Baptism question

[friendl]

Hi,

I want to be Baptised. For I now believe in Jesus.

Can I have this done at any church w/o being a member?
Can I do it privately?

Regards,
Lee

 

[Albion]

do not try doing it *privately* unless by that you mean at the hands of an ordained minister or priest who can record and document the event, just like we do with birth certificates marriage certificates, etc. There's no embarrassment in asking around. It is likely that there is a clergyman who will baptize you without requiring you to join his church.

 

[Joined2krist]

No, don't do it privately.

 

[GodsGrace101]

Hi,

I want to be Baptised. For I now believe in Jesus.

Can I have this done at any church w/o being a member?
Can I do it privately?

Regards,
Lee

Why not find a nice church that you feel you can belong to?

Batpism is personal but it's also a community affair. It's nice to share it with others, like a wedding for instance.

I don't know if you could NOT be a member of a church and still be baptized.

I'm sure you'll get some more answers...I would, however, find a good church to go to.

By good, I mean a simple bible-believing church that teaches what Jesus taught and maybe not this modern stuff I hear.

Follow what Jesus taught....

 

[Ttalkkugjil]

Hi,

I want to be Baptised. For I now believe in Jesus.

Testify friend. How did you come to believe?

Can I have this done at any church w/o being a member?

You cannot.

Can I do it privately?

What, as in just you?

 

[com7fy8]

Hi, Lee Welcome to Christian Forums God bless you I am Bill, pleased to meet you

I want to be Baptised. For I now believe in Jesus.

I offer how Paul says we "first trusted in Christ" > Ephesians 1:12. So, Biblical believing includes trusting in Jesus who died for our sins on the cross, so we are reconciled with God and forgiven and made righteous in His sight as His adopted children. And now we need to actively seek God to change us, correct us, mature us in how He is holy and how He has us living and loving in His peace > Hebrews 12:4-14, Colossians 3:15, Matthew 5:46.

So, among other things, read your Bible and feed on all God desires to do with you; depend on God to change us to live the way His word says to live > it is not possibly by ourselves, but with God all His good is possible; what He says to do is meant to be done in sharing with Him making us so successful, and in sharing with one another as family. And see who is ministering this message to help you with this. And these are the ones who you can trust to baptize you, as your Jesus family.

We are family in Jesus. So, baptism is a family sharing and caring blessing. So, why would you want to be private about this?

Can I have this done at any church w/o being a member?

You can pray with ones you find are helping you to get real with God and find out how to love. And with these people you can find out about being a member of a church. Get baptized however you agree with each other in prayer and obedience to God with each other, so it is a family thing in Jesus. How you are growing as a member of Jesus is first of all.

Make your decision with the help of ones you trust who help you walk with Jesus and love any and all people the way Jesus wants.

Can I do it privately?

This is a family blessing. And baptism can be used as an opportunity to confess Jesus before people who need Christ. So, you could be loving someone who needs Jesus, by being baptized with that person present.

 

[Dave G.]

Ask the Eunuch if he is really baptized, even though it was just him and Philip there in the flesh. You can't really be baptized alone though because the Holy Spirit is there and who knows how many angels.

"Philip told him the Gospel of Jesus, and the Ethiopian asked to be baptized. They went down into some water and Philip baptized him. ... After this, Philip was suddenly taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch "went on his way rejoicing" (verse 39 in Acts 8).

 

[crossnote]

Hi,

I want to be Baptised. For I now believe in Jesus.

Can I have this done at any church w/o being a member?
Can I do it privately?

Regards,
Lee

yes

 

[Jonaitis]

Hi,

I want to be Baptised. For I now believe in Jesus.

Can I have this done at any church w/o being a member?
Can I do it privately?

Regards,
Lee

Why would you do it in private?

 

[Andrew77]

Hi,

I want to be Baptised. For I now believe in Jesus.

Can I have this done at any church w/o being a member?
Can I do it privately?

Regards,
Lee

So, first let me answer, can I do it privately.

No. You cannot do so privately.

The entire purpose of baptism.... the whole point... is that you are making a public declaration that you have faith in Jesus Christ the lord.

Now depending on where you are in the world, that could be a problem. Like if you are in Saudi Arabia, that could get you killed on the spot.

But otherwise.... The point of baptism is to publically show that you are a follower of Jesus Christ the Lord.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:32

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.​

That is what Baptism is. You are acknowledging before men, the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

So, no, you can't do it privately.

As for getting baptized at a church you are not a member of, it just depends on the church.

Most churches... not all, but most, generally want you to be a member. They want to see that your faith is real, that you are not just going through the motions, and that this means something real to you.

And to be fair, you should be a member of a church somewhere. You should be looking for a group of believers that you can worship the Lord with.

But there are some that will baptize you without a second thought. You'll have to hunt around. Just talk to the pastor, and tell him what you want. He will tell you want the requirements are for getting baptized at his church. If the answer is no, go to the next church.

 

[eleos1954]

Hi,

I want to be Baptised. For I now believe in Jesus.

Can I have this done at any church w/o being a member?
Can I do it privately?

Regards,
Lee

Some require membership, some do not. I had to knock on a lot of doors before I found a church where I could get baptized without being a member .... was frustrating ... but ... finally found one and it was a wonderful experience. It is a public declaration, so I would do so publicly and not privately.

By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, become His people, and are received as members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their teachings. Matthew 28:19, 20 Acts 2:38 Acts 16:30-33 Acts 22:16 Romans 6:1-6 Galatians 3:27 Colossians 2:12, 13

May the Lord lead you. Amen

 

[friendl]

Another question.

I don't belong to one church. I go to church when I can, and that church can vary from one place to the next. An example is I'm on vacation for 3 months soon, so rarely be attending church.

question then, can I still be baptised even though for now I will not belong to one church, one place. I just want a private baptism, just the priest and I.