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AO1 Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is the first of three sacraments of initiation, which makes a person a full member of the church. When someone decides to “get right with God,” part of the “outward sign” of accepting Jesus as their saviour is being baptized. It is an exciting time, but there are many questions regarding baptism that should be clarified, since so many conflicting ideas regarding this topic developed over the centuries. The process of baptism is very simple. You begin by standing, sitting, or kneeling in some water. Another Christian then lowers you under the water and then brings you back up out of the water. You could also literally call this “immersion.” Because some faiths sprinkle water on people instead of immersing them, the obvious question is whether this is OK. Since the only consistent answer around the world comes from the Bible, we recommend using it to find your answers. It is interesting that nowhere in the Bible does anything but “immersion” take place. That is, baptism is always by immersion. Why did Jesus need to be baptized? There was no sin to wash away. He did not need forgiveness. When he approached John the Baptist for baptism the prophet objected, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus insisted "Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness" (3:13-15). Some people think that means Jesus insisted on being baptized by John as a duty, or a way of identifying himself with humanity, or as an example for us. There maybe some truth in those suggestions, but obviously his baptism was the very major turning point that began Jesus' ministry at the age of thirty.
Approximate Word count = 1192
Approximate Pages = 4.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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