Baptism and discipleship
We aren't finished after proclaiming the gospel. After all, it is crucial for people to hear about Jesus and decide to follow Him, as well as to receive good discipleship and baptism to receive the blessings of God. The local church should be a place where new disciples are trained every year to ensure that they are well-positioned in the blessings and commandments of God and that they are trained to fulfill God's commission. If this is adequately facilitated, new people will join the congregation each year, and they will invite new people to come. On the one hand, this is something the congregation itself may do, but on the other hand, this is a mission for all believers. Educating people about God and being a good example to these people is an important task. In this chapter, we look at the command to baptize and the command to make disciples.
Start Baptizing People
We find the command to baptize people in the Book of Matthew.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19)
It is a mission for everyone, not just a select few, to urge people to be baptized. Your local church may hold baptismal services; it is a welcoming and accepting place to send people to. It's not necessary to baptize everyone who has come to repentance through your help. Others may also take over this part. For example, we see this in the lives of Paul and Jesus. Paul brought the gospel worldwide but often left baptizing people to others. Paul believed strongly in baptizing people and the blessing this brought. Still, it was not always his job to do this (1 Corinthians 1:14). I believe it is crucial to encourage people to be baptized and tell them about the beautiful blessings that baptism brings.
Let us look at a situation where a person wants to be baptized directly by you, or you decide to baptize someone yourself. The place of baptism does not matter. It can be in the church's baptismal pool, a bathtub, a river, or any other place with sufficient water. The key is to ensure the person can be fully submerged, from head to toe. It is not necessary to stand in the water yourself; you can just stand next to it. This is especially useful with a bathtub; otherwise, it will be very cramped.
We now turn to the question of determining when to baptize someone. Many congregations have developed special baptismal courses that should be followed, or Christians are required to believe for several months or years. Attending a course on a biblical subject is always good, but it is not necessary from a biblical standpoint to participate in a course before someone is baptized. The same goes for the length of time between conversion and baptism. The Bible states one condition of water baptism: believing in Jesus Christ. We see this in the story of Philip and the eunuch.
Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said: See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? Then Philip said: If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. (Acts 8:36-38)
You may baptize people as soon as they believe (in their hearts) in Jesus. Furthermore, baptism may happen immediately. If someone gives their life to Jesus, they qualify and can be baptized. The Bible doesn't teach a "probationary period" of a few months or years in which we can choose an additional faith upgrade with water baptism. The Bible teaches that a person may be baptized immediately after conversion. Paul also says this in the book of Acts.
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
If a person fulfills this condition, then he may be baptized. There are no required courses or life skills; a person may be baptized immediately after conversion.
This is a condition that applies to everyone. This means that everyone independently makes the decision to be baptized. Consequently, it is not Biblical for babies or young children to be baptized. They don't fulfill this condition, so they cannot be baptized at this stage. When they reach an age where they can make a decision, they may be baptized.
Next, we consider how baptism should take place. Is it by sprinkling with water or by immersion? The Greek word for "baptize" is "baptizo" which means "immersion.” Baptism in the Bible is immersion. This means that a person is put into the water from head to toe and then stands up again from the water. In the Bible, we don't read about a bowl of water or sprinkling someone during baptism. In the Bible, we read that people walk into the water to be baptized.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. (...) When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water (...). (Matthew 3:13-16)
So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. (Acts 8:38)
The person receiving baptism enters the water, is immersed in it, and, after a few seconds, rises again from it, just like Jesus did. Jesus went into the Jordan River, was baptized by John the Baptist, and rose again from the water. The baptized may imitate Jesus and be immersed just like Jesus.
When the person undergoing baptism is in the water, we should baptize that person in the name of Jesus. In the Bible, we read precisely what to say to baptize someone. It is essential to realize that it isn't you who is the Baptist but that Jesus is working through you to baptize someone. This is why we baptize people in the name of Jesus. On behalf of Jesus, we get to fulfill this mission and welcome them into the kingdom of God. The person being baptized proclaims his faith in Jesus. The significance of this is very profound. A person is baptized because of faith in Jesus, and by believing in Jesus, a person becomes blessed. During baptism, the person being baptized proclaims his belief in Jesus Christ
And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)
We also encounter this in Acts 22, which can be said in the water or just before.
