Musick-al note # 162
Jesus gave a Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), “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.” This commission was given to the Apostles who were to teach those who were baptized to observe all that he commanded. They were in turn were to teach and baptize those who believe, and teach them to observe all that he commanded. Each person who believed and obeyed was to teach others to observe all that Jesus commanded. This commission reaches to disciples today who are taught the Word of God and render obedience to that Word. They are to teach and baptize those who believe, then teach them to observe all that Jesus taught that they might go forth to teach, baptize and teach others to do the same. Therefore we must conclude that when disciples are taught and are baptized, they are to follow Jesus’ teaching, go forth and teach others the Word of God, baptize those who believe and teach them to observe all Jesus commanded in the great commission.
The question is raised, “Must the one who does the baptizing be a believing man or just a believer?” One may search the scriptures from Matthew to Revelation without finding any such qualification for those who baptize. If one adds some qualification that God has not given, he is guilty of USURPING the authority of Christ. Does God require a special relationship of the one who baptizes another? If He does then no one could possibly have any assurance of salvation, for there would have to be an unbroken succession of people doing the baptizing back to the Apostles! And even then, some Judas might have baptized the person in the line of the one who baptized me, and that would invalidate the baptism of all who followed! This is not to deny that most people who baptize are Christians since they are usually those who teach the truth, but to assert that the one who does the baptizing MUST be a Christian man is to put the emphasis and value in the PERSON doing the baptizing, whereas the value of being baptized is that an obedient believer in Christ Jesus is faithfully following His will from the heart.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 