Baptism -- what's it all about?

How important is water baptism?

Since the 5th Century when Augustine described sacraments as ‘an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace’ baptism has been seen in the church as a sacrament. For some churches it is a critical part of becoming a Christian or 'saved', with Baptists arguing for Believers Baptism and other churches practising infant baptism where the child obviously cannot 'make the profession of faith'. Other churches and Christians put the emphasis on faith. Is baptism a symbol or something deeper than that?

There are a number of times that baptism is mentioned in the Scriptures, many with a similar emphasis starting at what is called the Great Commission:

‬And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.' (Mark‬ ‭16:15‭-‬16‬ ‭ESV)

And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV) 

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21 ESV)

And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. (Acts 22:16 ESV)

Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:12 ESV)

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. (Romans 6:3-4 ESV)

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21 ESV)

Reading those passages it could be interpreted that baptism is far more important than just a symbol that we do following Jesus commandment. 

Three things to note:

1. The third version of the Great Commission in Luke doesn't include baptism at all but a proclamation of the gospel: [Jesus] said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,  and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.' (Luke 24:46-49 ESV)
2. There is no record in the Scriptures of Jesus baptising anyone, yet he commanded others to do so, implying (if he didn’t baptise anyone) that we are following his example in doing so in obedience rather than actually following a method taught by him. In Scripture, we see only the method demonstrated by John in which Jesus was a participant.  Contrast this with the model prayer which we call the Lord's prayer and the meal we call the Last Supper.
3. There is no record in the Scriptures of the 12 disciples being baptised. Because it would be incoherent for them to baptise unless they themselves were baptised one needs to realise that some things are probably implicit rather than explicit. However, if they were baptised, who baptised them?

In Acts 2:38 Peter's words merge Luke's version of Jesus' words and Mark's version of Jesus' words including baptism:

And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'

Following on from in verse 41 we see that those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

It was an immediate response to Peter where three thousand were baptised, with no discipleship course and no other preparation. Was this because there was some urgency to do it immediately? 

In a discussion with a friend from Nicosia he summarised it as:

There are certain things in the scriptures above that we cannot deny. 

• Jesus commanded that everyone be baptized
• Jesus said that the one who believes and is baptized will be saved.
• Peter said that we must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins.
• People were baptized immediately upon believing. There was no delay, even to the point where they had to baptize 3000 people in one day.
• There is language in the Bible that shows that baptism is somehow linked to our death and resurrection in Christ.
• There are scriptures that show that baptism is somehow linked to forgiveness.

This doesn't address the issues of how the baptism takes place -- should it be still or moving water, sea or fresh water and full immersion or sprinkling. Nor does it address the question of whether it includes the infant family members of believing parents or not. 

Because there is no record of Jesus baptising people we don't have a direct model to follow, though of course Jesus himself was baptised in the river Jordan, hence why some people argue that baptism must take place in fresh water that is moving (like a river). 

And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. (Acts 16:33 ESV)

There are at least three references in Scripture to whole families being baptised. Though it is argued by those who follow only adult Believers Baptism and that didn't include the children and infants of the family, this is argued from cultural assumptions rather than Scriptural text.