerful holy spirit. As we open your word in Jesus name we ask it. Amen.
So it's my pleasure to welcome you to session 20, buried underwater. And if you're joining us online, you can download the study guide, which is under the description bar. Let's get started.
Just outside the ancient city of Pompeii, there is a life size fresco that has been discovered on the walls of the Villa de Mysteri. In other words, the villa of mysteries. Now, before we go any further, we need to understand where POmPeii is and perhaps many of you have been there and I've been privileged to be there twice.
So Pompeii is actually southeast of Rome in Italy. Now, if we're trying to work out where this villa of mysteries is, here is an excavation map. And I want you to notice that the villa of mysteries is there at the top left hand corner of this map, so you can see the villa of mysteries was well outside the city of the day.
And possibly that might have been because of the rites that were performed there. And perhaps they wanted to have complete privacy. So this painting depicts an initiation ceremony of a young girl into the mysteries of the religion of Dionysius, the Greek wine God from Greek mythology.
Now, among other things, a female attendant is seen pouring holy water into a basin to be used by a priestess in the ceremony. Now, the sacred initiation rites appear to include pouring or sprinkling drops of water onto the woman as a symbol of entry into this mystery religion. Now, the practise of using holy water to cleanse the soul can actually be traced back to the ancient mysteries of Babylon, where newborn infants were baptised, entitling them to become a part of this mystery religion.
Entry into the mysteries of Mithrae and Isis and a variety of other pagan religions all used the symbolism of water. Now, a common form of baptism was to sprinkle water which had been blessed by a pagan priest or priestess onto the head of a young baby. Now, I just want to comment on baptism in ancient Egypt, and you see the illustrations on the screen.
Let me read and tell you what this means, what it symbolises. This is a wall painting on the left hand side of the screen showing the baptism of Pharaoh Amenhotep I. And it was an egyptian purification ritual.
And it's in the book of going forth by day. And it contains a treatise on the baptism of newborn children, which is performed to purify them of blemishes acquired in the womb. Water, especially the Nile's cold water, which was believed to have regenerative powers, is used to baptise the dead in a ritual based on the Osiris myth.
So that's what we've just been speaking about, and that is that they were baptising and sprinkling the head of young babies and young children. Well, going to the ancient biblical writings, the Bible says that Jesus Christ was baptised by water in the river Jordan. And it was when Jesus was about 30 years of age, he went to his cousin, John the Baptist and asked him to baptise him in the river.
Following the baptism, the onlookers heard a voice from God in heaven saying how pleased he was with Jesus and what he had done through his baptism. Now, this leads us to ask some important and searching questions. Number one, was Jesus simply following the customs of the ancient pagan religions, or is Jesus baptism somehow different? Was the baptism of Jesus a fulfilment of prophecy? Let's ask some more questions.
Is water baptism still relevant today? And if so, how important is it? Also, why is it that different churches seem to baptise in different ways? And we must also ask, does it really matter? So, in this study guide session number 20 of our secrets of prophecy series of 24 studies, you'll discover the rich meaning behind the symbol of biblical baptism. Once again, thank you so much for joining us and I believe that this journey, where we'll go into the historical applications of baptism, will be a great blessing and will open your eyes. Question number one, how important is baptism? Well, Jesus tells us in his own words.
In Mark, chapter 16 and verse 16, Jesus said, he who believes and is baptised will be saved. That text goes on to say that he believeth not, shall be condemned or will be damned. So, according to Jesus Christ, all christians need to be baptised.
It is essential to believe in Jesus, but it's also essential that you publicly demonstrate your belief through baptism. Jesus clearly says that the practise of baptism, which is mentioned nearly 100 times in the Bible, is a prerequisite for entry to heaven, as in John, chapter three and verse five. Let's go to that text.
On the screen, Jesus said most assuredly he was speaking to Nicodemus, wasn't he? Most assuredly or verily? Verily. Or of a truth, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit that is the Holy spirit, that person cannot enter the kingdom of God. Hence the seriousness of the topic for which we are starting in session 20.
So what about the case of someone who is unable to get baptised, such as the thief on the cross, as in Luke 23, verses 42 and 43? The baptism of Jesus is then substituted in the place of that person. If they're unable, but they're willing and they surrender and they sign up with Jesus. Now, Jesus does not expect us to do something that's physically impossible.
However, that situation is very much the exception, and it's not an excuse for those who want to avoid the beautiful experience of biblical baptism. And I've been baptised myself and I have found it to be a great turning point in my christian journey. Question number two.
