
Baptism
“And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;”
— Matthew 3:16
Baptism involves being completely immersed in water and then coming out of it. a That is why Jesus was baptized in the river. (Matthew 3:13, 16) Similarly, when an Ethiopian man came to “a certain body of water,” he asked to be baptized.—Acts 8:36-4
The Bible likens baptism to burial. (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12) Water baptism symbolizes dying to one’s former way of life and becoming alive to God as a dedicated Christian. Baptism and the steps leading up to it are God’s provisions for gaining a clean conscience on the basis of faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21) Therefore, Jesus taught his disciples to be baptized.—Matthew 28:19,
“Epiphany” means “manifestation.”
It comes from Greek roots that mean “to show, to display” (phainein) and “on, to” (epi-).
An epiphany is thus a time when something is shown, displayed, or manifested to an audience.
The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world. the great feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee.
In the magi, representatives of the neighboring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation.
The magi’s coming to Jerusalem in order to pay homage to the king of the Jews shows that they seek in Israel, in the messianic light of the star of David, the one who will be king of the nations.
Their coming means that pagans can discover Jesus and worship him as Son of God and Savior of the world only by turning towards the Jews and receiving from them the messianic promise as contained in the Old Testament.
The Importance of Baptism
Jesus indicated that baptism was a requirement for his disciples. (Matthew 28:19, 20) So baptism is still a requirement for Christians today. Even more important, the Bible indicates that baptism is necessary for salvation.—1 Peter 3:2
However, your motive for getting baptized should be love and appreciation for Jehovah. You need to have the psalmist's attitude. The psalmist wrote: “What shall I repay to Jehovah for all his benefits to me? . . And I will call upon the name of Jehovah. I will pay my vows to Jehovah now in the presence of all his people.”—Psalm 116:12-1
Consider: What good things has Jehovah done for you? What can you answer him? See Deuteronomy 10:12, 13 and Romans 12:1
What does it mean to mention Christianity?
The idea of “raising Christianity” is not found in the Bible. Christianization refers to “baptizing” (sprinkling water or pouring water over the head) and naming a child in some monastic ceremonies.
Does the Bible teach about infant baptism?
No, it doesn’t teach. Christian baptism is for those who can understand and believe “the good news of the kingdom of God.” (Acts 8:12) Baptism involves hearing, accepting, and repenting of God's word. And a child cannot do that.—Acts 2:22, 38,
Furthermore, the Bible shows that God views Christian parents as holy because of their faithfulness. (1 Corinthians 7:14) If infant baptism were acceptable, they would not need to be sanctified by the actions of their parents.
Source:buildfaith,britanicca,