PrayerSongsOfferingSong Lord’s Supper Bible Study SongAnnouncementsPrayer And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 Some concepts of baptism that need to be reexamined

There are no certain words that must be said prior to baptism There are no certain people who alone can “administer” baptism

Questions About Baptism Is “denominational baptism” valid? Into what are we baptized? (Acts 19:3; Rom. 6:3) We are baptized into Christ not the Church of Christ religious system, institution, organization This is why our concept of “church” is so important

Questions About Baptism Is “denominational baptism” valid? Baptism into the Church of Christ religious system is as much denominational baptism as being baptized into the Methodist Church religious system. I have as much of a problem with “Church of Christ baptism” as I do with “denominational baptism”. Being saved is not a matter of getting into the “right Church”. Being saved is a matter of getting into the proper relationship with God.

Questions About Baptism Accept a person’s word? Upon what basis would you not accept a person’s word if they told you they’d been immersed into Christ for the remission of their sins? Would it be because one of “us” had not done the baptizing? Would it be because one of “us” had not done the teaching?

Questions About Baptism What makes baptism valid? Who does the baptizing or the teaching does not validate or invalidate the baptism. What matters is an individual’s reason for and understanding of what baptism is and what it does.

Questions About Baptism What must one know? Let’s make sure that we don’t indoctrinate to teach (someone) to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions, and beliefs…to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle Webster

Questions About Baptism wBaptism…  Is immersion in water for remission of sins  Is not validated by who baptizes or special words  Is denominational if our intention is to baptized into a religious institution: Church of Christ, Baptist, Methodist, etc.  Is to be preceded by teaching, not indoctrination, whether done alone or with help of another.

Robert F. Turner on “denominational baptism” I question people who come from churches I believe to be in error because I am concerned for their souls. I want to know if their allegiance was to Christ, or to some “church.” You might say I am questioning their faith rather than their baptism. So many of my own brethren have proven their allegiance to be to “church” instead of Christ, that I assume this could certainly be prevalent among those who have been in error on so many other things. The fact that they are leaving some sect encourages me, but I don’t want them to be simply “changing sects.” And if they had no genuine conversion to Christ, I do not want to give them a false sense of security. They should learn truth and fully commit themselves. But if they tell me they were baptized because they understood this was the Lord’s command; that they were, and still are striving to do all He commands; I can question their heart only to the extent their life is inconsistent. If they need to know more and better understand (and who doesn’t?) a sympathetic, helpful atmosphere is more conducive to this than sectarian abuse. Plain Talk Vol. 17, no. 5, p. 7