Jesus Revealed in Doctrine WHAT ABOUT REBAPTISM?
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:5.
In the first few verses of Acts 19 there is a definite Bible reason for being baptized a second time. It doesn't necessarily have to do with growth in the Christian life. It has to do with new light about Jesus that one didn't have before. It is something that, because a person didn't know of it, he has been neglecting. When the disciples spoken of in Acts 19 heard about the new truth that they hadn't been aware of, they were baptized a second time.
Our practice in the church has been to baptize people a second time if they have once been Christians but turned their backs on God and gone their own way. When they returned, they became convicted that they wanted to renew their public confession of Jesus Christ.
Occasionally someone will come who says, "I was baptized when I was 10 or 11, and I didn't know what it was all about. I was just baptized because the rest of the kids were. But since that time I have died, and no one attended my funeral. I have been born again, and no one has celebrated my birthday. So I'd like to be baptized for real this time." We don't hesitate when a person is convinced by the Spirit that he wants to make this decision.
There has been a certain stigma attached to rebaptism in the minds of some. Particularly if someone who has appeared to be a good church member seeks a rebaptism, the question in the minds of many is, "I wonder what he did wrong!" Because of this, sometimes the one who is choosing to be rebaptized will meet with a few friends in some outdoor setting rather than in the church. But I liked the testimony of a couple who were rebaptized recently. They had been church members in good standing, but had only lately come to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. And they said, "I suppose that some of you are wondering what we did wrong. Well, we did the worst--the very worst!" And you could have heard a pin drop. They continued, "We have done the worst. We have lived our good, upright, moral, religious lives apart from Jesus. And that's the worst." In order for baptism to be meaningful, whether a first baptism or a rebaptism, it must be an evidence of a life changed by relationship with Jesus.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:5.
In the first few verses of Acts 19 there is a definite Bible reason for being baptized a second time. It doesn't necessarily have to do with growth in the Christian life. It has to do with new light about Jesus that one didn't have before. It is something that, because a person didn't know of it, he has been neglecting. When the disciples spoken of in Acts 19 heard about the new truth that they hadn't been aware of, they were baptized a second time.
Our practice in the church has been to baptize people a second time if they have once been Christians but turned their backs on God and gone their own way. When they returned, they became convicted that they wanted to renew their public confession of Jesus Christ.
Occasionally someone will come who says, "I was baptized when I was 10 or 11, and I didn't know what it was all about. I was just baptized because the rest of the kids were. But since that time I have died, and no one attended my funeral. I have been born again, and no one has celebrated my birthday. So I'd like to be baptized for real this time." We don't hesitate when a person is convinced by the Spirit that he wants to make this decision.
There has been a certain stigma attached to rebaptism in the minds of some. Particularly if someone who has appeared to be a good church member seeks a rebaptism, the question in the minds of many is, "I wonder what he did wrong!" Because of this, sometimes the one who is choosing to be rebaptized will meet with a few friends in some outdoor setting rather than in the church. But I liked the testimony of a couple who were rebaptized recently. They had been church members in good standing, but had only lately come to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. And they said, "I suppose that some of you are wondering what we did wrong. Well, we did the worst--the very worst!" And you could have heard a pin drop. They continued, "We have done the worst. We have lived our good, upright, moral, religious lives apart from Jesus. And that's the worst." In order for baptism to be meaningful, whether a first baptism or a rebaptism, it must be an evidence of a life changed by relationship with Jesus.
RSS Feed
