Baptism
Greek 908: baptisma {bap'-tis-mah}
In this text:
1) immersion, submersion
1a) of calamities and afflictions with which one is quite overwhelmed
1b) of John's baptism, that purification rite by which men on confessing their sins were bound to spiritual reformation, obtained the pardon of their past sins and became qualified for the benefits of the Messiah's kingdom soon to be set up. This was valid Christian baptism, as this was the only baptism the apostles received and it is not recorded anywhere that they were ever rebaptized after Pentecost.
1c) of Christian baptism; a rite of immersion in water as commanded by Christ, by which one after confessing his sins and professing his faith in Christ, having been born again by the Holy Spirit unto a new life, identifies publicly with the fellowship of Christ and the church.
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In Rom. 6:3 Paul states we are "baptized unto death" meaning that we are not only dead to our former ways, but they are buried. To return to them is as unthinkable for a Christian as for one to dig up a dead corpse! In Moslem countries a new believer has little trouble with Moslems until he is publicly baptized. It is then, that the Moslems' know he means business, and then the persecution starts. See also discussion of baptism under No. 907.
The word baptism appears a number of times in the Bible. 22 times it is directly related to water baptism and 22 times in miscellaneous applications for a total of 44 appearances. It is always used in the context of immersion or submersion.
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