A Second Baptism? by Elder Brian Moore Argument for accepting only a baptism of like faith and order Baptism, is a wonderful experience. To a believer it is an open confession of faith to the world. It symbolizes the death and resurrection of the body of Christ, as well as the death of the sinful creature unto the life of a spiritual creature, with sin yet without the love of sin. Often times people of other orders and faith will desire a home with the Primitive Baptists. Upon their request they are asked to partake in a second baptism, assuming they had been baptized before. This practice is often met with skepticism and debate. Why do Primitive Baptist require a second baptism? The reason being supported by Ephesians 4:5 "One Lord, one faith, one baptism", there is only one baptism acceptable to God. In II John 10-11 we read "if there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." Baptism administered by any minister or any church holding a belief different from the one faith mentioned in Ephesians 4:5 cannot be the one baptism mentioned in the same verse. In the book of Acts 19:1-5 we read of the Apostle Pauls account of administering baptism to those who had been immersed before, the reason he did so is because they had no understanding of the truth when they were first baptized. With this we can assume that if a person asks for a home with the Primitive Baptist, that they desire a home there because they believe the doctrine of salvation by Grace. If they believe that to be the truth, that signifies their faith in that doctrine, they therefore should be baptized into that same doctrine. Which is in accordance to Ephesians 4:5 "one Lord, one faith , one baptism." In plain speak, if someone has been baptized into another faith, and then accepts another doctrine as the truth then they should be baptized into that faith in which they believe to be the truth. |
