How many times can one be Baptised?

I didn't give the reason and won't... Brother Glen

 

< 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. >

A valid point-- "whether scriptural or not..." people and churches are going to defend their long-held practices. By "proper administrator," you seem to be indicating a church which is not part of like-named and/or like-minded confederation cannot be any "proper administration"-- or IOW it is association with your church/denomination/organization that conveys salvation.

As far as "proper mode," to me that is simply definition-- dunk, per se.

< The technicality is that, if the first baptism was not valid, there is actually no rebaptism taking place; the rebaptism is actually baptism. >

One thing that does not make good sense among Baptists is that most emphasize that baptism does not save, nor is a means of salvation... But then, as was pointed out here, if a person was baptized in a 'Church of Christ' for the washing of sins,, then many Baptist churches would require that person to be baptized therein to be full members. So that subject had thought he must be baptized to attain salvation, then he joins a church which does not teach that, and then he must be baptized in that church or be something less than a full member.

If one must have had the "proper reason" for being baptized, that may rule out a vast majority of baptisms as being authentic. Many Baptists, to begin with, also believed they must have been baptized to be forgiven, especially if they were young at the time and being told it is very important to make your decision for Christ and be baptized while young. And some got themselves baptized to impress somebody else (e.g., a relative, boyfriend, girlfiend), or to join a church for business reasons or for the programs and facilities. In this way requiring a new baptism from one outside that denomination actually adds to the improper reasons for being baptized.

But I think the only issue to be considered is: Were you a believer? Then even if you did undergo baptism for an extraneous reason the baptism is valid and has no need of being repeated. If every time we become more mature in our growth as Christians-- including in the proper view of baptism-- we have to begin again with a real baptism, then most of us would have been baptized numerous times and baptizing would take a large portion of every service.

 

I'm not a "Primative" Baptist, but I am an "Unaffiliated" Baptist. I believe scriptural baptism requires scriptural authoity to be considered valid. After I was saved I was baptized in a baptist church that believes in the "Protestant" universl church theology (that the church started on the day of Pentecost, etc.). Because I came to believe that the Bible clearly teaches otherwise, I presented myself for valid/scriptural baptism. I agree with our "Primative" Baptist brother on this one.