Christian Baptism

What is Baptism? What does it mean and what does it do? Is it necessary? How important is it? Different church denominations teach different uses and meanings but what does scripture teach us about Baptism?

Is There A Baptism of The Holy Spirit After Salvation?

What is a Subsequent Baptism to salvation, second baptism, or also called a second blessing referring to?  Simply stated, it is a second spiritual event that takes place after and separate from the moment of salvation where an individual is overcome by the Holy Spirit and exercises spiritual gifts for the first time.  But does the Bible support this and explicitly state A Second Baptism event after salvation?  In this article we will see what Holy Scripture says about the moment of salvation and being baptized by The Holy Spirit.

The New You Forever

From our physical birth to our physical death there is nothing on the outside besides a change of habits, thinking processes, and locations that make us spiritually alive.  We enter the world as sinners estranged from God.  We are born spiritually dead (Eph 2:1-3, Col 2:13).  We live a life of habits, environmentally and socially learned behaviors and ways of thinking.  One of the greatest results of coming to faith in Jesus Christ is being made spiritually alive and 'born again'.  But what does that mean? What happens?

Hippolytus' Baptism Confession

Hippolytus of Rome lived around 170 AD to 235 AD. He was a disciple of Irenaeus. He wrote the Refutation of All Heresies in the very early part of the 3rd Century. In one of his writings he records a baptism service and what is required of the person being baptized to confess.

Hippolytus' Baptims Confession (210~ AD):

"When the person being baptized goes down into the water, he who baptizes him, putting his hand on him, shall say: "Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty?" And the person being baptized shall say: "I believe." Then holding his hand on his head, he shall baptize him once.

And then he shall say: "Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and was dead and buried, and rose again the third day, alive from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the living and the dead?" And when he says: "I believe," he is baptized again.

And again he shall say: "Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, in the holy church, and the resurrection of the body?" The person being baptized shall say: "I believe," and then he is baptized a third time"

Statement of Faith: The Church

           The Church, the Body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all believers of this present age (1 Corinthians 12:12-14;2 Corinthians 11:2;Ephesians 1:22-23,5:25-27).

           The ordinances of believer’s water baptism as a testimony to Christ and identification with Him;  Baptism is an important action of obedience for a Christian and signifies a person's identification with Christ.  Baptism is not necessary for salvation.  It is an outward manifestation of an inward reality of trust in the sacrifice for Christ, of conversion, and of identification with Christ. The act of water baptism does not save anyone.  Man is made right before God by faith alone, not by faith and baptism (Rom. 3:28-30; 4:3, 5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16, 21; Phil. 3:9; see also Acts 10:44-48).

Statement of Faith: The Holy Spirit

           The deity and personality of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4). He regenerates sinners (Titus 3:5) and indwells believers (Romans 8:9). He is the agent by whom Christ baptizes all believers into His body (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). He is the seal by whom the Father guarantees the salvation of believers unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14). He is the Divine Teacher who illumines believers’ hearts and minds as they study the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-12).