Evangelism and Apologetics
Baptism
Baptism
Old Testament Background

Colossians 2:9-12 indicates a correspondence between circumcision and baptism. In many ways, circumcision was a pre-figure of baptism, so our study of baptism starts with a study of the meaning of circumcision for the people of God in the Old Testament. 
Circumcision

Circumcision was administered to the children of believers (those within the covenant — the Jews) and to converts and their children. See Gen. 17:10-12 and Gen. 34:8-24. 

Circumcision had a spiritual meaning for the Jews: it signified faith and love towards God, obedience to God’s commands and repentance. See Deut. 10:16, 30:6, Jer. 4:3-4, Rom. 4:11, Gal. 5:3, Col. 2:9-12. 
Prophetic Indications of Baptism

The prophets saw that God would one day make a new and better covenant with His people, and some of these prophecies of the new covenant seem to hint at the rite of baptism. See Ezek 36:25-27. Some commentators also see a prefigure of baptism in Is. 52:15.
New Testament Practice

There are several parallels between circumcision and baptism. Like circumcision, baptism is applied to converts (Acts 8:12) and their households (Acts 16:15, 33) as a sign of entrance into the new covenant community (Gal. 3:27-29). It is associated with repentance and faith (Acts 2:38). 
What Does Baptism Do? 

Baptism unites us to Christ. See Gal. 3:27. Eph. 1:3 says that all spiritual benefits flow from Christ. So if Baptism unites us to Christ, it follows that all spiritual benefits are given in baptism. 

Baptism removes original sin. Adam forfeited the gift of original righteousness for himself and his descendants by choosing to disobey God. Christ, our new Adam, restores to us what Adam lost. (Romans 5:15-18, 6:1-5.) 

Baptism grants forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit. See Mark 1:8, Acts 2:38, 22:16.

Baptism saves us (1 Pet. 3:21) by giving new birth in the Spirit. John 3:5. We are regenerated (spiritually reborn) in baptism (Titus 3:5). 

By our baptism we are united to Christ in his death and resurrection. Rom. 6:3-5.
How Should Our Baptism Change Our Lives?  

Baptism unites us to Christ and makes us part of His Body, the Church. Because we are united to Christ, we participate in His ministry in the world. (See Jn. 12:26.) Christ’s ministry is sometimes described in terms of three offices: Prophet, Priest, and King. 

Christ is our Prophet because He teaches us about God. (See Dt. 18:15 ff, Cf. Acts 3:22-23, 7:37; Is. 61:1-2.) We are prophets because we are called to proclaim the Word of the Lord in word and deed. Individual Christians fulfill that mission in the world by carrying the good news of the Gospel to all peoples (Mt. 28:19-20) and by their participation in the ministry of the Church. The Church carries out Christ’s prophetic mission by being the city set on a hill (Mt. 5:14-15) and the mountain to which the nations come to hear the word of God. Is. 2:1-3. 

Christ is our Priest because He makes atonement for our sins and pleads our case before God the Father (1 Jn. 2:1-2), and mediates the new covenant (Heb. 8:6). We are priests (1 Pet. 2:9) because we are called to offer sacrifices and a sacrifice of praise to God the Father, both in the mass, and in the offering of our lives. (Rom. 12:1-2.) We also fulfill our priesthood by entering into Christ’s suffering (2 Cor. 1:6-7; Rom. 8:16-39).  

Christ is our King because He rules and protects us, and gives us His perfect law. (Mt. 5-7, Jn. 13:13.) At the consummation of His kingdom He will rule the world (see Ps. 2, 110, Is. 11). We are Kings because we are called to govern ourselves according to the will of God (1 Cor. 10:31, John 14:21), and we are to reign with Christ. (See 1 Cor. 6:2-3; Compare Ps. 2 and Rev. 2:26-27.) We fulfill that mission in the world by bringing everything that is under our authority under the authority of Christ. 
Baptism is a Call to Holiness

Our Baptism should result in holiness of life. Paul tells us in Rom. 6 that we are dead to sin by virtue of our baptism, and that sin should not reign over us. See also 1 John 3:1-3. 
Other Issues
Should Christians Baptize Infants? 

One of the controversies among Christians about baptism in whether it ought to be applied to infants. The New Testament says nothing directly either for or against the baptism of infants, so we have to decide whether Jesus intended baptism to be given to infants on the basis of other biblical principles. Below are a few common objections to infant baptism, along with some replies. The most important thing to remember is that the sacraments are gifts from God to us. We don't earn them by our faith. Rather, even faith itself is a gift. Eph. 2:8-9.  

Objection 1: Infants can't repent or have faith. 

•	Who says infants can't have faith? See Ps. 22:9, Luke 1:44, 2 Tim. 3:15. 
•	If infants can't have faith, then eight-day old Jewish boys couldn't have faith either, but they were given circumcision, which was a sign of faith. Rom. 4:11. In other words, Scripture does not require a person to understand the full significance of a sign before it is applied. See also Jn. 13:7. 

Objection 2: We don't have any examples of infants being baptized in Scripture. 

•	There are no clear examples, although there are cases where households are baptized. Acts 16:14-15, 32-33. We don’t know if infants were there or not. 
•	Even though there are no clear examples, Peter's use of “the promise” in Acts 2:38-39 seems to imply that children would be baptized.  “Repent and let each of you be baptized ... for the promise is for you and your children.” 
•	In any event, this is an argument from silence. There are lots of things that we don’t have clear examples of in the Bible, like how the Church worshipped God. 

Objection 3: The sequence in Scripture is always repent, believe and be baptized. See Mt. 28: 19; Acts 2:38; 8:36-38. 

•	The New Testament recounts the missionary activity of the Church. If the apostles were preaching circumcision, they would have used the same formula -- repent, believe and be circumcised -- because that is the appropriate formula for adults. But since circumcision was clearly given to infants, we can’t take that formula as an argument against baptizing infants. 

It's one thing to say that Scripture doesn't prevent us from baptizing infants, but it's another to say that we ought to do it. The following biblical principles indicate that children should receive baptism. 

•	We are all born sinners in Adam, and born-again in Christ. In Rom. 5:12 through 6:7, Paul identifies our problem as our union with Adam, and the remedy to union with Adam is union with Christ, which is accomplished through baptism. Since children are born sons of Adam, they need to be re-born as children of God in Christ. 
•	Jesus gave spiritual blessings to children. Mt. 19:13-14
•	The kingdom of heaven belongs to children (Mt. 19:14), and baptism is the means of spiritual birth (John 3:5).

Does Baptism Work Without Faith? 

No. As St. Thomas Aquinas says, "Baptism without faith is of no value. Indeed, it must be known that no one is acceptable before God unless he have faith." He cites Heb. 11:6 as support. (Catechetical Instructions, Explanation of the Apostles' Creed.)

What About The Unbaptized? 

If Baptism means union with Christ, and salvation is only found in Christ (Acts 4:12), does this mean that those who don't receive baptism are doomed? Certainly not. We are obligated to follow God's ordinances, but God is free to do as He pleases. In Rom. 2:25-29, Paul indicates that those who were not physically circumcised were still circumcised in spirit. The Church believe in “baptism of desire,” which recognizes that some who are not baptized would have been baptized if they had been properly instructed, or had the opportunity to receive baptism.