Why Nao Iumi Shud Baptaes?

“Go and mek-disaepol long pipol bilong evri nation, baptaesim olketa.”—Matthew 28:19.

1, 2. (a) Wanem nao mekem samfala for baptaes? (b) Wanem nao olketa kwestin wea kamap abaotem baptism?

KING Charlemagne, wea hem wanfala Frank, forcem full sekson bilong olketa Saxon wea hem winim for baptaes long 775-77 C.E. John Lord, man for raetem history sei: “Hem forcem olketa for changem religion and kamap Christian long nem nomoa.” Long sem wei, bihaen hem maritim wanfala Greek Orthodox princess long 987 C.E., ruler long Russia, Vladimir I disaed tu for pipol wea stap anda long hem mas kamap “olketa Christian.” Hem givim order for bigfala sekson long pipol bilong hem for baptaes—and sapos man no duim bae olketa killim hem dae.

² Waswe, kaen baptism olsem hem fitim? Waswe, hem tru wan? Waswe, fitim eniwan nomoa for baptaes?

Baptism—Hao?

3, 4. Why nao wei for splasem or pourim wata long hed hem no fitim baptism bilong Christian?

³ Taem Charlemagne and Vladimir I forcem pipol for baptaes, olketa ruler hia duim samting wea no fitim wanem Word bilong God talem. Tru nao, no eni gud samting hem kamaot from wei for baptaes wea olketa splasem wata, pourim wata long hed, or wei for putim anda long wata man wea no lanem truth bilong Bible.

⁴ Tingim samting wea happen taem Jesus bilong Nazareth go long John Baptaesa long 29 C.E. John hem bin baptaesim pipol insaed long Jordan River. Olketa nao kam seleva long hem for baptaes. Waswe, hem askem olketa for standap insaed long Jordan taem hem pourim lelebet wata long hed bilong olketa or splasem wata long olketa? Wanem nao happen taem John baptaesim Jesus? Matthew sei bihaen hem baptaes “Jesus hem kamap from wata.” (Matthew 3:16) Hem bin insaed long wata, from hem baptaes anda long wata bilong Jordan River. Long sem wei tu, datfala eunuch bilong Ethiopia hem baptaes insaed “wanfala pool wata.” Olketa needim pool wata olsem bikos baptism bilong Jesus and olketa disaepol needim wei for man go anda long wata evribit.—Acts 8:36.

5. Hao nao olketa first Christian baptaesim pipol?

⁵ Olketa Greek word wea olketa transleitim “baptaes,” “baptism,” and samfala moa, hem minim for go anda long wata evribit. Smith’s Bible Dictionary sei: “Stretfala and really mining bilong baptism hem for putim man anda long wata.” Dastawe samfala Bible transleison story abaotem “John wea putim man anda long wata” and “John man for daonem man insaed wata.” (Matthew 3:1, Rotherham; Diaglott interlinear) Augustus Neander wea raetem buk, History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries sei: “Long firstaem, olketa duim baptism long wei for putim man anda long wata.” Datfala buk long French languis Larousse du XX^e Siècle (Paris, 1928) sei olsem: “Olketa first Christian baptaes long wei for go anda long wata long eni ples wea wata hem stap.” And New Catholic Encyclopedia sei: “Hem klia hao Baptism long Church firstaem hem long wei for putim man anda long wata.” (1967, Volume II, page 56) So distaem, wei for baptaes olsem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness hem samting wea man seleva willing for duim, wea hem mas go anda long wata evribit.

Niufala Reason for Baptaes

6, 7. (a) Why nao John baptaesim pipol? (b) Wanem nao niu samting abaotem baptism bilong olketa follower bilong Jesus?

⁶ Olketa baptism wea John duim garem difren purpose from baptism wea olketa follower bilong Jesus duim. (John 4:1, 2) John baptaesim pipol olsem wanfala pablik saen for showaot olketa repent long olketa sin againstim Law.a (Luke 3:3) Bat wanfala niu samting hem insaed long baptism wea olketa follower bilong Jesus duim. Long Pentecost 33 C.E., aposol Peter encouragem olketa wea lisin long hem: “Repent, and letem each wan long iufala baptaes long nem bilong Jesus Christ for kasem forgiveness for sin bilong iufala.” (Acts 2:37-41) Nomata hem story long olketa Jew and olketa niu follower, Peter no storyim baptism olsem saen for showimaot olketa repent long olketa sin againstim Law; and hem no minim tu hao wei for baptaes long nem bilong Jesus hem piksarem wei for aotem olketa sin.—Acts 2:10.

