Comments on: When is Re-Baptism Appropriate?

By: eric

eric — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:58:39 +0000

baptism is for the remission of sins. once one is baptised that’s it, one cannot be baptised again. Baptism symbolises the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ(read Rom 6:3-6). Jesus only died once, buried once and then rose from the dead never to die again so if one has been baptised for the right reasons there is no more need for re-baptism. Babies do not need to be baptised since they cannot understand the scriptures, only matured accountable people can be baptised…see acts 2:38…BABIES COULD NOT FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY PETER..as for baptism as a statement of faith ,,this is a false doctrine..read the book of acts and you will note that people were even baptised at night whether multitudes were present or not…example the philipian jailer..saul of tarsus and many others…all baptised to be included in the kingdom of God. one cannot be a christian baptised for the remission of sins

By: Your brother

Your brother — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:44:43 +0000

This is a very good question you have asked, and clearly some good Christian brothers and sisters have shared some honest valid insights. However, as you are called to your ministry, I am called to mine. Unfortunately…..it makes me very unpopular. Praise God. Remember this, once your name is written in the Book of Life, it’s written. This is a slippery slope to walk on if you aren’t sure or arein doubt. Remember, Lucifer…that’s right I said his name..he doesn’t scare me, wants to deceive you in any way he can and he has more ways to trick us than we can even imagine. Was Christ baptized twice? Were the disciples? Apostles? NO Why not? Because it’s about doing it once and for all time. If you were pure of heart and sincere when you were saved, you don’t need to do it again. How great is your faith in God? Greater than a mustard seed? Stand on it like a rock, and pray in the name of Jesus Christ that He pick you up, dust you off, and allow you to redeem yourself, and he will give the opportunity to do so. I was baptized and born again in 1983 at the hands of a man that not one year later, like in you examples, was arrested for molesting kids. Pray against the entity, save the man! I’ve seen Angels,demons, and everything in between, I have been miraculously healed and prophesied events years in advance. When I was in the water looking up, I didn’t see that man, I saw Christ. Do you think He needs to lay hands on you twice? I say this to you purely out of Love for my brothers and sisters. Jesus was only baptized one time. We are to be Christ-like anddo like Christ. Also, to help clarify the passage from Acts 19:1-7 Paul baptized those men again because they had been hoowinked. They thought they had been baptized in the name of John not Jesus. Lucifer is all that is evil, doubt is one of his favorites because it is so easy, we are ALL vulnerable. Understand that and find the wisdom in it. God Bless you Brother, May Jesus be with you always.

By: Leonard

Leonard — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:35:45 +0000

I wish I had seen this thread earlier! Here are the answers and the reasons.

1. yes
2. no
3. yes
4. no

Baptism is your acceptance of God’s offer of forgiveness and salvation. Similar to your signature on a contract being the formal acceptance of that contract. Baptism is essential to salvation under the new covenant. Jack Cottrell has written an excellent book that gives all the scriptural references to prove this quite convincingly. It’s a shame more people don’t take an hour or two to really study this out. The writtings of the early christians (Tertulian)also confirm this conclusion.

In the first case, it’s not clear whether he understood or even wanted to accept God’s offer. In the second, baptism is between God and the person being baptized. The sin of the baptizer does not invalidate her acceptance of God’s offer. In the third, babies can’t sign contracts! In the fourth, he has the opportunity to repent and be restored to good standing with God, no need to re-sign the contract. God’s offer can only be accepted by someone who is old enough to know what they are agreeing to and are doing so willingly and deliberately.

By: Brett

Brett — Sat, 08 May 2010 14:45:19 +0000

Thanks for some biblical clarification.
Amongst all the emotion the scriptures, and history of our faith seem to get left behind.

I agree and would like to ad the scripture:
Acts 8:36-39 here we see a reference to water/complete water immersion, and baptism as one of the first acts of OBEDIENCE, not a work. Lets remember Jesus very own words Matt 28 teach them to obey, then baptize.
Also where is the public in this situation(no where to be found). Because it is not meant to be a public declaration, although sometimes it is done in public.

In the book of Romans we see many references to faith, and they all have a place in the believers life not the unbeliever. This book was written on how to live out our faith, to Christian who also had the other books written to the Churches of this time. They where to be sent to all the Churches not just the ones they were written directly to. That being said the already had been baptized into Christ, and are not scriptures pertaining how to come into a saving relationship w/Christ.

