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Baptism Checklist & Guide

Originally Written: 2020-06-26 | Last Updated: 2022-11-21

These are general thoughts and things to think about when someone wants you to baptize them, and helps outline a general guide to assist you in doing baptisms. Before baptizing someone else, it is probably best that you yourself also are first baptized in the Name of Yahushua by someone who has been baptized in the Name of Yahushua. This statement is based upon the example we see in the Scriptures that, as far as we know, all persons in the Bible were baptized by someone else who was baptized in the Name of Yahushua. We do not have any evidence to show something else, so we think this is the safest assumption to make and would be our advice to others. With that being said, here are some things to cover before baptizing someone:

  1. Introduce them to the basics of the Good News of Yahushua as follows:

    1. "We have all sinned and we need forgiveness for our sins, and the only way to be forgiven for our sins is through faith (belief) in Yahushua, through the shed blood of Yahushua. Romans 3:23-26 covers this."
    2. "Yahushua was perfect and never sinned, but He voluntarily gave up His life and died a painful death so that we could be forgiven for our sins, but we must believe in Him, take up our stake and follow Him, repent, turn away from sin, turn away from evil, and be baptized (immersed) in the Name of Yahushua HaMashiach (the Anointed) of Natsareth for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit. The Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit helps us to walk in righteousness and do what’s right. 2 Corinthians 5:21, John 10:18, Matthew 10:38, Acts 2:38, and Ezekiel 36:27 covers this."
    3. "We must believe in Yahushua, that He is the Anointed (HaMashiach), the Son of the Living Elohiym. Matthew 16:16 and John 6:69 covers this."
    4. "Yahushua came, died, laid in the tomb, and was raised the third day." Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 and Acts 10:30-48 to them as witnesses.
  2. Explain the basics of the resurrection of the dead, the judgment to come, that Yahushua is the Judge of the Living and the Dead, and the Power and Authority of Yahushua. Also re-emphasize that repentance is necessary as follows:

    1. "There will be two resurrections of the dead: one resurrection for people who live forever, and one resurrection for people who are thrown in the lake of fire. Yahushua is the Judge of the Living and the Dead. He rose the third day, and all power and authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Him. People must believe in Yahushua and repent of sin. If they do not repent, they will not inherit eternal life. Daniel 12:2, Revelation 20:1-21:8, Acts 10:42, Matthew 28:18-20, Galatians 5:19-21, Luke 13:3, and Luke 13:5 covers this."
  3. Read Romans 14:23, James 4:17, 1 John 3:4, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 5:11, Romans 16:17, and Acts 15:20-21 to cover basic things all new believers should repent of, and to make sure they understand one purpose of the Sabbath is to continue to learn because believers will continue to learn new things because we don’t learn everything all at once. These verses will make sure you’ve covered some major, very important basics. Ask them if they have any questions about these verses. Maybe say something at the end like, "Obviously a person can’t be living a life of homosexuality or drunkenness or sexual immorality or idolatry or other similar blatantly obvious things that are sinful to do. That should be obvious to all."
  4. Ask them, "Do you repent?". If they have repented (based upon their understanding), you can move forward. This should be simple and easy, not long and complicated. People are not required to agree with us on everything we think in order to get baptized. Yahweh will help them in their walk, and we can follow up with them because the great Commission doesn’t stop at baptism; Yahushua said to teach them to obey all that He commanded also.
  5. "Do you believe that Yahushua is the Anointed, the Son of the Living Elohiym, and that He came, died, laid in the tomb, and was raised the third day?"
  6. "Do you believe that through repentance and faith (belief) in Yahushua, through His shed blood, we receive full forgiveness of sins?"
  7. Emphasize the importance and urgency of baptism and explain about the laying on of hands after baptism and prayer to receive the Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit by reading John 3:5, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 8:26-39, Acts 9:17-18, Acts 10:48, Acts 16:33, 1 Peter 3:21, and Acts 22:16.
  8. Speak to them about Romans 10:9. Read it to them:
    Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth the Adon Yahushua and believe in your heart that Elohiym has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Ask, "Do you believe in your heart that Elohiym has raised Him from the dead?".
  9. "You need to understand that this is a lifelong commitment and not take this lightly. Do you understand?"
  10. When you are in the water, first go out deep enough where it seems like it would be possible to easily fully immerse them. You don’t want it too deep but you don’t want it too shallow. Make sure you go out to the place where the baptism happens so you don’t have to keep moving around or go out deeper later on.
  11. When you are in the water, ask them if they want to say anything to YHWH quietly or out loud or confess anything before you baptize/submerge them. If the water is super, super cold, you could do this part before going into the water, but it’s good to do this in the water I think right before the baptism happens. Sometimes it’s easier to travel where water is warmer also.
  12. When you are in the water and the person indicates they are ready after any discussion, prayers, questions, confessions they make privately or out loud to Yahweh, then you could follow these steps (some of this is repeating the belief questions again):