⁷ Long datfala taem, Peter iusim first wan long “olketa key bilong kingdom.” For wanem? For showimaot long olketa wea lisin chance wea olketa garem for go insaed Kingdom long heven. (Matthew 16:19) Bikos olketa Jew rejectim Jesus olsem Messiah, wei for repent and showimaot faith long hem, hem wanfala niu and important part long wei for aftarem and kasem forgiveness bilong God. Olketa savve givim pruv long pablik abaotem faith hia taem olketa go anda long wata insaed nem bilong Jesus Christ. Long wei olsem olketa showimaot wei wea olketa seleva dedicate long God thru long Christ. Evriwan wea laekem God for appruvim olketa distaem mas showimaot semkaen faith, dedicatem olketa seleva long Jehovah God, and baptaes olsem Christian olsem wanfala saen bilong wei for dedicate evribit long Most Hae God.

Needim Stretfala Savve

8. Why nao wei for baptaes olsem wanfala Christian hem no fitim evriwan?

⁸ No evriwan fit for baptaes olsem Christian. Jesus givim disfala komand long olketa follower bilong hem: “Go and mek-disaepol long pipol bilong evri nation, baptaesim olketa long nem bilong Father and bilong Son and bilong holy spirit, teachim olketa for duim evri samting wea mi komandim long iufala.” (Matthew 28:19, 20) Bifor man baptaes, samwan mas ‘teachim hem for duim evri samting wea Jesus komandim long olketa disaepol bilong hem.’ Dastawe, wei for forcem man for baptaes wea short long faith wea garem faondeson long stretfala savve from Word bilong God, hem iusles and no fitim komand wea Jesus givim for olketa trufala follower bilong hem.—Hebrews 11:6.

9. Wanem nao hem minim for baptaes “long nem bilong Father”?

⁹ Wanem nao hem minim for baptaes “long nem bilong Father”? Hem minim man wea redy for baptaes luksavve long position and paoa bilong Father bilong iumi long heven. Hem luksavve long Jehovah God olsem Creator bilong iumi, “Most Hae ovarem full earth,” Sovereign Ruler bilong Universe.—Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 40:28; Acts 4:24.

10. For baptaes long ‘nem bilong Son’ hem minim wanem?

¹⁰ For baptaes ‘long nem bilong Son’ hem minim for luksavve long position and paoa bilong only-born Son bilong God. (1 John 4:9) Olketa wea kamap fit for baptaes acceptim Jesus olsem datwan wea God givim olsem “ransom for baem bak planti pipol.” (Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6) Olketa wea redy for baptaes mas acceptim tu “hae position” wea God hem givim long Son bilong hem.—Philippians 2:8-11; Revelation 19:16.

11. Wanem nao hem minim for baptaes ‘long nem bilong holy spirit’?

¹¹ Wanem nao mining bilong wei for baptaes ‘long nem bilong holy spirit’? Diswan minim olketa wea bae baptaes acceptim wei wea holy spirit hem paoa bilong Jehovah, wea hem iusim long olketa difren wei for duim purpose bilong hem. (Genesis 1:2; 2 Samuel 23:1, 2; 2 Peter 1:21) Olketa wea kamap fit for baptaes luksavve hao datfala holy spirit nao helpem olketa for minim “olketa deep samting bilong God,” for duim waka for preachim Kingdom, and for showimaot frut bilong spirit olsem “love, hapi, peace, long-safaring, kaenfala fasin, gudfala fasin, faith, kwaet fasin, fasin for kontrolem seleva.”—1 Corinthians 2:10; Galatians 5:22, 23; Joel 2:28, 29.

Important Tumas for Repent and Tan Raon

12. Hao nao wei for baptaes olsem Christian hem join witim wei for repent?

¹² For evriwan, bat no Jesus wea no garem sin, baptism hem saen wea God appruvim wea join witim wei for repent. Taem iumi repent, iumi feel sorre tumas long samting wea iumi duim or fail for duim. Olketa Jew long first century wea want for mekem God hapi mas repent long olketa sin wea olketa duim againstim Christ. (Acts 3:11-19) Samfala Gentile wea biliv long Corinth repent from fornication, wei for worshipim idol, fasin for steal, and nara bigfala sin. Bikos olketa repent, olketa “kamap klin” long blood bilong Jesus; olketa “kamap holy,” or stap separate for servem God; and olketa kamap “raeteous” thru long nem bilong Christ and witim spirit bilong God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) Wei for repent hem wanfala important step for kasem gudfala conscience and help from God for free from guilty feeling bilong sin.—1 Peter 3:21.

