Indeed they did. As you carefully study the book of Acts, you will find that no one was considered a Christian without water baptism. Many of today’s churches have declared “open membership”—that is membership without the benefit of water baptism. But this was not acceptable New Testament practice. Water baptism was always treated as a necessity in this package we could label “Christian initiation”: repentance, faith, water baptism. Baptism in the Holy Spirit. 

Water baptism was a command—it was not obligatory. 

Peter answered the convicted and questioning multitude, “Yes, there was something they could do to reverse their relationship to the king they had crucified; they could repent and submit to His baptism.” Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2: 38). 

Even when the Holy Spirit sovereignly baptized people, the disciples required baptism in water as well. 

At the house of Cornelius, Italian soldiers heard the gospel. The usual order of initiation was reversed. The Holy Spirit came upon them while they were receiving the Word. Peter insisted that since God was showing His acceptance of these Gentiles into the New Covenant, their initiation must be completed with water baptism. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord … (Acts 10: 47, 48). God had a definite reason for reversing the order of baptisms here. The Jewish prejudice against Gentiles was so strong that had He not demonstrated His acceptance of them into the New Covenant, they would have been denied the privilege of water baptism. God opened the door and no man could close it. Later on Peter defended his action to the Jerusalem church by saying, “Who was I that I could withstand God?”  

When the apostles recognized something deficient in Christian experience, they examined this foundation stone of water baptism. 

Paul taught a dozen disciples of John in the city of Ephesus. He noticed something peculiar about them—something was missing. He asked whether they had received the Holy Spirit Baptism. They knew nothing of such a baptism. This was so extraordinary in the early Church that Paul immediately suspected something was inadequate about their water baptism. He inquired further. They had only received John’s baptism; they knew nothing of baptism into Christ. Paul required them to be baptized in water and immediately they were receptive to the Holy Spirit as well. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied (Acts 19: 5, 6).  

Is Water Baptism to Be Done Publicly Before the Church or Privately With a Person’s Family?

Through repentance, faith, and water baptism, we are made a part of the redeemed community—the Church. When we are baptized as a part of community worship, it strengthens our ties of fellowship and our sense of belonging not only to God but to His people. We believe that the Scriptures tell us and show by example that water baptism is to be practiced publicly. The reason for this is that we are preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ through deed as well as word.  

(1) The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper declares especially the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, in instituting this ordinance, said, “For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do declare the Lord’s death till He comes (italics mine). The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of His death on the Cross of Calvary.”  

(2) In water baptism we are commemorating the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He not only died, but was buried and rose again for our justification. As we are identified with Him in death, burial, and resurrection, we too can live in newness of life. Baptism is the memorial of Christ’s triumph over sin and death in resurrection. Together, the Lord’s Supper and water baptism declare the full and glorious gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and our identification with Him in it.