Should I Get Baptized AGAIN?
A lot of people have questions about re-baptism, like…
Can you be re-baptized?
Should you get re-baptized if you were baptized as a baby?
Do you need to be rebaptized?
Is Re-Baptism Biblical?
Before we can answer most of those questions, we first need to find out if rebaptism is even Biblical. Is there a command to be rebaptized in the Bible or an example of people being rebaptized in the Bible?
Yes, there is! Let’s look at Acts 18:24-28:
“Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. (Acts 18:24–26a | NKJV)
This is what we know so far:
Apollos was preaching in Ephesus.
He had been instructed in the way of the Lord.
He was fervent in spirit.
He spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord.
But, he knew only the baptism of John. That sounds like it was a problem.
Thankfully, Aquila and Priscilla were there to help.
“When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” (Acts 18:26b–28 | NKJV)
Apollos was doing a great job in Ephesus but didn’t understand New Testament baptism. He only knew about the baptism of John, which was the baptism that Jesus received along with everyone else before His crucifixion. After Jesus rose from the dead He gave a new baptism as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20:
“And Jesus came 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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matthew 28:18–20 | NKJV)
This must be what Aquila and Priscilla helped Apollos better understand. The story continues in Acts 19:1-3:
“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ (Acts 19:1–3 | NKJV)
That is what Apollos was teaching! He only knew about the baptism of John. These disciples were likely disciples of John since they were baptized into John’s baptism.
“Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.” (Acts 19:4–7 | NKJV)
These folks had been previously baptized, but their baptism was lacking in some way, even though they had been immersed for the remission of sins:
“John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Mark 1:4 | NKJV)
But their baptism was not in the name of Jesus, that is by His authority (Acts 2:38; 10:48; 19:5), which would have been a baptism into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), which would have been a baptism into the death of Christ, by which they would have been clothed with Christ (Romans 6:3-7; Galatians 3:27).
Because their first "baptism" lacked an essential element, "re-baptism" was necessary!
From this, we learn that if an earlier "baptism" lacks some essential element it is not Scriptural, and then "re-baptism" is necessary.
How Do We Know If Our Baptism Was Scriptural or If We Need to Be Re-Baptized?
Let’s consider 4 elements of a Scriptural baptism, then we can draw some practical conclusions.
The 4 elements of a Scriptural baptism are:
#1 The Mode: a Burial (immersion)
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3 | NKJV)
“…buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12 | NKJV)
#2 The Authority: in the Name of Christ
“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:5 | NKJV)
#3 The Purpose: for the Remission of Sins Ac 2:38; 22:16
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’" (Acts 2:38 | NKJV)
“‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’” (Acts 22:16 | NKJV)
#4 The Subject: a Penitent Believer Ac 2:38; 8:37; Mk 16:16
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’" (Acts 2:38 | NKJV)
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16 | NKJV)
When one or more of these elements are lacking, we should be re-baptized. For the folks in Acts 19:1-5, the proper authority was lacking.
Even though their previous baptism had the right mode (immersion), purpose (repentance and remission of sins), and subject (penitent believers), they were re-baptized because their previous baptism was not “in the name of Jesus” that is, by His authority, meaning it was not the baptism that Jesus commanded after His resurrection.
Practical Application
Let’s apply these principles to some specific situations.
#1 Mode: What if you were baptized by sprinkling or pouring?
This is practiced by many Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists, and others. If you were baptized in this way, your baptism lacked the proper mode of immersion and you should be re-baptized.
#2 Authority: What If you were baptized by the authority of someone other than Jesus?
Maybe by the authority of someone like Ellen G. White (Seventh Day Adventists), The Watch Tower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses), Joseph Smith (Mormons), and others. If so, your baptism was not by the right authority, that is, in the name of Jesus, and you should be re-baptized.
#3 Purpose: What if you were baptized for a different purpose?
Maybe you were baptized as a public confession of faith, thinking that you were already saved at a previous date. This is practiced by most Baptists, Assemblies Of God, and others
Or maybe you were baptized because you were at a Bible camp and call of your friends were doing it, or because your spouse, fiance, or parent was pressuring you into it.
If your baptism was not for the right purpose (the remission of sins), you should be re-baptized.
#4 Subject: What if you were baptized but you were not a penitent believer?
This often happens when people are baptized as infants who are incapable of faith or repentance. If so, your baptism was lacking the right subject, and you should be re-baptized.
So, if our baptism lacked any of the four essential elements of Biblical baptism, then "re-baptism" is both appropriate and necessary to ensure that our sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus
There is one more question we need to answer. Do you have to be rebaptized if you have fallen away or backslid?
Well, If you have been Scripturally baptized, there is never a need to be baptized again! For once we have clothed ourselves with Christ in baptism, the blood of Christ continually cleanses us of our sins as we repent and confess our sins to God in prayer (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9).
If you would like to continue studying what the Bible says about baptism, you can watch our series of videos here or read the blog posts under “Baptism” on the Articles page. We hope you find them helpful.
