16-19. (a) What important questions are asked of candidates for baptism? (b) What indicates eligibility for baptism? (c) On this occasion, of what is it good to have a clear perspective? (d) Is baptism the ultimate goal?

¹⁶ However, before candidates are admitted to baptism it is proper and fitting that they answer two questions, so that all those assembled with them for the occasion may be witnesses who have heard from the candidates’ own mouths that they understand what they are doing and that they have taken the required steps to qualify for baptism.

It may be that on some baptismal occasions in the past years specific questions that could be answered audibly were not asked of the baptismal candidates regarding their faith, obedience and dedication.a

Yet the failure of the speaker on baptism to pronounce such questions, and hence the failure of the baptismal candidates to answer audibly and affirmatively to such questions, do not undermine the validity of the baptism performed on such occasion.

19. Outline the ceremony of Christian water baptism.

¹⁹ At the time arranged for the baptism the new disciple will assemble with others of the congregation.

After dinner at the assembly auditorium a baptism service was held for those who desired to give a public seal to their dedication of themselves to Jehovah God to walk in the footsteps of his Son Jesus Christ.

11, 12. (a) What should be done if one has doubts about the validity of his dedication and baptism? (b) Why would limited knowledge or inactivity for a while not necessarily require rebaptism?

¹¹ Due to certain circumstances at the time when they got baptized or due to subsequent developments, some have doubts about the validity of their past dedication and baptism, and they wonder if they should be rebaptized.

They may have been baptized at an early age or while they were very immature in the truth, or after baptism they became inactive in the ministry for a time.

If one arrives late for the discourse and does not answer the two questions, he may still have made an actual dedication of himself to Jehovah through Christ on the proper basis as is set forth in the two questions propounded to the baptism candidates.

18. In what manner is public expression made to show baptismal qualifications?

¹⁸ Who are eligible for baptism?

18. (a) Scripturally, what is required to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses? (b) What evidence of faith would indicate that a person may be baptized? (c) How is faith in the ransom emphasized for baptismal candidates?

¹⁸ The Scriptures repeatedly mention the baptism of believers. (Acts 4:4; 5:14; 8:13; 16:27-34; 18:8; 19:1-7)

Even before baptism, such faith manifests itself in godly conduct, trust in Jehovah, participation in the Kingdom-preaching work, and acceptance of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice.

Never had such a mass baptism been witnessed in Scandinavia.

The baptismal talk was given in Swedish and Danish simultaneously, and after the two questions the affirmative answers “Ja!” rang out across the field, not quite simultaneously from both groups of candidates.

Many Christian parents let their children wait until they are in their late teens before broaching the subject of baptism.

For example, the preteen son of an elder sincerely wanted to get baptized.

22-24. (a) Should candidates be asked questions before being admitted to baptism? Why? How should they be answered? (b) What is the substance of the first question? (c) Of the second one?

²² Before candidates are admitted to baptism it is proper that they answer two questions, so that all those assembled with them for the occasion may be witnesses who have heard from the candidates’ own mouths that they understand what they are doing and that they have taken the required steps.

²³ Everyone who can answer “Yes” to these questions is eligible for baptism and should take this step without hesitation or delay.

 8, 9. What fundamental truth concerning Christian baptism is essential for our understanding?

⁸ The Scripturally enjoined baptism of Christians signifies their dedication to Jehovah God; it gives evidence that they have made a dedication.

It is a symbol of the dedication or stands for it and tells observers that the individual immersed has made a dedication.

He should make his desire for baptism known to the congregation’s presiding overseer, who will arrange for elders to review with the publisher the questions on pages 175 to 218 of Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry.

Before being accepted for baptism by Jehovah’s Witnesses, each candidate’s basic Bible knowledge is tested by a comprehensive series of pointed questions.

⁷ Generally such programs are just a case of substituting one drug for another, one viewed as less harmful than a drug like heroin.

This raises the questions: Just how meaningful would their baptism be?

 3. What questions may properly be asked about the information contained in these two basic questions?

³ But upon reading the above two questions you may ask: What is the significance of water baptism as performed by Jehovah’s witnesses and what does it accomplish?

Friday morning, January 18, the talk on dedication and its symbol, baptism, was presented.

Candidates to the number of ninety-nine stood up and affirmatively answered the questions put to them to establish their readiness and fitness to be baptized in public testimony of their dedication to Jehovah God through Jesus Christ.

If a person attends a baptism feature but does not sit among the baptismal candidates and does not vocally answer the questions but afterward decides to be baptized in symbol of dedication and so joins in the procession of candidates and actually gets baptized on the same basis as they do, that person obligates himself to Jehovah God through Christ.

16. To true Christians why is baptism such a serious matter?

¹⁶ From all we have been considering here it is manifest that water baptism of true Christians is not a simple, trivial ceremony of initiation into an organization of men.

Rather, baptism is a very serious act linked with life, for it involves the making of a vow before Almighty God.