A lot of people ask themselves if they should get baptized again. It is possible that you were baptized without realizing what had happened, without genuine faith, in a church that did not preach the gospel, or in a church where you were baptized and went on to live a wicked life afterward. Are any or all of these grounds for a second baptism?
One baptism
In Ephesians 4:3, Paul urged the Christians in Ephesus to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He cites our shared belief in “one Lord, one baptism,” among other things, as justification for doing so (4:5). Rather than becoming a source of contention, baptism ought to be [a symbol of unity]. While disagreements are unavoidable, this verse ought to motivate us to put more emphasis on commemorating the one baptism that God granted His church than on [battling for our right] to be baptized.
Re-baptism in the Bible
A certain story found in the Bible is frequently cited to justify rebaptism. In Acts 19, Paul rebaptizes a group of Ephesian Christians. They did not, however, receive the Christian baptism in the names of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; rather, they merely got the baptism of John. Therefore, it is obvious that this has no bearing on the question of whether a person who was baptized Christian in a church occasionally needs to be baptized again.
It’s impossible to be re-baptised
The fact that there is just one baptism also suggests a response to the query, “Do I need to be baptized again?” The response is no, only one baptism is required; two are never needed. Alternatively said, there can never be a second baptism because there is only one. It is possible to get wet frequently, but baptism is a one-time event.
Valid baptism
Sadly, the conversation does not end here. Because that begs the question, “What constitutes a valid baptism?” One common response is that baptism involves the complete submersion of a born-again person in water, provided that person is aware of what baptism means. Since the previous baptism is regarded as invalid, this results in a large number of new “baptisms.” The following are some reasons to get baptized again: getting baptized as a baby; getting baptized as a child without having a solid understanding of faith; getting baptized in a church where the gospel was not fully understood; getting baptized and then realizing afterwards that you did not yet have saving faith.
3 problems with re-baptism
There are several problems with this view and practice. The first problem is that this severely undermines what Paul says about ‘one baptism’ in the church. Everybody believes in one baptism, but in practice there are many different baptisms, depending on the view on which baptism to accept. The second problem is that baptism becomes a very subjective thing. Some people have prayed hundreds of times to receive Christ in their hearts, and they are never sure whether it really happened. In the same way some people were baptised four or five times because they doubted whether they had real faith the last time. The third problem is that the one who baptises never can be sure whether he really did perform a baptism. If the person he baptised later concludes he did not have saving faith at the time of baptism yet, it was a fake baptism after all.
God’s work in baptism
The only way to escape always to examine our own hearts and faith to determine whether we have been really baptised, is to realise that baptism is not first of all our testimony, as is often claimed, but a work of God. One verse that clearly shows that is Acts 10:48. There it says about Peter, when he sees Cornelius and other gentiles receive the Holy Spirit: “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” Two important points should be noticed here. First, Peter commands to baptise, so baptism is a function of the church. The biblical view is not that we take baptism, but that we receive baptism. Second, in the name of Jesus Christ means on the authority of Jesus Christ (see e.g. Acts 4:7-10). The church baptises on authority of Jesus. In baptism, Jesus promises all the benefits of the Gospel to the one being baptised.
Look at Christ
As such, one does not have to wonder if, at the time of his baptism, he truly believed in God. Doubt is always warranted as long as you are searching inside of yourself. As you become a member of His Body, the church, and consider Christ and His promises, you should be glad that you were given them at the time of your baptism.
Baptism does not equal salvation
In the Bible, baptism is [strongly associated with salvation]. Nevertheless, being baptized does not guarantee salvation. “And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,” Paul stated in his letter to the Corinthians regarding Israel. However, God was not happy with the majority of them (1 Corinthians 10:2,5a). It is more important to consider if you trust Christ for salvation than it is to consider whether you should get rebaptized.
Reasons to get re-baptised
This article clarified that the typical response to the query “Do I need to be re-baptized?” is no. That being said, it’s not necessarily a no. Biblical baptism is still required in the following situations: baptism within a cult; baptism performed outside of the names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; baptism performed without the use of water; and baptism performed by a person who is not authorized to perform baptisms in his church.
Non-preferred baptism does not equal invalid baptism
Making the distinction between an ideal baptism and a genuine baptism is probably beneficial. Some may have thought that baptism was performed too early, but that should not be interpreted as meaning that it never happened. Similarly, some may have thought that baptism was performed with insufficient water, but that should not be interpreted as meaning that it never happened.
Do you need to be re-baptised?
Being baptized is not an action. That is what the church accomplishes in God’s name. It serves as a guarantee and a pledge that you belong to God’s family. Take it as a gift from God, then. You only need this gift once. You do not require rebaptism unless your baptism was administered in one of the blatantly unbiblical methods mentioned above.
