I would like to address the issue of Christian baptism in this article. Views are divided on this subject. Some believe that baptism causes a person to be a Christian and therefore they have their children baptized as soon as they can after they are born. Others believe that baptism is not that important for a Christian and is optional (those who hold to this view, usually site the example of the thief on the cross who repented and entered heaven without being baptized). I would like to look at the command of Jesus Christ in view of baptism, how His apostles understood and applied it, as well as the significance of Christian baptism.