1. Unity: One Baptism
Ephesians 4:1-6

2. Ephesians 4:1-6
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

3. Baptism: A simple subject, right?
Water baptism, or Holy Spirit baptism?
John’s baptism, or in the name of Christ?
Sprinkling? Pouring? Immersion?
Purpose: “Outward sign of an inward grace”? To become a member of a denomination? For remission of sins?
Everyone including infants or believers?
Not without controversy in the religious world.

4. There have been various baptisms in the past.
Baptism of John
“John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” (Mark 1:4-5)
When a person came to John, confessed his sins and was baptized, God forgave him. Part of God’s purpose…
“But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.” (Luke 7:30)

5. There have been various baptisms in the past.
Baptism of Jesus
“Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went away again into Galilee.” (John 4:1-3)
People were being baptized by the apostles as they became Jesus’ disciples.
“Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47) – Fulfilled in Acts 2.

6. There have been various baptisms in the past.
Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ
“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
What about folks who were baptized by the apostles before Jesus’ death? None of my business.

7. There have been various baptisms in the past.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Acts 1:4-5)
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each on of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

8. There have been various baptisms in the past.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Happened one other time. Cornelius’ household.
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.” (Acts 10:44-45)

9. There have been various baptisms in the past.
John’s baptism was temporary.
“Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” (Acts 18:24-26)

10. There have been various baptisms in the past.
John’s baptism was temporary.
Acts 19: Paul meets 12 men in Ephesus:
“And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ And they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:3-5)

11. There have been various baptisms in the past.
Baptism of John
Baptism of Jesus
Baptism in the name of Jesus
Baptism of the Holy Spirit

12. There have been various baptisms in the past.
Baptism of John
Baptism of Jesus
Baptism in the name of Jesus
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
By AD 60 (when Ephesians was written), there was only One Baptism.

13. What is baptism in the name of Jesus?
Baptizo (v); Baptisma (n): To dip, immerse, submerge, sink
Baptism is immersion in water.
Some argue that the word was not always used to indicate total immersion.
“When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal.” (Luke 11:38)
Word baptizo was used. Talking about hand washing (Matthew 15:2)
Word used because they submerged their hands during this ceremony.

14. What is baptism in the name of Jesus?
Baptizo (v); Baptisma (n): To dip, immerse, submerge, sink
Baptism is immersion in water.
“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)
“Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12)

15. What is baptism in the name of Jesus?
Baptizo (v); Baptisma (n): To dip, immerse, submerge, sink
Baptism is immersion in water.
“John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized.” (John 3:23)

16. What is baptism in the name of Jesus?
Baptizo (v); Baptisma (n): To dip, immerse, submerge, sink
Baptism is immersion in water.
“After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.” (Matthew 3:16)
“He ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts 8:38-39)

17. What is baptism in the name of Jesus?
Baptizo (v); Baptisma (n): To dip, immerse, submerge, sink
Baptism is immersion in water.
To call anything other than immersion baptism demonstrates a greater allegiance to human convenience than desire to please God.

18. What is baptism for? Salvation.
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)
“…who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:20-21)

19. What is baptism for? Make a person a disciple of Jesus Christ.
“’All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:18- 19)

20. What is baptism for? Forgiveness of sins.
“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
“Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16)

21. What is baptism for? Put away the old man of sin.
“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4)
Verse 6: “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.”

22. What is baptism for? Put away the old man of sin.
“In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:11-12)

23. What is baptism for? Establish a relationship with Christ.
“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3)
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:27-29)

24. Baptism not necessary? If you don’t mind…
Not being saved
Not being a disciple of Jesus Christ
Not having a clear conscience before God
Not having forgiveness for your sins
Being burdened with the old man of sin
Not being in Christ
Not being clothed with Christ
Not belonging to Christ
Not being an heir of promises to Abraham’s descendants
I don’t care what denominational seminaries teach, all I care about is what the Scriptures say.

25. Who is baptism for? Believers.
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)
“But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Acts 8:12)
“Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.” (Acts 18:8)

26. Who is baptism for? Believers.
“They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.” (Acts 16:31-33)

27. Who is baptism for? Sinners who need forgiveness.
“…repent and be baptized…” (Acts 2:38)
“…Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins…” (Acts 22:16)

28. What about infants? Believers. Sinners who need forgiveness.
Show me a baby that is capable of believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and I’ll show you a person who might be a candidate for baptism.
Show me a baby who is guilty of sinning against God, and I’ll show you a person who is definitely a candidate for baptism.

29. What about infants? What does Jeremiah 31:31-34 mean?
“’Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people…’”

30. What about infants? What does Jeremiah 31:31-34 mean?
“’…They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’”
Hebrews 8:7-12 applies this to spiritual Israel and the New Testament of Jesus Christ.
Person was a physical Israelite from the day of their birth.
Every member of spiritual Israel under the new covenant knows the LORD!
God has forgiven their iniquities!

31. What about infants? Ever heard of “Confirmation”?
About the “age of discretion” (generally 7 years old, but can vary).
Ever seen “Confirmation” in the Scriptures?
Every convert in the New Testament was capable of committing themselves to a life of submission to Christ.
False doctrine of Infant Baptism resulted in babies and small children “in the Church” – Had to create an unscriptural milestone to allow the person to express that commitment for themselves when they were old enough.

32. What have we learned about the One Baptism?
There is only One.
The One Baptism is immersion in water of a believer in order to remit their sins and establish a saving relationship with Christ.

33. Are you not a Christian today?
Do you need to…
Be saved
Be a disciple of Jesus Christ
Have a clear conscience before God
Have forgiveness for your sins
Put to death the old man of sin
Be in Christ
Be clothed with Christ
Belong to Christ
Be an heir of promises to Abraham’s descendants
Don’t listen to men, listen to God’s word.