What was one of the last instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples? We go to Matthew 28 and we're looking at verse 19. Let's read the words of Jesus when he said, go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So, friends, the last words of someone are often very significant.
Here we find Jesus sharing his vision for the new christian church. The leaders of this church were commissioned to share the gospel all over the world, encouraging people to accept Jesus and be baptised. Any church which does not teach or practise baptism is not following the instructions of Jesus.
Now notice this, you need to notice the need to baptise in the name of the entire Godhead. That is the name of the Father, the name of the Son and the name of the Holy Spirit. All three have power in their name as God, and all three play a vital role in our spiritual experience.
Among other things, the father cares for us, the Son saves us and the Holy Spirit empowers us. You know, that is a great comfort to myself and I hope that that will also be inspirational for you. Question number three.
How many methods of baptism are recommended in the Bible? Because there certainly are a lot of methods around today. And historically we're going to ephesians four and verse five, where Paul writes to the church in Ephesus that there has only ever been one Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. One faith, the true faith of the Christianity and the Old Testament people, and one baptism.
So, friends, just about every religion on the planet has a unique method of baptism. Some baptisms, some religions baptise in blood, others use oil or even salt. And in the christian faith, this is surprising.
Up to 15 different approaches to baptism are used depending on the culture or tradition. The Bible indicates that the method of baptism is really important. And there is only one true baptism, even though today there are up to 15 different types of baptism practised around the world today.
So the word baptism literally means to immerse or to submerge. It comes from the greek word baptizo. Therefore, another word for baptism would simply be immersion.
The Bible never uses the words to sprinkle or pour as an appropriate method of baptism. The one true baptism of the Bible is baptism in water, that is, by full immersion. And that takes us to our next question.
Question number four. How has Jesus actually baptised himself? I want you to notice very carefully with me, mark, chapter one and verses nine and ten, because the detail is quite specific. It came to pass in those days.
Mark wrote that Jesus came from Nazareth, off Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Now that's John the Baptist. Now, friends, it doesn't say Jesus was baptised beside the Jordan or near the Jordan, but he had to be baptised in the Jordan, the scripture says.
And immediately coming up from the water, Jesus saw the heavens parting and the spirit, the Holy Spirit, descending upon him like a dove. So the scripture is very clear here, isn't it? Jesus and John are actually in the Jordan river. And Jesus comes up out of the water and he sees the approval from heavenly Father.
So Jesus goes into the Jordan and then comes up from the water. Did you know John the Baptist specifically chose to baptise people at a deep part of the river because there was much water there? And we find that in John 323. Now, Jesus was baptised in the water by full immersion.
But we have to ask this question based on this statue, a baptism statue in Florence and Italy, where we see Jesus being sprinkled by John the Baptist. This is a sculpture. So we have to ask, was Jesus ever baptised by a sprinkling? It's a very good question, isn't it? Because most people would think that is true today.
And it has actually been depicted in some movies. One that comes to mind is Franco Zeffrelli's movie Jesus of Nazareth. So it's also important to note that Jesus was not baptised as a baby, was he? And Jesus chose to get baptised at the age of 30, when he could make a decision for himself and just before he began his public ministry.
So when Jesus was baptised, God the Father said that he was well pleased with what Jesus had done. And that's mark, chapter one and verse eleven. Now, friends as christians and followers and disciples, we are also asked to follow the example of Jesus and as a believing adult, to be fully immersed in baptism to fulfil all righteousness.
Matthew, chapter three and verse 15. Now, have you remembered that the baptism of Jesus was a direct fulfilment of prophecy in Daniel 925? It was at this point that Jesus left his trade as a carpenter and entered his ministry as the messiah. If you're unsure about that prophecy, please go back to study guides session number eight, which is entitled the Mystery man of prophecy.
So, clearly, the baptism of Jesus was a very important event. Let me share with you some extra thoughts. Let's now go to the Jordan river, one of the baptismal sites, and have a look at that today.
So let's go over to our map of Israel. There are many points on the Jordan river that people can be baptised both on the israeli side and also on the jordanian side. So, friends, here we find a baptismal site at the base of the Sea of Galilee.
And this is where the Jordan river runs from the right across to the left. And notice that spot there. Yardanet or yardenit.
This says, welcome to Yardenitz, the baptismal site on the Jordan river. And this is a very pretty place. There are flowers there are lots of area for people to come in, to sit down, to meditate and also to be baptised.
