Water baptism is a public confession of faith and a sacrament that Christians should try to fulfill. However, our faith in Christ s redeeming work on the cross is what gives us salvation. When we accept the gift of salvation, we are baptized with a new spirit. The word baptize comes from the Greek word baptizo which means to dunk or immerse. To the Greeks of the time, it was used much as we use the word wash , like go baptize your hands before dinner.
Water baptism is symbolic of that washing.
Speaking in tongues is a divisive issue for many. Some say that gift was only for the first century Christians and not relevant today. Another opinion is that the verses 9-20 of Mark were forgeries added to the Scripture later and thus, irrelevant. Another controversy is that there are two types of spontaneous speech that are called speaking in tongues . The first is known as glossolalia, where the spoken language is considered a heavenly rather than earthly language.