Lesson #18

Lesson #18

Choose a Topic and Make a Bible Study

Profitable Bible studies can been made by studying words, themes, teachings, people and events in the Bible. You will need a Bible concordance or Bible dictionary to examine the places where your specific topic of study is found.

Baptism

Let’s see if we can discover some of the meanings for this rather controversial subject. The word “baptism” or “baptize” is an interesting word to study because the word was never translated into English from the Greek baptisma or baptizo. To stay away from current controversies surrounding baptism, the translators left the word untranslated.

The best approach for discovering the meaning of baptism, is to look at all the Bible verses where this word occurs.

John the Baptist

The first occurrence of the word and its variations is in Matthew chapter three.

Summarize what you have learned so far about baptism.

Jesus’ Baptism

Baptism in Acts

In Acts chapter two, we find the first occurrence of baptism as the Church begins on the Day of Pentecost. If you look up each of the following passages from Acts, you will discover that a believer in Christ always submitted immediately to baptism.

Finding Out About Baptism

In other passages throughout the New Testament, the term “baptism” also occurs. As you look up these passages, see if you can determine more fully the meaning and the importance of baptism.

There are some preliminary observations that we can make as we assemble all the information about baptism.

• It involves water (probably much).

• It involves confession of sin.

• It is important – it is something that God wants us to submit to.

• It was important enough for Jesus to submit to.

• As believers, we are told to baptize the disciples we make.

• It is the one thing in the Christian life that we are told to do only once.

• It involves us in a unique relationship with Jesus.

Concluding Thought

• So now it is up to you to study and make up your own mind as to what baptism means to you. Look up each verse. Jot down some notes. Then come to your own conclusions.

              Source: Water, M. (1998). Bible Study made easy. The Made Easy Series (30). Alresford, Hampshire: John Hunt Publishers Ltd.