Does it matter who baptizes you or where you have it done?

Question

Should a pastor baptize you or can a fellow baptized believer do it for you? Does it matter if you do it in a backyard pool or should it be in front of a ton of people at a church? How much of your thoughts on this are based on Biblical teaching versus denominational tradition?

Answer 1

It does not matter where you are baptized, or who does the baptizing. What does matter is that you are baptized for the correct reason, that you believe in Christ and repent of your sins, and that you are baptized by immersion. (That is kind of redundant, since the Greek word we get the word “baptize” from, means “to immerse”.)

If you have to be baptized by a particular person, where is the Biblical proof? In baptism, the attitude and obedience of the one being baptized is what is important. The salvation of the one being baptized is not conditional on the faithfulness of the person who baptizes him, or on any other person, except Jesus Christ! The relationship of importance is between the one being baptized and God (Christ)!

In the Bible, there are instances of large groups being baptized (Acts 2:41), but many of the times there was not a large assembly. They did not have “church buildings”, so there are no examples of people being baptized “in a church”. If you have to be baptized "in a church", where were these people in the Bible baptized?

The eunuch stopped and was baptized during a journey. (Acts 8:36-38) They took the jailer and baptized him during the middle of the night. (Acts 16:25, 33) The “where” of baptism is wherever there is water, enough water to bury a person in baptism. (Colossians 2:12)

In EVERY example of a baptism in the book of Acts (sometimes called the book of conversions), the convert was always baptized immediately. None of these converts ate, drank, slept, or continued a journey until they were baptized! None of these converts waited till Sunday, “scheduled a time”, or waited until the family could be invited to watch. It was always immediate. When they learned that they needed to be baptized “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38), and “baptized into Christ” where they would contact His death and saving blood (Romans 5:8-10, Romans 6:3-13, Colossians 2:12, Galatians 3:27), they did it! They did it then! They did not wait! They knew that if they had not been baptized INTO Christ, they were still outside of Christ and lost!

An example of this is Saul (Paul). He had been praying and fasting, without eating or drinking for three days. (Acts 9:9-11) When Ananias came and told him what he “must do” (Acts 9:6), “be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16), Saul was baptized immediately, THEN he took food! Even after having no food or drink for three days, baptism was so important that he was baptized before he ate! (Acts 9:18-19)

Answer 2

You should be baptized by one called to baptize in the Name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. And this would be someone on the foundational confession, "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.".

That would be the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Holy Bible. Any other book that is apocryphal isn't on the True foundation. The Mormon book is apocryphal. So? If you were baptized into the Mormon Church you are baptized into their Church and not the Church of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who is the One who shed His blood on Calvery for remission of our sins & who is the One who raised from the dead for us. The baptism represents that we go down, sins are washed away (atoned for) by His redeeming blood, and we are raised up a new man in Christ. This is being born again.

Born of His Spirit, cleansed by His blood, joint heirs with King Jesus, & part of the family of God.

My Church does baptisms regularly. At the end of every service there is an alter call. Then about once a month, etc... there is a water baptism. We beleive that people receive the seal of the Holy Spirit at confession & heart faith. The Holy Spirit is with the new spiritually born Christian & will fill the Christian. That is spiritual baptism. Water baptism is representative of this also. As water baptism should be in the Name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Some people are filled with the Holy Spirit before water baptism and some are filled after.

Answer 3

dont listen to Steve N! You must be "buried" in the waters of baptism to be saved. If Jesus was baptized, wouldn't it make sense that you would have to be baptized to? read the bible

It would be best if you have chosen a church. When I was baptized, I was baptized in my church with my pastor. But that was my choice. However, different denominations have different reasons for baptisms. Baptists believe baptism is to join the church, who cares what methodists think. Most churches believe that baptism is the only way to be saved.

I would prefer a pastor in the actual church of your choice. I am happy you have chosen to be rinsed of your sins!, if thats what you are aiming for!

Answer 4

Yes it does matter who baptizes you. In the Bible we read that Jesus gave power or Authority to his Apostles and then they went out and baptized, we also read of a seventy that went out under the direction of the apostles and came back to give they experience of baptizing people. One must have the authority to baptize, not just some person who feels like he should. Your pastor should have received it by the laying on of hands , like in the Bible, and the person that gave it to him, should have received it from someone, and so on.

So it is all based on who has Christ's authority to baptize, and going to a school and graduating with a degree of religion does not count as receiving the Authority.

It doesn't matter where, people in my Church have been baptized in the Ocean. And no big group is necessary because you are not doing it for them, you are doing it for you. it is not just a public confession, its a commandment of God.

All this is purely Biblical teaching.

Answer 5

My denominational training had me baptized as an infant. I was baptized by the believer who led me to Christ in his backyard pool, with witnesses. In the Bible, baptism means "being immersed in" whatever you were baptized. John the Baptist baptized into repentance. Those who baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit baptize into God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the days they did that, however, the Jewish religious leaders were KILLING everybody baptized in the name of Jesus -- and baptism was a public event, so you had to let everybody who saw it know that you were naming Jesus as Lord. If only it were as important today.

You wondered about biblical foundation. There would be many out there who disagree with me, but in the Bible, I see only believers being baptized by those who brought them to Christ. That is the tradition I followed. Although it was in his back yard swimming pool, it was public in the fact that I invited all of my friends, and my parents -- the ones who had me baptized as an infant by a pastor. They did not come and were very critical of my actions. That was the "baptism by fire" part, but I DID make it public and most of my friends came -- from ALL denominations -- those who simply call themselves Christians. That's the way God wants it.

Answer 6

No it doesn't matter where it's done. Its more for a public show that you have accepted Christ.

A Pastor should preform it, but I have an Iranian friend who is going to do it between his wife and him because there are no christians there to do it for him.

In God's eyes, its whats in your heart more than the act. Accepting Him in your heart is what is the most important thing.

Answer 7

good question.

You should be planted in a church and have it done there as a "public confession" but personally I think God honors what is in your heart when you are baptized not where it is done. A Minister or Pastor should perform it though not just anyone.

Answer 8

A family friend who was a minister baptized me in my home when I was 3.

Answer 9

Baptism is an outward statement telling everyone "yes i am a christian" and kind of telling everyone to keep you accountable of that. It doesn't matter where, i've heard of pleanty of places esp. of missionaries over seas, where poverty stricken kids and adults get baptized.

usu. a religious leader, your pastor baptises you. in your church thats tradition. not necesarily a rule book, talk to your pastor, b/c baptised, you have to have a local church, its a part of your salvation. you need that foundation.

Answer 10

You don't need to be baptized to be saved.

The Bible says that you are not saved through works but through the holy spirit. baptism is just a symbolic statement.