There are many Bible verses about baptism which is an important sacrament of Christian initiation that is marked by the ceremonial use of water.
Below is a list of the most important scriptures on baptism in the Bible so you can understand how this sacrament is used as a symbol of dying to self and being reborn into a new life in Christ. The first part includes the best Bible quotes about baptism in the New Testament and the second part contains an entire collection of scripture passages that mention the words “baptism” and “baptise” in the Bible and Old Testament references to the ordinance.
Bible Verses About Baptism
Matthew 3:1-2
In those days, John the Baptiser came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
Read Matthew 3
Matthew 3:5-6
Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. They were baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Read Matthew 3
Matthew 3:11
“I indeed baptise you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit.”
Read Matthew 3
Matthew 3:16
Jesus, when he was baptised, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.
Read Matthew 3
Matthew 28:19-20
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Read Matthew 28
Mark 16:16
He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.
Read Mark 16
Luke 3:21-22
Now when all the people were baptised, Jesus also had been baptised and was praying. The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”
Read Luke 3
John 1:33
I didn’t recognise him, but he who sent me to baptise in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptises in the Holy Spirit.’
Read John 1
John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.”
Read John 3
Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Read Acts 2
Acts 22:16
‘Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptised, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Read Acts 22
Romans 6:3-4
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
Read Romans 6
1 Corinthians 12:13
For in one Spirit we were all baptised into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
Read 1 Corinthians 12
Galatians 3:27
For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ.
Read Galatians 3
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all.
Read Ephesians 4
Colossians 2:11-12
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Read Colossians 2
More Scriptures On Baptism
Matthew 20:22-23
But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
Read Matthew 20
Matthew 21:25
The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
Read Matthew 21
Mark 1:4
John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
Read Mark 1
Mark 1:7-11
He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. I baptised you in water, but he will baptise you in the Holy Spirit.” In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Read Mark 1
Mark 10:38
But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
Read Mark 10
Mark 10:39
They said to him, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; 40 but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared.”
Read Mark 10
Mark 11:30
The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”
Read Mark 11
Luke 3:3
He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins.
Read Luke 3
Luke 3:16
John answered them all, “I indeed baptise you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Read Luke 3
Luke 7:29-30
When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.
Read Luke 7
Luke 20:4
“The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”
Read Luke 20
John 1:29-34
The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’ I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptising in water, that he would be revealed to Israel.” John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him. I didn’t recognise him, but he who sent me to baptise in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptises in the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
Read John 1
Acts 1:5
“For John indeed baptised in water, but you will be baptised in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Read Acts 1
Acts 1:22
“Beginning from the baptism of John to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
Read Acts 1
Acts 2:3-4
Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
Read Acts 2
Acts 2:41
Then those who gladly received his word were baptised. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
Read Acts 2
Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning God’s Kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women.
Read Acts 8
Acts 8:36-39
As they went on the way, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptised?” He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.
Read Acts 8
Acts 10:47-48
“Can anyone forbid these people from being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just like us.” He commanded them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay some days.
Read Acts 10
Acts 11:16
I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John indeed baptised in water, but you will be baptised in the Holy Spirit.’
Read Acts 11
Acts 16:29-33
He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptised, he and all his household.
Read Acts 16
Acts 19:4-6
Paul said, “John indeed baptised with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Read Acts 19
Titus 3:4-6
But when the kindness of God our Saviour and his love towards mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Read Titus 3
Old Testament Bible Passages About Baptism
The physical practice of baptism for the Christ sacrament of initiation and adoption is not found in the Old Testament, although there are events in biblical history that foreshadowed the ordinance.
There is one Bible passage in the Old Testament in the book of 2 Kings that Christians witness the prefiguration of their own baptisms. This event included a full immersion in water in the Jordan River by Naaman, who was cured of leprosy through a baptismal-like process that symbolized being cleansed:
2 Kings 5:14
Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Read 2 Kings 4
Another event is chronicled in the Genesis flood narrative (chapters 6-9) and mentioned in 1 Peter:
1 Peter 3:20-21
God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Read 1 Peter 3
Similarly, the people of Israel were baptised, in a sense, when they crossed the Red Sea as explained by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 10:1-2
Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
Read 1 Corinthians 10
More Bible Verse Topics
Want to explore more topical Bible verses to find out what God’s Word says about certain subjects? Dive into our library of Bible Verses By Topic. Whether you’re seeking guidance, comfort, or inspiration, these Scripture collections are organized to help you find biblical insight on a wide array of subjects.
Baptism In the Bible Summary
I hope you enjoyed this list of Bible verses about baptism.
As you discovered, there are many scriptures on baptism in the Bible that reference this important sacrament marked by the ceremonial use of water as a symbol of dying to self and being reborn into a new life in Christ. Hopefully, this list of baptism passages has given you a better understanding of what it means to be baptised in the Bible.
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