Hi, Jwf, I'm not sure if this is the information That you are looking for, but here goes:
Ray Franz in his second book, ISOCF, adresses this issue on pgs 117-124, and here is a summary of his views. Initially, among Bible Stidents of Russell's day, no issue was taken up with people who had been baptized in some other denomination, as long as thy clearly understood its meaning, ie they were accountabe adults, and their baptism was by immersion. This position lasted for the first seven decades of the WTS [1879-1955]
As late as the July 1 WT of 1955, pg 412, the society stated that "Rebaptism was necessary only if the previous baptism was not in symbol of a dedication, or if it was not by immersion"
However, exactly a year later, in the July 1, 1956 WT [pg 406] this position was reversed, and now it became mandatory to be baptised in the WTS scheme of things. The rationale used in that WT, was that other religious organisations, although seeming to baptize in the name of "The Father, and the Son, and the holy spirit" yet did not recognize these ones as the Higher Powers [A view that even the WTS now rejects. From 1928-1961 the official position of the WTS was that Ro 13:1 referred to Jehovah and the Jesus]
Six months later, in the Dec 15 WT 1956, pg 763 in the now infamous QFR, the qualification was made that only those who had been baptized after 1918 needed to be rebaptized, for those immersed before that date, where ever it had been performed, the matter was left upto their conscience. Why 1918? Because, according to the article, that was the date when Christendom was officially rejected by Jehovah, hence anything done by them after that date was invalid.
The WTS has however been baptizing their own recruits since Russell's day, and until 1942, no public affirmation was required in the form of answering any questions before an audience. This began in 1942, when the first two questions asked were:
1 Do you believe in Jehovah God the Father, that salvation belongeth unto Jehovah, and that Christ Jesus is his Son, in whose blood your sins are washed away and by whom salvation comes to you from God?
2 Have you therefore confessed your sins to God, and asked for cleansing by Christ Jesus, and therefore turned away from sin and the world, and consecrated yourself without reservation to God, to do his will?
This form lasted until 1956, when the new requirement of rebaptism came out. The only major alteration was the introduction of the mention of the Holy Spirit, which as you can see, was not referred to in 1942, and a change from "consecration" to "dedication" The questions were now: [WT July 1 1956, pg 407]
1 Have you recognized yourself as a sinner before Jehovah God, who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ?
2 On the basis of this faith in God and his provision of salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightenment of the holy spirit?
Another, and the most revolutionary, change came about as a result of the June 1 WT 1985, where as has become well known, the recruit was to affirm publicly, his/her association with "God's spirit directed organisation"
The following is my comment, not RF's: I can see a clearly developed trend in the evloution of the public questions:
1 No Holy Spirit 2 Enlightenment of the holy spirit "through the Bible" [WT publications?] 3 All references to the holy spirit now replaced by the introduction of the "Spirit directed Organisation"
Hope this helps
Cheers
