This is the only record we have in the Word of God of anyone being re-baptized. Paul discerned that something was wrong with these disciples. There was a lack of a Holy Spirit witness to the Apostle. He asked them "Did you receive the Holy Ghost when you believed". The two verbs are in the aorist tense, and therefore speak of an instantaneous action. The problem is not John’s baptism, but what occurred when they believed. They answered, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." This revealed the problem! They were not true disciples of John the Baptist, they were unregenerate disciples who had not the Holy Spirit. Paul preaches to them about Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit regenerates them and gives them the knowledge of who Christ was and then they "were baptized in the name of Christ Jesus". This is the first recorded re-baptism in history, but it certainly is not the last. As Christianity has spread throughout the world, improper baptisms became more and more a problem. We must be sure that we follow the Biblical pattern set forth in the New Testament by Jesus Christ.

The Importance of Following the Biblical Pattern

The Word of God is God’s Rule Book given to His people by which they are to govern their doctrines and practices in every area of their lives. We do not have the liberty to change either our doctrines or practices according to our fancies or that of the world in which we live. I want to address the subject under these four headings:
I. THE SCRIPTURAL CANDIDATE FOR BAPTISM
II. THE SCRIPTURAL PURPOSE AND DESIGN OF BAPTISM
III. THE SCRIPTURAL MODE OF BAPTISM
IV. THE SCRIPTURAL ADMINSTRAOR OF BAPTISM

1. THE SCRIPTURAL CANDIDATE FOR BAPTISM
   To have a Scriptural baptism, a proper candidate is necessary. By this we mean one who meets all the requirements as set forth in the Word of God
1. Must be one in whom the Holy Spirit of God has worked regeneration which is evident by faith, repentance and confession of sins towards God.
1. Matt.3:6 "and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins".
2. Matt.3:8 "bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance".
   
2. Must be one who can declare their faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour
1. Acts 8:37 "if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest"
2. Acts 16:31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved"
3. Rom. 19:9 "If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved".
2. THE SCRIPTURAL PURPOSE AND DESIGN OF BAPTISM
1. The Scriptural Purpose
1. Negative Purposes.
1. Not to obtain any saving grace or favor from God
   "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God". Eph.2:10
2. Not to wash away any sins
   "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin". I John 1:7
2. Positive Purpose
   To declare one’s faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as our Saviour Col.2:12 "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation (Greek-energeia-working)of God, who hath raised him from the dead" 1 Peter 3:21"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ".
3. The Scriptural Design
   To show forth symbolically, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the only means of our salvation. Rom .6:4,5 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life . For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection".
3. THE SCRIPTURAL MODE OF BAPTISM
1. Immersion is the only mode that will satisfy the Word of God
1. Matt.3: 13,16 Jesus would not have needed to go to Jordan to meet John nor to have gone up out of the water, unless He was immersed.
2. John 4:23 John would not have been baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there, if he was only sprinkling with water or pouring water on his candidates.
3. Acts 8:38-39 Philip and the eunuch both would not have needed to go down into the water nor come up out of the water, unless an immersion occurred
2. Immersion is the only mode that will satisfy the Greek usage
   All Greek scholars and lexicons agree that the correct historical meaning of the Greek noun "baptisma" or the Greek verb " baptize" means "to immerse, submerge, dip, plunge beneath, or to overwhelm". The English word "baptize" or "baptism" is a transliteration of the Greek word "baptisma" All the major denominations in their earliest years, taught and practiced baptism by immersion in water.
   
   
   
   
   