There are also many plaques here in different languages for different religions. And as I said, beautiful flowers. There are stalls with fruit.
And so many people have come back from overseas tour and told people that they've been baptised in the yarden at Jordan river baptismal place. So you can see here with the stairs that go down to the river, and there are barricades there, so people are safe. They line up and as you can see here on the screen, they wait to be baptised, often by a religious leader.
Some people actually take time to baptise themselves, but this is a very clear example of baptism by immersion. And the word baptism is a greek word, comes from the greek word baptizo. Baptizo means to dip, to immerse, to plunge underwater.
So let's just go and be reminded about Jesus baptism. In Luke 321, when all the people were baptised, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptised. And while he prayed, the heaven was open.
We're in Luke chapter three and verse 22. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him. And a voice came from heaven which said, you are my beloved son.
In you I am well pleased. And I want to tell you that anyone who takes time to sign up with the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptised, then God approves of your baptism. Let's go to question five.
We're asking, how did Philip baptise the man from Ethiopia? This is the ethiopian treasurer. We are in acts eight and verses 38 and 39. Now, Philip was one of.
Of the disciples of Jesus, or one of the apostles, and he was also an evangelist. Luke writes in acts 838 39, and both Philip and the eunuch, that's the treasurer of Ethiopia, went down into the water and Philip baptised him. Now, when they came up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more, and the eunuch went on his way, rejoicing.
Friends, this is a very, very significant baptism because it's a Bible approved and appointed baptism. Notice the details here. It's clear from this passage, the apostles did not change the method of baptism even after Jesus had died.
Here we find Philip and the ethiopian man going down into the water and then coming back up out of the water. They didn't perform the baptism on the riverbank or in the chariot with a cup of water. They both went right into the water.
And to ensure the baptism was conducted by full immersion, they did it according to the example of Jesus. Question number six, what does the symbol of water represent? Acts, chapter 22 and verse 16 tells us. And here we find the words.
And now why are you waiting? Says the apostle Peter. Arise and be baptised and wash away your sins. Calling on the name of the Lord.
So, friends, the symbol of waters is used to represent cleansing through washing. It symbolises purity and a fresh start. You know, all of us have done things in our lives that we're ashamed of, and sometimes we still feel the heavy shadow of guilt from our past.
If you would like to have your sins, your hurts and your discouragements washed away and have a fresh start in life, then why not consider being baptised? Because baptism symbolises a great turning point in your life, a washing away of the old life, both inside and out, and beginning a new life in Jesus Christ. You know, there's no power in the water itself to wash away our sins. The water is purely symbolic of what God can do and does in our life.
You know, because baptism symbolises the washing away of sins. Sprinkling or even pouring water doesn't cut it, it doesn't suffice. You can't sprinkle away your sins.
They actually need to be washed away. Only baptism, where the whole body is immersed, truly represents the washing away of sins. Question seven asks, what does the practise of baptism itself symbolise? We go to the words of Paul in romans six and verses three to six.
Paul makes a point about what baptism actually means. He said, therefore we were buried with him, that is, Jesus Christ, through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life. That burial and death that Paul's speaking about there actually refers to us dying to our sinful nature, the old man of sin, the old body of sin, and being raised in a resurrection type of experience, through baptism to new life.
So just as Jesus died and was buried and then resurrected, so the new Christian dies to the old life of sin and is buried beneath the water in baptism, then rises to live a new life. This is a life empowered by the Holy Spirit. This symbolism is at the heart of the meaning and importance of baptism.
The person who's baptised, firstly chooses to lay down their life of sin. Now, secondly, there is a brief moment when the eyes close and breathing stops as that person is fully placed under the water. This is followed by a lifting up out of the water to live a totally new life, as symbolised by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
So what are the three main purposes of baptism. Well, I want to share them with you right now. Let's have a look at point number one.
Or point a. It's death to your old life. You know, the christian life is not just a matter of being a better person.
It is death to the old life. The apostle Paul in Galatians 220 said, I have been crucified with Christ. You know, it's no use wanting to be baptised if you're not prepared to let your old life pass away.
You would simply come out of the water a wet sinner instead of a new Christian. You would be buried alive. But simply go back to living your old life.
Sprinkling or pouring some holy water would never symbolise the death of the old life. You don't just want the old life sprinkled, you need it drown. Second reason for baptism, part B is burial of your old life.
The Bible says that we are buried with him in baptism. In Colossians 212, no one is truly baptised until they've been submerged or buried in water. Once again, no amount of sprinkling could ever bury you.
