What's the purpose of a baptism?

Question

And yes, I realize I could look this up on Wikipedia. I simply want to see what y'all are going to say about it, and I hope you DON'T copy/paste an answer from Wikipedia or any place like that.

STONE, I'm pretty sure your explanation isn't applicable to infants and small children. What's the purpose of baptizing them?

Answer 1

There are two main schools of thought about baptism in Christian tradition. One sees baptism as a tangible sign of the grace of God, grace which does not require understanding or even acceptance by the recipient; the churches that subscribe to this school of thought are the ones that baptize infants. These churches believe that the purpose of baptism is to initiate someone into the Christian faith; someone isn't a Christian until he or she has been baptized.

The other school of thought views baptism as the public profession of inward faith, a profession which follows the person's acceptance of the grace of God. The purpose of baptism for these churches is for the person who has already chosen to become a Christian to make a public testimony to that fact. These churches require that people be old enough to make their own choice before being baptized.

Answer 2

Purposes of baptism:

(1) Forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16)
(2) Spiritual resurrection, beginning of a new life with God (Romans 6:1-4, Colossians 2:12-13)
(3) Receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:28-39)
(4) Added to the body of Christ (the church) (I Corinthians 12:12)

And on a broader note, it's your public commitment to be a Christian... kind of like a marriage ceremony with God. You're tying the knot.

Answer 3

Baptism removes the lingering effects of Original Sin, makes a person a child of God and an heir to heaven, and fills the person with God's grace. If the person baptized is an adult, baptism also washes away all traces of sin from the person's past life, giving them a fresh start spiritually.

Answer 4

Definition: The word “baptize” comes from the Greek ba·pti′zein, meaning “to dip, to plunge.” (A Greek-English Lexicon, by Liddell and Scott) Christian water baptism is an outward symbol that the one being baptized has made a complete, unreserved, and unconditional dedication through Jesus Christ to do the will of Jehovah God. The Scriptures also refer to John’s baptism, baptism with holy spirit, and baptism with fire, among others.

Answer 5

Wash away all your sins. You are born for the second time. I don't believe in baptizing babies to wash away original sin. I dont believe in original sin. But baptism at a later age is a symbol for re-birth.

Answer 6

Parent are asked to have their children to be baptized accepting the responsibility of training them in the practice of the faith. It will be the parents duty to bring them up to keep God's commandments as Christ has taught us by loving God and our neighbor.
This is a oath that is asked by the priest in a Catholic church!

Answer 7

Jesus asked us to be baptized. He was a Jew and He got baptized. He started Christianity. He did not want us to follow religion. He taught us how to have a personal relationship with God. He was the example. I follow His example.

Answer 8

1. Jesus commanded it
2. It is God's way of adopting us into his family. We can still be saved if we are not baptized, but we have the assurance that God has claimed us as his own.
3. It washes away our sins.

Answer 9

to me a outward expression of a inward confession.
and I think in the days of the disciple's and Jesus if you got baptized into Jesus name then you were not allowed back in the Jewish temple or to fellowship with them so it was a statement.

Answer 10

It is an ordinance that is required to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It is in similitude of death and resurrection.