College of Mental Health Counselling

The Timing of Baptism

in the Earliest Church
prepared by Daniel Keeran, Victoria, Canada
 The Timing of Baptism in the Earliest Church
prepared by Daniel Keeran, Victoria, Canada
(Scripture quotes are from the New International Version, Zondervan.)

The timing of baptism soon after believing the message about Jesus of Nazareth, may
have been because in early Christian thought, baptism is how: 1) one enters into Christ
and his death and 2) receives the forgiveness of sins and new life as recorded in Acts
2:38 and Romans 6:3-4. Baptism was commanded by Jesus to his apostles in the ending
of the account of his life as recorded by Matthew and another by Mark. This baptism was
then preached in the first Christian sermon found in Acts, chapter 2 and was part of the
Christian message thereafter.

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and

said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age.
Mark 16:15-16 He said to them, Go into all the world
and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned.

Some Timing Verses

Acts 2:36-41 Therefore let all Israel be assured of
this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified,
both Lord and Messiah. When the people heard this,
they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the
other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? Peter
replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. The promise is for you and your children
and for all who are far offfor all whom the Lord
our God will call. With many other words he warned

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them; and he pleaded with them, Save yourselves
from this corrupt generation. Those who accepted
his message were baptized, and about three
thousand were added to their number that day.
Acts 8:12 when they believed Philip preaching the
things concerning the kingdom of God, and the
name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both
men and women.
Acts 8:35-38 Then Philip began with that very
passage of Scripture and told him the good news
about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they
came to some water and the eunuch said, Look,
here is water. What can stand in the way of my
being baptized? And he gave orders to stop the
chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went
down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Acts 10:47-48 Then Peter said, Surely no one can
stand in the way of their being baptized with
water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we
have. So he ordered that they be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 16: 30-33 He then brought them out and asked,
Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied,
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved
you and your household. Then they spoke the word
of the Lord to him and to all the others in his
house. At that hour of the night the jailer took
them and washed their wounds; then immediately
he and all his household were baptized.
Acts 16:14-15 One of those listening was a woman
from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in
purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord
opened her heart to respond to Pauls message.

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When she and the members of her household
were baptized, she invited us to her home.
Acts 18:8 Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his
entire household believed in the Lord; and many of
the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were
baptized.
Acts 19:1-7 Paul took the road through the interior
and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some
disciples 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. So
Paul asked, Then what baptism did you receive?
Johns baptism, they replied. Paul said, Johns
baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the
people to believe in the one coming after him, that
is, in Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed
his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and
they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were
about twelve men in all.
Acts 22:14-16 Then he said: The God of our
ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see
the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.
You will be his witness to all people of what you have
seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for?
Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away,
calling on his name.
Email me to assist you in baptism
collegemhc@gmail.com
If I am too far away from you, I may be able to
contact someone near you to assist you, and I will
then provide you with their contact information.
The reader may also be interested in this paper.

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