You need to be baptised fully by immersion and go under the water. Let's have a look at reason number three. The symbolism of baptism in number three is that you are symbolising starting a new life in Jesus Christ.
So once your old life is dead and buried, you are raised out of the water a new person. In fact, baptism symbolises your decision to be married to Jesus. Whereas you were married to the old man of sin.
Now you're married to the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism is as important to the christian life as a wedding is to a marriage. That is another reason why only adults, not babies, should be baptised.
Baptism is a public statement that you choose to live a new life in an intimate relationship with Jesus. Any thought of a baby being married is totally inappropriate. So baptism is a conscious choice of love by a believing adulthood.
Question number eight. So whose name do people take when they are baptised? If it's a wedding ceremony, symbolically, we go to Galatians two. We go to Galatians three.
And verse 27. Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, for as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. We've certainly put on Christ by signing up with Jesus, but also put on the robe of Christ's righteousness.
So when we are baptised, we are firstly baptised into Jesus. This means we've accepted him as our best friend and personal saviour. Secondly, we also put on Christ just as a woman usually takes the name of her husband.
So we take on the name of Christ and therefore we are now known as Christians. Question nine. Does it really matter which form of baptism is used? Let's go to Galatians chapter one and verse eight.
Paul said to the church in Galatia, but even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be a curse. Friends, that's a very, very serious text. He's saying, if you do anything outside of God's word, you are going to bring a curse upon yourself.
This is why this topic is so important, because this topic has become so entwined with tradition. The rules that men make and they change and they altered. The reason why it matters how and when we're baptised revolves around the symbolic meaning of baptism.
Everything about baptism is symbolic. If we get one aspect wrong, then the whole practise of baptism is made meaningless. Parents may be very sincere when they baptise their children.
However, the practise has no bearing on the salvation of their childhood. According to the Bible, belief, repentance, confession and being taught, the scriptures all precede baptism. That is why you will never find one instance of a baby baptism in the Bible.
In fact, the Bible teaches only one form of baptism. It's vital that we follow the example of Jesus and adhere to the clear teaching of God's word. Question ten.
On what basis do we find other forms of baptism entering the church? How could this have happened? Because there are other non biblical forms that are now very common and people actually believe that they're biblical. In mark seven eight, Jesus said to the Jews and the Pharisees for laying aside the commandment of goddess, you hold the tradition of men. So, friends, these practises have come into the church through traditions and paganism.
They have not been approved by God's word. Remember what Jesus said in John 1415? If you love me, keep my commandments, do what I've asked you to do. So, baptism of adults by full immersion was the baptism practised by the church for hundreds of years after the cross.
In fact, one can go to many of the ancient churches in Europe and still see the large baptismal font or tank that were clearly used for biblical baptism. Over time, the whole symbolism of baptism was lost and the church incorporated pagan practises, including the baptism of babies by sprinkling. Now the church of the fourth and fifth centuries, known as the Church of Rome or the Church of the Middle Ages, developed the idea that babies were born guilty of the original sin of Adam and therefore they were lost all babies, they said, needed cleansing and initiation into the family of God.
So the practise of baptising infants was officially sanctioned by the church in the council of Mila in 416 AD. And over time, this practise of baptism became a tradition that was enforced by the church. So throughout christian history, many people defied the church of Rome and practised biblical baptism.
These people had such a conviction to evade the teachings of Jesus that they were prepared to die for their faith. Thousands of people were killed by the church and state authorities. Ironically, many were drowned in rivers they had previously been baptised in.
So now I'd like to share with you some extra information on the fact that ancient churches reveal the correct method of Bible baptism. So let's go back in history and just see what we find. I want to take you to Ephesus, near Selkirk in Turkey, in the Izmir province.
And this is a huge amphitheatre in the ruins of ancient Ephesus, the old city. You might remember that the apostle Paul laboured here for three years in Ephesus and began the christian church in this area. So right here in this city, in the ruins of the city, we take you to the church of Mary, right there in the ruins of Ephesus.
And here is a model of the church that we're going to show you and shows that there actually was a baptistery. And you can see that baptistry, that hole in the ground in the centre of the slide. And here is a sign telling us about the baptisterium.
It says, and notice what the sign says here in the archaeological ruins. They said it was a baptistry for adulthood baptism. What was that? Adult baptism.
And it dates it as ad six and 7th century. So that's the 500 to 600 ad. So this is interesting.