As to the questions I take every situation on a one on one basis w/ the Bible, and Holy Spirit as my guide. So my answers are as hypothetical as the questions, and based on the small amount of info given and not on a relationship w/the individuals. I also do not know what they where taught(in the case of the adults)

1. yes
2. no
3. yes
4. no

By: Philip

Philip — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:46:19 +0000

Hi Fernando, i do undrestand yoor effort in trying to correct Karen but you got it all wrong. Baptism is not spiritually dying with Christ as you stated but it is a public affirmation of our faith in Christ, and that comes after salvation. Any sinner that is baptised is still a sinner unless he or she is born- again. John 3:3

By: Neva Greensword

Neva Greensword — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:24:30 +0000

I was baptised once as unto John’s baptism:- Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
I was then re-baptised in the Name of Jesus Christ.It is a requirement for christians,a public declaration of one’s faith and commitment to God, and a symbol of washing away of sins. This is a decision one has to make so as to confirm their walk with God. The Church started on the day of Pentacost, and the re-baptism that Paul did was to show that all have to be baptised in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,and we shall receive the gift ofthe Holy Spirit.This is a promise. Confirmation/baptism at birth is just a requirement for christening a child. I f one is not baptised in the proper manner,then they have to do so, it is a must. Acts2:38, that is where the church started and the commission was handed down to the disciples for them to carry on by Jesus Christ Himself.
Baptism has to be done the correct way.

By: Rod Walsh

Rod Walsh — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:29:41 +0000

I feel like we are cheapening baptism when we act like it is not that important. I know some of our brothers have brought baptism into a salvational issue through the years, and when things like that happens we tend to go way too far on the other side to make sure nobody thinks we believe the other side. I think we need to always go back up to the line where they crossed over and camp out there and hold our position. The Bible is where the line is, I feel strongly if a person never got baptized with exception of dying before they could, was never saved in the first place. This doesn’t make baptism into a salvational issue, it makes it into if a person cannot obey God’s first command as a new Christian then he will just pick and choose which ones he will obey and not obey and eventually wander back to where they came from.

Grace was another one when Martin Luther revealed we were saved by grace not by works, in the years following we cheapened that grace by going to far on the other side.

rod

By: Cody

Cody — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:54:24 +0000

I was baptised as a baby and have no recognization of it other than a piece of paper stating so. Later in life as a teenager I received the Lord Jesus into my heart and was baptised again. As a senior, I had the opportunity to tour Israel and along with many others, I was baptised in the Jordon River. Did this make me a better Christian? Of course not. I only did it because I desired to be baptised in the same river that my Lord and Savior Jesus had been baptised.

By: Oriaku

Oriaku — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:03:40 +0000

As much as i understand, Christianity is a way of life and a pratical leaving like Jesus Christ Himself. I remember very will when Christ came to John for the said baptism, His disciples asked him are you going to be baptized as well. He said to fufil all Righteousness, so understand that statement clearly.

If you like baptize in every decade, if you have not realy drop your oldself you have no salvation period. Remember the prison warder and the entire family (infant inclusive) were all baptized. Please can somebody show me where someone was re-baptized in the bible which is our guide.

How can somebody be happy because she got her salvation through divorce. Did Christ approve divorce?

To my understanding, water baptism takes the place of Jewish circumcision of the old testament, so why re-baptizing yourself? Reaffirmation of faith is entirely different from re-baptism because it b/w you and God not for public consumption. Your way of live will tell the public where you belong that is how we got our name.

Thank you.

By: Fabrizio

Fabrizio — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:51:03 +0000

I agree with Robin Bennett, saying that baptism is a personal inner- and outer- confession of faith, being said from you to your community. The importance of this act is expressed in Mt 3:13-16, where Jesus is baptized by John. This event was the beginning of Jesus ministry. Even being the redeemer Himself, His faith had to be publically confessed for being considered true.

Regarding the situations proposed I defend this view:

1. His first baptism was an error. There was a public act, but not a true inner act of faith. This is when a “second” TRUE baptism is to be considered and acceptable.

2. Sharla was really baptized, at the first time. There was a public confession of faith, her faith was real and so I can believe that the teachings she received were right. SHE was baptized, even thought her pastor went under sin. In Mt 12:33, it was said “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit”. This is how someone should see his own baptism.

3. A baby cannot inner- or outer-confess his faith. How can this baptism change his life? I think he should go and be baptized “again”, but I personally don’t trust a baptism performed on someone unable to change his own life.

4. Going back to the Lord is a demonstration of the Lord care on Johnâ€™s life. Being baptized several times according to someone’s life circumstances is confessing that you can throw away and regain your faith as many times as you wants. I personally don’t trust this is true. If you really go with faith, you may not go out the way and, if you did so, the Lord will catch you back. You can not go out of the faith and simply say “I have no commitment with God”! I believe that, if John returned to the Lords ways, he is still under his first baptism. He can publically confess again his faith, but the inner work is already done.