“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” Jesus commanded the apostles. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, by baptism (Matthew 28:19). This commandment of Jesus has been interpreted in a variety of ways because God’s church has over the years split into numerous denominations with their own beliefs and customs, as well as the existence of cults with historical roots in Christianity. Which baptisms are legitimate is a dilemma that all Christian churches must deal with.
Validity of baptisms
- According to Matthew 28:19, baptism must first occur [in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit]. Any other type of baptism is not a Christian baptism.
- Second, water baptisms ought to occur. A baptism performed without the use of water is invalid.
- Third, the church is in charge of administering baptism. A play’s “baptism” is not the same as a real baptism. In a cult, such as Mormonism, a “baptism” is not a true baptism.
- Fourth, related to the previous point, the person performing the baptism should possess [the right to perform the baptism]. This authority is exclusively vested in the pastor or priest in many churches. Others may be baptized by elders or even by every member in various congregations. Therefore, if your neighbor baptizes you in his bathtub because his church accepts it as a legitimate means of initiation, then it is a legitimate baptism. The baptism is void if the church does not acknowledge that.
Acceptable in the eyes of God
Two other points are frequently brought up. Certain churches maintain that God only accepts baptism by immersion. It is true that immersion baptism was the most popular method of baptism (Acts 8:36, for example). It is untrue, therefore, to say that “immerse” is synonymous with “baptize.” It is dubious in a number of Bible verses and patently untrue in another. Hebrews 9:12 mentions “various washings,” where the Greek term for “baptisms” is used. “The sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer” is mentioned as one of these “baptisms” in verse 14.
The Didache, which is arguably the oldest Christian text not found in the New Testament, affirms the broader definition of baptism by stating that immersion is the recommended method but that sprinkling is acceptable. In summary, God does not view baptism as acceptable or unsuitable based on the method of administration—immersion, pouring, or sprinkling.
Who may be baptized?
The last and most contentious issue is who is eligible for baptism. Baptism, according to certain protestant denominations, is reserved for believers. Baptism is also for believers’ children, according to Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and other protestant churches. Which baptisms are acceptable before God is the topic of this article, not who is right.
The churches [that baptize children] do not find it difficult to recognize the legitimacy of baptism in baptist churches. However, a lot of baptist churches disagree that baby baptism is legitimate. I think this is a mistake. Scripture defends both baby baptism and believer’s baptism. There are no examples of a baby being baptized in the New Testament, nor of a believer who was born into a Christian home and was baptized later. There are several ways to interpret the Early Church’s record on this issue. If one believes that God does not recognize baby baptism, one must conclude that true baptism vanished for more than a millennium (approximately 400–1525) and that the church as a whole disregarded Christ’s edict.
To sum up, the unity of the church is highly valued in the New Testament (see Ephesians 4:4-6). Claiming that only Christian baptism is acceptable to God and that it is foolish to rebaptize persons who were previously baptized in other churches would split the church apart. Even though they think believer’s baptism best captures what the Bible says, churches should admit that baby baptism is a less-than-ideal type of baptism.
