Baptized into Christ Jesus

When we look at the New Testament for the doctrine of baptism, there are a handful of very familiar texts which come immediately to mind; the Great Commission from Matthew 28:19-20, Peter's Pentecost Sermon from Acts 2:38, The Red Sea Baptism from I Corinthians 10:1-4, the revelation of the relationship between circumcision and baptism from Colossians 2:11, 12, and today's text. While the Scriptures and the New Testament in particular reveal much about the doctrine and meaning of baptism, it is a subject which can be hotly debated among Christians. Among the debated questions are: What is the significance and meaning of baptism? Who is a candidate for baptism? How should baptism be administered? While time and circumstance do not allow each question to be fully answered in one sermon, we can lay a good foundation to answer these questions. The first thing we must do in regard to these questions is the same for any issue; we must allow the Scriptures to inform our understanding and resist the temptation to import our own assumptions into our interpretation and application. If we do this, we will arrive at a firm biblical foundation for the sacrament of baptism. – Pastor Schlegel