Life, Ministry & Identity of JesusSample

Baptism & the Desert: In Front of the Text

Let’s turn to the meaning and modes of baptism today. When you’re done, you may gain an appreciation for your own tradition and perhaps for those of others as well.

Workbook: Baptism Today

The vast majority of Christian traditions perform baptisms, but the way these traditions baptize their members varies. The chart below details baptismal practices in different traditions with biblical passages used in support.

Of course these are not the only Christian traditions that baptize, but these four provide a good sample of the variety of baptisms and the ideas behind them. Each tradition’s approach to baptism will vary in a number of respects, and the verses provided have different emphases that are used to support the four different views.

Having seen how the Bible is used to support different views of baptism, choose one of the four above and briefly explain how the Bible is used to promote this view of baptism.

How do the passages provided inform the meaning of baptism for this tradition?

Workbook: Methods of Baptism

Methods of baptism vary from one tradition to another. Three common methods are sprinkling, immersion, and pouring. Each method has a biblical reference or precedent behind it. Read the verses below that match each method of baptism.

Which do you find most compelling and why?