Should you set a date for Baptism?

Question

Isn't it something that should be done when you believe? Should you wait to be baptized until the preacher is ready to do it or be allowed to have it done when you feel ready?

Answer 1

Yeah, like NEVER!!!

Answer 2

By baptism is not meant the superstitious form that is practiced today. True meaning of baptism was spiritual in nature as explained here:

Answer 3

Sounds like a mainstream idea to decide whenever.

Answer 4

In the early church it was ALWAYS done IMMEDIATELY when the person learned about Jesus...

Yes, it IS something for BELIEVERS. The New Testament church responded with URGENCY when people asked to be baptized. If you are being told to WAIT, then something is WRONG.

Look at the record of the early church in Acts. This is an excerpt from chapter 16 beginning at verse 16 which deals with your question:

"One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”

This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.

Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

Around __MIDNIGHT__ Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. __EVEN AT THAT HOUR OF THE NIGHT,__ the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were __IMMEDIATELY BAPTIZED.__ He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace...” ” (NLTSE-emphasis added)

The idea that baptism in not important or essential, that it can be "done at your convenience" is foreign to the New Testament. The church of the New Testament didn’t put it off, wait until they could use “good” water or anything else. They JUST DID IT.

Acts 8:32-38 tells of a travelling government official from Ethiopia who was returning home from worshiping God in Jerusalem.

"Here is the part of Scripture the official was reading. It says,

“He was led like a sheep to be killed.

Just as lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off,

he did not open his mouth.

When he was treated badly, he was refused a fair trial.

Who can say anything about his children?

His life was cut off from the earth.” (Isaiah 53:7, 8)

The official said to Philip, “Tell me, please. Who is the prophet talking about? Himself, or someone else?”  Then Philip began with that same part of Scripture. HE TOLD HIM THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT JESUS.

As they traveled along the road, they came to SOME WATER. The official said, “Look! Here is water! Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” He gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the official went down into the water. Philip baptized him."

... The "Good News about Jesus" obviously INCLUDED BAPTISM since the official asked Philip instead of being asked BY PHILIP.

Answer 5

If you believe in baptism, then I would think you wanted to follow the procedures and schedule set forth by the group you have chosen to follow in.

Answer 6

People should only wait until they're certain that Jesus is their savior, and that they believe it. If you feel ready before your pastor thinks you're ready, then tell your pastor that you'd like to get baptized on a date that you set no more than two weeks in the future.  I'm sure he'll respond correctly.

Even pastors sometimes feel that it should be more difficult to be saved.  It isn't.

Answer 7

You should be baptized once you believe and repent. (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38)  

In Acts 8:36, the eunuch asked, “What prevents me from being baptized?”  Phillip replied, “If you believe you may.”  So, belief must precede baptism.  (This rules out infant baptism.)

The eunuch was baptized immediately.  He did not continue his journey.  He didn’t wait till he got home, or till his family or friends could watch.  He stopped what he was doing (traveling on a journey) and was baptized right then.

In fact all of the new converts in Acts were baptized immediately.  None of them continued a journey, ate, drank, or slept until they had been baptized!  Notice the following examples.

In Acts 2 about 3000 were baptized.  Surely it would have been more convenient to schedule this large number over a period of time, but verse 41 says they were baptized “that day”!

In Acts 16, an earthquake released Paul and Silas from prison “about midnight”. (Acts 16:25-26)  When the jailer was awoken and saw the prison was open, he was going to take his life.

Finding that Paul and Silas were still there, and seeing the power of God, he asked what he needed to do to be saved.

Paul and Silas told him to “believe” (verse 31).  Since faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17) they then “spoke unto him the word of the Lord” so that he could believe. (Acts 16:32)

This “word of the Lord” obviously included teaching about baptism because he was immediately baptized “the same hour” (verse 33) or “about midnight” (verse 25).

Surely it would have been more convenient to wait until daylight.

Finally look at the conversion of Saul (Paul).

He spoke to Jesus. He called Jesus “Lord” and he asked what he needed to do to be saved. Jesus told him to go into the city and it would be told to him what he “must do”. In the city he fasted for three days and he was praying. (Acts 9:9-11) Many would say he was saved at that point, but he still had not yet been told what he “must do”.

Then Ananias came and told him to “…arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord”. (Acts 22:16)

Please note, even though he had not eaten or drank for three days, he was baptized before he took food. (Acts 9:18-19) This shows the urgency of baptism.  (Surely he must have been hungry!)

None of the new converts in the book of Acts ate, drank, slept or continued a journey until they had been baptized!

Why the urgency of baptism?  

Because baptism is the point where we come “into Christ” (Romans 6:3, Gal. 3:27).  We cannot be saved outside of Christ.

Baptism is the point where we contact His death (Rom 6:3-13, Col. 2:12).  At His death is where the saving blood was shed (Rom. 5:8-10).  We cannot be saved if our sins have not been washed away by the blood of Christ.

Baptism is the point where we “rise to walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-13, Col. 2:12).  At birth there is new life.  We cannot be saved unless we are “born again”.

Baptism is “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38) and baptism “saves” (1 Peter 3:21).  Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16)

All of these people were baptized immediately because they did not want to wait another moment before they had done what Jesus said they needed to do to be saved!

“And now, why do you delay?  Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name!” (Acts 22:16)

Answer 8

Its fine cuz then the child is protected by angels. My Mom did that for me and then I was called 17 yrs.later...It worked out fine..