Adult baptism is still being practised five to 600 years after Jesus dies on the cross. And here's the actual baptismal font. And if we give you another view, you can see the depth of that font.
It is four or 5ft there. So it was used for adult baptism by immersion. Let's go to another church there in Ephesus.
This is the basilica of St John. And notice in here that there is another font in the floor where adult baptism was practised in the early centuries. Let's fly over to Greece and let's go to Philippi, where there is in the ruins here of the ancient church, a massive and deep baptismal font.
And you can see it right there. It's quite huge and would have held a lot of water. Let's go back to Turkey, where there is here the ruins of an ancient church that they've reconstructed and they've put a perspex roof over it.
This is the ruins of an ancient church in Laodicea in Turkey. And you'll notice here from the reconstructed ruins that the archaeologists have found and reconstructed a baptistry for adult baptism. Obviously, you do not need stairs going down and a number of feet of receptacle to hold water.
If you're just going to do sprinkling. Let's now fly over to Rome, where we see St John of Lateran Church. This is the original main headquarters for the Vatican before the new building was built, St Peter's, the Vatican was built, but right next door to the John Lateran church, we notice here the San Giovanni or St John in Fonte, meaning the lateran baptistry.
And this is representing the roman era. So as we go inside, notice how big the font is. Don't be distracted by the bath in the middle that's now used for sprinkling.
Have a look at the area round about and you can see that is absolutely massive. And when filled with water, could actually see probably tens of people, I don't know, hundreds, but definitely tens of people being baptised there. Now, in terms of understanding how baptism by sprinkling or aspersion came into the church, we need to go to the book by James Cardinal Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore, where he says in this book, the faith of our fathers.
He gives us a reason for how these traditions came into the Church of Rome. Let's go to page 277. Quote.
For several centuries after the establishment of Christianity, baptism was usually conferred by immersion. But since the 12th century, the practise of baptising by infusion has prevailed in the Catholic Church. As this manner is attended with less inconvenience than baptism by immersion, the church exercises her discretion in adopting the most convenient mode according to the circumstances of time and place.
The church, in obedience to God's word, declares that unbaptized infants are excluded from the kingdom of heaven and unregenerate children are deprived of the beatific vision. This just means the happy vision of heaven. Friends, the Bible doesn't say that infants are excluded from heaven.
It never says that. It does say, he that believeth and is baptised, the same shall be saved. And in order to make a decision to sign up with Jesus Christ, you actually need to be old enough to understand, to be taught, to be able to repent and to believe.
Let's just summarise what the Bible says about Jesus baptism. Firstly, Jesus was our example and was baptised by immersion as an adulthood, not a baby. In mark 1616, Jesus links baptism with salvation and makes it a promise.
Number three, Jesus commanded his disciples to preach, to teach and to baptise. And number four, Jesus taught baptism follows conversion. We are now back at question number eleven and asking the question, how do you know if you're ready for baptism? Isn't that really a very, very good question? So here are a number of pointers to help you work it out.
Firstly, when you love Jesus, then you know that you're ready for baptism. Matthew 22 36 and 37. Secondly, when you've accepted Jesus Christ as your personal saviour, according to two corinthians 517, and you become a new creature and are born again.
Also, when you've experienced the new birth, the ba degree for christians is always the born again experience. Here's another point when you understand and believe all the teachings of Jesus, as in mark 1616. Another point is when you have repented of your past sins and true repentance means sorry enough to quit.
Also when you have agreed to turn away from sin, as in romans six, five, six and luke three, seven and eight. Now, friends, there is a warning. There is a warning here.
We need to be very careful that we don't leave our baptism too long. The warning is, do not wait until you feel good enough. God loves you and baptism is the start of your christian journey.
It's certainly not the end of your christian journey and you will not be perfect when you are baptised. So baptism is for those who've accepted Jesus and want to live a life together with him. You know, for an illustration, when two people begin to love each other, they usually spend some time getting to know each other before they are married.
And, you know, baptism is an exciting but serious decision. Jesus wants you to get to know him and fully understand the commitment you are making. So we're now asking question twelve, what must accompany the baptism of water? And there's another very, very important ingredient.
Jesus said to Nicodemus in John three five, he said, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. So there's two ingredients, aren't there? There's water. That is the immersion baptism and also the Holy Spirit.
What does this actually mean? This is a text that has confounded and confused many people. Well, the baptism of water needs to be accompanied by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To be baptised with the Holy Spirit means to be fully immersed with the Holy Spirit.
