Re-Baptism

n david · #1 07-02-2019, 09:11 AM

Yesterday I was speaking with a friend I knew growing up. He has been in and out of church and struggled a lot in his adult life. We both were baptized and received the HG at the same age -- 8 years old. I moved away a couple decades ago, but we've kept in touch every few months.

He's been out of church for a couple years now and started going back to church. He told me he recently repented and was refilled with the HG.

Then he asked me about baptism and said he was thinking of asking to be baptized again and if I believed the Bible was for/against it. He said he believed he was baptized too young and since then had lived a lot of his life in sin and wanted to start fresh.

I honestly don't know of any scripture in the Bible dealing with this, nor have I heard of anyone being baptized again after already having been baptized in Jesus Name. I have heard of many being re-baptized in Jesus Name after having been baptized in the titles, but not anything like this.

Without scripture specifically addressing this issue and just speaking from the understanding of what baptism represents as part of the New Birth -- I don't know that one would be buried a second time.

IMO there's no real spiritual benefit to being baptized again if already baptized in Jesus Name. It may make him feel better, but I don't believe it would do anything other than that.

Scriptures/thoughts ...

Apostolic1ness · #2 07-02-2019, 09:43 AM

I think the simple answer IMO is. Although we have no scriptural guidance on the topic. For his conscience sake it may be beneficial.

consapente89 · #3 07-02-2019, 10:10 AM

If someone was baptized with no understanding of what they were doing, or they were baptized for the wrong reasons (with no repentance at the time of baptism), I don't believe it is wrong for them to be re-baptized. In the case of a backslider, it is completely unnecessary and as you said, of no spiritual benefit. I have seen people who had been baptized in Jesus name, were persuaded afterward to be baptized another way, come back to their senses. In these cases they were once again baptized in Jesus name.

consapente89 · #4 07-02-2019, 10:11 AM

If your friend feels that he had no repented when he was baptized the first time, it would probably not hurt for him to consent to baptism again.

diakonos · #5 07-02-2019, 10:21 AM

Do it.

n david · #6 07-02-2019, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diakonos

Do it.

Yesterday I told him to speak with his pastor about it. I told him I don't know of any scriptures supporting it or any disapproving of it.

Esaias · #7 07-02-2019, 11:35 AM

In that He died, He died to sin ONCE.

Repenting after backsliding means you return to honouring your baptism. Otherwise it's like saying you took the Lord's name in vain. Repenting of that means honouring the vows you took., not making new ones.

A man who cheats on his wife, if he repents, doesn't remarry his wife. That would be a repudiation of his original marriage! Instead, he honours the vows he originally made.

This assumes his original dunking was a valid baptism to begin with.

consapente89 · #8 07-02-2019, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esaias

In that He died, He died to sin ONCE.

Repenting after backsliding means you return to honouring your baptism. Otherwise it's like saying you took the Lord's name in vain. Repenting of that means honouring the vows you took.

A man who cheats on his wife, if he repents, doesn't remarry his wife. That would be a repudiation of his original marriage! Instead, he honours the vows he originally made.

This assumes his original dunking was a valid baptism to begin with.

this is what may be in question.

Esaias · #9 07-02-2019, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by consapente89

this is what may be in question.

Indeed. And in this case it raises the question at what age should a person be baptised?

I have seen children get baptised with no real clue about what is going on. I have on the other hand seen children who know exactly what they're doing.

I have also seen folks baptised at an early age, with correct intentions, but when they grow up it seems more like "just a phase they went through" and they backslide. As if there seems to be a certain minimum age before a choice actually sticks with a person?

consapente89 · #10 07-02-2019, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esaias

Indeed. And in this case it raises the question at what age should a person be baptised?

I have seen children get baptised with no real clue about what is going on. I have on the other hand seen children who know exactly what they're doing.

I have also seen folks baptised at an early age, with correct intentions, but when they grow up it seems more like "just a phase they went through" and they backslide. As if there seems to be a certain minimum age before a choice actually sticks with a person?

I believe when genuine repentance is evident they are ready for baptism. Honestly, I think most Pentecostal churches are too quick to baptize adults.