Why did you get rebaptized???

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Margies3

I was baptized as an infant in the Methodist Church because that is where my parents attended at the time. Eventually they stopped going to church completely (my Mom goes now and has a wonderful walk with the Lord. Praise God for that!). But I went to the Missionary Church from the time I was 5 years old until I was 14.

At 14, I repented of my sins and wanted to be baptized. However the church I attended only held baptisms once a year because they had to borrow a baptistry to do it. So a lady had been coming to our church from the UPC church in Toledo. She found out that a couple of us wanted to be baptized, so she invited us to attend First Apostolic with her on Sunday nights. After about the third week that we went, we were invited to be baptized that very night. I didn't know that there was any difference in the words at that point at all. I just knew I wanted to be baptized by immersion. So I jumped at the chance. I have to tell you tho - my parents were FURIOUS with that church for baptizing me without their permission.

Originally Posted by TGBTG

lol...

it IS kind of a chuckle now (since I am mid-50's!). But it sure wasn't back then. Which brings me to my next question: How do the pastors on here feel about baptized someone under-age when they don't have parental permission?

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Margies3

... I have to tell you tho - my parents were FURIOUS with that church for baptizing me without their permission.

I can understand that.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Margies3

it IS kind of a chuckle now (since I am mid-50's!). But it sure wasn't back then. Which brings me to my next question: How do the pastors on here feel about baptized someone under-age when they don't have parental permission?

I don't think some one under legal age should be baptized without parental consent.

[Hoovie]

OK I have not been REbaptised but hear me out please.

About the time I was expected to "join the church, and be baptised" etc. I flew the coup and became Pentecostal, and got plunked in Jesus Name.

Being baptized is good, and being baptised in Jesus Name per Apostolic pattern is better, as far as I am concerned.

HOWEVER, the current Oneness Pentecostal fad of using precise and exact baptismal formula and mode to exclude other Christians from the body of Christ is horrific, IMHO.

When the "New Issue" became an issue (no pun intended) it did not immediately manifest it'self as an exclusionary doctrine, but rather, a more "Apostolicly correct" way of identifying with Christ via baptism. Somehow many Oneness Pentecostals have used their distinctions to alienate the bulk of Christianity from the body of Christ. Of course the irony of this phenomenon is that it's the minor splinter that gets alienated rather than the larger body.

Fanaticism will not only cause baptism extremes to "ensure salvation" in Jesus Name, but also repeated baptisms in Jesus Name to make sure all body parts went under, or that one "really understood" the act was redemptive etc...

I say preach the gospel. Allow the scriptures to speak. Leave the judgement to God.

The body of Christ is larger than your local apostolic Church folks!

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Sam

I don't think some one under legal age should be baptized without parental consent.

With few exceptions - I agree with this.

[missourimary]

I was baptized when I was almost 16. I'd wanted to be baptized for years, but Mom wouldn't allow it because she believed I was still a child (stating she only believed in ADULT baptism, emphasis hers). She also thought I was just following a fad or getting baptized because "everyone else is doing it". She had no clue what God was doing in my life, and with the limited teaching we got at the church we were raised in, I had no way of putting it into words.

When I left for college, I wound up in a Pentecostal church. I loved the church--the people were friendly and encouraging, there was teaching beyond basic Bible stories (I'd never had that), there were activities throughout the week (I'd never had that either), and I felt I could feel God more in their services. (Looking back, I think a lot of what I felt was excitement, not God, per se.)

I was taken through Into His Marvelous Light and didn't get it. I didn't understand about receiving the Holy Ghost meaning that we had to seek the Holy Ghost--as a matter of fact at the end of the Bible study I was asked if I wanted the Holy Ghost, and my response was "Um, not right now!" I thought they were going to pray for me and I'd immediately receive what they were talking about, and I wanted to study it out first. Oneness and Jesus' name baptism also confused me, especially regarding Mt 28:19 and Acts 2:38 in baptism. My question was: If we are to be baptized in Jesus' name, and Jesus is the name of the Father, the name of the Son, and the name of the Holy Ghost, then what difference does it make which formula is used? They both mean the same thing, after all! I couldn't understand why Pentecostals couldn't see that; it made sense to me!

