Hello John,

Welcome to the forum, may I ask are you a friend of Tonybones? I'm kind of sorry that you chose to select this controversial thread to make your first post, but it is what it is, and I will continue to add doctrinal corrections to the thread whenever things like the above comment are posted. My reply is in no way an "attack" on you, but for doctrinal clarity only.

Unfortunately that belief and opinion you have of believer's baptism being "phased out" is not found in the Bible. And believer's baptism is NOT RESTRICTED TO ISRAEL nor was baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost EVER PART OF ANY LAW of the Old Testament. The word baptism is not found in the Old Testament, we are not discussing Old Testament washings, we are on the topic of believer's baptism and your confusion is actually quite common among some groups of Christians, particularly among hyperdispensationalists and those who follow Bullingerism—sometimes without even realizing it.

Paul was baptized in water (Acts 9:18) and baptized some of his converts in water (Acts 16:33; 18:8, 1 Cor. 1:14-16). The Lord Jesus Christ was baptized in water, the apostles who followed Him and wrote part of our New Testament were baptized in water. The Corinthian converts who were baptized by ONE Spirit into ONE Body (1 Cor. 12:13) were ALSO baptized in water (Acts 18:8).

Certainly Paul knew this...

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Roman 6:4

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Col 2:12

The trembling, suicidal Phillipian jailer didn't ask what he could do to observe the law of Moses, or how to be consecrated as a Levite—that's not anywhere in Acts 16. He asked, "Sirs, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?" The context here is the Gospel and SALVATION BY GRACE, exactly as it is discussed today. (Acts 16:30-31)

Baptism was not part of the law to Paul and Silas, who preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Phillipian jailer and also I'm sure explained the importance of believer's baptism as a first step of identification with Christ (in this case even in the middle of the night), saying:

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the SAME HOUR OF THE NIGHT, and washed their stripes; AND WAS BAPTIZED, HE AND ALL HIS, STRAIGHTWAY." Acts 16:31-33

Believer's Baptism is not a part of the law of Moses, and it's not a "sacrament" that imparts saving grace, but an ORDINANCE of the blood bought church of Jesus Christ. We are not saved by baptism, but by faith in Jesus Christ and His blood..."cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Baptism is the outward symbol of what has already transpired in the heart of the one who has trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for full salvation. Paul and Silas KNEW THAT. The Phillipian jailer KNEW THAT. The Ethiopian eunuch KNEW THAT.

To anyone reading this;
Believer's baptism is not Baptist thology, it's Bible doctrine and an ordinance of the New Testamant church. That's why I was baptized long before I ever became a Baptist. Have you taken this first step of identification with Christ since you were saved? (Acts 8:35-38, I Peter 2:21) Have you followed the word of God concerning this matter of believer's baptism? In Acts 2:41 we read, "Then they that GLADLY received his word were baptized..."