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 22:16)
In response, we baptize the person in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19)
During water baptism, the baptized person becomes one in Christ. An additional prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to fill the baptized person is required to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This is performed immediately after water baptism by laying one's hands on them. The baptized person may already be filled with the Holy Spirit before experiencing water baptism.
Baptism is one of the essential parts of the gospel of God. We come into Christ through water baptism, which we dealt with in the previous section. Therefore, baptizing people as soon as possible is a big deal, rather than waiting months or years. Even in Jesus' important commission, water baptism comes up, showing that it is not a ritual but a vital part of the Christian life.
Giving Discipleship
Before we discuss this subject, let us first see what a disciple is. The word "disciple" comes from the Greek word "mathētēs" which means "student," "follower," or "disciple." Through discipleship, you teach other people to be followers of Jesus. You accomplish this by being a good role model or "master" yourself and encouraging people to live similarly. You are the master, and others are disciples who learn from you. A good master shows Jesus in his teaching and actions and teaches his disciples to become like Jesus.
Giving discipleship is another component that fits into an excellent local congregation. It matters to have a congregation that is actively engaged in discipleship and teaching people to observe the commandments of Jesus. This is the primary calling for some, while others find it difficult. Yet, teaching discipleship is deeply meaningful and part of God's mission for all of us. We don't have to know or have the ability to do everything before we can disciple young believers, nor do we have to teach long hours of courses to a group of young believers. Discipleship goes further than that and is about personally mentoring and teaching people what Jesus asks of us. It also involves leading by example and sometimes engaging in conversation to ask if there are problems. Discipleship isn't only about learning; it's about doing and building God's kingdom together, with one person teaching the other and demonstrating the right way. We can see this often in the Bible, and the nice thing is that it happens in a small group, so there is a great deal of personal attention. For example, think of Jesus and the twelve disciples or Elijah and his disciple, Elisha. Jesus and Elijah took their disciples by the hand, demonstrated what to do, and taught them all kinds of things. The remarkable thing is that Elisha and Jesus' disciples also received disciples, so more people became active in God's kingdom. This is how a church can grow properly because each disciple has his own "master" or "teacher" who gives him a lot of attention to grow. As time passes, these disciples will be "masters" or "teachers," helping to build God's kingdom quickly.
We'll begin to examine some of the points of giving discipleship. There are different ways and sizes of giving discipleship. The most familiar form of discipleship is the pastor teaching the congregation the Word of God on Sunday mornings. In addition, we can think of smaller groups, where a small group finds each other for more in-depth Bible studies and personal questions. While the Sunday morning service is extensive, professional, and with a good speaker, the small group is small and informal, and each member can share something. You may find that your pastor or another leader asks you to prepare something from the Word of God, share a testimony, or give some other kind of teaching or study. In that case, you are, for a moment, a "master" teaching spiritual things to "disciples." However, this is not always something for everyone and may be a specific calling for some believers.
For now, let us look at discipleship that anyone may give. This is personal discipleship, in other words, one-on-one discipleship. Whether you realize it or not, you are a "master" anyway. People, within and outside the church, watch you and see how you live in the world. You affect your colleagues, family members, and congregation members. Let's take an example to make this clear. Suppose you work as a receptionist in a hotel. Every day, you are moody, and everyone wishes to avoid you. One day, you tell your non-believing colleagues that you are a Christian. As a result, the colleagues unconsciously learn that a Christian is always moody and unlikable. But what if you are always cheerful, help everybody, and let all of them know that you have integrity and trustworthiness, and then tell them you are a Christian? This unconsciously teaches colleagues that a follower of Jesus is cheerful, helpful, and trustworthy. That's already a lot better! Let's go further. What if, through your prayer, your non-believing colleagues are healed of diseases and experience God's love and goodness? As a result, people come to faith and want what you have. They watch you and want to imitate your actions and walk. In other words, they have become your disciples; you must show them Jesus. In this process, you have influenced your colleagues to come to know God and want to follow Him, and then you can further influence them to go to a church. This is Jesus' plan, and Jesus can only work through us to accomplish this.
Let's proceed one step further. Your colleagues have experienced God, learned that God does miracles, and faithfully attend church. The key is to disciple them. It is essential that these disciples also become "masters" and, in turn, tell other people about Jesus. You can accomplish this by introducing them to the provisions and commandments of God's Word. For example, you can teach people that through faith and in the name of Jesus, people are healed of diseases. Through this teaching, and this doesn't have to be super professional, you create a new generation of "masters," each one training new disciples.
