Where should the repentant believer go to receive baptism? Who has the authority to baptize? These questions must be answered.

First, we must again review what has already been established about baptism.

1. The entire New Testament speaks of the same baptism. John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and the early churches all administered the same kind of baptism.

2. Baptism is a burial and resurrection in water.

3. Baptism pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

4. Baptism pictures the gospel.

5. Only repentant believers were baptized.

6. Baptism pictures salvation by grace.

IT IS AN OBVIOUS FACT THAT ONLY THOSE WHO ACCEPT THIS KIND OF BAPTISM CAN ADMINISTER THIS KIND OF BAPTISM. Let us look at those this would eliminate.

Those who would substitute sprinkling or pouring for burial in water are not administering scriptural baptism and thus would have no authority to baptize.

Those who would baptize babies certainly have no scriptural concept of baptism and thus could not administer scriptural baptism.

Those who would make baptism essential to salvation have departed from Bible truth and are not administering scriptural baptism.

Those who would make man's works part of salvation are not picturing salvation by grace in their baptism and, thus, are not administering scriptural baptism.

ONLY THOSE WHO ARE BAPTIZING REPENTANT BELIEVERS BY A BURIAL AND RESURRECTION IN WATER TO PICTURE SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST ARE ADMINISTERING SCRIPTURAL BAPTISM.

THE REPENTANT BELIEVER MUST GO TO THOSE WHO ARE ADMINISTERING SCRIPTURAL BAPTISM TO RECEIVE SCRIPTURAL BAPTISM.

Who has the authority to baptize?

It is a matter of cold logic that the authority to baptize has to rest somewhere. It has to be administered some way.

THE AUTHORITY TO BAPTIZE COULD NOT REST IN EACH CHRISTIAN

Each individual Christian has personal responsibilities that are his alone. For instance, each Christian is expected to lead a clean, separated life, to be a witness, to win souls, to tithe, to pray, to study God's Word, etc. All these are his personal responsibilities that he, and he alone, can meet. No one else can do them for him ... they are his personal responsibilities.

There are responsibilities that Christians have collectively ... as a group. God only left one organization of Christians on earth and that is the local church. As a church, God's people are to receive and dispense the tithes and offerings of God's people as God directs. As a church, they are to call and ordain pastors and deacons. As a church, they are to send missionaries around the world. As a church, they are to exercise discipline. As a church, they are to maintain facilities for teaching and preaching God's Word. They are to glorify God in all ages.

IT IS RIDICULOUS TO THINK OF AN INDIVIDUAL ASSUMING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHURCH.

Does each Christian have the right to receive the tithes and offerings of God's people?

Does each Christian call and ordain his own pastor and deacons?

Does each Christian have the right to administer discipline?

Of course not!

On the other hand, it is just as ridiculous to think of the church assuming the responsibilities of the individual Christian. Can the church do the Christian's praying? His tithing? His studying? His living? Of course not!

IT IS OBVIOUS THAT EACH CHRISTIAN HAS HIS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES INVOLVING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE INDIVIDUALLY HIS AND THAT ANY BUSINESS INVOLVING CHRISTIANS COLLECTIVELY IS CHURCH RESPONSIBILITY.

Into which if these classes does baptism belong? Each Christian cannot assume to speak for Christians collectively in accepting candidates for baptism. This would result in wild confusion. The authority must rest in the church. This is the only organization that God left on earth to carry out His work. It is a logical thing, after accepting this fact, to understand that this organization, the local church, is the only vehicle on earth that has the authority to speak for Christians collectively. THIS HAS TO BE THE ORGANIZATION THAT POSSESSES THE AUTHORITY TO BAPTIZE ... THERE IS NO PLACE ELSE!

CHRIST GAVE THE COMMISSION TO BAPTIZE TO THE CHURCH

"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 alway, even unto

the end of the world."-Matt. 28:19, 20.

Christ had called the disciples together and delivered this great commission. I Cor. 12:28 reveals that these men had been first set in the church and it was in this capacity that they assembled. It was to the church that Christ gave the commission to go forth and baptize.

PAUL TEACHES THIS TRUTH IN A LITTLE UNDERSTOOD SCRIPTURE

"Now this I say, that everyone of you saith I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

"Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you ? or WERE YOU BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF PAUL ?

"I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

"LEST ANY SHOULD SAY THAT I HAD BAPTIZED IN MINE OWN NAME.

"And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides I know not whether I baptized any other.

"FOR CHRIST SENT ME NOT TO BAPTIZE, BUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." -I Cor, 1:12-17.

Paul is denouncing the divisions that existed in the church at Corinth. They were divided into cliques and factions. They were following human leaders.

Paul asked, "‘were you baptized in the name of Paul?" He was asking if they thought they were baptized by his authority. He repeats this in words, "‘Lest any should say that I baptized in mine own name." PAUL WAS FEARFUL THAT SOMEONE WOULD THINK THAT HE WAS BAPTIZING ON HIS OWN AUTHORITY.

Paul wrote, "CHRIST SENT ME NOT TO BAPTIZE" yet names those he had baptized! Paul is emphasizing that Christ had not sent him to baptize, that is, he did not in himself, possess the authority to baptize.

GOD SENT THE CHURCH, NOT PAUL NOR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL, TO BAPTIZE.

Paul was sent to preach. When he administered baptism he did so by the authority of the church ... not Paul. Where should the repentant believer go to receive baptism? Who has the authority to baptize?

Now the questions have been answered.

1. The church has the authority to baptize.

2. ONLY THOSE CHURCHES THAT ARE BAPTIZING REPENTANT BELIEVERS BY A BURIAL AND RESURRECTION IN WATER TO PICTURE SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST CAN ADMINISTER SCRIPTURAL BAPTISM.

3. Churches that substitute sprinkling or pouring for burial in water cannot administer baptism.

4. Churches that baptize babies cannot administer scriptural baptism.

5. Churches that teach that baptism is essential to salvation cannot administer scriptural baptism.

6. CHURCHES THAT RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT THE BAPTISM FROM CHURCHES SUCH AS DESCRIBED CANNOT ADMINISTER SCRIPTURAL BAPTISM. By accepting false baptism, a church loses its authority to administer scriptural baptism.