In response to a thread: Is an ordained minister the only person who can baptize someone? Can any Christian baptize someone? by Alex
Should be a person to be ordained in order to Baptize?
After reading all posts concerning the issue, and after checking some places of the Bible I came to conclusion that ordination is not actually required in order to Baptize a person, any one can Baptize anyone, as long as one of them already strong believer in Christ and understand Scriptures, and another had been taught in Gospel and at least generally understand Christian faith and the purpose of Baptism.
While it is true that Philip was ordained as an Apostle of Christ and Baptized eunuch in water after delivering to him the Gospel of Christ, on the other hand no one ordain or even Baptized John the Baptist, and he did not Baptized himself, more over, while John the Baptist himself was not Baptized by anyone, he Baptized Jesus Christ, saying to Christ "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" Matthew 3.14.
If the argument here will be, “GOD ordained John the Baptist to Baptize,” then it also could be true for anyone of us whose GOD ordained to Baptize and to preach the Gospel, why not? As Christians, this is our primary responsibility to GOD and to the people of the Earth to teach Gospel and to Baptize.
But without any doubt John was the true messenger of GOD to prepare people for coming Christ “I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.” Luke 7.27.
(Isaiah 40.3-5) (Malachi 4.5) (11.10-14, 17.3.10-12-13) (Mark 1.2-3-14, 9.4.11-12-13) (Luke 1.76, 3.2-5-18, 7.24-27-28) (John 1.6-8.15-23-40)
John the Baptist himself possessed the spirit of Elijah as it written about him, “a forerunner before Him (Christ), in the spirit and power of Elijah” Luke 1.17. Elijah was the prophet of GOD who never been ordained by anyone or been Baptized. Elijah actually was among only two people of the Old Testament who have been taken to Heaven alive without seeing death, and may be this is the reason that his spirit rested on the John the Baptist, because John the Baptist also prophesied, but eventually died by the violent death.
My point here is that ordination by people does not matter much, but the tasks given by the Lord and responsibilities given to all the Christians matter a lot, and they are the most important things in our worship and service of the Lord, because we are all servants of the Lord, ordained by the church or not.
Above all, I did not find any passage in the Bible where it written that people have been Baptized anywhere else beside Jordan river. But it does not mean that we should Baptize people only in Jordan, but as we know Baptism can be performed in any body of water anywhere on the planet Earth.
So in the same way like John the Baptist and like Philip, anyone can Baptize anyone being ordained or not. As a matter of fact, Philip was not specifically ordained to Baptize, but as other 11 disciples of Christ, he was ordained as Apostle of Christ by Christ Himself, and Baptism as such is only one of many of his responsibilities.
Therefore, the first obligation and responsibility of all true Christians is to spread and propagate the Gospel of Christ all over the Earth, starting from his/her own family and to the rest of the strangers and Baptizing them, without being ordained or sent by anyone on such mission, as long as such person possesses knowledge and understanding of the Gospel.
For this reason Christ said to His 12 when He sent them on the mission to teach people the Gospel, “make disciples of all the nations,” Matthew 28.19. If we are disciples of Apostles and subsequently of Christ, then we are also can preach, teach, and Baptize without ordination and have the Holy Spirit of the Lord in us, as long us we preach and teach the Gospel of Christ and nothing else.
Preaching the Gospel and Baptism do not belong only to the church, it belong to anyone who is a true Christian and able to teach and spread the Gospel of Christ as it written in the Bible, and also Baptize, and perform all other thing described in the Bible if he or she possesses the Holy Spirit of the Lord, without being ordained on such tasks by any human being.
And as it was in the case of Philip and eunuch as spontaneous teaching and Baptism of a newly converted to Christ individual, and so in the same way it can be done by anyone who is knowledgeable in the Word of GOD and can Baptize a person in any body of water he chooses.
It seems to me it does not make any sense after converting someone to Christ, take him or her to the church in order to be Baptized by ordained people. Baptism is simply a ritual of repentance for forgiveness of sins and the promise of good conscience, and nothing else.
Ordination on the other hand, in general reserved for such things as a position for a pastor, or for bishop, to be a deacons, or for any other position as the elder in the church, to help the pastor in his works.
