The Definition & Command of Baptism
All confessions & catechisms · Small Catechism · Holy Baptism
What is Baptism?
Baptism is not merely water; it is water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s Word.
What is this Word of God?
It is the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in the last chapter of Matthew: "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." (Matthew 28:19)
Hymns connected to this article
All Christians Who Have Been Baptized
All Christians who have been baptized
Martin Luther ·1526
All Who Believe and Are Baptized
All who believe and are baptized
Tobias Clausnitzer ·1663
Anthem
We are called, we are chosen.
·1978
Baptismal Waters Cover Me
Baptismal waters cover me
Michael Burkart ·2006
Baptized and Set Free
Baptized and set free, called to live in love
Sylvia Dunstan ·1991
Baptized in Water
Baptized in water, sealed by the Spirit
Michael Saward ·1981
Baptized into Thy Name Most Holy
Baptized into Thy name most holy
Johann Jakob Rambach ·1720
Baptized into Your Name Most Holy
Baptized into Your name most holy
Johann Jakob Rambach ·1720
Be Thou My Vision
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
·1905
Behold a Host, Arrayed in White
Behold a host, arrayed in white
Friedrich Gebhardt ·1854
Bless the Lord My Soul
Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God's holy name.
·1984
Blessed Are the Sons of God
Blessed are the sons of God
Nikolai Frederick Severin Grundtvig ·1824
Brothers, Sisters, Let Us Gladly
Brothers, sisters, let us gladly
Nikolai Grundtvig ·1817
By Night We Hasten
By night we hasten in darkness to seek the living water
·1991
Christ Be Beside Me
Christ be beside me, Christ be before me,
·433
Christ is Alive Let Christians Sing
Christ is alive! Let Christians sing
Brian A. Wren ·1974
Christ, When for Us You Were Baptized
Christ, when for us you were baptized
Jaroslav J. Vajda ·1978
Christ, the Sure and Steady Anchor
Christ, the sure and steady anchor
Timothy Dudley-Smith ·2012
Come Oh Come Life Giving Spirit
Come, Oh come, Life-giving Spirit
Henry Harbaugh ·1860
Come Thou Fount (Robin Mark)
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
·1758
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come, thou Fount of every blessing
Robert Robinson ·1758
Crashing Waters at Creation
Crashing waters at creation, ordered by the Spirit's breath
Alan Luff ·1984
Dear Father You Have Made us All
Dear Father, You have made us all
Jaroslav J. Vajda ·1982
Dearest Jesus, We Are Here
Dearest Jesus, we are here
Tobias Clausnitzer ·1663
Dearest Jesus, We Are Here
Dearest Jesus, we are here gladly your command obeying
Benjamin Schmolck; tr. Catherine Winkworth ·1704
Deep Within
Deep within I will plant my law,
·1987
Every Time I Feel the Spirit
Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart I will pray.
·1872
Father Eternal Ruler of Creation
Father eternal, Ruler of creation
Laurence Tuttiett ·1864
Father Welcomes
Father welcomes all his children
Mark Foreman ·2006
Father, We Praise You
Father, we praise you, now the day is over
Sabine Baring-Gould ·1867
God to Enfold You
God to enfold you,
·1992
God's Holy Spirit Came
God's Holy Spirit came
Unknown ·1900
God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It
God's own child, I gladly say it
Erdmann Neumeister ·1714
Gracious Savior Gentle Shepherd
Gracious Savior, gentle Shepherd
Thomas Pollock ·1853
Hark the Voice of Jesus Crying
Hark the voice of Jesus crying
John Stevenson ·1870
He Is Lord
He is Lord, He is Lord,
·1970
He that Believes and is Baptized
He that believes and is baptized
Erasmus Speratus ·1524
Herald, Sound the Note of Judgment
Herald, sound the note of judgment
Carl P. Daw Jr. ·1989
Here I Am Lord
I, the Lord of sea and sky
·1981
Holiness Is Faithfulness
Holiness is faithfulness to the journey we have made,
·1990
I Bind Unto Myself Today (St. Patrick's Breastplate)
I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity
St. Patrick / Cecil Frances Alexander ·433
I Have Loved You
I have loved you with an everlasting love,
·1979
If Then You Have Been Raised with Christ
If then you have been raised with Christ
Timothy Dudley-Smith ·1984
In Christ Called to Baptize
In Christ called to baptize, making disciples of all the nations
Thomas H. Troeger ·1993
In Christ There is No East or West
In Christ there is no East or West
John Oxenham ·1908
Lord I Want to Be a Christian
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart;
·1750
Lord, You Call Us as Your People
Lord, you call us as your people
Gracia Grindal ·1984
Mark How the Lamb of God's Self-Offering
Mark how the Lamb of God's self-offering
Jaroslav J. Vajda ·1978
Morning Has Broken
Morning has broken like the first morning
·1931
Now We Remain
We hold the death of the Lord deep in our hearts.
·1983
O Blessed Day When First was Poured
O blessed day when first was poured
Martin Behm ·1602
O Blessed Spring
O blessed spring, where Christ is planted
Jane Parker Huber ·1984
O Christians Haste
O Gracious Lord, With Love Draw Near
O gracious Lord, with love draw near
Johann Gottfried Olearius ·1671
O Jesus I Have Promised
O Jesus I have promised to serve Thee to the end
John Ernest Bode ·1866
O Sons and Daughters of the King
O sons and daughters of the King
Jean Tisserand ·1494
On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Charles Coffin ·1736
Once in the Blest Baptismal Waters
Once in the blest baptismal waters
James Reichardt ·1871
Praise to Thee and Adoration
Praise to thee and adoration
Martin Behm ·1610
Rise Thou Light of Gentile Nations
Rise, thou light of gentile nations
Aurelius Clemens Prudentius ·1870
See This Wonder in the Making
See this wonder in the making
Jaroslav J. Vajda ·1978
Shall We Gather at the River
Shall we gather at the river,
·1864
Shepherd Me O God
Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.
·1986
Siyahamba
Siyahamba ekukhanyeni kwenkhos
·1984
Song of Moses and Israel
I sing the mighty power of God
Isaac Watts ·1715
Sweet Flowerets of the Martyr Band
Sweet flowerets of the martyr band
Prudentius Aurelius Clemens ·1582
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.
·1862
Take O Take Me As I Am
Take, O take me as I am;
·1995
Through Simple Water, Drawn and Poured
Through simple water, drawn and poured
Jaroslav J. Vajda ·1978
Thuma Mina
Thuma mina, thuma mina, thuma mina, Somandla.
·1984
To Jordan Came Our Lord the Christ
To Jordan came our Lord, the Christ
Soren Kierkegaard ·1844
Wade in the Water
Wade in the water, wade in the water, children,
·1900
Water, Blood, and Spirit Crying
Water, blood, and spirit crying
James Rosenthal Woodward ·1860
We Are Called
Come! Live in the light!
·1988
We Are Your People
We are your people, called and chosen
Melvin Farmen ·1980
We Have Been Told
We have been told, we've seen his face,
·1983
We Know that Christ is Raised
We know that Christ is raised and dies no more
John Brownlow Geyer ·1982
We Were Buried With Him Into Death
We were buried with Him into death
Daniel Deutschmann ·1698
Will You Come and Follow Me
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
·1987
Will You Let Me Be Your Servant
Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you?
·1977
Word and Water Filled with Promise
Word and water filled with promise
Jaroslav J. Vajda ·1980
You Are Mine
I will come to you in the silence
·1991
You Have Put on Christ
You have put on Christ
John W. Arthur ·1978