We need to ask for the Holy Spirit to allow the spirit to change our life. So let's have a look at the role of the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit is to firstly convict us of sin and show us the righteousness of Jesus as the solution to our sins.
In John 16 eight, it's also the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand the teachings of God's word. In John 1613, the Spirit leads us into all truth. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is demonstrated through producing the good fruits of the Spirit.
See Galatians 522 and 23, as well as receiving the gifts of the Spirit. And finally, this enables us to effectively share the good news about God's love, as in one corinthians chapter twelve. Now, a very important question is, does baptism have any connection with joining a church? Because many people say no.
But let's see what the scripture actually says. We're going to acts 241 and 47. This is actually a description of the New Testament Church.
Luke wrote in acts chapter 241 and 47. Then those who gladly received his word were baptised. And that day about 3000 souls were added to them.
And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. So, friends, you'll notice here that people were being studied with. They were receiving the word gladly, they were being taught the word of God, they were baptised.
Thousands of people were being added to the early church. The Holy Spirit was being poured out. And it says that the Lord added to the church daily.
He didn't just allow them to be baptised into Christ. And then there was no follow up, there was no nurture, there was no community. Baptism is always in community.
So it says, the Lord added these baptised people to the church daily. Those who were being saved. I think that's very clear.
But some people say, no, I don't want to be baptised into a church. So let's go to Colossians 118. Paul says to the church in Colossae, and he is the head of the body, the church.
Who is he referring to? He's just been speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church. I think that's very clear, that Jesus is the leader and he is the head of the body.
Let's go to another verse. In one corinthians, chapter twelve and verse 13, it says, for by one spirit we were all baptised into what it says into one body. So the Holy Spirit baptises us into the body of Christ.
So some people have said to me, they'd like to be baptised, and they then say, I don't want to be baptised into a church. I want to be baptised into Christ. So, friends, I'm a little bit confused.
And I say to them, but you can't be baptised into the church of the headless body or to the head of something that doesn't have a body, because Christ is always the head of his church and he's always the head of the body. So Jesus Christ is the head of the body, which is his church on earth. So let's just get this very clear in our minds.
Number one, Jesus is the head of the body. His body on earth is the church. So baptism into Christ is baptism into his body.
I don't think that could be clearer. So I think people who just want to be baptised into Christ and not into the body of Christ have a misunderstanding about how important to have fellowship and community and to have iron sharpening iron, meaning that other believers can help keep us in that relationship with Jesus and encourage us if or when we become discouraged. So, friends, there are some people who wish to be baptised into Jesus, but they don't want to join a church.
But the Bible is very clear. When we're baptised into Jesus, we automatically become a part of the body, the church. You see, the church is God's chosen body of people to help nurture us in our spiritual life as well as work with us to spread the gospel.
Now, when we decide for baptism, we are also making a commitment to become an active member of God's church. And so we become a part of the family of God. We become the sons and daughters of God.
Isn't that beautiful? That is just a fantastic offer by the kingdom of heaven. Praise God. Question 14 we're asking now, is baptism or re baptism? Is re baptism ever appropriate? And the answer is yes.
Let's go to acts 19 two five. So here Paul is speaking to the believers in acts 19 two five. So they said to Paul, we have not so much as heard whether there is a holy spirit.
And Paul said to the believers, into what then were you baptised? So they said to Paul, into John's baptism. Then Paul said, John indeed baptised with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. And it says, and when they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.
So, friends, what's going on here is that they only had understood John the baptist's baptism of repentance. And so when they heard that they needed to actually believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, they then were baptised into Jesus Christ. So, although baptism was ideally a once only experience, there are instances when re baptism is not only appropriate, but it's actually recommended.
So let's go to point number one, or point a. It happens when substantial new truth is discovered. What do we mean by this? Friends? Let's go to God's word.
When Paul was preaching at Ephesus, he found a group of people who'd been baptised by John the Baptist, but who'd never heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul took these people aside and taught them the wonderful truth about the work and power of the Holy Spirit. That's the third person of the Godhead.
This truth had such an impact in their lives that they chose to become re baptised. This example clearly shows that when significant new truths are learned that make a major change in the christian life, then re baptism is appropriate if it is requested. There's a second reason that re baptism can be appropriate, and that is if you have left Jesus and desire to return to him.
Friends, baptism is a bit like a marriage relationship with Jesus. If you've left Jesus and abandoned this relationship, then it is also appropriate to get re baptised. A fresh start in your relationship with Jesus is the result as you once again pledge your love and loyalty to him.