Several times in the next couple weeks someone would ask if I wanted to be rebaptized or tell me I should be. I looked up Jesus' name baptism in some of the college library's books, and read in one or two that early churches baptized in Jesus' name. I also looked up Acts 2:38 in every Romance language of the Bible that the library had (there were several). I couldn't read the verse in every language, but I could recognize the name of Jesus. I decided I wanted to be rebaptized at that point.

Mom was furious that I would be rebaptized. She felt by being rebaptized that I might be condemned to Hell. I think Mom and Dad also felt I was rejecting their salvation, which I wasn't. At no point did I think that I had not been saved when I was 9.

I wonder sometimes if I made the decision based so much on what I truly studied in my limited way, or if I was simply looking for a confirmation of what my new friends were saying so that I could be more a part of them. I don't know that I'll ever have the answer to that.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by missourimary

I was baptized when I was almost 16. I'd wanted to be baptized for years, but Mom wouldn't allow it because she believed I was still a child (stating she only believed in ADULT baptism, emphasis hers). She also thought I was just following a fad or getting baptized because "everyone else is doing it". She had no clue what God was doing in my life, and with the limited teaching we got at the church we were raised in, I had no way of putting it into words.

When I left for college, I wound up in a Pentecostal church. I loved the church--the people were friendly and encouraging, there was teaching beyond basic Bible stories (I'd never had that), there were activities throughout the week (I'd never had that either), and I felt I could feel God more in their services. (Looking back, I think a lot of what I felt was excitement, not God, per se.)

I was taken through Into His Marvelous Light and didn't get it. I didn't understand about receiving the Holy Ghost meaning that we had to seek the Holy Ghost--as a matter of fact at the end of the Bible study I was asked if I wanted the Holy Ghost, and my response was "Um, not right now!" I thought they were going to pray for me and I'd immediately receive what they were talking about, and I wanted to study it out first. Oneness and Jesus' name baptism also confused me, especially regarding Mt 28:19 and Acts 2:38 in baptism. My question was: If we are to be baptized in Jesus' name, and Jesus is the name of the Father, the name of the Son, and the name of the Holy Ghost, then what difference does it make which formula is used? They both mean the same thing, after all! I couldn't understand why Pentecostals couldn't see that; it made sense to me!

Several times in the next couple weeks someone would ask if I wanted to be rebaptized or tell me I should be. I looked up Jesus' name baptism in some of the college library's books, and read in one or two that early churches baptized in Jesus' name. I also looked up Acts 2:38 in every Romance language of the Bible that the library had (there were several). I couldn't read the verse in every language, but I could recognize the name of Jesus. I decided I wanted to be rebaptized at that point.

Mom was furious that I would be rebaptized. She felt by being rebaptized that I might be condemned to Hell. I think Mom and Dad also felt I was rejecting their salvation, which I wasn't. At no point did I think that I had not been saved when I was 9.

I wonder sometimes if I made the decision based so much on what I truly studied in my limited way, or if I was simply looking for a confirmation of what my new friends were saying so that I could be more a part of them. I don't know that I'll ever have the answer to that.

The really cool thing is that GOD himself knows, understands and communicates with your heart, and never is trying to trip you up on a technicality.

[missourimary]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

The really cool thing is that GOD himself knows, understands and communicates with your heart, and never is trying to trip you up on a technicality.

Mind explaining a little more in depth? If God knows our intentions were wrong, He will accept us anyway? Or He will direct us into better understanding? Or... ???

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Sam

I had come to believe that in the first century church they used the name of Jesus Christ in baptism so it was a step toward the NT pattern.

I did not at that time (and still don't today) believe I had to get rebaptized to get saved or to get my sins washed away.

Same here Sam.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by missourimary

Mind explaining a little more in depth? If God knows our intentions were wrong, He will accept us anyway? Or He will direct us into better understanding? Or... ???

Just saying that salvation is primarily a heart issue, and not so much based on a technicality of baptismal intention.