Jesus answered, Verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. -St.Joh.3: 5. John the Baptist first instituted water baptism. His ministry shows that an open act of faith, believing upon God was necessary. -Matt.3: 1-11. Jesus was sent to be baptized of John, though He was without sin, saying, "For thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness" - Matthew 3:13-16. Baptism was a part of the end of the Old Testament, and a part of the beginning of the New Testament. I.John5: 6-Tells us that Jesus came by water and blood, water was the Baptism by John which was at the beginning of his ministry and his shed blood which was at the ending of his ministry. -St.Joh.19: 34. Jesus gave and showed us an example to follow. He commanded it by God in Matthew 28:19-Mark16: 16. Water baptism is the service that man can provide to man for his salvation. A man cannot baptize another man with the HolyGhost. Only God and Christ baptizes with the HolyGhost-St.Joh1: 34;Acts5: 32. And Peter follows up by saying, "Be baptized every one of you and by commanding the Jews and Gentiles to be baptized -Acts 2:38; 10:48- We must remember two points about the importance of water baptism. First, whatever Christ definitely ordained cannot be unimportant, whether we understand its significance or not. Second, Christ and the apostles showed the importance of this ordinance by observing it.

It is true that water itself does not contain any saving virtue, but God has chosen to include it in His plan of salvation. Peter explained, "Baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ", Its an act of faith and obedience. -I.Peter3: 21;Titus3: 5-8. Col.2:11- In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:,12 - Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. According to Luke 7:30, "the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized."(emerged in water)  Please do not be confused with understanding   Eph.4: 5-one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism. The one baptism is a two-fold baptism, meaning Jesus said be born again= (baptized) of water and of spirit. Obedience to believing in and on Jesus is the son of God, and to water baptism in his name and repenting to receive the HolyGhost =one Baptism. -St.John7: 38,39.You must have the experience of having both of, baptism of water and baptism of spirit. And not to be confused with I.John1: 7-9- this is address to already saved people (the church), not to sinners who are trying to get saved.All who are not sent by God will not receive this. -Rom.10: 13-15. All, who will say there is no need for water baptism, is of their father, the Devil. -St.John8: 43: 45. In Mark 7:9-Jesus said, Full well ye REJECT the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

According to the Scriptures, the proper method of baptism is immersion in water. "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water" -Matthew 3:16. "And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him" -Acts 8:38. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death" -Romans 6:4. A corpse is not buried by placing it on top of the ground and sprinkling a little soil on it, but by covering it completely.  Repentance identifies us with the death of Christ, and baptism identifies us with his, blood that was shed for our sins, his death and burial. Coming forth from the watery grave of baptism and receiving new life in the Holy Ghost identifies us with His resurrection.The Formula for Baptism -Jesus commanded His disciples to "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" -Matthew 28:19. He did not command them to use these words as a formula, by saying out titles, but He commanded them to baptize in "the name." The word name is used here in the singular, and it is the focal point of the baptismal command, meaning do by the authority of the name Jesus. "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" -Acts4:12.  Jesus is the name in which God gave for salvation. Jesus is not the personal name of God. The angel of the Lord instructed Joseph, "She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" -Matthew 1:21. Jesus said, "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, the Father will send in my name" -John 14:26. Luke 24:45-47 records that just before His ascension, Jesus opened the disciples' understanding. It was necessary that their understanding be opened, and many today need this same operation in order to understand the Scriptures.

Then Jesus said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day." The disciples had their understanding opened so that they could grasp the vast importance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Verse 47 describes the commission that Jesus then gave: "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations [Jews and Gentiles], beginning at Jerusalem."  After having listened to these instructions, a few days later Peter was inspired by the Holy Ghost to preach on the Day of Pentecost. The hearts of the hearers were pierced and, feeling condemned, they cried out to Peter and the other apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" -Acts 2:37-. Peter did not hesitate but boldly answered, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" -Acts 2:38-. "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" -Acts 2:41-. This is baptism of both water and spirit.      

Some say that Peter told them to be baptized in Jesus' name because they were Jews and this baptism was to make them acknowledge Jesus Christ. Cornelius and his household were Gentiles, yet there again Peter "commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" -Acts 10:48-. translations  say,"In the name of Jesus Christ. Was Peter wrong on the Day of Pentecost? When the hearers were pricked in their hearts, they spoke to Peter and to the rest of the apostles -Acts 2:37-. This included Matthew, who wrote Matthew 28:19. Moreover, when Peter preached, he stood up with the eleven Acts 2:14-. Matthew was there, yet we find no words of correction from him. He surely would have spoken up if Peter had disobeyed the Lord. But all the apostles understood and carried out the Lord's commission. If Peter was wrong then all of his writings in the book of Peter are False and in error. But notice no where is there mention by the other 11 apostles using titles or names. The Samaritans, who were not Jews, were also baptized in the name of Jesus. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them...."But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.... They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" -Acts 8:5, 12, 16

Let us see how Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, baptized. He went to Ephesus many years after the Day of Pentecost and found some disciples of John the Baptist there. "He said unto them, have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" -Acts 19:2-5-. Although these disciples had already been baptized, the name of Jesus was so important as to cause them to be rebaptized in His name. This showing an importance of water baptism for ones salvation.   We do not believe that Paul changed the formula or mode of baptism when he baptized Lydia and her household -Acts 16:14-15- Paul was chosen to bear Jesus' name to the Gentiles, and he wrote to the church. And Paul wrote, Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" -Colossians 3:17. Water baptism is done in both word and deed. We cannot afford to overlook this command to the church. The church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" -Ephesians 2:20. Paul said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" -Galatians 1:8. Some say that they will accept the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:19 but not those of Peter in Acts 2:38. But Peter spoke on the Day of Pentecost in obedience to what Jesus commanded them perfectly in Matt.28:19! Peter said "be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ". Why, because in,Luke 24:47-that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and  IJohn3:19-hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him,and vs# 23-this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

So to refuse to follow the Apostles doctrine and their exampleship of the baptism formula is also refusing the "counsel of God",therefore you are guilty of your sins that are not being removed by the "name of Jesus Christ" through faith and water baptism.

These written recorded examples of the required baptism of water, by the commandment of Christ. 

CHURCH AT JERUSALEM - 3000 added by baptism after receiving the word. Acts 2:41

 CHURCH AT SAMARIA - Believed and were baptized, men & women. Acts 8:12-16

CHURCH AT CAESAREA - Peter commanded them to be baptized. Acts 10:48

CHURCH AT PHILIPPI - Lydia & the Philippians jailer baptized.    Acts 16:14-33

CHURCH AT CORINTH - Paul preached. They believed and were baptized. Acts18:8 

 CHURCH AT EPHESUS - Paul rebaptizes for Dispensation of Grace. Acts 19:1-6

CHURCH AT GALATIA - Believed Paul and baptized into Christ. Gal 3:27,

CHURCH AT COLOSSE - They were buried with Christ in baptism. Col 2:12,

CHURCH AT ROME - They died to sin, then buried in baptism. Rom.6:1-4

Acts 2:38- Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.