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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : Water Baptism

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Trekker
Member



Joined: 2011/7/29
Posts: 683
northern USA

 Water Baptism

What say ye? Is there ever an allowance to be made for a Christian woman to baptize a new Believer....even a male convert? I find no such case in scripture. So i am against women baptizing, and especially baptizing men. But what if there is no one else available (due to a number of circumstances)? And i really do mean that. I've never encountered this question anywhere before...


 2012/4/9 6:15Profile
Solomon101
Member



Joined: 2008/4/1
Posts: 536
America's Flyover Country

 Re: Water Baptism

Hey Trekker,

Based on your post this might be a helpful question to answer-

What do you believe the specific requirements are to be of one who baptizes another?

In my estimation that question helps to clarify what we actually feel about the topic within our heart. What I am driving at is this.... who of all humanity do you, or we, choose to "ban" from performing baptisms if we do not have an example of them baptizing in scripture? There are no scriptural accounts of American's, Canadians, or the Irish baptizing in scripture. Would they, or any non exampled group, be barred from baptizing then? Is "a scriptural example" the single criteria to use?

Other thoughts... at what age is it then allowable for a person to baptize another? 5...7...12...16...21...35...60... at what age is it then "allowable to baptize" if we need a scriptural example to find it appropriate for them to baptize another?

Is it perhaps wise to look at not only what scriptural examples exist but what prohibitions exist? By that I am asking specifically what groups are EXCLUDED IN SCRIPTURE from baptizing? If scripture does not expressly prohibit a group by age, gender, ethnicity, last name,.....or whatever reason, then do we have the right to impose that limitation if it is not contained expressly within scripture. If scripture does not specifically forbid women, Japanese, caucasians, Native Americans, First Nation Canadians, 16 year olds, people named Harry, or men with flat top hair cuts from baptizing then is it a Biblically safe place to be to add those limitations on our own?

Is placing any additional limitations of those who baptize based on nothing more than our "feeling" on it, or lack of a specific Biblical example of that people group performing baptisms in scripture, a safe ground to stand on?
If the scriptural example of it were the sole criteria then NONE of the previously mentioned people groups could baptize.

In fact if the "scriptural example'' is the criteria for evaluating this question then we should go back and make a list of only those who have specific scriptural examples of performing baptisms. We should then limit all performance of baptisms to that specific people group alone.

However, the other way to approach it is this... all believers are allowed to baptize unless there is a specific scriptural mandate barring them from doing so.

Things to ponder. Blessings!

CAPS were only used to emphasize phases or thoughts. No yelling was intended.

 2012/4/9 7:37Profile
mguldner
Member



Joined: 2009/12/4
Posts: 1862
Kansas

 Re:

Wow Solomon101 not to puff you up but that was a very insightful post and I appreciated it.

Second I would say that this question is a loaded one at best, and it's this kind of question that many people use to follow up with their opinion because they already have their thoughts in mind and their looking to pick some kind of fight or to teach rather than learn. Those wanting to teach more than learn in a discussion should be avoided because all great teachers are open to learning even if they know it all.

I say this because while I agree with your post 100% I fear it falls on deaf ears, though hope it doesn't. If we need a biblical example we could go as far as saying only those directly converted or affliated with the apostles could baptise.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ frees us from such religious thinking and questions.


_________________
Matthew Guldner

 2012/4/9 8:42Profile
Lysa
Member



Joined: 2008/10/25
Posts: 3699
East TN for now!

 Re: Water Baptism


God bless you Solomon for that post. I appreciated the answer that the Holy Spirit gave you.

God bless,
Lisa


_________________
Lisa

 2012/4/9 9:23Profile









 Re: Water Baptism

Hi Trekker. May I ask, what prompted you to ask?
It seems that the only way this situation would come up is if there were only two saved people in a given location. [or only one man]
Like on a deserted island, where the woman wins the only other human - the man - to Christ.

 2012/4/9 17:45
staff
Member



Joined: 2007/2/8
Posts: 2227


 Re: Water Baptism

Hi Trekker,
This a good technical question sort to speak.
.What if it were Philipa rather than Philip who talked to the Eunuch.I think in that case she would not have baptised the Eunuch due Jewish Observance but I dont see any reason that a woman can not baptise a man just as a man can baptise a woman
In general I think We have a very poor record when it comes to water baptism in the sense that we make more of it than the first Christians did,we make a song and dance about it, much more than we were meant to,
Yours Staff

 2012/4/9 18:22Profile
hulsey
Moderator



Joined: 2006/7/5
Posts: 653
Missouri

 Re: Water Baptism

Hi Trekker,

There are records from the earliest generations of Christians where women did baptize women in some places. But this is because of the nature of how new converts were baptized. There was a tradition in some of the early churches where the new convert would present himself or herself nude to be baptized and then would be presented with a robe after the baptism. So naturally they segregated themselves and the women would baptize the women and the men the men.

These baptisms were done privately, usually at midnight, followed by some type of celebration welcoming the new converts.


_________________
Jeremy Hulsey

 2012/4/9 18:56Profile
Trekker
Member



Joined: 2011/7/29
Posts: 683
northern USA

 Re:

Solomon, i understand what you are trying to say, but you are forgetting that in the case of gender things are different; man is to be head of the woman, for example, and woman is not to usurp authority over the man nor preach nor teach. Furthermore, there ARE reasons to believe that other Christians of other nations baptized people but there is NO reason to believe that women baptized, mostly because all 12 disciples & apostles were men. God did not choose a single woman to be His disciple. Not because He is sexist, but for reasons concerning enduring great hardship in travel, headship and authority as set up by God in the church, and so forth.

 2012/4/10 2:47Profile
Trekker
Member



Joined: 2011/7/29
Posts: 683
northern USA

 Re:

QUOTE: "I think in that case she would not have baptised the Eunuch due Jewish Observance but I dont see any reason that a woman can not baptise a man just as a man can baptise a woman"--STAFF

Thank you staff...I don't know how to articulate this but it is just my gut feeling...a feeling of being repelled at the thought of a woman stepping into the place of spiritual authority and role normally reserved for pastors and conducting baptisms. It just seems innately wrong to me. I don't believe in female pastors; i think the scripture is clear on that and the ones i have met were all apostates, lesbians, and false teachers who were very preoccupied with having a title and position of power/authority. Every time i try to imagine a woman baptizing converts, particularly male, it just seems odd.

 2012/4/10 2:55Profile









 Re: Water Baptism


This is funny, but this thread got me to wondering - if a person gets saved alone, I wondered if they 'had to' have 'someone' to baptize them or could they just go to the river and commit their life to Him in death and newness of life in the water - if got saved in an area where there's no other Christians - like overseas somewhere?

 2012/4/10 2:59





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