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FOURTH EDITION

01 - Baptize New Believers

Train & Multiply
Ask God to bless this study. Notes

Read Acts 16:22-35.

 Mark the box when you have done so.

By What Authority Do We Baptize?

Our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to baptize all new believers.

According to Matthew 28:18-20, with what authority does the Lord Jesus
command us to baptize? (Read the verses.)

God the Father has given the Lord Jesus all power in heaven and earth and
especially over us, his church. As believers, we should love and obey our
Supreme Commander and King.

When the apostles explained the Good News to people, they called them to
repent, believe, and be baptized. Therefore you baptize in accordance with
the Lord’s command and the apostles’ example.

Baptism affirms belief in Christ, forgiveness of sin, and unity with Christ.

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 Student Activity Guide Different churches observe different practices for baptism. Adapt this study
to your situation.
A4 Baptize and receive new believers.

Some people were baptized and later strayed from the Lord.
When they confess their repentance and faith, you should
Practical Task Options
restore them gently, as Galatians 6:1 says.
 Pray for new believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
 Identify candidates for baptism and/or to be received as members of the
church.

 Plan the date, practical details, and location for baptism.

 Conduct the ceremony.

Study Options

Bible Reading
 Find in Mark 1:1-15 the references to repentance.
 Find in Exodus 14 and 15 the symbolic baptism of the Israelites in the Red
Sea.

 Find in Acts 16:25-34 who was baptized, when, and under what conditions.
 Find in Romans 5:12 to 6:14 the importance of baptism in Christ.

If your student was baptized before as a Christian but then turned away from
God and now wishes to follow him again, they must confess the damage they
have done to themselves and others and trust in God’s forgiveness. They
should thank Jesus for forgiving them of their sins and ask him to help them
change and build a close, fulfilling relationship with him once again.

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 Why Should We Baptize?
The act of baptism proclaims that believers belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
& 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.
(Acts 2:38)
When people repent and believe, they receive forgiveness of their sins and
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The believers are then baptized as a declaration of their faith in Christ.
According to Romans 6:1-5, believers die and rise with Christ in baptism. To
what have they died? (Read verse 2.)
What is the purpose of sharing in Christ’s death and resurrection? (Read
verse 4.)
01-4 Baptize New Believers
• While evangelizing the whole family, do not postpone new believers’
baptisms so long that the delay discourages them. If other family
members do not respond quickly, then proceed with the believers’
baptisms. The believers’ obedience will be a powerful influence.
• Baptize (or help baptize) those who have repented. In the case of
people who were baptized but later strayed from the Lord, receive
them into the congregation according to your church’s practice when
they confess their repentance and faith.
• Write the names of your church’s members in a book, or have
someone else do so. Also record the date of each one’s baptism.
Keep this list up-to-date.
• After their baptism, it is good for new believers to begin sharing in
the Lord’s Supper.
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 Practical Work Whom Should We Baptize?

• Pray that new believers will be baptized and filled with the Holy In Acts 2:38-41 and 10:47-48, Peter ordered repentant believers to be
Spirit. baptized. According to Acts 2:38, what did people have to do before they
were baptized?  

• Write the names of new believers in your church who should be

baptized.
We do not baptize people just because
they have raised their hand in response to
a public invitation. They must confess their
repentance and faith in Christ, and then we
baptize them in obedience to Jesus.

• Witness to the families of the new believers so that they, too, may
believe and be baptized together. Write the names of those family
members whom you visit.

Use the following Bible texts to guide you.

Acts 8:12 Acts 16:13-15

Acts 8:26-40 Acts 16:31-34
Acts 9:17-19 Acts 19:1-7
Acts 10:23-48

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 When Should We Baptize? Summary Test
In Acts 2:41, how soon were the new believers baptized? 1. Who commanded us to baptize new believers?

Read Acts 16:25-33. When were they baptized? (Compare verse 25 with
verse 33.)
Mark the correct answer in the following statements:

2. Baptism affirms believers’ unity:

 With their pastor.
Those who received the message were baptized the same
day. The apostles announced the Good News to people.  With Christ.
Then they baptized those who repented and believed.
3. We baptize to:
 Obey Christ and give new believers the opportunity to declare
their faith in Christ and his forgiveness of their sins.
 Show that believers are already perfect.

Paul had been blind and without food for three days following his conversion.
Read Acts 9:17-19. When was Paul baptized - before or after he ate again?