    1. "Do you believe that Yahushua is the Anointed, the Son of the Living Elohiym, and that He came, died, laid in the tomb, and was raised the third day?"
    2. "Do you believe that by faith in Yahushua, through His shed blood, that you receive forgiveness of sins?"
    3. After they put their hand on their nose, and their other hand on their elbow, you can put one hand on their back and another hand on a part of their arm or elbow or wherever is appropriate also. Before baptizing them, make sure you are not rushing. Consciously pay attention to what you are doing and what you are about to say, and also remember to make sure you are deep enough in the water to easily fully immerse them in the water, and focus on doing it right. You don’t want to be out too deep, but you don’t want to be where it’s too shallow either. When you are both ready, right before baptizing them, say:

      "I now immerse you in the Name of Yahushua HaMashiach of Natsareth for the remission of sins."

      Note: I feel there is significance to the last part "of Natsareth" based upon what I see in the Scriptures that use this with His Name.
    4. Now the Baptism is done with one person taking the other person backwards in the water. The person being baptized usually puts one hand on their nose and the other hand under the elbow of their other arm. The position when fully submerged is similar to a laying down position as if they were laying down on their back in a casket when buried (this should remind us of how we are "buried in baptism" Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12). The person being baptized is relying upon the person baptizing them to take them backwards down in the water and pull them back up (they are raised to a new life). The baptizing is really being done by Yahushua, but we are the vessels He works through. It is advisable to have 1 or 2 other witnesses to verify the person was fully submerged and no knees or hair popped up out of the water, but I have baptized people before where it was just me and them. When alone, if I had any uncertainty about them being fully submerged, I repeated the statement again a second time and baptized them a second time just to be sure if the first time had any ounce of question in my mind. Sometimes I would go a step further out.
    5. There are discussions amongst believers about what kinds of bodies of water are acceptable. The first time I was baptized in the Name of Yahushua was in a lake, but I thought my knee popped out though the Elder said it didn’t. The second time I was baptized was in what I was told was a "Spring-fed pool". Some people say baptism must be done in "living water". I’m not sure what they mean by this - if they mean a spring-fed pool qualifies, or do they mean a lake or a river? I’m not sure. Does a spring-fed pool qualify as "living water"? I would guess so, but Biblically I cannot find any verse that says it has to be one specific kind of body of water. However, I do believe Biblical baptism was a full immersion of one person taking the other backwards in the water.

      Biblically, the phrase "living water" or "living waters", is used in Song of Songs 4:15, Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah 17:13, Zechariah 14:8, John 4:10, John 4:11, and John 7:38. "Living waters" appears to be referring to Yahweh Himself in addition to the literal physical waters, and also seems to be referring, I think, to the Set-Apart Spirit in the John verses; and perhaps maybe other things in Scriptures. We have living waters in us through Yahushua as the verses in John indicates - which means we have Yahweh and Yahushua with us and in us through the Set-Apart Spirit living in us, which gives life to us.

      I would be OK baptizing someone in a swimming pool if that’s what they wanted. People in prison also sometimes can’t make it to a lake or river but I would consider their baptisms valid. I think if they want to do a river baptism when they are released though or some other re-baptism in a way they believe is more correct than what they did, that’s good also, and we should keep our conscience clear, but I would tell them it’s up to them but that I think it’s a good idea to clear their conscience if they have any questions inside about it.

      Because my second baptism was in a spring-fed pool, I had considered getting baptized a third time, but the reason I didn’t for about 10 years afterwards is because I can’t find any verse saying a spring-fed pool Is not sufficient. Really, I can’t find any verse at all that indicates it has to be any specific kind of body of water. However, in writing this study, I decided to do a third baptism in a river (in 2020) because I don't know if the pool I was baptized in is different from what they used 2,000 years ago or if that makes a difference, but I do know for sure a river is a river, and so that removes that question in my mind. I wanted to do it as close as possible to how it was done 2,000 years ago, even down to the detail of the type of body of water. I do believe they had pools, I just don’t know what those pools were like and wanted to remove any questions from my mind by having it done in a river. However, I do consider my first two baptisms in the Name of Yahushua valid. I know that He filled me with His Set-Apart Spirit, He changed me, and has changed my life.
  13. After baptism, after exiting the water, the person who baptized them and any Elders (men aged 50+ who are immersed believers) lay hands on the person and pray for them. Part of the prayers are to receive the Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit (Ruach HaQodesh), but prayers can be for other things also related to callings in their life, ministry, healings, guidance, or however Yahweh leads the prayer by the Set-Apart Spirit.