13. Saed long baptism, wanem nao insaed long wei for tan raon?

¹³ Iumi mas tan raon bifor iumi baptaes olsem olketa Witness bilong Jehovah. Wei for tan raon hem samting wea man seleva disaedem witim full heart for followim Christ Jesus. Olketa olsem rejectim nogud fasin bilong olketa bifor and disaed strong for duim samting wea stret long eye bilong God. Long Bible, olketa Hebrew and Greek word hia garem mining for tan bak, tan raon. Diswan minim for lusim rong gogo and tan go long God. (1 Kings 8:33, 34) Wei for tan raon minim man mas “duim olketa waka wea fitim wei for repent.” (Acts 26:20) Hem minim for iumi lusim giaman worship, duim samting followim olketa komandment bilong God, and worshipim Jehovah nomoa. (Deuteronomy 30:2, 8-10; 1 Samuel 7:3) Wei for tan raon minim wei for change saed long tingting, olketa goal, and fasin. (Ezekiel 18:31) Iumi “tan raon” taem olketa niu fasin changem olketa fasin wea no followim God.—Acts 3:19; Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:5-14.

Mas Dedicate Witim Full Heart

14. Olketa follower bilong Jesus dedicate long wanem wei?

¹⁴ Bifor olketa follower bilong Jesus baptaes, olketa mas dedicate long God witim full heart. Dedication hem minim wei for stap separate for wanfala holy purpose. Diswan hem important tumas dastawe iumi shud prea for talem long Jehovah disison bilong iumi for worshipim hem for olowe. (Deuteronomy 5:9) Tru, iumi no dedicate long wanfala waka or long eni man bat long God seleva.

15. Why nao olketa wea bae baptaes mas go anda long wata?

¹⁵ Taem iumi dedicatem iumiseleva long God thru long Christ, iumi talemaot wei wea iumi disaed strong for iusim laef bilong iumi for duim will bilong God wea stap insaed Bible. For showimaot datfala dedication, olketa wea bae baptaes mas go anda long wata, olsem Jesus hem baptaes insaed long Jordan River for showimaot wei wea hem givim hemseleva long God. (Matthew 3:13) Hem gud for lukim hao Jesus hem go ahed for prea taem datfala barava important samting hem happen.—Luke 3:21, 22.

16. Hao nao iumi savve showimaot hapi bilong iumi taem iumi lukim pipol baptaes?

¹⁶ Baptism bilong Jesus hem serious samting and givim hapi tu. Diswan semsem tu witim Christian baptism distaem. Taem iumi lukim pipol showimaot olketa dedicate long God, iumi savve klapim hand and talem toktok bilong welkam for showim hapi bilong iumi. Bat iumi no singaot, whistle, and kaen samting olsem from iumi showim respect for disfala holy wei for showimaot faith. Hapi bilong iumi showaot witim respect.

17, 18. Wanem nao helpem olketa Christian elder for savve sapos man fit for baptaes?

¹⁷ Long difren wei from olketa wea splasem wata long baby or forcem pipol wea no garem savve long Bible for baptaes, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness nating forcem eniwan for baptaes. For tok stret, olketa no baptaesim eniwan wea no fit long spiritual saed. Bifor eniwan savve kamap man for preachim gud nius wea no baptaes, olketa Christian elder mek sure hem minim olketa main Bible teaching, hem live followim olketa hia, and ansa yes long disfala kwestin, “Waswe, iu really laek for kamap wanfala Jehovah’s Witness?”

¹⁸ Taem olketa share insaed long waka for preach abaotem Kingdom and want for baptaes, olketa Christian elder meet witim olketa for mek sure olketa biliv and mekem dedication long Jehovah and kasem olketa mark bilong God for baptaes. (Acts 4:4; 18:8) Ansa wea olketa givim for winim 100 kwestin long olketa Bible teaching helpem olketa elder for luksavve sapos olketa kasem olketa mark bilong Bible for baptaes. Samfala no fit so olketa no savve baptaes olsem Christian.

Waswe, Eni Samting Mekem Iu Hol Bak?

19. From samting wea John 6:44 talem, hu nao bae rul witim Jesus?

¹⁹ Planti wea pipol forcem olketa for baptaes herem hao olketa bae go long heven taem olketa dae. Bat Jesus sei olsem abaotem olketa follower wea followim step bilong hem: “No eni man savve kam long mi sapos Father, wea sendem mi, no pullim hem.” (John 6:44) Jehovah hem pullim 144,000 for kam long Christ, wea bae rul witim Jesus insaed Kingdom long heven. Wei for forcem man for baptaes hem no mekem eniwan kamap holy for kasem wanfala nambawan ples insaed datfala arrangement bilong God.—Romans 8:14-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 14:1.

