A Brief Look at Baptismby MBG“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20) In these words, Christ gives what could be called His final charge or order to the Disciples, who would soon be the foundation of the Church of which Christ is the cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20) It is a three-fold commission: Proclaim the Gospel, Baptize the converts, and the Disciple these “babes in Christ”. It is the focus our attention on the second of these commands. We will note that baptism is immersion. Tradition and history will attest to this fact, but we will confine our search to the scriptures. We find that Christ, our Supreme Example, “went up straightway out of the water” (Matthew 3:16). Why would He be in the water if He were sprinkled? We find in John 3:23 that John the Baptist “was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there”. I don’t think you need “much water” if you are sprinkling. Also we find that baptism is immediate. The Ethiopian Eunuch inquired of Philip, “See, here is water: what doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:36) Did Philip argue are place the Eunuch in a “new convert” class for six weeks and then place him before a board of inquiry to determine if he we ready to be baptized? No! He baptized him right then and there! Note throughout the book of Acts that where people are saved baptism follows as soon as possible. Finally, Baptism is an imitation of Christ’s redemptive work. Look at Romans 6:1-13. We are baptized with Christ into death as we are immersed completely beneath the waters. We are then raised out of the water in the likeness of His resurrection. We have here only “stirred the waters” of this subject. There are depths to this subject that we will never know nor comprehend until we are in Heaven and taught by its Author, God Himself. Until that day, let us keep obeying our Great Commission. 
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