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 How Should We Baptize?
According to Acts 16:31-33, the apostles
did not delay baptism once people believed.
With water, to proclaim:
The only thing they did before baptism,
when possible, was explain the Good News to
• The washing away of believers’ sins (Acts 22:16). their families also.

• Their union with Christ in his death and resurrection.

• Receiving the Holy Spirit.
• Becoming part of the body of Christ, the church.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

• Matthew 28:19
• Romans 6:1-14
• Acts 2:38
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Confer with your pastor or trainer on your church’s practice regarding
baptism.

The apostles normally baptized new believers immediately. See, for example,
Cornelius and his family (Acts 10:24-48) and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-39).

Normally, baptism occurs as soon as possible after conversion. New believers

do not need to wait until they have completed a long course of instruction.
You can disciple them after baptism.

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 How Should We Prepare
Someone for Baptism?
People are ready for baptism when they have repented of their sins and
believed in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible assures them that they are
cleansed of their sins. The church baptizes them to affirm that God forgives
them and as a testimony of their faith in Christ. Thus, baptism has two
aspects:
What each new believer does:
Repents of sin (Acts 2:38).
Believes in Christ (Mark 1:15).
What the church does:
Assures new believers that God has forgiven them of their sins
(Luke 24:45-48; Colossians 2:13).
Baptizes them (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38-41).
Prays for their victorious walk with Christ through the power of the
Holy Spirit (Acts 8:12-17).
Teaches them to obey all of Christ’s commands
(Matthew 28:18-20).
Makes disciples of them (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:42, 6:7).
01-8 Baptize New Believers
Baptism is a sign of our death to sin. & We were therefore buried with him
through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)
We would be disobedient to Jesus if we did not baptize a person who
sincerely believed in him. If we neglect baptizing new believers in Christ,
then our lack of concern and confidence is a stumbling block. New believers
would think they lack something and are not yet believers.
It is better to risk baptizing an occasional false believer than to deny baptism
to many sincere ones. For example, the apostles did not deny baptism to the
3,000 new believers in Jerusalem, despite including people such as Ananias
and Sapphira (Acts 2:37-41, 5:1-11).
An important time for the spiritual development of new believers is the first
few weeks after their baptism and acceptance by the church. That is when
they form the foundation of their faith, their Christian character, and their
discipline as obedient disciples. Teach them to obey all the commands of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
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 Church With Whom Does Baptism
Unite Believers?
Baptism proclaims each believer’s union with the Lord Jesus Christ and with
all other believers. It is a testimony of their faith in God and a testimony to
other people. When Philip baptized an Ethiopian in the desert, they were far
from any church and other believers. Only Philip and the Ethiopian, with his
servants, were present; yet at the moment of his conversion and baptism,
the Ethiopian was united with Christ and with all believers of all times in the
church.
A person is included within the church body
as soon as they are baptized.
& having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with
him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Church (Colossians 2:12)

By faith we are buried together with Christ and raised with him to new life
through baptism. Thus, believers are united with him and through him with
all believers everywhere.

Baptism affirms each

believer’s union with Christ.
It is an act of faith that
proclaims a new relationship
with God.

A person should not try to become holy on their own before

becoming involved in the church body.

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By the Word of God, we announce to new believers that God forgives all of
their sins and gives them eternal life in Jesus Christ.
By baptizing new believers, we affirm their union with Christ and with his
Body, the church. We trust the Spirit of God to complete the good work that
he has begun in their hearts.
How Does God Perfect Believers?
According to the apostles’ practice, the first step of obedience and faith
for new believers was baptism. From then on, they would continue their
growth in Christian perfection within the church, under good pastoral
care. New, sincere believers receive baptism, not because they have made
themselves holy, but because they have repented and begun a new life.
Then they go on to be disciples of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of the Lord makes
believers holy by transforming them more and more into the image of Christ
(2 Corinthians 3:18).

My brother-in-law Tell him that obedience New believers should be trained and given the opportunity to immediately
says he’ll be baptized to Christ is more share their testimony of salvation with friends and family members. They
as soon as he can buy important than clothes.
new clothes to wear. should be encouraged and expected to pass on to others the things they
have learned about living in Christ (2 Timothy 2:2). From the start, they
must be mentored, trained, and coached so that they grow in the grace and
knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and so that they have pastoral protection from
the enemy of their souls. The passion and zeal of the new believer should
not be stifled. It should instead be guided, refined, and released.

Just as in the book of Acts, actively encourage new believers to open their
homes and start new churches. With effective training and supervision,
these new churches can multiply in ways that would not be possible if a new
believer was excluded from leading the group.

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