What a beautiful image that is. That in fact, it is a motive through scripture that the church is the bride of Christ. Question 15.
When the apostle Paul was tempted to put off his baptism for a later time, what advice did Paul receive? Acts 20 216. And now, Paul, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptised, friends, even Paul was wondering what he should do. But God will give you a clear indication if you pray and ask him.
You know, one of the most effective tactics of the devil is to cause people to procrastinate, to put off making a decision. The Bible says, why are you waiting? So I warn you, don't put off baptism until you think you are good enough. Don't put off baptism until you think that you are clean and perfect.
Don't wait or put off your baptism while waiting for the approval of other people. You know the Bible says to arise and be baptised. Don't delay.
Make plans today for a fresh start in life through baptism, or, if appropriate, through re baptism. Just want to take a moment to summarise what we've learned in our session. Number one, baptism is one of the most important aspects of being a christian, isn't it? It certainly is.
It is a step towards the kingdom of heaven and a step in our salvation process. Number two, only baptism by full immersion of a believing adult is biblical. And reflects the meaning behind the symbolism of baptism.
And number three, baptism is the entry point into God's church. Let's go to our three relational questions now. Number one, why do you think Jesus sees baptism as such an important issue? Well, I'm sure you have a lot of ideas and a lot of answers to that.
I would go back to mark 1616, where Jesus very simply said, he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved. Now, friends, it's not once saved, always saved, unless he's once saved, always saved, so long as you stay in a daily saving relationship and in contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, which is a journey of growth. It's a journey of confession, repentance of sin, and asking God to help us to overcome our sins and be the best people that we can be.
I also like this thought. Water baptism is an acknowledgement of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and it's your identification with him. So, friends, we're identifying with Jesus as we go down into the waters of baptism.
Another thought is that baptism is a public witness to the lordship of Jesus Christ. I've had people ask me, can they be baptised privately, as though it's going to be done in a bath somewhere in a house. Friends, baptism is a public witness.
It's you standing up before the world and saying, I want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. This also inspires other people to be baptised. Jesus said, if you will confess my name before men, I will confess your name before the father.
Baptism also means that we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We've repented of our sins and we have confessed our sins. It also signifies Jesus forgiveness of our sins as we go under the water and die to our old life and come up to the new life.
Friends, how do you kill off the old life? It doesn't automatically happen at baptism, but as we go under the water and come up, I believe that if we starve the old nature and feed the new nature, the Jesus nature, that is the best way to actually be able to grow into grace with the Lord Jesus Christ. Question number two is a good one. Why? What should you do if you feel that you're not good enough for baptism? And when will you actually feel good enough? Friends, I want to warn you about the f train, the train of facts and faith and feelings.
The f train is all of the power to move forward where it lies in the facts. So people need to know the engine room of their christian journey is the facts. That's the engine.
And the facts are what God has said in his word, the kolkar. Number two is the one that feeds the facts and that is faith in God. It's what do I believe about what God has said then? The feelings is the caboose.
It's the last carriage at the end, where the guard is at the end of the train. And that shouldn't be where our feelings are. In this gospel train, feelings are, how should I feel now that I have believed in what God has said? Friends, the great tragedy is people run their trains today.
Back the front, they have as the engine room. There on the left, they have feelings as the engine, they have faith as the second carriage, and then they have facts at the very, very end of the train. Friends, the only way you can reverse the train is if you admit that emotions must follow faith.
And faith rests on facts from God's word that. Secondly, our faith rests on the words on the page, the words of goddess. And the engine room is facts, and that is the objective truth from God's word.
So, friends, never run your life on feelings, because I know you'll receive spiritual warfare from the evil angels and from demonic entities to tell you not to go ahead and be baptised. So seek God's will and move forward in faith as he speaks to your heart. Number three, does baptism mean that you will never sin again? And if you do sin, does that mean you need to be baptised all over again? The answer is very simply, no.
You and I can lose a battle and still not lose the war. The process is very simply to when we fall and convicted by the Holy Spirit or God's word, or both, we confess the sin to God in prayer. We ask God to be able to forsake that sin and we ask for power over that sin.
And here's a promise that I hope you'll learn and memorise. It's beautiful, isn't it? Philippians 413. In the King James version, it says, I can do how many things? What does it say? That's right.
I can do all things through Christ or through Jesus Christ, which or who strengthens me. How many things can we do? We can do all things through the power of God. Let's go back to our five discovery questions that we started this session with and answer them.
