How many times can one be Baptised?

Baptism should be a one-time event. It is to be performed in obedience to the command of Christ, as a testimony of one who has experienced the forgiveness of one's sins by placing their complete faith in Christ alone.

It is possible, if one made a vain profession of faith earlier in life and was baptized, upon truly coming to saving faith in Christ, to be baptized again, but this second, believing baptism is the only true one.

Nowhere in Scripture is anyone baptized again as a "rededication" or "reaffirmation" of one's faith, and it should not be done.

Baptism has no saving power, and sin is not washed away in the baptismal waters.

The London Confession of Baptist Faith, Chapter XXIX

Of Baptism

I. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him;[1] of remission of sins;[2] and of giving up into God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.[3]

1. Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; Gal. 3:27
2. Mark 1:4; Acts 22:16
3. Rom. 6:4

II. Those who do actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to, our Lord Jesus Christ, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance.[4]

4. Mark 16:16; Acts 2:41; 8:12, 36-37; 18:8

III. The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.[5]

5. Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 8:38

IV. Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance.[6]

6. Matt. 3:16, John 3:23

 

Though there are sometimes legitimate reasons for considering an initial baptism as invalid, there is no Biblical precedent for baptism as "reaffirming one's faith." It might be commonplace, but it is not commonplace in my experience. I have never heard of Baptists rebaptizing for such a reason.

 

Its fairly common in the SBC, and I believe something like 40% of recorded baptisms are re-baptisms either do to a later true conversion or "rededication".

 

I've seen several in my current church.

 

Primitive Baptist don't rededicate but we rebaptise those coming from other denominations!... Even other Baptist!... If you come from a Primitive Baptist Church you join another Primitive Baptist Church on the promise of a letter... We've always been known as rebaptizers down through church history... Brother Glen

 

< Primitive Baptist don't rededicate but we rebaptise those coming from other denominations!... Even other Baptist... We've always been known as rebaptizers down through church history... >

That's idiocacy. Scripture nowhere says anyone baptized as a believer must have it done more than once.

 

ChristianCynic I know what other churches belief in baptism is. I'm just stating the practice of those called Primitive Baptist. You don't believe in rebaptizing that's why you are not a Primitive Baptist... We also wash one anothers feet! Brother Glen

[ May 08, 2002, 03:12 AM: Message edited by: tyndale1946 ]

 

< You don't believe in rebaptizing that's why you are not a Primitive Baptist... We also wash one anothers feet! >

Being "primitive," I am sure your feet need it!

 

That's another reason your not a Primitive Baptist yours don't!... Brother Glen

 

How many times can one be baptised?

As many times as one gets saved.

 

I guess it should say "one Lord, one faith, one baptism at a time!!

 

Hi, Cynic. As a lifelong member of the Idiot's Club, I take exception to your remark. Whether scriptural or not, most Baptists generally think there are 3 or 4 things that must be in order for a baptism to be valid - proper subject, proper mode, proper reason, and proper administrator. The first three are almost universally followed by Baptists, and the last one, though more controversial, is followed by most Baptists to some extent. If the last three mentioned are followed, a believer could be baptized "more than once." The technicality is that, if the first baptism was not valid, there is actually no rebaptism taking place; the rebaptism is actually baptism.

 

Christiancynic, i think tyndale said from "other denominations" for instants church of christ their baptism is for the washing away of the sin, the roman catholic for salvation so those don't have the beleivers baptism that you speak of.

 

I was saved and baptised in a non-charismatic Church or God (Anderson), fell away, and found myself following my wife into an SBC church, where I found myself following the Lord. I was quite surprised to find out that to become a member of the church I would have to be baptised (or as I saw it, rebaptised). It took a lot of prayer and study and time before I decided to go ahead with it because this is where the Lord wanted me. However the only scripual basis I found for rebaptism is found in Acts 19:1-7, but had little or nothing to do with my situation.

 

Hi Longshot:

This is not a "denominational procedure" but the choice of the individual church. To my mind, if you could testify to me (as pastor) that you had previously been baptized as a profession of your faith in Christ, that would be sufficient for me.

 

ddavis said:

I didn't mean that at all... Primitive Baptist and I've been one for 35 years rebaptise those not of our same Faith & Order!... That's the way its always been in the Primitive Baptist Church as long as I've been there and our history support this practice... You believe it to be unscriptural so be it but the reason you could not possibly understand or would believe if I told you... Brother Glen

 

tyndale, so you are saying you baptise any and everyone that comes to your church no matter what denomination? maybe i missed the reason? we rebaptise those that didn't do it as a profession of faith, such as the rc and church of christ.