The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Kathy Shortridge of Billings, Montana from the tape, GC 1301-P, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 18."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1981. All Rights Reserved.

Question

Is it necessary to be baptized as an adult if you were baptized as a baby?

Answer

I think so, sure. I think the Bible says in Acts 2:38, “repent and be baptized.” And so that baptism follows repentance and you can’t have conscience repentance unless you are old enough to make that commitment to Christ and then it should be followed by baptism. You have the illustration of Philip and the eunuch, and the eunuch goes along, and he [Philip] teaches him Isaiah, and he teaches him about Christ and as soon as he responds to Christ, he says, "What does hinder me from being baptized?" Instantly he knew he should be baptized. On the day of Pentecost, 3000 people believed and were baptized.

Infant baptism doesn’t mean anything. You can’t find it in the scripture. It is a tradition that’s sort of been in the church. Some of you were baptized as infants, as Catholics were you not? I was! Did you know that? I was born at St Vincent’s Hospital, and they did their thing to me and I was little--that’s silly to assume that there’s any efficacy in that. Some of you were baptized as children in the Presbyterian Church or in the Episcopalian church or the Lutheran Church or, I don’t know, some other church maybe that did that. But basically the New Testament teaches that baptism follows conscience repentance. So I believe that if you’ve committed yourself to Christ in your adult life, you should be baptized...and were having a baptism next Wednesday night.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Our websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986