Should Baptism be repeated?

[Mei Kor]

I hope everyone is doing well. I would like to bring up a topic for discussion:

Some Baptist churches here follow a specific format or constitution. When children turn 12 years old, it is mandatory for them to be baptized (especially in my village area), even if they have not yet accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. Later in life, when they come to fully understand the saving knowledge of Christ as adults or youths, some choose to get baptized again, but most do not.

Some say that baptism should be done again, while others say it doesn’t matter. What is your biblical stand and personal life perspective?

Let's not affiliated with doctrinal matter but just a formal discussion, thanks.

 

[Knotical]

One baptism is sufficient. Paul actually talks about this. Since baptism replaced circumcision being baptized multiple times would, literally, be like being circumcised multiple times. To understand how baptism should be administered, read through the book of Acts. Every example in that book of baptism shows that it is not just the converted who gets baptized, but their entire household.

For a church to come to some weird arbitrary age, like 12, to "mandate" baptism should tell you something about their theology. In Reformed churches, we baptize infants to stay in keeping with the example laid out in the New Testament.

There are two reasons for baptism. One is done upon conversion (credo) to show that an individual has been saved. The other is after the birth of a new addition to a believing family (paedo). Regardless of when a baptism is administered, only one is necessary.

 

[miamited]

HI Mei Kor

The issue with our baptism is our heart.

For me, I was first baptized as a child. My parents were 'church goers'. My grandfather was a wonderful pastor all of his life. So naturally, getting little Timmy baptized is a big deal for the family, but today, I don't believe that my heart was right in what I was doing.

I was baptized again at the age of 50 or so. But it must be one's own heart that makes that determination. Only our own minds know the truth about our own heart and its intentions. For me, the process exampled in the Scriptures seems to be belief and then baptism. That wasn't the order that I believe I had when I was baptized as a child.

I don't find any condemnation in the Scriptures on the practice, although honestly it doesn't come up. But it certainly isn't something that I would expect to be done more than twice. If you're the kind of person that gets emotional at alter calls and wants to get baptized every time you go to a revival, then your hearts likely not right in that either.

 

[WIP]

I was baptized "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" as Jesus instructed (Matthew 28:19) shortly after I was born. The baptism was performed by a Catholic priest but could have been performed by anyone. Over the years I left the Catholic tradition and about 10 years later I joined a Lutheran church. When I became a member of the Lutheran church I did not get baptized again. Why? Because I believe God's work is not in need of my assistance, so it is not necessary to repeat it. He's got it!

 

[Vinny37]

...

In the Q&A forum, it’s not exactly “for discussion”, so it’s not my part to interact with other answers, merely to give mine though to discuss if requested with you.

Baptivism (ie the circle of believer-water-baptism churches) has usually placed a major emphasis on believer-water-baptism, so your post surprises me somewhat. Less surprising is a set age when such churches will water-baptise a person (of course any Christian may water-baptise any consenting Christian—pace Ignatius). Years ago in Baptist circles, I’d have been happy for my 6 y.o. to have been water-baptised, she having become a Christian at that age. She waited in line with the majority vote: well, it’s hardly a life or death deal.

I guess your local network has bought in to the idea that water-baptism is some kind of spiritual vaccine, not needed before a certain age (Lk.2:42?), and (like Anglican Confirmation?) effective until adulthood (booster?). It’d be interesting to trace that idea back to its roots. Anyway, I’m largely supportive of Baptivism.

But let me address your Q.

Preliminary: water-baptism (like spirit-baptism and suffering-baptism) is not essential for Christian life, as the Salvation Army can testify. It remains however a good biblical experience.

If one’s childhood water-baptism was not as a Christian, it wasn’t of spiritual value to them. Any subsequent water-baptism would not be of spiritual value to them, mere water off a duck’s back, unless they had become a Christian.

If one’s childhood water-baptism was as a Christian, it is of spiritual value to them: a repeat water-baptism (anabaptism) would be biblically without value. But like publicly renewing wedding vows, if an individual wished merely to make such a public declaration, I’d not have a big problem so long as it’s not denying the earlier experience as having been valid. But if that became, say, an annual church practice, that would be ad absurdum.

In short, only one believer-water-baptism per person is biblically recommended.

 

[Mei Kor]

In the Q&A forum, it’s not exactly “for discussion”, so it’s not my part to interact with other answers, merely to give mine though to discuss if requested with you.

Okay, because of you, I have demanded to delete this post.

We are God's child, be humble and lowly in action, words, speak, deed. God bless you!