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NEW TESTAMENT BAPTISMS Baptism in Water By Larry Kreider AN ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLE: DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS Being baptized is one of the first steps a new Christian should make. Baptism is an essential part of the spiritual foundation of a new Christian's life. When we think of baptism, we normally think of water baptism and its various modes - sprinkling, pouring, immersion. But there really are more kinds of baptisms mentioned in God's Word than water baptism. Let's look at Hebrews 6. In addition to the previous foundational principles we learned in Biblical Foundation 2, (repentance from dead works and faith toward God ), Hebrews, chapter 6, lists yet another elementary principle - the doctrine of baptisms. "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of...the doctrine of baptisms....(Hebrews 6:2, NKJ). Since this spiritual foundation is listed as plural - baptisms - it indicates that the Christian faith includes more than one kind of baptism. As we read through the New Testament, we discover there are four distinct types of baptisms: baptism in water, baptism into the body of Christ, baptism of fire, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. In this series, we will take a look at all four, starting with the Christian baptism in water. REFLECTIONS AND QUESTIONS: Name the four types of baptisms mentioned in the Bible. think about how many of the four you have experienced. ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
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