Question on Church of Christ baptism

The authority is Jesus. The command is for the followers and/or would be followers (to be baptize and/or to baptize).

You offered an extreme condition of who can baptize, when no other believer is available. The question or scenario itself assume a few very important things:

1. That God would allow a situation to occur where a person seeking Him would learn on his own and then come to a point of understanding a biblical need for salvation (being baptized), but has no one around to do it. It should be obvious the no such event would be recorded in the new covenant while following the acts of the apostles. These were not writings following the Acts of an evangelistic none believer.

2. Your question also places the saving power of faith(repentance, confession, truth and baptism) on the person administrating it, but not on God. You can't accept the real issue as Paul defines in 1 Cor 1: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name....17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
It is my opinion that your question itself divides the affects of baptism between Christ and those that administer baptism. At this point you are in error.

3. I understand your "Principle" of Mat 28, however, you are missing an obvious principle further lived out by the believers, that it is not them that saves as much as it is individual faith in Jesus. Notice Philip taught the eunuch, but It was the Treasurer that initiated his own baptism "Here is water, Why should I be baptized?" Acts 8. If the natural response of some one being baptized after receiving knowledge of it is dependent on the baptizer, then Philip should have initiated.


Finally, as I said before based on the principle that it is God that saves the believing individual, the believing baptizer has his obligation to baptize because of HIS devotion to God as Jesus commanded HIM. Not because Him baptizing will save a person by his own strength.

Thanks for the thread, it's been real.

Stefon.