我的朋友也是一位基督教傳道人。記得有一天在星期天的敬拜聚會快要結束時，朋友做了報告，說，周四晚上，七點鐘，他要開始六個禮拜的課程，專門為了那些正在考慮是不是要成為基督徒的朋友們。課程的目的至少有二：我朋友要把一些基督教和《聖經》的真理教導給那些慕道友，他也要回答他們對基督教的問題。
六個禮拜的課程中，有一課講解“洗禮”的意義。在我的經驗中，連很多非基督徒知道洗禮是進入基督教的門，是基督徒和非基督徒之劃分，是耶穌基督的“門徒”和“門外徒”的差別。
其實，我應該說是“差別之一，”因為它不是唯一的差別。但是，說的也是，洗禮是很明顯的差別。
《聖經新約》描述的很清楚，教導我們洗禮的重要意義。有一位本來逼迫基督教的猶太人，名叫保羅。當保羅明白了真情，想要成為基督徒時，亞那尼亞向他說：“現在你為什麼要耽延呢？起來！求告他的名受洗，洗去你的罪”（使徒行傳22:16）。
從這句話里，我們可知洗禮的部分意義。亞那尼亞告訴保羅說，當他受洗，在那時刻，上帝要“洗去你的罪。”保羅已經明白自己逼迫耶穌基督這個行動是錯的。原先，保羅毀謗基督徒，把基督徒送去坐牢，同意猶太宗教頭頭處死基督徒。甚至於，幾年之後，保羅回想到他逼迫基督徒的時候，形容自己為“罪魁”或“最壞的一個”人（提摩太前書1:15，和合本和普通話本）。
以下的是保羅自己的記載：“這一點大祭司和全體長老議會可以證實。我從大祭司和長老那裡拿到他們給大馬士革猶太人同胞的一些信，然後去了那裡，以便我去把在那裡的耶穌的信徒作為囚犯帶回耶路撒冷受到懲罰”（使徒行傳22:5）。保羅在路上時，耶穌向他顯現，叫他進城，說：“那兒會有人告訴你該做的一切。”果然，不錯，亞那尼亞告訴保羅的話包括這一句：“現在你為什麼要耽延呢？起來！求告他的名受洗，洗去你的罪。”
保羅接受了亞那尼亞的話，接受了耶穌為他的主，受了洗，洗去了他的罪孽。非基督徒的保羅變成基督徒保羅；“門外”的保羅變為門徒保羅。
我朋友所開的慕道班裡，也有人相信耶穌是神的兒子，所以他們也接受了洗禮，成為基督徒。您呢？
【洗禮】十二：差別之一
“Baptism” 12: One of the Differences
作者：謝德華 ©By Edward Short
One of the Differences
Acts 22:16
One of my friends is also a Christian minister. I recall one Sunday, shortly before the worship service ended, when my friend made an announcement. He said that on Thursday, at 7:00 p.m., he would begin teaching a six-week course of study, especially for those who were considering becoming Christians. The course would have at least two purposes: My friend wanted to teach certain truths about Christianity and the Bible, and he also wanted to answer whatever questions anyone present might have regarding Christianity.
The six-week course included one lesson on the meaning of baptism. According to my experience, even many non-Christians know that baptism is the door by which someone enters Christianity; they know that baptism is the dividing line between Christian and non-Christian, i.e., it is the difference between those who have become disciples of Jesus Christ and those who are still standing on the outside.
Actually, I should say that baptism is “one of the differences,” since baptism is not the only difference. It is however one of the more visible of the several actions that separate Christian and non-Christian.
The New Testament portion of the Bible states the importance of baptism very clearly. Once, there was a Jew who persecuted Christians and whose name was Paul. When Paul learned the truth however and decided to become a Christian, Ananias told him, “And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16).
From this statement, we can know part of the meaning of baptism. Ananias told Paul that when he was baptized, at that moment, God would “wash your sins away.” Paul already understood that persecuting Jesus Christ was wrong. Paul had maligned Christians, sent them to prison and supported decisions by the Jewish religious leaders to kill them. All this caused Paul, some years later, to identify himself as “the chief of sinners” or “the worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15 NIV and Easy-to-Read Version).
Here is how Paul described the situation himself: “…as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished” (Acts 22:5). When Paul was on the road, Jesus appeared to him and told him to enter the city; Jesus said: “There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.” And that’s exactly what happened! Included in what Ananias told Paul was the sentence, “And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
Paul accepted what Ananias said and accepted Jesus as his Savior; Paul was baptized and his sins were washed away. The non-Christian Paul became the Christian Paul; he who was outside the gate entered it, and became a disciple of Christ.
Some of those who attended the special class my friend taught, also expressed belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and were baptized into Christ. How about you?