Christian Baptism
Christian Baptism > John the Baptist • About Us
The Philippian Jailer and His Household
Acts 8:37 • Putting On Christ • Wycherley Critique
"Household Baptism" • GSB Observations
On this page, we will simply quote a few passages from the Holy Scriptures concerning the truth of Christian baptism and how it worked out in the New Testament church. The other pages on this website address certain topics related to the doctrine and practice of baptism in the Christian church today.This quotation, from Acts chapter 2, relates the repentance and baptism of about three thousand persons who heard the apostle Peter preach:
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"And having heard it they were pricked in heart, and said to Peter and
the other apostles, 'What shall we do, brethren?'
And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and be baptised, each one of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and ye will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise and to your
children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God may
call.' Those then who had accepted his word were baptised;"
(Acts 2:37-41).
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A pastor baptizing a Christian believer in a lake, by immersion.
This quotation, from Acts chapter 8, relates the conversion and baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch who heard the gospel witness of Philip the evangelist:
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"But the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, 'Rise up and go
southward on the way which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza:
the same is desert.' And he rose up and went. And lo, an
Ethiopian, a eunuch, a man in power under Candace queen of Ethiopia,
who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship at Jerusalem,
was returning and sitting in his chariot: and he was reading
the prophet Esaias. And the Spirit said to Philip, 'Approach and
join this chariot.' And Philip, running up, heard him reading the
prophet Esaias, and said, 'Dost thou then know what thou art reading
of?' And he said, 'How should I then be able unless some one
guide me?' And he begged Philip to come up and sit with him.
And the passage of the scripture which he read was this: He was led
as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in presence of him that
shears him, thus he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation his
judgment has been taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for
his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answering Philip
said, 'I pray thee, concerning whom does the prophet say this? of himself
or of some other?'" (Acts 8:26-34).
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| "And Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from that scripture, announced the glad tidings of Jesus to him. And as they went along the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch says, 'Behold water; what hinders my being baptised?' And he commanded the chariot to stop. And they went down both to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him. But when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no longer, for he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:35-39 Darby Translation). | "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, 'See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, 'If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.' And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:35-39 King James Version). |
| See Acts 8:37 commentary. | |
This quotation, from Acts chapter 9, relates the baptism of Saul of Tarsus by Ananias after Jesus appeared to Saul on the Damascus road:
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"And Ananias went and entered into the house; and laying his hands upon
him he said, 'Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus that appeared
to thee in the way in which thou camest, that thou mightest see, and be
filled with the Holy Spirit.' And straightway there fell from his
eyes as it were scales, and he saw, and rising up was baptised; and
having received food, got strength." (Acts 9:17-19).
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This quotation, from Acts chapter 10, relates the baptism of Cornelius the centurion and his kinsmen and friends by the apostle Peter:
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"While Peter was yet speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all
those who were hearing the word. And the faithful of the
circumcision were astonished, as many as came with Peter, that upon the
nations also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out: for they
heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter
answered, 'Can any one forbid water that these should not be baptised,
who have received the Holy Spirit as we also did?' And he
commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord."
(Acts 10:44-48).
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This quotation, from Acts chapter 16, relates the baptism of the Philippian jailer and members of his household by the apostle Paul:
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"And leading them out said, 'Sirs, what must I do that I may be
saved?' And they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt
be saved, thou and thy house.' And they spoke to him the word of
the Lord, with all that were in his house. And he took them the
same hour of the night and washed them from their stripes; and was
baptised, he and all his straightway. And having brought them
into his house he laid the table for them, and rejoiced with all his
house, having believed in God." (Acts 16:30-33).
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This quotation, from Acts chapter 19, relates the baptism "to the name of the Lord Jesus" of certain disciples in Ephesus who had previously been baptised "to the baptism of John [the baptist]":
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"And Paul said, 'John indeed baptised with the baptism of repentance,
saying to the people that they should believe on him that was coming
after him, that is, on Jesus.' And when they heard that, they
were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 19:4-5).
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