How important is the christian right of baptism? It's absolutely critical because Jesus says that we must be baptised to be saved. Number two, what is the official Bible or Jesus method of baptism? It's very simple, isn't it? It was always immersion and that was to be submerged completely under the water, which symbolises the washing away of our sins. Question three.
What three things does baptism actually symbolise? It symbolises our death and burial to sin and our resurrection to a new life. Number four, what are christians supposed to be baptised into? They are baptised into the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of his body on earth, his agency on earth is the church.
Question five. Is it wise to delay one's decision to be baptised? And the answer is no. When God or the Holy Spirit tells you to move, then I think it's a very good idea to make the decision and move towards baptism.
In our secrets of prophecy, wall of truth. In our last session, number 19, we were asking, why is there 1000 year spend in heaven? And we learned that God gives his people 1000 years to cheque his books before the wicked are destroyed so that everyone may be satisfied that God has been true and fair and tried to save all of his lost children. In this session, number 20, we've learned why are we buried underwater? And it is simply to symbolise the start of a new life and a resurrection into a new life with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let's go straight to our quiz. There are five quiz questions and just one answer per question. Number one.
Well, how many different approaches to baptism are there? A 15 B eleven or CDH 13. Now, the number was mentioned twice by me as we began our lesson in the study guide, so please lock in one of those answers. Our quiz is getting a little bit harder because I like to provide you with a challenge and make sure that you're listening carefully and taking it in.
How many different approaches to baptism are there? Well, you might be surprised. The answer is a. Yes, 15.
Up to 15 different approaches. Question number two. This should be easy.
How was Jesus baptised? Was he a, baptised by aspersion, baptised by immersion or c, baptised by infusion? Aspersion, immersion or infusion? A, b or c, please lock in your answer. And the answer is. That's right.
B, I think it's very, very clear that he was baptised by immersion under the water. Well, what does dispersion mean? It just simply means sprinkling and immersion means to go under the water and infusion just means pouring. So these are other methods of baptism that various churches use.
Sprinkling and pouring. But the Bible method of baptism is very, very clear and only one form of baptism, and that is to go under the water by immersion. Question number three.
Does baptism always have to be into a church? A, no, absolutely not. You don't have to join a church. B, Jesus is the head of his body.
Which is always the church, or c. If Jesus name is used in the baptism, that's all that matters. Question number three.
Please lock in your answer. Does baptism always have to be into a church and your answer is a, b or c. And the answer is b.
Absolutely. Jesus is the head of his body and we're always baptised into a body of believers, the church, that they might encourage us and help us on the christian journey. Question number four.
What are the biblical conditions for re baptism? A. When you think your first baptism didn't really work. I heard the story once of a lady who said that her first baptism didn't take kind of meaning, like maybe it was like dry cleaning.
I'm not sure. B you are unsure about your status with God, so you feel that you should be re baptised to get affirmation. Or c.
It is in two ways, a discovery of new truth, or you may have left Jesus Christ, or both. So we're asking you to lock in your answer for number four. What are the biblical conditions for re baptism? A, B or C.
Lock in your answer and your answer is correct. It's c the discovery of new truth, or you may have left Jesus Christ, or both. Question number five.
Why is postponing one's baptism not a good thing to do, to not wait or delay it? You might forget b. You might die before you actually can get baptised. Or c baptism is essential to our salvation.
Mark 1616. Please lock in your answer, a, B or C. And the answer is, of course, C.
Baptism is essential to our salvation. If you'd like more information on this amazing topic of Bible baptism, the prophecy seminar that's on this channel. Number 20, Nebuchadnezzar's conversion conflict results in conversions.
Also in the revelation seminar. It's called revelation seminar, lesson number 16, the land of beginning again. So I'd like to thank you so much for joining us for session number 20, buried underwater.
Let's pray. Gracious heavenly father, I want to thank you for this amazing Bible study where we've learned the true method of Bible baptism. Father, we know that you don't condemn us when we don't know what is right and until we know, there's no accountability.
So I pray for those who may have learned something new in this session and may go away and think about it and pray about it. And I pray that many people will not delay and they will go ahead and choose to be baptised by immersion and follow the example, example of Jesus. And I pray it in Jesus precious name.
Amen.
Secrets of Prophecy with Pastor David Price has been brought to you by 3ABN Australia radio. For more resource in this series you can visit the YouTube page trueblue SDA all one word that's trueblue SDA.
