"Baptism is not optional if you want to take the Bible seriously" Terry Virgo

"Baptism is not optional if you want to take the Bible seriously" Terry Virgo February 16, 2011

So far in this series of videos we have seen Terry speak about three values that have shaped his ministry:

We move today to the fourth of his 17 values (this series is going to take a while yet!). It is expressed once again in terms of the kind of church he aims to plant:

‘A church whose people are baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit, and brought into a genuine life in the Spirit.’

In today’s video, Terry nails his believers-only baptism credentials firmly to the mast:

“It seems quite plain in the New Testament that when people came to put their trust in Christ they were told to repent, be baptized, that they might then receive the Holy Spirit. Baptism means to plunge under. . .

It is an outward response to what has happened in the heart, it is also associated with being buried with Christ. It’s a kind of demonstration my old life is over, it’s as though it was buried, it’s now raised up into newness of life. Baptism is always associated with conversion in the New Testament. We find some people who were filled with the Holy Spirit first, without being baptized, are immediately commanded to be baptized to as it were catch up and complete the picture.”

He was then asked if he felt baptism was optional: “Well it’s optional if you don’t take the Bible seriously, but we want to take the Bible seriously. And so, for us, no it’s a clear Bible instruction. I don’t think I have permission to change what the Bible says. We are just trying to obey what the Scripture says. . . ”


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