Charles Pogue
Thinking correctly makes all the difference between one holding what is truth and what is not. An individual on Facebook argued that one who teaches a person must be taught correctly to be baptized correctly is speaking where the Scripture is silent. No, one who argues one baptized for any reason is adding to what the Scripture teaches. Why does one individual come to one conclusion and the other to a different one? Because at the very least one is not reasoning correctly from what the scripture says. Which one is and which one is not?
In the great commission, who were the apostles to baptize? Those who heard and believed the preaching of the Gospel (Mark 16:15,16). When were those on Pentecost baptized? After Peter told them that Jesus whom they had crucified was made Lord and Christ, and that they were to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). When was the Ethiopian nobleman baptized? After Philip began at the same scripture and taught unto him Jesus (Acts 8:35-38). That instruction includes the fact that Philip taught him concerning baptism because the Ethiopian is the one who raised the subject, wanting to know what hindered him from being baptized. He was told he had to believe. He confessed to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. When was Saul of Tarsus told to be baptized? After he had been praying for three days, and had not received forgiveness from doing so. Rather, he was told to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins (Acts 22:16). Why were some dozen men rebaptized at Ephesus? Because they had been taught only the baptism of John the baptizer, apparently by Apollos before he was taught more perfectly by Aquila and Priscilla. Thus, they had to be taught correctly to be baptized correctly. That one passage alone shows which of the two positions is the correct one. However, one must reason correctly to understand it.
No, faithful people who teach that one must be taught correctly to be baptized correctly, are not violating the silence of Scripture. Those who say one can be baptized for any reason and the baptism be valid are contradicting what the Scripture plainly says about the matter by adding to it!
What’s the problem with those who have this misunderstanding? Among other things, they have not been instructed in how to reason properly. By their faulty reasoning, they are adding to what the scripture says, and do not have the proper training of their minds to grasp the fact.
Let us simply ask. If one individual says one may be baptized for any reason and it is valid, and another says one must understand what the Scriptures teach about it for it to be valid, and both are asked to go to the scripture and find proof of their positions, which one can comply? The one who says one must understand what the New Testament teaches on the subject is the one. The examples we listed above are just some of the passages demonstrating that truth. But there are zero which even hint at the “any reason ignorance position.” Thus, it is the one arguing from the silence of the scripture and thereby adding to God’s revealed Word.
