Why do Protestants re-baptize?

[Veritas]

Scripture tells us that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism". The Nicene Creed states that there is "one baptism for the forgiveness of sins". Even the Catholic and I believe Orthodox Churches accepts the baptism of Christian's entering their faith as valid. Of course, it must meet the trinitarian formula and the individual's prior faith must have a biblical/historical belief in what the Trinity means. Therefore, Mormon baptism is not accepted.

So why do Protestants routinely re-baptize Christian's when it's contrary to the bible?

 

[HisKid1973]

I didn't know they did..I came to Christ in 1973. I heard a message at a christian rally about baptism in the book of Acts that said to repent and get baptised and I did that evening in a farm pond in western Pa.. Once and done for me..Shalom..Kim

 

[Perceivence]

Sometimes it's for the same reason that you guys rebaptise Mormons. They don't think the previous baptism was valid.

Some people choose to re-baptise when they re-dedicate their lives to Christ for varying reasons. None of them come to me right now.

And oh, you might be misusing that verse.

 

[ryanpw]

I agree that you only need to be baptized once. Rebaptism is not required by the Protestant churches, least none i know. Rebaptism is more a sign of rededicating ones life to Christ or reemphisizing that their life is dedicated to Christ. Nothing wrong with that is there?

 

[FreeinChrist]

So why do Protestants routinely re-baptize Christian's when it's contrary to the bible?

Since so many do not, aren't you generalizing a great deal?

 

[Egghead]

Scripture tells us that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism". The Nicene Creed states that there is "one baptism for the forgiveness of sins". Even the Catholic and I believe Orthodox Churches accepts the baptism of Christian's entering their faith as valid. Of course, it must meet the trinitarian formula and the individual's prior faith must have a biblical/historical belief in what the Trinity means. Therefore, Mormon baptism is not accepted.

So why do Protestants routinely re-baptize Christian's when it's contrary to the bible?

Is it forbidden like bowing to images?
If not, why worry about it?
I dont see any harm in getting baptized again if someone wants to.

Scripture doesnt forbid getting rebaptized.

 

[CaDan]

Aside from a mention of bowing being the sign that a thread has reached the end of its useful life (CaDan's Application of Godwin's Law), the reasoning is based on Ephesians 4:5:

[bible]Ephesians 4:5[/bible]

There was actually quite a controversy about it in the Fifth and Sixth centuries.

I think the OP is incorrect in the assertion that Protestants "routinely" rebaptize converts.

 

[Veritas]

Is it forbidden like bowing to images?
If not, why worry about it?
I dont see any harm in getting baptized again if someone wants to.

Scripture doesnt forbid getting rebaptized.

The bible doesn't forbid the asking of the saints in Heaven to pray for us either. But that's beside the point. We're talking about baptism here. And the bible clearly says that there is ONE baptism and ONE faith. Why is that so hard to understand?

 

[nephilimiyr]

So why do Protestants routinely re-baptize Christian's when it's contrary to the bible?

Well for one thing it would help if you learned a few major things about Protestantism. Being Protestant is not belonging to one huge church organized Church. Protestant simply means protesting the Pope or the RCC. The Protestant church is made up of many denominations and not all believeing in the same exact thing. For instance some believe in only one water baptism while other don't. Some believe in infant baptism while others don't. Some believe in both.

 

[nephilimiyr]

Since so many do not, aren't you generalizing a great deal?

Yes he is.

 

[Iollain]

Sometimes people want a believer's baptism.

 

[nephilimiyr]

Sometimes people want a believer's baptism.

I see nothing wrong with that...I see nothing in the Bible that teaches against that either.

 

[water_ripple]

Scripture tells us that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism". The Nicene Creed states that there is "one baptism for the forgiveness of sins". Even the Catholic and I believe Orthodox Churches accepts the baptism of Christian's entering their faith as valid. Of course, it must meet the trinitarian formula and the individual's prior faith must have a biblical/historical belief in what the Trinity means. Therefore, Mormon baptism is not accepted.

So why do Protestants routinely re-baptize Christian's when it's contrary to the bible?

I was christend as a child..didn't realize what it really meant. I came to understand in my adult life what baptisim was all about after reading John, and I felt a spiritual push to be baptized.

Here I thought Catholic and Orthodox churches had Christians in them too.

 

[Veritas]

Yes he is.

Turning me into a man, are you?

 

[Veritas]

It doesn't matter whether one or 10 sects re-baptize (and I know that most Evangelical so-called "non-denoms" do re-baptize if someone was Catholic), the point is that it is not the biblical way nor was the practice accepted in the early Church. In fact, there were those in the early Church who wanted to have several baptism's since it was for the remission of sins. The Church, however, put an end to it on biblical grounds.

 

[PaladinValer]

Scripture tells us that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism". The Nicene Creed states that there is "one baptism for the forgiveness of sins". Even the Catholic and I believe Orthodox Churches accepts the baptism of Christian's entering their faith as valid. Of course, it must meet the trinitarian formula and the individual's prior faith must have a biblical/historical belief in what the Trinity means. Therefore, Mormon baptism is not accepted.

So why do Protestants routinely re-baptize Christian's when it's contrary to the bible?

I really don't want to say this, but I feel I must, despite how often I've had to defend your church and all of you.

You are not being fair here. "Protestant" is too broad a term, and many of them will find your post to be insulting because it doesn't apply to them.

Lutherans do not rebaptized. I do not believe any of the Wesleyan Traditions do either. If you really consider my Anglican church to be "Protestant," we don't practice it either. And John Calvin and some Calvinists today reject re-baptisms too.

 

[Tractor1]

The bible doesn't forbid the asking of the saints in Heaven to pray for us either. But that's beside the point. We're talking about baptism here. And the bible clearly says that there is ONE baptism and ONE faith. Why is that so hard to understand?

It's my belief the Scripture text you've quoted (Eph. 4:5) isn't speaking of ritual baptism, but real baptism with the Spirit which places every believer into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).

In Christ,
Tracey

 

[FreeinChrist]

It doesn't matter whether one or 10 sects re-baptize (and I know that most Evangelical so-called "non-denoms" do re-baptize if someone was Catholic),

I attend a nondenominational church (my theology is Baptist) and it does not rebaptize or do the local nondenoms we often associate with (in an unofficial capacity).

Now if someone felt led to be rebaptized as a beleiver, that is a choice that is allowed, but it is not required for membership in the church.

 

[nephilimiyr]

Turning me into a man, are you?

Opps, LOL, I'm sorry but you don't have to take offense in being called such a thing. After all, I'm a man and don't take offense in it...

 

[BlackSaab52]

Scripture tells us that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism". The Nicene Creed states that there is "one baptism for the forgiveness of sins". Even the Catholic and I believe Orthodox Churches accepts the baptism of Christian's entering their faith as valid. Of course, it must meet the trinitarian formula and the individual's prior faith must have a biblical/historical belief in what the Trinity means. Therefore, Mormon baptism is not accepted.

So why do Protestants routinely re-baptize Christian's when it's contrary to the bible?

Denominations that are Anabaptist in theology rebaptize because they view infant baptism as an invalid way of baptizing. They believe that baptism is only valid for disciples. However, some people get rebaptized after their first baptism as an adult disciple because they feel that their first believer's baptism was performed after an invalid conversion (they'll say that they weren't "really" saved, but this time they were). And for some odd reason, some churches rebaptize just so that a person can be a member of that particular congregation (which I think is reprehensible), even if they were baptized after truly converting to Christianity. Umm, I hope that what I said made sense.