Is it wrong to get re-baptized?

[memoriesbymichelle]

I got a message from my step daughter this morning that she is planning on getting baptized and wants me to be there. The thing is, is that I was there when she got baptized at age 15. She knows she was already baptized but feels she wants to do it again becaus her walk is stronger than ever now.

Thoughts?

 

[miss-a]

Actually, I think that's somewhat common, not unlike when a married couple wants to renew their vows.

 

[dayhiker]

Actually I've been baptized twice. Once at 12 yrs old a few months after I accepted Christ. Then at 21 when it felt like I was making an other level of commitment to Christ. God baptized in the Holy Spirit later that night.

Clearly there is no command not to. One can apply the spiritual meaning of dying with Christ and being raised to newness of life anytime. Once can also tell the people around us publicly of our commitment to Christ in other way than being baptized. So no need to be baptized again. Yet if its meaningful no reason not to either.

 

[blackribbon]

I immediately thought of marriages where the couple renews their vows too. It is not necessary...but neither is baptism in the first place. It is a declaration to the world that you are making a commitment to God...so if you have moved away from God, it might feel significant as a part of the coming back process.

Why wouldn't you go? When she was younger, she might have done it more to please you or as part of peer pressure and this is more between an adult woman and God.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I never said I wouldn't go. Our relationship has been strained over the last 10 years or so though so, to me, it is interesting that she is finally letting me in a little.

Her and her family came and lived with us for about 4 months after her dad (my husband) died. Then they finally got their own place and shortly afterward she left her husband and kids for some guy at work.

It didn't last and then she met her current husband where she works. She quit talking to me after she left her husband because she said I took his side. I don't take sides, but he had the kids and I was helping him with the kids. Besides that, she never called me to tell me she had left or was leaving her husband and kids. She never called me afterward. And she has refused to talk to me, until this past year she let me be her friend on FB and slowly has had minimal communication with me on FB.
I didn't do anything wrong. So I just kept to myself and tried to encourage her when she needed it on FB.
She asked me to meet her family at church last weekend, but since I don't go on FB on the weekends I didn't get her message, but on Monday she messaged me asking did I get her message to which I told her no and the reason. So maybe the 9th when they have all the kids again, I will meet them at church. We go to the same church, just usually different services. I didn't know when I started there, that they went there. So I feel like God is bringing us back together. She has a child with her latest husband and two from her first marriage and then he has 3 girls from his first marriage. I have never met her little one. I think it's nice.

 

[dayhiker]

Interesting story or her life Michelle.

I pray she has grown up a bit or a lot and that you nca have a good relation with her.

 

[Doctor Strangelove]

I am of a minority opinion here, but I don't think she should be re-baptized. How you see baptism is one of the fault lines in Protestantism, and I am on the other side than, say, Baptists and many evangelicals. What side of the fault line you are on will pretty much determine whether you think re-baptism is legitimate or even possible. Actually, in this particular case, I think many Baptists would agree with me that you should not get baptized again just because your Christian walk is better than it was - that would be a weak reason for wanting to be baptized again.

I have seen this among some Baptists I have known. They make a profession of faith and are baptized. They realize they still sin so they worry that they might not be saved after all, so they make another profession of faith and are baptized again, an so on. I am not making fun of this - I think it is sad some people never have any peace or assurance. Suppose a baptized Christian falls away from the faith. Then he comes to faith again. Was his baptism defective somehow and he needs a new one? Don't you see how we can turn baptism into a work if it is all about our inner state and how well we think we are doing?

Now, if a close friend or relative was being re-baptized and wanted me to be a witness, I would explain without lecturing why I thought it wasn't necessary. On the other hand, I don't set myself up as judge of someone's spiritual state just because I disagree with them. So I would likely go even though I would feel uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable and disagreeing are normal parts of life.

 

[dayhiker]

I agree with you Doc that just because some back sides or has gone thru a period of doubts doesn't make their previous baptism null in any way. There is no need to enter any kind of cycle other than to obey God and repent when we need to.

Nor to I have a problem with the Anabaptist on re-baptizing people.

 

[abysmul]

Go, support her with love.

 

[blackribbon]

My personal opinion is that the water baptism doesn't have anything to do with your salvation status. The man on the cross next to Christ didn't get baptized but was promised a place in paradise based on his belief in Jesus alone. So if the person is doing it to "be saved" or to improve their Christianity in some way, then they are getting baptized for the wrong reason. It is just the outward profession of that God is your God and you are claiming Him. It is the "T-shirt" that tells the world that you belong to this way of living....and hopefully, that will challenge a Christian to actually live the belief system they just announced that they belong.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I agree with you Dr. I don't think she needs to get re-baptized and I did tell her "don't you remember you already got baptized?" I don't think it will make her any more saved or make God prouder of her.

But it's her decision and I don't think it will hurt her faith and it will probably be the last time she does it.

At our church they do baptizms during the service or rather they make it part of the service and I will be there for her for sure.

On another similar note, my SIL's sister became a mormon a few years back and got baptized into their religion. My SIL made a comment that her sister has almost been baptized by every religion! I do not view this as a good thing and she said it in jest, but I think that is a dangerous spot to be in getting baptized in various religions, but that's just me.