Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

Interesting article. Thoughts?

http://erikfish.com/2011/09/26/when-...ishonor-jesus/

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

Great article! Every Christian should be a witness of Jesus and a disciple!
The great thing about disciples is that they make more disciples!

I never understood that high and mighty so and so has to baptize you because he has a piece of paper on his wall. I didn't ask to be baptized "in the name of the UPCI" or "in the name of the church down the street". Just another way for people to try to pull Jesus off the throne so they can hop on in his seat!

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

Just off the top of my head without having read the article, I think God set pastors in churches, and people need a relationship with the pastor as their pastor. So, unless otherwise impossible, a person whom the believer considers pastor should do the baptizing.

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

Excellent article! The Great Commission is pretty clear and spot on!!! I don't even remember reading anywhere in the Word that the Apostles has ordination papers!

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

A person doesn't need papers to be a pastor, but the purpose of papers, if they are involved, is to show that the one ordained is recognized and can be trusted as one who indeed sincerely believes the doctrine the said fellowship proposes. Know them that labour among you. It just facilitates a means of knowing the one labouring among you is in good standing with the brethren of the particular fellowship whose doctrine you believe in.

I think people miss the point of suc "papers".

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

There MUST be a Spiritual minimum(standard) for folks....to be proven to be rooted and grounded in the faith, for doing the baptism. Else anyone can baptise anyone, even if they daily battle porn, Copenhagen, anger physically and verbally-management, and lusting after another persons spouse...on and on...
Be proven.

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

Right. And that standard is the equivalent to what some people use as papers, and nothing more. I would want to know if the person baptizing me believes what I am supposed to believe according to the bible. Whatever it takes to know that, is what is required.

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

"I would want to know if the person baptizing me believes what I am supposed to believe according to the bible. Whatever it takes to know that, is what is required."
do you have a guiding passage for this? ty
so then iow the papers are essentially worthless, and likely even counterproductive. King David would not qualify, obviously.

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

1 Thessalonians 5:12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

If it wasn't enough to have common sense tell us we should know if the person baptizing us is in good standing with others and is known to stand for a particular doctrine and not be double minded with such important issues, that verse should do it.

Re: Who's authorized to baptize whom?
 

strikes me that the first baptizer who gets some piece of paper, and then later cleans the church's clock financially, is presenting another pov, wadr. Paper does not equal "knowing" iow. Personally in that position i would feel responsible to sue the ordinator, but never mind that for now.