Do you have a problem with baptism? Is it an offensive stumbling block for you?
Why is it so many people resist the clear instructions regarding baptism, yet will embrace all other commands?
Answer a question, PLEASE, instead of glossing it over. Look at Acts 19.
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
Paul links receiving the Holy Spirit with baptism. His immediate question after learning these men did not have the Holy Spirit was “Then what baptism did you receive?” Getting dunked in water was not enough, or John's baptism would have been sufficient. Paul took it seriously enough to re-baptize these believing men in the name of Jesus.
Your mocking tone regarding Acts 2:38 is disturbing. God's Word is serious business and should be discussed with discovering His will for us, not with disdain for what others have concluded.
So here's the question: Have you been baptized? I find that people who resist baptism don't want anyone else to think it is a command or important.
Baptism is NOT a work BTW, it is an obedient response to God's clear command. IOW, I can't baptize myself, I must submit to it and demonstrate publicly that I have symbolically died to my old life.
1 Peter 3:21 is pretty clear:
21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Baptism SAVES you??? Clearly not the act of getting wet, but appealing to God to save us by the resurrection of Jesus.
Baptism is a pledge and an expression of the believer to be joined into the resurrection. The act of baptism being our symbolic joining in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is detailed in Romans 6:3 and following:
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
So, Ruy, is baptism necessary?
***So, Ruy, is baptism necessary? ****
If baptism were so necessary why would the CoC not accept my baptism in a cold running creek? Why will they not accept other Baptist or pentecostal immersionism?
NO! It only has to be YOUR baptism. So the CoC has thrown up walls of it’s own making. Even “ remission of sin” baptisms are not accepted by your church. It is YOUR way or the highway. NO THANKS!
Even the Catholics will accept baptisms from converters that have been baptized in Protestant Trinitarian churches.
I knew a man who had been baptised by sprinkling, then he changed churches several times.
He was Sprinkled, immersed, immersed three times backward, immersed forward, immersed three times forward, sprinkled again... So, which was “correct”?
And another man I worked with who felt he was such a sinner he went forward in his church and got re baptized about once a month.
Like Cornelius, as Peter said, To him give all the prophets witness, that through HIS NAME whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
“Even to them that believe on his name...”