Several Types of Baptisms Recorded in the Bible

In the New Testament, baptism symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection. When a Christian is baptized, it signifies that through this act, we are united with Christ in His death, buried with Him, and resurrected with Him through His resurrection. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5). For the first thirteen centuries after Christ, the common mode of baptism was immersion, which is what we read about in the New Testament. Sprinkling or pouring, as a form of baptism, only began to gain acceptance in the sixteenth century and was officially adopted as an alternative to immersion by a vote at the Westminster Assembly in 1643.

The Bible also mentions two other kinds of baptism: the baptism of repentance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

John’s Baptism: This was a baptism of repentance. Jews were familiar with this type of ritual, but many were unwilling to accept it. They considered themselves to be a holy people, part of God’s chosen nation and descendants of Abraham, who already had God’s salvation. Therefore, they believed they did not need a baptism of repentance. For them, accepting this baptism was a great challenge, as it meant humbling themselves and admitting they were unclean, just like Gentiles. The significance of John, a Jew, preaching a baptism of repentance and urging other Jews to accept this ritual—which was originally for Gentiles—was profound. It showed that Jews were no different from Gentiles and also needed to confess their sins, repent, and turn to God. When they accepted John’s baptism, they were declaring their failure and need for a Savior, and waiting for the coming Messiah.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit: John the Baptist said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me… will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a unique post-salvation experience where the Lord Jesus Christ baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. This is something only God can give, and a person can only receive it. After receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a person is incorporated into the body of Christ and united with Him. They gain assurance of their salvation, are filled with power, can better witness to the Lord Jesus Christ, know Him more deeply, and have a more intimate relationship with Him. Only through the baptism of the Holy Spirit can a believer’s individual spiritual life be revived, and only then can the church of Jesus Christ be revived and empowered.

The Bible records:

[Romans 6:3-9] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.