Expert: Phillip Senn - 9/1/2005

Question
Dear Phillip,
i am a lifetime Christian too. For the first 33 years I was a devout Lutheran. In 1990 I started attending Calvary Chappel of Huntington Beach, nothing to do with the Lutheran Church. They believe in Adult Baptism. I has a big discusion with them about this. in the end we both agreed that the Bible did not clearly spell out yes or no to infant Baptism. So either way is OK.

I had a friend ask me a question about how many times are we are to be Baptized. I will give the person to be Baptized as an adult who was Baptized as an infant a break. Why the Bible because the Bible is not cear on this issue. But that is where I give them a break. I still believe that their infant Baptism is valid, and that being re-Baptized is not needed. It is from here where I cut them no slack, and have questions. I did three years ago a several months long study on Baptism. I remember reading where the Bible said somewhere that we are to be Baptized only once. If we fal from grace we do not get re-baptized we pull ourselves up from our original Baptism. I also rember reading where the Bible said that the Baptism and the Holy Communion are the two most special ceremonies in the Bible. If this is the case how is doing it when ever make it a special ceremony.

I was wondering if I imagined I saw those. If not where can they be found. Also what in th eBible can I use to talk to my friend about how many times we are to be Baptized. Also is Communion to be used as a re-Baptism.

I appreciate your help,
God Bless,Don Crosby jr."
PS I truly want to know what the Bible says on this issue.  For example after much study I found that the Bible did not specify infant or adult Baptism.  My Pastor Agrees with that.  If I have hard Biblical proof then I will be able to share with others what the Bible truly says in this matter.  I want to share the truth not fight the issue


Answer
Don,

Thank you for submitting your question. I appreciate the opportunity to share from God's Word concerning your query. I disagree with the understadning that infant baptism is legitimate baptism. The reason is found in Acts 8:26-39. Specifically, that passage deals with an adult, but it specifies one thing that must be done by the one being baptised. The Ethiopian eunuch asked Phillip, "Here is water, what doth hinder me from being baptised?" Phillip responded, "If thou believeth, though mayest". Also, in Matthew 3:1-13 John was baptising those who were confessing their sins. An infant doesn't have this capability. John's baptism was a baptism unto repentence. Some take this to mean that a person is baptised so that they will, at a future time, repent of their sins. Some believe that baptism is a ritual that removes "original sin". That is Roman Catholic doctrine, but is not Biblical. Biblical baptism takes place by a believer who has repented toward God and has placed their faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The person desiring baptism must be the believing person. An infant has not come to the point of faith, nor has he/she repented toward God, and therefore has not yet met the prerequisites for baptism.

Baptism is a beautiful ritual which indicates a dedication of oneself to the service of God. It is not a ritual that someone else decides for us that we should be baptised. When Jesus was baptised, he did so "to fulfill all righteousness". We also are commanded to be baptised as believers, who are dedicating ourselves to the service of the Lord. Baptism marks the beginning of our earthly ministry, just as it marked the start of Jesus' earthly ministry.

You then asked about the number of times a person should be baptised. Scripture indicates two types of baptism. In order to make a distinction, one needs to know the meaning of the term "baptism". It means simply, "to be immersed into". Some think the passage in 1 Corinthians 12:13 means that, in water baptism, we are placed in Christ. That is not what this passage says. What this passage says, when using the definition of the word "baptism", rather than the word itself, we get this, "For by one Spirit are we all immersed into one body". When a person trusts Christ, they are placed into the body by the Holy Spirit. When a believer is baptised, that believer is placed into the water by a preacher. There is a sharp contrast.

The term "Baptist" comes from the term "anabaptist". That was the term that was used by those who accepted infant baptism, concerning those that "rebaptised" those that had an infant "baptism". These people, the ones who were "rebaptising", believed as I have shared with you. They did not see an infant baptism as valid, and therefore, when one came to Christ by faith, they were "rebaptised". Water baptism doesn't remove sins. The blood of Christ removes sins. When one trusts in the sacrificial atonement of Christ Jesus, their sins are removed "as far as the East is from the West". The one being "rebaptised" is actually only being baptised for the first time, if their previous "baptism" is not a valid baptism.

In Scripture, there is mention of those who were rebaptised who were baptised in water by John. The reasoning was, because they had not heard of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit). John declared that he baptised in water, because there cometh one mightier than I, who shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and fire. This indicates two baptisms. One in water, the other in a test. A "baptism of fire" is the first test that a soldier faces. It refers to an extreme test of courage. We too, as believers in Christ, are faced with our own "baptism of fire". God places us before the world with a message of hope and redemption. He then says, this is your test of courage, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". We are further told that "all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution". We should expect the test of our faith.

You indicated that you "read somewhere that we are to be baptised only once". While I would agree with that, it is not mentioned in Scripture how many times we are to be baptised. I don't think we are to "pull ourselves up" by our baptism. I also do not think that communion nor baptism has any special "sacramental value". By that, while some teach that baptism and communion are "sacraments", I do not hold to that view. The term "sacrament" indicates a "ritual whereby grace is imparted" to the person practicing the ritual. I cannot accept that, as Scripture indicates that when we receive Christ Jesus by faith, we receive all of the promises of God, as they are in Christ.

Finally, our hope shouldn't rest in our "baptism" or our "communion". Our hope is in Christ Jesus our Lord. When we trust in Him, we have confidence to share that message of hope with the world. I apprciate you wanting to be sure and share from a Biblical perpective, and I hope that this long answer I gave, will be of help.

Please don't hesitate to use allexperts.com if I may be of further assistance. Also, please rate this answer when given the opportunity.

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn