Baptism?

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CrownedWarrior

Guest
#1
#1
Hello all, I have a few questions. I have lutheran and methodist friends who beleive that anybody including infants can be baptized. I came from a very traditional backround where I was baptized as a child, later on in lafe I decided to join a non-denomination and accepted Christ as my savior, after my salvation I was taught that after salvation one is to be baptized, so I was baptized as a believer 2 years ago. My question is though what does the bible and history really say about baptism? Because my friends who go to very "traditional" churches have good points to back up their reasons, for example Jesus telling his disciples not to hinder children from the kingdom of God, and Jesus's great comission saying to baptize people of all nations and so on. Please give the best ideas or information you have and please back it up with history and scripture. Thank you and God bless you :)
 
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Scotth1960

Guest
#2
#2
CrownedWarrior said:
Hello all, I have a few questions. I have lutheran and methodist friends who beleive that anybody including infants can be baptized. I came from a very traditional backround where I was baptized as a child, later on in lafe I decided to join a non-denomination and accepted Christ as my savior, after my salvation I was taught that after salvation one is to be baptized, so I was baptized as a believer 2 years ago. My question is though what does the bible and history really say about baptism? Because my friends who go to very "traditional" churches have good points to back up their reasons, for example Jesus telling his disciples not to hinder children from the kingdom of God, and Jesus's great comission saying to baptize people of all nations and so on. Please give the best ideas or information you have and please back it up with history and scripture. Thank you and God bless you :)
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Dear friend, Scripture says we are to be baptized by one Spirit, the Holy Spirit, into one

Body, the Church. The real question is: where is the NT Church today? Which churches

today come down from the 12 apostles and their disciples/bishops of the early Church.

Which baptize the way they baptized in the early church? Did the early church baptize

everyone, infants, children, teenagers, and adults? Did they immerse people? Did they

come to believe that this immersion should be trine, for each member of the Trinity?

Do the early church writings indicate it was by trine immersion? Which Church today is

the same Body as the old NT Church? Is it the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of

the Creed of 381 AD? Is this same Church also called the Orthodox Church? Have you

ever been in an Orthodox Church service? What do you feel about it? In Erie PA Scott R.

Harrington PS Have you studied Church history to know the fact that the oldest Christian

Church is the Eastern Orthodox Church (Chalcedonian)?




 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#3
#3
CrownedWarrior said:
Hello all, I have a few questions. I have lutheran and methodist friends who beleive that anybody including infants can be baptized. I came from a very traditional backround where I was baptized as a child, later on in lafe I decided to join a non-denomination and accepted Christ as my savior, after my salvation I was taught that after salvation one is to be baptized, so I was baptized as a believer 2 years ago. My question is though what does the bible and history really say about baptism? Because my friends who go to very "traditional" churches have good points to back up their reasons, for example Jesus telling his disciples not to hinder children from the kingdom of God, and Jesus's great comission saying to baptize people of all nations and so on. Please give the best ideas or information you have and please back it up with history and scripture. Thank you and God bless you :)
Click to expand...
Both sides have plausible arguments from the Bible. Infant baptism side, views baptism much like the NT form of circumcision. It's just a sign the covenant community puts on babies showing they'll be raised in the covenant community of Christians. Of course it's up to the child to decide to follow Jesus.

I believee in believers baptism though.


But either way, which ever one you believe, you had better not rely on the waters of baptism to be the sole means to save you. You must decide to follow Jesus and follow his leading and his relationship he initiated with you.
 
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DanuckInUSA

Guest
#4
#4
I would go with there is nothing wrong with either. The holy Spirit is going to show up. If as a child feels right to the parents so be it, if that child as an adult feels the need to be baptized anew so be it.
 
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reformed101

Guest
#5
#5
Hello and God Bless ...
This is my understanding of baptism: we are to do it as a public proclomation of our faith and new birth in Christ Jesus as our Lord and savior .
It is symbolic of what happens to us inside , with the washing away of our sins .
But , I'm not sure what your real question is ?
Is it , are all children going to heaven ? Even infants ?
If that is part of the question or a seperate question all together I'd like to hear from you your thoughts on it and let me understand more of your question .
I believe the bible says clearly that we are all born into sin , into satans family and then God adopts us out of satans family into His , as His children in Christ . With this understanding then i cannot see how an infant can make such a deduction or rather be born again . But i would not leave out room for God to choose any infant he wishes to be His own . No-one can say for certain who God saves and who he does not . But I firmly believe that most everyone, including infants are doomed and born and die in satans family . It is a hard thing to swallow .
So then, what does it profit one who is not a child of God's to be baptised ? it is a command from God to do publically to show your allegiance and love in Christ and your rebirth by water, which Christ came with water and the blood .
Simply put. baptism is just a symbolic profession of faith . But it is also a command to do . But it does not make the spirit enter you at that time . The spirit has already entered you before this .The spirit entering us is the true baptism within us . Then we are commanded to show it publically outwardly of what transpired within us . So the spirit is the water ! and Christ is the blood ! The sacraficial lamb that had to shed his blood for us . So we are cleansed by the water (spirit of God ) and the blood ( blood of Christ Jesus) . So baptism for an unbeliever is useless and a lie ( blasphamy ) . But for the believer it is commanded by God so that other will witness what God has done to them and actually will hold you in account as well after you have been baptised to see if or what God has done to you and what change they may see in you there after .
God Bless
 
Cobus

Cobus

Banned
#7
Feb 17, 2010
3,620
27
0
#7
Hey my friend. It is with a great passion for God's truth that i will show you that there is only ONE Baptism, and it is not with water! Let us start with the first baptism mentioned in the Bible!!! John the Baptist said.... I baptize you with water unto repentance of you sins... Matthew 3:11 .... Then John adds on.... He that comes AFTER me is mightier than I.... He shall baptize you with the HOLY GHOST!
Now we go to where God has something to say about baptism.... Ephesians 4:5 and 6... One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
I do not make the water-baptism nothing, but that baptism is not a requirement for salvation. ALL the saved people are saved because they were baptized with the Holy Spirit! Read Acts 8:5 to 24. There is a perfect exsample of God's salvation at work.
Jesus NEVER baptized any person with water... John 4:2. And Jesus allowed His disciples to baptize with water, but after they were Baptized with the Holy Spirit, they became Apostles and baptized people with the Holy Spirit. They did not baptize people with water any longer, but with the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:17.
After a person is baptized with the Holy Spirit a person is filled with God's Holy Spirit and now he is saved. Another fact is.... Today there are VERY FEW people on this world that have the Holy Spirit in them. Matthew 22:14 says MANY are called FEW are chosen.
Matthew 24:24...Like the baptism, many false prophets mislead many people, my advice to all people is.... Know the Word of God, and they will not be able to mislead you. All God's answers are in the Bible... Jesus says in John 17:17 that Father God must sanctify us in His Truth.... His Word is the Trruth. And becasue God sanctifies us in His Truth that Truth makes us free. Free from all evil, even false teachings. John 8:32... You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall makke you free! My friend spend as much time with JEsus in the Word of God and He will reveal His Word and Himself to you! May the Father's will be done in us, Amen!
 
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Slepsog4

Guest
#8
#8
Cobus,

You need to go back and re-read the entire book of Acts. You make some absurd assertions. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was limited to two occasions -- Day of Pentecost and on the household of Cornelius. Commands are to be obeyed... baptism is a command. The clear pattern of Acts is immersion in water.
 
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