Is an ordained minister the only person who can baptize someone? Can any Christian baptize someone?

VanillaSunflowers

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John the Baptist wasn't "ordained" by men.

You can baptize yourself in a lake, river, or the ocean. If in the city and nowhere near such as that, your bathtub.

God knows your heart. Love God, because he loves you.
 
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JackRT

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Historically the Christian churches have recognized three forms of Baptism. The first is "baptism of water" which can be done by any Christian, but I do not believe one can baptize oneself. The second is "baptism of blood" where the person is martyred before water baptism can take place. The third is "baptism of desire" where the person passes away before water baptism can take place.
 
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Shane R

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It is the position of my church that it is preferable for the clergy to administer baptism but anyone can do it, so long as the trinitarian formula is followed. The power of baptism comes from the blood of Christ and the energies of the Holy Spirit. However, self-baptism, as was mentioned in the second post, has not been acceptable in the history of the church.
 
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Jezmeyah

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Is an ordained minister the only person who can baptize someone? Can any Christian baptize someone? Does baptism automatically give you local church membership or are they separate ?
Phillip was not an ordained minister (Acts8) when he baptized the Eunuch in the water. The church membership concerning the Eunuch was not mentioned but he continued on his way back to Ethiopia. (he already attended at the Temple in Jerusalem for membership there)

Ananias was instrumental (Acts 9) concerning Saul of Tarsus' follow up after his conversion on the road to Damascus, baptizing him. Afterwards Saul/Paul stayed away from any church for several years but sought God and searched the scriptures alone. (not advisable for a new born Christian who knows nothing of the Bible or of God)

I would think that the church the person attends to hear the gospel and be saved has alot to do with the decision to be baptized there, with intent to continue attending for worship and learning more about the Bible and of God. If circumstances change, then adjustments would need to be made.
 
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Jezmeyah

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You are mistaken. Philip the Evangelist was one of the seven proto-deacons of the Jerusalem church.
The question was concerning an ordained minister, in my mind that means only the Pastor of the church. In my church, that was who baptized believers, including me.

In Acts 6 Philip was chosen to wait tables, in Acts 8 he proclaimed the gospel to the people. Those two taken together sounds to me like he was a laymen evangelist and not one who stands in the office of a properly titled deacon of the church. It wasn't until Acts 21 that he was called an Evangelist, in my mind, only then making it official.

So for that reason I wrote what I did in my first post.

Regardless.. Ananias who baptized Saul of Tarsus was not more than a believer when he baptized him who became the Apostle Paul. So my post stands, that it need not be someone ordained who can baptize.
 
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Dave-W

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John the Baptist wasn't "ordained" by men.
Really? He was a temple priest - son of Zechariah and Elizabeth - order of Abijah. He would have been trained in his priestly duties from about 5 years old.

How could he NOT be "ordained?"
 
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Dave-W

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The question was concerning an ordained minister, in my mind that means only the Pastor of the church. In my church, that was who baptized believers, including me.
In the early church, the "pastor" was just one of the elders.

BTW - Rav Shaul (apostle Paul) was baptized by a normal congregant in Damascus named Annanias. There is no indication that he had any office in that congregation.
 
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Dave-W

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Historically the Christian churches have recognized three forms of Baptism. The first is "baptism of water" which can be done by any Christian, but I do not believe one can baptize oneself. The second is "baptism of blood" where the person is martyred before water baptism can take place. The third is "baptism of desire" where the person passes away before water baptism can take place.
That seems an odd trio.

The NT mentions 7 different baptisms:

John's baptism
Christian water baptism
Baptism in/of/with the Holy Spirit
Baptism in fire
Baptism of suffering
Baptism into the body
Baptism for the dead.
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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Afterwards Saul/Paul stayed away from any church for several years but sought God and searched the scriptures alone. (not advisable for a new born Christian who knows nothing of the Bible or of God)
Y'SHUA taught HIM. He was never alone, except as regards human company in some way.
 
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VanillaSunflowers

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In the early church, the "pastor" was just one of the elders.

BTW - Rav Shaul (apostle Paul) was baptized by a normal congregant in Damascus named Annanias. There is no indication that he had any office in that congregation.
And yet he was a Pharisee.
 
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JackRT

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And yet he was a Pharisee.

And yet? There was nothing wrong with being a Pharisee. There were some who were legalistic and hypocritical and most of these would have been of Bet Shammai who were dominant through the first half of the first century. Saul/Paul was of Bet Hillel. He did his rabbinical training under Rabbi Gamaliel who himself had been a student of Rabbi Hillel. You will recall it was Rabbi Gamaliel who successfully defended some of the apostles before the Sanhedrin. I would think that Rabbi Jesus was a Pharisee of this same school.
 
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VanillaSunflowers

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And yet? There was nothing wrong with being a Pharisee. There were some who were legalistic and hypocritical and most of these would have been of Bet Shammai who were dominant through the first half of the first century. Saul/Paul was of Bet Hillel. He did his rabbinical training under Rabbi Gamaliel who himself had been a student of Rabbi Hillel. You will recall it was Rabbi Gamaliel who successfully defended some of the apostles before the Sanhedrin. I would think that Rabbi Jesus was a Pharisee of this same school.
"And yet" wasn't meant as a slight. Of course that was obvious.
Maybe take your issues up with the one who doesn't know Saul/Paul was a Pharisee at all. Thanks.
 
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Jezmeyah

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In the early church, the "pastor" was just one of the elders.
In the early church there were Apostles, and Prophets, as well as Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers functioning. In regard that Christian theology today does not allow for those ministry positions that were operating in the early church, I don't see any problem with Christians like myself not considering Philip to be more than a layman Evangelist.
BTW - Rav Shaul (apostle Paul) was baptized by a normal congregant in Damascus named Annanias. There is no indication that he had any office in that congregation.
Such an addition is unnecessary if you read my entire first and (in memory) I reiterated it in my second post.
 
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Jezmeyah

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Y'SHUA taught HIM. He was never alone, except as regards human company in some way.
Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle Paul had in the Jewish community been a student of the Jewish Rabbi Gamaliel, so Saul knew much about the Bible already. He stayed alone to study the scriptures concerning the Jewish Messiah to be shown by God that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He needed to know the scriptures concerning Jesus in order to preach accurately and lead others to the Christ that he had accepted while on the road to Damascus.
 
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VanillaSunflowers

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Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle Paul had in the Jewish community been a student of the Jewish Rabbi Gamaliel, so Saul knew much about the Bible already. He stayed alone to study the scriptures concerning the Jewish Messiah to be shown by God that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He needed to know the scriptures concerning Jesus in order to preach accurately and lead others to the Christ that he had accepted while on the road to Damascus.
Acts 23:6 (KJV) But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
 
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Jezmeyah

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Acts 23:6 (KJV) But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
Concerning my post on Paul's Jewish background, would you kindly clarify your reason for quoting Acts 23:6 and emphasizing the phrase of the Pharisee?
I'm thinking that perhaps you seek to correct my use of Rabbi concerning Gamaliel, as the previous posters sought to correct my calling Philip a layman evangelist.

Is that it?
 
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Hank77

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John the Baptist wasn't "ordained" by men.

You can baptize yourself in a lake, river, or the ocean. If in the city and nowhere near such as that, your bathtub.

God knows your heart. Love God, because he loves you.
I have never heard of anyone self baptizing but if there was not anyone else that would or could do it, I feel like the Lord would accept it. I agree with you that the Lord knows what is in our hearts when we perform actions in obedience to Him.
 
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