4. THE SCRIPTURAL ADMINISTRATOR OF BAPTISM
1. This has been a problem in Christianity from the first century
1. The first century churches believed that only a truly ordained gospel minister could administer the ordinances. Ignatius, one of the "Apostolic Fathers", and a contemporary with John and Paul, who himself suffered martyrdom early in the second century, in a letter to the church at Smyrna says; "It is not lawful without the bishop (pastor) either to baptize or to celebrate a love feast (Lord’s Supper), "Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, page. 90.
2. Baptists where known in ages past as "Anabaptist" because they refused to accept the baptism of believers from any other denomination. See Neander’s CHURCH HISTORY, Vol. 1, pp. 8,318 319. Also, HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHURCH, by Sewell, p.289 and ANTE NICEAN FATHERS, Vol. 6, p. 102
3. The problem was not just the mode of baptism, but one of authority.
   Mosheim, a well known church historian, speaking of the Anabaptists, says;
   "They acquired the denomination of Ana-baptists by their administering anew the rite of baptism to those who came over to their communion"…"They re-baptize all those who leave other Christian churches to embrace their communion". Mosheim’s CHURCH HISTORY, Vol.2, pp. 127, 296.
   Gieseler says: "In accordance with this view they (the Anabaptists) declared all other churches to have forfeited the rights of a Christian church; and baptized anew those who came over to them". Gieseler’s CHURCH HISTORY, Vol.1., page 255.
4. The problem is not just a Baptist problem
   The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America met in Cincinnati, Ohio, and made this declaration about the baptisms administered by the Church of Rome.
   "After a full discussion, carried though several days, this Assembly has decided, by a nearly unanimous vote, that baptism so administered is not valid, because, since baptism is an ordinance established by Christ in His church and is to be administered only by a minister of Christ, duly called and ordained to be a steward of the mysteries of God, it follows that no rite administered by one who himself is not a duly ordained minister of the true Church of God, visible, can be regarded as an ordinance of Christ whatever be the name by which it is called, whatever be the form employed in its administration" . TRILEMMA, Graves pg. 17
2. The problem settled by the Word of God
1. Matt. 28:18-20,"All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and , lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Amen". The authority that the bishop/pastor has is that which he received from a New Testament church as an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This we believe is based upon what our Lord said here in Matthew. This is called the great commission, or the Magna Charta of the church. This is the work that all churches claim to be doing, but notice that it begins by Jesus Christ declaring that He had all authority in heaven and in earth. Christ Himself raises the authority issue. It is by the authority that Jesus Christ has that His churches through its preachers go forth into all the world preaching the gospel and baptizing believers.
   The issue of authority was taught in the Old Testament in that none but the sons of Aaron could attend to the ministry of the Tabernacle and then the Temple. Paul makes this point in Hebrews where he uses this argument to show that the priesthood of Jesus Christ was superior to that of Aaron because Christ was appointed a priest after the order of Melchisedec forever. (Heb.5:1-10).
2. Even John the Baptist declared that he received his authority to baptize from God. Jesus Christ recognized that authority when he traveled some sixty miles to the banks of Jordan to be baptized of John. Christ used the subject of John’s authority to rebuke the chief priests and the elders when they came to Him as He taught in the temple and asked Him "By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?" (Matt.21:23) Christ’s reply was a question, "The baptism of John, whence was it: from heaven, or of men?" The priests and the elders refused to answer the question because they knew that John’ s baptism was by the authority of God. So in Matthew 28:18 Christ says that He had been given all authority in heaven and in earth. It is by this authority that Christ sent His church and its ministers into all the world. Therefore scriptural baptism must be administered by one who has the authority that Christ gave to His churches because there is one Biblical faith and one Biblical baptism. Eph.4:5 "One Lord, one faith, one baptism". Therefore:
1. It must be a church of the same kind of faith to whom Christ gave that authority.
   "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine". Acts 2:42
2. It must be administered by one that is a duly ordained minister of a church, that preaches the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" Galations 1:8
3. It must be a church that is following the Biblical pattern and teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you". I Cor. 11:1-2.

Baptism is a very controversial subject. It is an ordinance given to us by God and not of men, therefore we must meet His standards and not men’s. The commandment and authority to go into all the world to preach the gospel and baptize was given to the first New Testament church of Jesus Christ. Baptists are the only churches today that have a continuous history all the way back to the days of Jesus Christ. Alexander Campbell, founder of the Christian Church says about the Baptists. "The Baptists can trace their origin to Apostolic times and can produce unequivocal testimony of their existence in every century down to the present time". All honest historians agree with Campbell’s statement. Therefore New Testament Baptist churches are the only ones today that have the authority to baptize. The question that remains to be determined is what constitutes a New Testament church? Hassell gives these marks:

1. A regenerate church membership

2.Believers baptized by immersion in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

3.The observance of the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic ordinance and not a sacrament or seal of salvation

4.The maintenance of strict church discipline

5. An independent or congregational form of church government in each local church

6. Religious liberty and the complete separation of church and state

7. A congregation composed primarily of the poor, despised, and persecuted of this world

8. The essential priesthood of all the members, there being only two offices: Pastors and Deacons

9. The ministers being those who are God called and qualified and who preach the true Gospel

10. The sending out of its ministers wherever the Lord directed them by His Holy Spirit

11. The church of Jesus Christ as the sole agency under Him for doing His work in the world today.