20. Wanem nao maet helpem samfala wea no baptaes yet?

²⁰ Start kam long olketa year raonem 1935, planti wea hope for laef thru long “datfala big trabol” and laef olowe long earth joinim olketa “nara sheep” bilong Jesus. (Revelation 7:9, 14; John 10:16) Olketa kamap fit for baptaes bikos olketa mekem living bilong olketa followim Word bilong God and lovem hem witim ‘full heart, soul, strong, and mind.’ (Luke 10:25-28) Nomata samfala luksavve Olketa Jehovah’s Witness ‘worshipim God witim spirit and truth,’ olketa no followim yet example bilong Jesus and givim pruv long pablik abaotem trufala love and wei for worshipim Jehovah nomoa long wei for baptaes. (John 4:23, 24; Deuteronomy 4:24; Mark 1:9-11) Strongfala prea abaotem disfala important step maet muvim olketa for no fraet for followim evribit Word bilong God, for dedicate evribit long Jehovah God, and baptaes.

21, 22. Wanem nao samfala reason why samfala hol bak for dedicate and baptaes?

²¹ Samfala hol bak for dedicate and baptaes bikos olketa busy tumas long olketa samting bilong world or wei for aftarem riches gogo olketa no garem enitaem for olketa spiritual samting. (Matthew 13:22; 1 John 2:15-17) Sapos olketa changem tingting and goal bilong olketa, bae olketa hapi tumas! Wei for kam klosap long Jehovah bae mekem olketa kamap rich long spiritual wei, helpem olketa for daonem wari bilong olketa, and givim olketa peace and wei for satisfae wea kamaot from wei for duim will bilong God.—Psalm 16:11; 40:8; Proverbs 10:22; Philippians 4:6, 7.

²² Samfala sei olketa lovem Jehovah bat olketa no dedicate and baptaes bikos wei for no duim diswan minim bae olketa missim need for givim ansa long God. Bat each wan long iumi mas givim ansa long God. Iumi kasem responsibility taem iumi herem word bilong Jehovah. (Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 14:12) Olsem ‘pipol wea hem chusim,’ olketa Israelite bifor born insaed wanfala nation wea dedicate long Jehovah so olketa garem responsibility for servem hem long faithful wei followim olketa law bilong hem. (Deuteronomy 7:6, 11) No eniwan hem born insaed long nation olsem distaem, bat sapos iumi kasem stretfala instruction from Bible, iumi need for duim samting followim datwan witim faith.

23, 24. Wanem wei for fraet nao shud no mekem man hol bak for baptaes?

²³ Wei for fraet from olketa no garem inaf savve maet mekem samfala hol bak for baptaes. Nomata olsem, iumi evriwan need for lanem planti samting bikos ‘olketa man bae nating faendemaot waka bilong trufala God from start go kasem finis.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Tingim datfala eunuch bilong Ethiopia. Olsem wanfala niu follower, hem garem samfala savve long Bible, bat hem no savve ansarem evri kwestin abaotem olketa purpose bilong God. Nomata olsem, bihaen hem lanem arrangement bilong Jehovah for salvation thru long ransom sakrifaes bilong Jesus, datfala eunuch hem stretawe baptaes long wata.—Acts 8:26-38.

²⁴ Samfala hol bak for dedicate long God bikos olketa fraet nogud olketa fail. Monique, wanfala girl wea 17 year hem sei: “Mi hol bak for baptaes from mi fraet nogud mi no savve live followim dedication bilong mi.” Nomata olsem, sapos iumi trust long Jehovah witim full heart bilong iumi, ‘hem bae mekem gogo bilong iumi stret.’ Hem bae helpem iumi for “go ahed for wakabaot long truth” olsem olketa faithful servant bilong hem wea dedicate.—Proverbs 3:5, 6; 3 John 4.

25. Wanem kwestin nao iumi mas lukluk long hem?

²⁵ From wei for trust evribit long Jehovah and strongfala love for hem, planti thousand dedicate and baptaes evri year. And evri servant bilong God wea dedicate want for faithful long hem. Nomata olsem, iumi stap long olketa hard taem, and iumi feisim olketa difren test bilong faith. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Wanem nao iumi savve duim for live followim dedication bilong iumi long Jehovah? Bae iumi lukluk long diswan insaed long next article.

[Footnote]

Waswe, Iu Remember?

• Hao nao for duim Christian baptism?

• Wanem savve nao man needim mekem hem fit for baptaes?

• Wanem nao olketa step wea leadim olketa tru Christian for baptaes?

• Why nao samfala hol bak for baptaes, bat hao nao olketa savve kasem help?

[Olketa Piksa long page 14]

Waswe, iu savve wanem nao hem minim for baptaes ‘long nem bilong Father, Son, and holy spirit’?