Posted on 10/06/2015 10:35:57 AM PDT by envisio
I have read a little and did some research on baptism and if there is a need to get baptized as an adult after being baptized as a child.
I looked for the Church’s standing on it and I looked for scripture written about it. My research left me with the half-baked conclusion, in the eyes of the Lord, one only needs baptized once.
I was baptized as a small child without any realization of what was happening. In the 40 years to follow there were plenty of times I was lost, sinning, doing the devils deeds with the liquor and the drugs and the whores and on all fours in the parkinglot puking only to repeat it again the next day for years in my 20s. I never got into any real trouble; no felonies or violence, just drunken antics of a stupid 20something year old. Of course, as we get older, we settle down and put away our childish behavior to be adults. In no way will my wild youth define my legacy since then.
Recent events have tested my faith and questioned a merciful God. Ultimately those events brought me closer to God, and it was my wife’s wish that I completely give my life to Christ. She did and I am quite sure she is sitting by His side right now, praying that I do the same.
I am a sinner. I have confessed my sins and asked for forgiveness. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. I want to complete it with water. I want to get baptized again, but I don’t want it to be vain. I don’t want to do it for myself as a vain show that’s not necessary just to make me feel better. I want to do it because God wants me to do it.
So, since you folks are far more learned on the teachings of the bible, and FReepdom is unmatched in advice dealing with church and God, my question is… Even if the original baptism was done at a time when I did not know what was happening… Is a second baptism common? Is it vain? Will it make me complete in my transition to being born again? Is it necessary?
Excellent post.
There's more than one sentence in that group of verses...You might want to concentrate on the rest of them...
Paul was so obviously immediately converted by meeting the vision of Christ on the Damascus Road that it should not require a diagram to demonstrate the fact.
I don't know how you looked at the Happy Heralds web site, but if you go to Post #189 on this theme, and click on the article title "VI. BAPTISM OF DISCIPLES OR WATER BAPTISM" that will take you directly to the paper.
Scroll to the bottom of the paper to find a link back to the other baptisms, on which page at the top is a sort of directory to ther segments of the site.
being prior Catholic turned Protestant... Eucharist is not biblical, and Jesus was using metaphors, it is obvious the bread was not his body nor was he asking to be eaten - that would be cannibalism.... but you knew that already. There is no way the “bread” turns into flesh - or Water in to blood..
if you believe that, then you would have to believe that Jesus, sitting on the right hand of God would have to leave heaven, transform into a piece of bread, or cornstarch/flour wafer to be eaten by his creation... something doesn’t sound exactly right.
Succint and accurate. I am reminded of a very good John Piper sermon on 1 Peter 3.
The problem with your private interpretation is that it impeachs the credibility of the Lord Jesus, the apostle Paul, the saint Ananias, the saint Luke, and the Holy Spirit for including the testimony of Ananias that you deny in the book of Acts after attesting to the function and veracity of his testimony. I believe them and uphold the scripture. Anyone may use your method of interpretation to discount many scriptures to which they object. It serves as modern revisionism to bend the scriptures to support a relatively new sect's doctrine. Other examples where that method is applied to impeach the testimony of someone in the scriptures are female clergy, homosexual marriage, contraception, divorce, and suicide. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts, Catholic chapter twenty two, Protestant verses six to ten, and twelve to sixteen,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James
bold emphasis mine
You're right - that is sad... Much better to follow the Word, and do as Yeshua commanded. And as a charismatic, I truly weep for those who have never felt the Spirit...
Chapter and verse please.
Really small catechism for you:
Q. What does baptism do for us according to the Scriptures?
A. It saves us.
Thanks for the web site directions, I will check it out.
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Yes it does...But water doesn't save anyone...If you are trusting in water to save you, you are not saved...
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Were these souls saved to a life eternal, in the presence of God??? Nope...They were temporarily saved from death...
And that saving action by water is not what saves us but it is a 'like figure' of what saves us...
The baptism Christians go thru for eternal life is not in water (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh)...The Christian's baptism has nothing to do with water...It is a spiritual birth inside us with us turning to Jesus with a clear/good conscience that He is our Savior (but the answer of a good conscience toward God,)...We get baptized with the Holy Ghost and then we Get Into the Water, go under and come back up which symbolizes the death burial and ressurection of Jesus...
Our 'old man' has died, been buried and risen again to Spiritual life in Jesus in the 'new man'...
Your simple 'catechical statement' doesn't even begin to show the truth that Jesus has revealed to us in his scriptures...
How very droll. It is not enough that I do (and I do), but rather I must defend the statement with calendar and quantity? Bah! Merely having done so even twice is enough to sustain the statement, but had I the very times and dates and lengths thereof, I fear you wouldn't accept the proofs.
And it is only right to weep for those who have not experienced the Spirit - I can't imagine how they function without that intimacy... I think that is the difference between religion and relationship...
Proofs ? You did not even answer the questions.
And it is only right to weep for those who have not experienced the Spirit - I can't imagine how they function without that intimacy... I think that is the difference between religion and relationship... And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Luke, Catholic chapter eleven, Protestant verses nine to fourteen,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Are you insinuating that having empathy for the plight of others is 'despising' them? That grieving that so many are misled is Pharisaic?
Continue catechism just for you:
Q. How many Lords are there?
A. One
Q. How many faiths are there?
A. One
Q. How many baptisms are there?
A. One
It is funny how so many get caught up with “water”, baptism is baptism.
Are you really so hung up on semantics? No there is nothing that says it has to be witnessed by a bunch of people.
I believe you have answered correctly.
Matthew 3:
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
====== Two statements from Simon Peter ===========
"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16 AV).
"Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee" (Mt. 16:22 AV).
===================================================
In the method of interpretation that I'm using, which employs accurate use of Scripture (not like yours), one of Peter's statements above is inspired, and one is not. However, the writing of both is inspired, as set down by Levi. Believe it or not. Do you perceive the difference?
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(BTW, the font colorizing and sizing style of attributions makes them hard to read. You might want to think about using the conventions of Bible college and seminary writing, such that the reader is not overwhelmed with unnecessary pyrotechnics, but attribution is clear and simple. Just a helpful suggestion.)
Not caught up on semantics at all. I read many people say baptism is a public testimony of faith and it sounds good, except for one thing. The Bible doesn’t say it anywhere and the Church has never taught it. Baptism saves us, it is not symbolic and it is not a useless public ceremony.
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