REBAPTIZED

 REBAPTIZED

Garland M. Robinson

        Does the Bible say anything about being rebaptized? It’s always good to ask questions. The Bible has the answer and it’s to the Bible we must go to find God’s answer. Men have their own answers, but they are not God’s answers. The Bible is our infallible guide. What does the Bible say?
        The short answer to your question is that there is no difference between (1) someone who has not been baptized and (2) someone who was baptized but was taught wrong and then was baptized. There must be a proper understanding of what:
        1) baptism is (immersion in water, Acts 8:38)
        2) baptism does
            a. puts you into Christ (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27)
            b. washes your sins away by the blood of Jesus (Acts 22:16; Eph. 1:7)
            c. saves you (Mark 16:16; 2 Peter 3:21)
            d. makes you a member of the Lord’s church (1 Cor. 12:13)
        The answer to the question of rebaptism begins by looking at what the Bible says about baptism.
        Water baptism was taught by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1-6; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-9; John 1:1-18). He was the forerunner to Christ to soften the hearts of the Jews so they would be receptive to Christ when he came (Matthew 3:1-3; see also Luke 3:3). John’s baptism was for the remission (forgiveness) of sins —Mark 1:4, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
        Jesus taught the same as John —baptism for the remission of sins. John 4:1, “...Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples).” Verse 2 points out that Jesus did not baptize with his own hands. It was his disciples who actually did the baptizing. This is a significant point. It was to make sure that no one would be able to say that “Jesus” baptized them and that makes them special and more important than those who were not baptized by Jesus.
        Jesus gave the command to his disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone. Since all have sinned (Rom. 2:10,23), all need forgiveness. Jesus said to his apostles, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). The command to be baptized has been passed down to every generation. Matthew 28:20 says that when the Gospel is preached, those who have become Christians (by being baptized) are to teach others what they have been taught. Those who have been converted are taught to “observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you....” This same process repeats itself to every generation.
        In the book of First Corinthians, we learn there was division in the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:11). Some were boasting that Paul had baptized them, others boasted that Apollos baptized them, some said that Cephas (Peter) baptized them. They were bragging on who baptized them, thinking that made them better than others (v.12). Paul showed them that Christ is not divided, that Paul was not crucified for them, nor were they baptized in the name of Paul (v.13). This prompted Paul to say he was glad he had not baptized (with his own hands) any more than he did (vs. 14-17). He did not want to be the object of confusion and division. Division is sinful (1 Cor. 1:10).
        Paul’s point was to show that it makes no difference who baptizes you. What does make a difference is that sinners believe in Jesus as the savior (John 4:42; 8:24), repent of their sins (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30), confess faith in Christ (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10), and then are baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4). That action makes one a Christian and a member of his church.
        In Acts 2, the Gospel of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection was preached for the first time. Thousands were in Jerusalem on this occasion because of the annual celebration of Pentecost. In verses 23-24 Peter preaches to those gathered and reveals that they had crucified Jesus, but God had raised him up. Then in verse 36 we read: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (vs.37-38). This same practice of repenting and being baptized continues throughout the book of Acts and will continue till the end of time.
        In Acts 8:5 we learn that “Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.” In verse 12 we read that “when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”
        Notice that “preaching Jesus” (v.5) involved preaching “the kingdom (v.12). The kingdom is the church —the church is the kingdom. The words kingdom and church are used interchangeably in Matthew 16:18-19. Jesus said, “...I will build my church... And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven....” The point is this, preaching Jesus involves preaching his kingdom —the church, his body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). There is only one body (Eph. 4:4). Jesus has only one church.
        Here’s the summation of the things above:

1. John the Baptist taught and practiced baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4).
2. Jesus taught and practiced baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; John 4:1).
3. Jesus commanded that baptism be taught and practiced as long as the world stands (Matt. 28:18-20).
4. The apostles taught and practiced baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
5. Philip taught and practiced baptism for the remission of sins. He also taught about the Lord’s true church —the church of Christ, not a church founded by a man. Having that knowledge, many were baptized and became members of the church of Christ.
6. Paul pointed out that the one who baptizes you does not make you more important or special above others (1 Cor. 1:12-16).