So I think that ordination to teach the Gospel and to Baptize is not necessary in such works.
Should be a person to be ordained in order to Baptize?
After reading all posts concerning the issue, and after checking some places of the Bible I came to conclusion that ordination is not actually required in order to Baptize a person, any one can Baptize anyone, as long as one of them already strong believer in Christ and understand Scriptures, and another had been taught in Gospel and at least generally understand Christian faith and the purpose of Baptism.
While it is true that Philip was ordained as an Apostle of Christ and Baptized eunuch in water after delivering to him the Gospel of Christ, on the other hand no one ordain or even Baptized John the Baptist, and he did not Baptized himself, more over, while John the Baptist himself was not Baptized by anyone, he Baptized Jesus Christ, saying to Christ "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" Matthew 3.14.
If the argument here will be, “GOD ordained John the Baptist to Baptize,” then it also could be true for anyone of us whose GOD ordained to Baptize and to preach the Gospel, why not? As Christians, this is our primary responsibility to GOD and to the people of the Earth to teach Gospel and to Baptize.
But without any doubt John was the true messenger of GOD to prepare people for coming Christ “I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.” Luke 7.27.
(Isaiah 40.3-5) (Malachi 4.5) (11.10-14, 17.3.10-12-13) (Mark 1.2-3-14, 9.4.11-12-13) (Luke 1.76, 3.2-5-18, 7.24-27-28) (John 1.6-8.15-23-40)
John the Baptist himself possessed the spirit of Elijah as it written about him, “a forerunner before Him (Christ), in the spirit and power of Elijah” Luke 1.17. Elijah was the prophet of GOD who never been ordained by anyone or been Baptized. Elijah actually was among only two people of the Old Testament who have been taken to Heaven alive without seeing death, and may be this is the reason that his spirit rested on the John the Baptist, because John the Baptist also prophesied, but eventually died by the violent death.
My point here is that ordination by people does not matter much, but the tasks given by the Lord and responsibilities given to all the Christians matter a lot, and they are the most important things in our worship and service of the Lord, because we are all servants of the Lord, ordained by the church or not.
Above all, I did not find any passage in the Bible where it written that people have been Baptized anywhere else beside Jordan river. But it does not mean that we should Baptize people only in Jordan, but as we know Baptism can be performed in any body of water anywhere on the planet Earth.
So in the same way like John the Baptist and like Philip, anyone can Baptize anyone being ordained or not. As a matter of fact, Philip was not specifically ordained to Baptize, but as other 11 disciples of Christ, he was ordained as Apostle of Christ by Christ Himself, and Baptism as such is only one of many of his responsibilities.
Therefore, the first obligation and responsibility of all true Christians is to spread and propagate the Gospel of Christ all over the Earth, starting from his/her own family and to the rest of the strangers and Baptizing them, without being ordained or sent by anyone on such mission, as long as such person possesses knowledge and understanding of the Gospel.
For this reason Christ said to His 12 when He sent them on the mission to teach people the Gospel, “make disciples of all the nations,” Matthew 28.19. If we are disciples of Apostles and subsequently of Christ, then we are also can preach, teach, and Baptize without ordination and have the Holy Spirit of the Lord in us, as long us we preach and teach the Gospel of Christ and nothing else.
Preaching the Gospel and Baptism do not belong only to the church, it belong to anyone who is a true Christian and able to teach and spread the Gospel of Christ as it written in the Bible, and also Baptize, and perform all other thing described in the Bible if he or she possesses the Holy Spirit of the Lord, without being ordained on such tasks by any human being.
And as it was in the case of Philip and eunuch as spontaneous teaching and Baptism of a newly converted to Christ individual, and so in the same way it can be done by anyone who is knowledgeable in the Word of GOD and can Baptize a person in any body of water he chooses.
It seems to me it does not make any sense after converting someone to Christ, take him or her to the church in order to be Baptized by ordained people. Baptism is simply a ritual of repentance for forgiveness of sins and the promise of good conscience, and nothing else.
Ordination on the other hand, in general reserved for such things as a position for a pastor, or for bishop, to be a deacons, or for any other position as the elder in the church, to help the pastor in his works.
So I think that ordination to teach the Gospel and to Baptize is not necessary in such works.
