Who is permitted to baptize / perform baptisms?

Answer

The Bible does not specifically address this question. When examining the baptisms documented in the Gospels and the Book of Acts, it appears that all that was required was to be a disciple of either Jesus or John the Baptist (in the four Gospels) or to be a devout Christian (in the Book of Acts). A “devout” Christian was someone who shared the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. People were then motivated or willing to be baptized as a result of believing this message.

Here are a few instances of these devout Christians in the Book of Acts: Peter and the apostles baptized numerous individuals in Acts 2 in response to the message about Christ. Subsequently, Philip, initially chosen to assist widows in the church in Jerusalem, preached the gospel in Samaria and baptized believers there (Acts 6, 8). Later on, Paul baptized some of those who believed in Christ during his missionary journeys, but it seems he also allowed others to perform the baptisms instead of him (Acts 16:33; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17:).

The key passage that indirectly addresses this question is found in the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:18-20). This passage records Jesus’ directive to make disciples of all nations, which includes baptism as part of the disciple-making process. If this commission is applicable to all Christians (as commonly believed), then it implies that the authority to baptize is also granted to all Christians.

The Epistles do not specifically mention who should perform baptisms. Instead, they focus on the significance of baptism. Both in the book of Acts and the Epistles, the emphasis is on understanding the process of salvation Facebook Comments