Water Baptism by Immersion
Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
John the Baptist was specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus Christ (John 1:6-8, 23). One of the ways he did that was by immersing people who had repented of their sins in water to represent their sincere repentance of their sins (Mark 1:2-5; Acts 19:4).
The apostle Paul also compared baptism to burial (Romans 6:3-4). Both burial and cleansing are symbolized by being completely immersed in water, which is why John chose Aenon near Salim, a place with “much water.”
Here’s more about water baptism from our Fundamental Belief “10. Water Baptism”:
“Water baptism by immersion after repentance pictures the forgiveness of sin, the burial of the old man and the beginning of a new life in Christ. Through prayer and the laying on of hands following baptism, repentant believers receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and become part of the spiritual Body of Jesus Christ. By yielding to and being led by the Holy Spirit, those who have repented and been baptized experience a true change in life, attitude and way of thinking.”
For more on this step in the process of conversion, see our article “Effects of Baptism: A Clean Start” and our free booklet Change Your Life!
