The person who offers himself/herself for baptism is making a ____ of faith, a ____ of Christ, and a confession of ____.

• A. Declaration; testimony; immediate repentance
• B. Statement; admission; post-conversion
• C. Pledge; vow; ongoing repentance
• D. profession; confession; prior repentance

Answer: (D)

Baptism is grounded in three public acts: a clear declaration of faith, a witness to Christ, and a prior turning away from sin. When someone offers themselves for baptism, they are publicly declaring their faith—that is, making a profession of faith. They are also openly acknowledging Jesus as Savior and Lord—that’s a confession of Christ. And they are signaling that repentance has already taken place before the baptism—the repentance is prior, not something performed during the baptism itself. This is why the best fit is a profession of faith, a confession of Christ, and prior repentance.

Other wordings don’t fit as well because they shift or timing of repentance (immediate or ongoing, or post-conversion) in ways that don’t align with the established sequence and language of baptism: the emphasis on declaring faith and confessing Christ, with repentance established beforehand, is the standard understanding.