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Who is doing the baptizing?

Submitted: 7/30/2007
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Question: I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF A PERSON IS BEING BAPTIZED, AND THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE, ONE WHO IS DOING THE ACTUAL BAPTIZING AND THE OTHER DOING THE SAYING, 'I NOW BAPTISE YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST...' IS THIS PERSON BAPTIZED? OR DOES THE PERSON DOING THE BAPTIZING NEED TO BE THE ONE THAT DOES THE ANNOUNCING. CAN YOU GIVE ME SCRIPTUAL REFERENCE TO YOUR ANSWER. THANK-YOU SO MUCH. GOD BLESS YOUR MINISTRY.

Answer: Acts 8:38 says, 'And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.' Notice that the word 'he' is singular. He (Philip) baptized this man. This means that he placed him under the water and he spoke the words 'In the name of Jesus Christ.'

1 Corinthians 1:14 says, 'I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius....' Again, Paul did the baptizing alone. In fact, we cannot find any scriptural basis for a two-man baptism. We are not prepared to say that such an approach would be absolutely unacceptable to the Lord, but we can tell you that we would never do it that way.