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| Q: | After Philip had shared the Gospel with him, the Ethiopian desired to be baptized, and was (Acts 8:35-37). After Peter preached the Gospel to the crowd, some were converted and asked what they should do to be saved. Peter answered that they should repent and be baptized, and many were (Acts 2:37-41). After the jailer heard Paul and Silas preach the Word, and saw them released from their chains by God’s power, he asked what he must do to be saved. Paul answered that he must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized. Paul then baptized him and his household (Acts 16:25-33). In all of these instances, and others, the only prerequisite for being baptized was the expressed desire, wrought by faith, to be baptized. Why does the church today, as it also did in the past, require much more than this before baptizing an adult? Why are adults required to take weeks of instruction before they are baptized? Is there a danger in baptizing an adult after they have expressed a desire for it, but before, or without, receiving further instruction in the faith? | ||||||
| A: | As you indicate, the amount of instruction the church has offered to adults prior to baptism has varied over the ages. This also seems to be true in the biblical accounts you mention. How many hours of instruction Philip gave the Ethiopian is difficult to determine. How much the crowds knew about Jesus or the biblical message is hard to know. How long Paul and Silas took to instruct the jailer and his family we can't say exactly. What we do know is that they believed the gospel message and desired baptism. I think that in the Lutheran church we would do the same today. I do not know of any church that rigidly requires adults to complete a set of lessons prior to baptism. Sometimes a person will choose to wait with baptism until he or she has completed a course of instruction and is then baptised when he or she is confirmed in the faith. But this is not something that is required by Scripture. Usually churches will realize the need not only to baptize but also to teach as Matthew 28:19-20 emphasizes. For this reason pastors and churches will try to balance the need for careful instruction with the desire and need for baptism. In all cases they will seek to maintain the freedom God has given us in this area. He commands us to teach. He commands us to baptize. However, he doesn't say in what order this should take place, or how much teaching should precede baptism. Both are means of grace. That is, both have the power to work and strengthen faith. Therefore a church will seek to use both of them as it seeks to build God's church, confident that the Holy Spirit will bring about the results. | ||||||
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