        For one to be baptized according to the Scriptures, there are things we must understand:
        1) The PURPOSE of baptism:
            a. For the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
            b. It saves (1 Peter 3:21).
            c. Puts you INTO Christ where salvation is (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27; 2 Tim. 2:10).
            d. You are added by the Lord to his body/church, the body of the saved, the church that wears his name, the church of Christ (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 12:13).
        2) The MODE of baptism —immersion in water (Acts 8:38-39; Col. 2:12). Denominationalism teaches and practices sprinkling and pouring as acceptable modes of being baptized. Though there are Greek words for both sprinkling and pouring, they are never used concerning baptism. The Greek word used for baptism is specific: immerse, submerge, dip, overwhelm.
        3) We are being “born again” to live a new life in Christ (John 3:3-5; 2 Cor. 5:17). Romans 6:4 says one is raised up out of the water “to walk a newness of life.”
        4) We cannot continue in a church/denomination started by man. You are now a child of God and must be a “member of” and “worship in” the church that Jesus purchased with his blood (Rom. 16:16). The church that wears his name —the church of Christ.
        5) Baptism is for those who know what they are doing and the purpose for which they are doing it. Small children do not comprehend baptism’s significance.
        If you are taught wrong, you cannot be baptized right because you don’t have the knowledge of what is right. There are those who have been “baptized” but their baptism was not valid. They did not have an understanding of baptism or they were baptized into a church founded by man. Their baptism is not valid. It’s counted as though they had never been baptized.
        In Acts 19:1-7 there is a divine example of some who were “rebaptized” because their previous baptism was not valid (even though it was for the forgiveness of sins). These twelve men had been taught and baptized according to John the Baptist’s baptism (v.3). They were baptized “after” John’s baptism was no longer in force. At the time they were baptized they only knew John’s baptism which said, “that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus” (v.4). But at the time they were taught, and baptized Jesus had already come. He had already died on the cross. He had already been raised from the dead. John’s baptism had fulfilled its purpose years earlier and had ceased by the time the Gospel was preached in Acts 2. Acts 19 occurred many years after Acts 2.
        Before ascending back into heaven Jesus told the apostles, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20). “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).
        The baptism Jesus commanded the apostles to teach and practice until the end of the world is the baptism Peter preached for the first time on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. On that day many were “were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
        In order for baptism to be valid, there are several things we must KNOW:

1. We have sinned (Rom. 3:10,23).
2. Sin separates us from God (Isa. 5:1-2).
3. If we die in our sins, we can’t go to heaven (John 8:21).
4. We must obey the Gospel to be saved from our sins (2 Thess. 1:7-9).
5. Jesus only saves those who obey him (Heb. 5:9; Matt. 7:21).
6. I must know that by being baptized the Lord adds me to his church (Acts 2:47; 8:12).

        There are several things we must DO in order to receive forgiveness of our sins and become a member of the Lord’s church:

1. We must hear the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ (John 6:44-45; Acts 3:23). We have to hear “words” that can save our soul (Acts 11:14; James 1:21).
2. We must believe the Gospel (good news) and its teaching that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, the savior of the world (John 8:24; Heb. 11:6; Acts 4:12).
3. We must repent of our sins. That means we change our mind and turn away from sin (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; 17:30).
4. We must confess faith in Jesus the Christ as the Son of God and savior of the world (Rom. 10:9-10; Matt. 10:32-33; Acts 8:37).
5. We must be baptized in water for the forgiveness of our sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16).
6. We must continue to live faithful to the Lord by obeying the Scriptures the rest of our life (1 Cor. 15:58; Rev. 2:10; Heb. 10:26).

        The twelve men in Acts 19:1-7 had been baptized under John’s baptism which was to look for Jesus to come. They did not know he had already come. They were sincere when they were baptized, but they had been taught wrong. That made their baptism wrong. When they learned the truth (v.5), they eagerly were rebaptized according to the baptism Peter preached on Pentecost.
        It was not possible that they could continue “as they were” now that they had learned the truth. That would not work. They had to be rebaptized according to the baptism of the great commission (Mark 16:16). They did not hesitate to be baptized for the right reason and purpose.