Baptism is an important subject.
Popular misconceptions about the who, what, and why of baptism occupy a great deal of our attention as we discuss the Bible with our friends and neighbors. We frequently find ourselves stressing the importance of the fact that for baptism to be scriptural, it must honor the purpose of that act as taught in the Scriptures. Given the high mortality rate of new Christians among us, one might wonder whether we are doing a very good job of imparting to others a full-orbed understanding of what baptism is all about. Lest the person rush into baptism with unscriptural ideas in mind about it, we take the time to emphasize that baptism is for the remission of sins. But very little is said, and very few questions are asked of the candidate, to make sure he or she understands the commitment that is involved in scriptural baptism.