Question
Some Spanish-speaking brothers have had a controversy over this question. Some are teaching and arguing that baptism to be valid, or biblical, must only be done by a Christian? The main argument is that the N.T. never mentions non-Christians baptizing, but only Christians baptizing others. And even in the case when some person is in some well separated place, as in a desert, reference is made to the example of Philip and the Eunuch, saying that God in His providence, when a person seeks the truth, he will always help him to get in touch with a Christian.
I myself would like to try to understand this question as well as possible. Could you help? What do you think that based on some biblical principle we can understand about this question?
Answer
One of the principles by which we determine what in a passage is binding is that of spiritual significance. The gospel pertains to the spirit (John 18:36; Romans 14:17), and the things the Lord binds on us have spiritual significance. For example, it doesn’t matter whether Jesus and His apostles used one cup (container) or several in the institution of the Lord’s Supper, because the container has no spiritual significance. Likewise, it does not matter who baptizes someone, because the one doing the baptizing has no spiritual significance. Paul was thankful he didn’t personally baptize many people in Corinth, lest any should so he baptized in his own name (1 Corinthians 1:14-17). He doesn’t say who baptized the others, because it doesn’t matter. The one New Testament baptism (Ephesians 4:4-6) is in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38), in water (Acts 8:36-38), immersion (Romans 6:3-4), of penitent believers (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38), and for (in order to) the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). Catholics and Protestants believe someone must be ordained before he can baptize. Who does the baptizing does not matter.
