(Baptism) What it is and what it does. (Jesus Christ, gospel)

[glasgowchick]

Originally Posted by orichalcum

Thats my opinion on it, a baby is innocent from the beginning. When their grown up though it is time for them to make their own choice. Also I don't believe in original sin.

Yes I have to agree with you on that one, there is nothing in the bible that talks about original sin..We are born with a sinful nature with the tendency to sin, but until we commit sin then we are innocent... As I have mentioed on previous posts, there are requirements needed before a person is eligable for baptism..one has to hear the Word, believe, confess Christ Jesus, repent and be baptized..A baby cannot do this and we are not accountable for eachothers sins..

[leesw]

You'd have to have help to misunderstand what the Bible says about baptism. It is so clear. In Acts 2:38 Peter commanded that we "Repent and be baptized for the forigiveness of sins."

Jesus said in Mark 16:16, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved."

Those who make statements such as "baptism is not required for salvation" are basically saying that these scriptures (and others such as 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:4, etc) are wrong. If you take baptism out of our response to God's offer of salvation, you are picking and choosing passages.

Also, the reason Paul said he was not called to baptize was so that people wouldn't be bragging by saying, "I was baptized by the apostle Paul." They had people there baptizing. And in the New Testament we see that it was IMMEDIATELY after they realized the gospel--as with the Ethiopian Enuch. The New Testament placed much more importance on it than many churches do today.