Let us look further at Jesus' command about making disciples.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:18-19)
Its purpose is to teach nations all that Jesus commanded. Of course, each believer and "master" also remains a disciple of Jesus. Each day, we learn more and walk deeply in His calling. It is essential to realize that the believers of the early churches were referred to as disciples.
Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7)
We all remain disciples of Jesus Christ. Despite this, God appointed people to teach the disciples. In the earliest congregation, these were the apostles of Jesus, and in later ones, these were people who had been specifically appointed to do so, such as Timothy. So, what should these disciples teach? Everything that Jesus commanded! Often, challenging and complicated topics are handled in the congregation. Nothing is wrong with this, except that the key is first to teach people the simple things about what Jesus commanded. Give the disciples some milk first, and when they can digest it, provide them with solid food afterward. In other words, cover the basics of Jesus and His commands first, and after that, you can move on to solid food with difficult questions of faith. It's better to believe every word of the "simple part" of Jesus’ teachings than to know everything but have no faith. I think the teaching on solid food comes primarily from Bible teachers God has expressly appointed. This is because God has given Bible teachers specific insight, and they have been given specific talents to keep track of difficult questions of faith. The teaching of milk can be offered to everyone in word and deed. This, in turn, has everything to do with giving personal discipleship. On topics belonging to the milk, consider the work of Jesus on the cross, the promise of the Holy Spirit, repentance from dead works, etc. (Hebrews 6:1-2). This can occur in small groups, home circles, or private one-on-one conversations.
To conclude, let us elaborate more on the private one-on-one conversation of discipleship. A focus on each other characterizes this free form and interpretation. Here, you can think of two brothers doing fun activities together and, during these activities, asking each other how things are going. For example, one may have a gaming addiction, and the other brother can help him beat this gaming addiction. Of course, Jesus is the only and the best answer to addictions, but Jesus often works through brothers and sisters, and it is excellent and essential to confess one another's sins. I understand that not all people are comfortable confessing their sins on stage in a congregation of one hundred and fifty people, but one-on-one, this is confidential and is done more often. Notice that the text below mentions the prayer of one righteous person. It is in singular form, and it is unnecessary to notify a hundred people and ask them to pray before God intervenes. God also listens to the prayer of one righteous person.
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
The one-on-one relationship facilitates confessing one another's sins and praying for one another. This is, therefore, an invaluable part of personal discipleship. It should be a confidential environment where these sensitive topics can be discussed. In addition, people can address individual questions or doubts, and they learn from each other how best to fulfill Jesus' mission. One might be further along in faith. He can demonstrate how best to achieve specific commands and tasks of Jesus. We find this in the story of Elijah and Elisha, where Elijah teaches Elisha (1 Kings 19:19-21). Finally, this is also a place to admonish one another should anyone (un)consciously make a mistake. This allows us to save people from death.
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)
We recognize this in the life of Jesus as well. After Peter betrayed Jesus, Jesus took time to teach Peter one-on-one discipleship. Jesus led a group of 12, but sometimes, He would take one person separately to learn extra. This also applies to our discipleship today. We can lead a small group and sometimes give individual attention to a believer. Let's look at the "discipleship conversation" between Jesus and Peter.
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him again a second time: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him: Tend My sheep. He said to him the third time: Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time: Do you love Me? And he said to Him: Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him: Feed My sheep. (John 21:15-17)
This was both a beautiful and challenging conversation. A few days earlier, Peter betrayed Jesus three times, and now he needed to say he loved Jesus three times. Discipleship may sometimes hurt, as long as the end goal is achieved, which is to resemble Jesus and follow Him.
Summary
We dealt with two significant commands of Jesus: baptizing people and giving discipleship. Baptizing people involves immersion, and any born-again Christian may baptize people. The condition for baptizing someone is for that person to believe in Jesus. No special courses or studies are required. By baptizing people, they receive the blessings of God's kingdom and come into Christ. The practice of discipleship is something any born-again Christian can do. Sometimes, this is unconscious, and occasionally conscious. Everyone watches you; you are an example to your family, co-workers, friends, and church members. While some are called to lead large groups of people, every other believer is called to give one-on-one discipleship to the new converts. One-on-one discipleship can also happen unconsciously. This is when you ask about the well-being of a new convert and encourage and exhort one another.