Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamingZword
I totally disagree based on Biblical example.
Whenever there was a conversion in the Bible Baptism was usually done in the same day.
The Ethiopian Eunuch was baptized by Phillip, right in the middle of the desert, after a talk with Philip.
The Philippian Jailer and his family was baptized in the middle of the night, Paul did not even wait till daytime to baptize them.
If we are going to be Apostolic, then we have to follow their example.
The idea of delaying baptism is a Catholic concept, for they delayed baptizing new converts until a certain day of the year and created very elaborate ceremonies for baptism.
|
I will disagree with you to a point. The two examples reveal a little different story.
Philip met up with the Ethiopian who was apparently a God fearer of some kind. He already had some kind of faith in God. When Philip told him about Jesus they came to some water and the Ethiopian said here is water. That implies that Philip taught him about baptism while teaching him about Jesus. Also, Philip made faith in Christ a prerequisite for baptism. So I come away with two conclusions on this narrative:
1) You cannot separate baptism from preaching about Jesus.
2) Baptism must be accompanied by faith.
Concerning the Philippian jailor, they, Paul and Silas, spoke to him and his household the "word" (logos) of the Lord. I cannot in this short post provide a study on the "logos" of God, but you are smart enough anyway. Once again we see that baptism cannot be separated from preaching Jesus as the jailor and his household were immediately baptized.
The points here are:
The baptizer must ensure the baptizee understands the basics, baptism is for the remission of sins and they place faith in Christ with all their heart. This IMO implies repentance. How one does this mat vary. I examine the individual before baptizing them. That does not mean a catechism but it does mean that I will ensure the individual understands the purpose of baptism. They may be immediately or it may require a short postponement.
I think we are on the same page but wanted to clarify because there are some who have abused the baptistry. They go out and will baptize anybody and then talk about how many baptisms they have performed. There is no real repentance and no real faith on Christ and no real conversions. Just sinners getting wet while they shout about "revival" where there is none.