Welcome to Defenders, the teaching class of Dr. William Lane Craig.

Thank you for joining us in Defenders.

Last week we began a new locus of our course on the doctrine of the church,

and we introduced the subject of the sacraments or the ordinances administered by the church.

Today we want to look more closely at the practice of baptism.

When you look at the biblical data concerning baptism, it's remarkable how much of the New

Testament data speaks to the issue of baptism.

Just from the number of passages dealing with baptism in the New Testament, you could

already infer that this is an extremely important practice in the New Testament church.

The New Testament, indeed, opens with the figure of

John the Baptist on the scene, who is proclaiming a baptism of repentance and calling people to be

baptized in the Jordan River. Let's look at Mark chapter 1,

verses 4 to 5. Mark writes, John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance

for the forgiveness of sins, And there went out to him,

all the country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem, and they were baptized by him

in the Jordan River confessing their sins. So right at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, you have this enigmatic figure

of John the Baptist calling people to the Jordan to repentance and baptism for sin. Significantly, Jesus himself was baptized. He was among those in

Judea who went out to John the Baptist to submit to John's baptism. Matthew chapter 3, verses 13 to 17, record, then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan

to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?

But Jesus answered him, let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water,

and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and

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