Christians - Does a JW baptism count as Christian?

by AK - Jeff 35 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  AK - Jeff

  What do you mean by "count"? No baptism makes you a Christian.

  Acts 19:5 seems to say that baptism makes one a Christian. As does Ephesians 4:4, 1 Peter 3:21.

  How else does one become a Christian?

  Jeff
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  Xena

  I agree with the people who say your baptism means whatever you think it means to you. I feel like I made a sincere commitment at the time I was baptised, therefore it has meaning to me regardless of who baptised me.

  I no longer allow other people to interpet my relationship with God.
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  Deputy Dog

  Jeff

  Acts 19:5 seems to say that baptism makes one a Christian. As does Ephesians 4:4, 1 Peter 3:21.

  Acts 19:5

  So they having heard were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

  This shows an act of obedience after becoming a Christian!

  Eph 4:4

  one body and one Spirit, just as also you* were called in one hope [or, confident expectation] of your* calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism [or, immersion], 6 one God and Father of all, who [is] over all and through all and in us all.

  I don't see anything here that says this is how you become a Christian.

  1Pe 3:20

  having formerly refused to believe, when the patience of God kept eagerly waiting in [the] days of Noah, while an ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water;

  1Pe 3:21

  which [as] an antitype baptism [or, immersion] now also saves us (not [the] removal of [the] filth of flesh, _but_ an appeal to God for a good conscience) through [the] resurrection of Jesus Christ,

  This verse makes my point. One becomes a Christian (is saved) through faith in the "resurrection of Jesus Christ", not by the water. Just as the water did not saved the "eight souls". They were saved, through (or from) the flood, by the ark.

  Jesus Christ (by His resurrection) is the "Ark"

  How else does one become a Christian?

  Eph 2:8 For by grace you* have been saved, through faith, and this [is] not from you*; [it is] the gift of God,
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  Borgia

  In its sense, if you receive holy spirit, you would become christian. See Acts first couple of chapters.

  In this sense your JW babtism is not christian although you may have a faith related to christ. It is of interest that Peter expressed him self as saying "who can forbid water" when holy spirit had fallen upon Cornelius and his household.

  please, note that later on, the prison guard did not receive holy spirit but was yet babtised. So it seems that quite ealry in christian history the things began to change somewhat.

  Further, it is of interest to note that John expresses himself quite clearly as to the requirements: Minimum requirement is that one believe Jesus to be his savior. Joh 1:12-13 LITV (12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name, (13) who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God. Joh 1:12-13 LITV (12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name, (13) who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God. So, basically, depending on your understanding of the time of your babtism, you may feel it to be of value or not.

  There-s one other thing I-d like to point out. (Acts 18:24-28) “24 Now a certain Jew named A·pol´los, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, arrived in Eph´e·sus; and he was well versed in the Scriptures. 25 This [man] had been orally instructed in the way of Jehovah and, as he was aglow with the spirit, he went speaking and teaching with correctness the things about Jesus, but being acquainted with only the baptism of John. 26 And this [man] started to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Pris·cil´la and Aq´ui·la heard him, they took him into their company and expounded the way of God more correctly to him. 27 Further, because he was desiring to go across into A·cha´ia, the brothers wrote the disciples, exhorting them to receive him kindly. So when he got there, he greatly helped those who had believed on account of [God’s] undeserved kindness; 28 for with intensity he thoroughly proved the Jews to be wrong publicly, while he demonstrated by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.” It does not say he got babtised again.

  (Acts 19:1-7) “19 In the course of events, while A·pol´los was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland parts and came down to Eph´e·sus, and found some disciples; 2 and he said to them: “Did you receive holy spirit when YOU became believers?” They said to him: “Why, we have never heard whether there is a holy spirit.” 3 And he said: “In what, then, were YOU baptized?” They said: “In John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said: “John baptized with the baptism [in symbol] of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the holy spirit came upon them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 All together, there were about twelve men.” Again, scripture does not tell if they got babtised again. However, they were only familiar with John babtism. Yet, they were to receive holy spirit without a "proper christian babtism".

  So, AK. If you feel you should be babtised again, please do so to ease your mind. If you feel comfortable with the babtism you already had, than lay it at rest.

  cheers

  Borgia
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  truthsearcher

  Jeff: It is my understanding that baptism was a cultural practice that identified the ones being baptized with a certain group. So Christian baptism identifies us as followers of Jesus Christ after we have already made the decision of faith in him as our Saviour.

  Has your understanding of the person of Christ changed since you have left the organization? It seems to me that the WT definitely puts Christ on the back shelf--for example, in the What Does the Bible Really Teach book, they don't get around to him until chapter FOUR. Not even a mention under the topic of How do we get close to Jehovah?, when the Greek Scriptures clearly give Christ pre-eminence and show us that Jesus has revealed the Father to us. (ie to get to know the Father, get to know the Son). (see the book of John)

  Anabaptist Protestants understand that the act of salvation is separate from the act of baptism, done at an age when the participant is old enough to have a personal faith. Therefore, if you wish to publicly identify yourself as a follower of Christ, as opposed to a follower of the Watchtower, then maybe it would be a special thing for you to do so through a re-baptism, as it were. It could be a time of real celebration in your freedom from slavery. And I would be interested in being a part of that party.

  I had a neighbour who was an exJW and he was very interested in being rebaptised. We had some of our elders come over and talk to him about Christian baptism, and he was rebaptised in his new church, in a pool I think. Mouthy was there, if I remember correctly.

  TS
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  mouthy

  Yes I was there It was Gerry.... I used to Baby sit him when we were JWS .He is the one that eight years old he told me I had a face just like a Witch!!!!!!!! HE SHOULD GET BAPTISED AGAIN cos he was a liar then But My daughter Melanie was raised a JW & she told me before she died ( she was now a Christian)that her baptism in the WT was not done for the Organization she was thinking of Christ when she went under. So she did NOT feel the need to get redunked as a Christian.....I think it is up to your self what you do.. I did get rebaptised as I believed Jesus was Micheal as a JW NOW I know he is GOD!!!!!
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  lv4fer

  I think mine did. When I got baptized in my mind I was accepting Jesus and God as my Savior. I talked to one of the pastors at the church I attend and he said that It was up to me if I felt the need to get baptized again. That if it would make me feel better than I could, but that as long as you were fully immersed and that in your heart and mind you were accepting Jesus than that was fine.
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  Deputy Dog

  Just curious, why would one not want to get rebaptized, after leaving the WT? Not that you would have to.
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  greendawn

  It's hard to call the JW religion Christian, to begin with. They are Christians in their watered down sort of way, they don't seem to understand that Jesus is the direct and immediate head of the Christian church (which they hardly ever mention) and they tend to go straight to Jehovah as the Jews do. It's as if the basic message of the NT has gone completely over their head. It will be a rare instance that one will here a dub saying: our Lord Jesus. So what can their baptism really be?
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  Deputy Dog

  greendawn

  Don't you have to worship Christ, to call yourself a Christian?