Matthew 3:6

John The Baptist Begins His Ministry

⁵ [People from] Jerusalem and all over Judea and the region around the Jordan River all went out [to the desert] to [hear] him, ⁶ and people were immersed by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. ⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be immersed, John said to them, "You children of snakes, who warned you to run away from the coming wrath [of God]?

Confessing Their Sins

Jordan

Acts 19:18

Many of the believers also came confessing their sins and describing what they had [previously] done.

Matthew 3:11

"I certainly am immersing you in water following [your] repentance, but the One who follows my [ministry], whose sandals I do not deserve to remove [as His slave], will immerse you people with the Holy Spirit and with fire [i.e., the punishment in hell. See verses

Matthew 3:13-16

Jesus then came from [the province of] Galilee to be immersed by John in the Jordan River.

Mark 1:5

And people from throughout all the regions of Judea and all of Jerusalem went out to John [in the desert]. And he immersed them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

Acts 1:5

For [Jesus had said, Matt. 3:11], "John immersed you [men] in water but [this time] you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit, and [it will happen] in just a few more days."

Acts 2:38-41

And Peter replied, "Every one of you must repent [i.e., change your hearts and lives] and be immersed in the name of Jesus Christ [i.e., by His authority] so that your sins will be forgiven [by God] and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit [to live in your hearts].

Mark 1:8-9

I am immersing you in water, but He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit."

Luke 3:16

John answered [their concerns] by saying to all of them, "I am [the one] immersing you in water, but One who is more powerful than I will follow my [ministry]. I am not [even] worthy to loosen the straps of His sandals. He will immerse you people with the Holy Spirit and with fire [i.e., the punishment of hell. See Matt. 3:10-12].

Luke 15:18-21

I will get up and go to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned against [the God of] heaven and against you.

John 1:25-28

They asked him, "Why do you immerse people then, if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet [Moses]?"

John 1:31-33

And I would not have recognized Him, but I came immersing people in water so that He would become known to the Israelites."

John 3:23-25

John [the Immerser] was also immersing people in Aenon, near Salem [Note: These locations are thought to have been in northeastern Judea, near the Jordan River], because there was a lot of water there; so people were coming to be immersed.

Acts 10:36-38

He sent His message [first] to the Israelites; [it involved] preaching the good news through Jesus Christ (who is Lord of all).

Acts 11:16

Then I remembered what the Lord had said [See 1:4-5]: 'John immersed you [people] in water but you [apostles] will be immersed in the Holy Spirit.'

Acts 19:4-5

Paul [then] said, "John immersed people who [demonstrated their] repentance, telling them they must believe in Jesus, the One who would come after him."

Acts 22:16

So now, what are you waiting for? Get up and be immersed [into Christ], and have your sins washed away as you appeal to His name [i.e., to Christ's authority].'

1 Corinthians 10:2

[In doing this] they were all [actually] immersed into [fellowship with] Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Colossians 2:12

[This happened when you were] buried with Christ in [the act of] immersion, from which you were also raised up with Him through [your] faith in the accomplishment of God, who raised Him up from the dead.

Titus 3:5-6

He saved us, not because of any good deeds we ourselves had done, but because of His mercy. [He saved us] through the washing of new birth [Note: This refers to our immersion in water] and the renewing [work] of the Holy Spirit,

Hebrews 6:2

and of teaching about immersions [Note: The use of the plural word here suggests teaching on the distinctions between Jewish washings and John's and Christian immersion, whether in water or the Holy Spirit. See Acts 19:1-7], and about placing hands on people [Note: This act was practiced in the appointment of church leaders, in healing sick people and to impart supernatural gifts], and about people being raised from the dead and about never ending judgment.

Hebrews 9:10

since, with foods and drinks and various [ceremonial] washings, they are only outward regulations imposed until the time when everything would be made right [i.e., under the New Agreement].

James 5:16

So, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another to be healed [from sin sickness]. The special request of a righteous person is empowered with [great] effectiveness.

1 Peter 3:21

This water prefigured immersion [into Christ], which now also saves you, not by removing dirt from the [physical] body, but [by serving] as an appeal [or, "pledge"] to God for a clear conscience through the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 John 1:9

[But] if we confess our sins [to God], He is faithful [to His promise] and righteous [in His judgment], and will forgive us of those sins and cleanse us from all of our wrongdoing.