He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Is baptism important? It was important to Jesus. In fact it was so important that it was His last commission in Matthew 28:19, and even Jesus, Himself, was baptized. Now that we know baptism is vital to becoming a Christian, is it important how we are baptized? The answer is YES!
Why we baptize:
Now, we believe in water baptism in the Branham Tabernacle, by immersing in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the apostolic teaching of the Bible. And may all members of us, or comers to the Branham Tabernacle, who desire such, may at any time (requesting to) be immersed, in the Name of the Lord Jesus. May he consult the pastor; if they have repented, and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, the pastor will, as soon as possible, even at... then if he can, baptize them immediately. This does bring them into the fellowship of the believers. We believe that by water baptism we are brought into a fellowship. But by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are brought into the members, being members of the Body of Jesus Christ, which is all over the world.
The word “Baptize” is a Greek word, meaning, “to immerse.” John baptized in the Jordan River and the disciples baptized in bodies of water. Thus, proper baptism is to completely immerse into water. Sprinkling and other forms of baptism came along after the Bible was written. They are not Scriptural.
An example of this is when Phillip went to the eunuch from Ethiopia. The eunuch believed Phillip’s testimony of the Lord Jesus, and then asked to be baptized in a body of water near them. They both went down into the water, and Phillip immersed him (Acts 8:38).
If Jesus commissioned His disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and to teach the people to observe all things that He commanded, then why didn’t any of them baptize that way? Every baptism recorded after this commission was in the Name of Jesus Christ.
The answer is simple:
For example: are you a son or daughter? Is your name “Son” or “Daughter?” Your parents might call you “son” or “daughter,” but you have a name, and so does God. The answer is simple: Jesus Christ is God, and He is not three separate deities. He is One. Thus the Scripture says, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism,” (Eph 4:5), and “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. ” (I John 5:7)
It mattered so much to the apostles that they re-baptized those who were not baptized correctly, even those who were baptized by the greatest of all the prophets: John the Baptist.
Soon after he received the Holy Ghost in the upper room, Peter preached a sermon about the Deity of the Lord Jesus. The people were so moved by his sermon that they asked, “What shall we do?” Peter, now filled with the Holy Ghost, answered, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:14-39)
And with those words, we see the formula for receiving the same Holy Ghost that Peter and the apostles had at the day of Pentecost.
The Book of Acts (Chapter 19) gives us another, very clear, example of this formula in action when Paul came to a group of people in Ephesus who had already accepted Jesus as their Saviour. They told him of their conversion, and he asked, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” They knew Jesus, but they did not know about the Holy Ghost. Paul, knowing the right formula, asked, “Unto what then were ye baptized?” They responded that they had been baptized in a different way, according to the way John the Baptist baptized. Paul then commanded them to be baptized again, this time in the Name of the Lord Jesus. What happened next? You guessed it; they were filled with the Holy Ghost.
So the burning question should be:
The Book of Acts says you do. After that, you have the Promise that you WILL receive the Holy Ghost.
Who can baptize:
That's why you come here, that's why you come to Christ, you are feeding on His Word. And if you can have a time like this, here, just by His expressed attributes, what will it be when we come into His Presence? Oh, it'll be wonderful! Each one of you has the right to heal the sick, lay your hands upon the sick. Each one of you has the right to baptize.
64-0802 The Future Home Of The Heavenly Bridegroom And The Earthly Bride
Excerpt from 54-0515 Questions And Answers
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water : and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
I indeed have baptized you with water : but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
And John also was baptizing in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there : and they came, and were baptized.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ , they were baptized, both men and women.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water ; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water , both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
[Note that Philip was a deacon and he baptized the eunuch. Brother Branham said, “Each one of you has the right to baptize.”]
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus .
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
One Lord, one faith, one baptism ,
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one .