Baptism - a question for genuine Christians

by coldfish 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  BrendaCloutier

  Coldfish,

  You may wish to review my thread on my baptism. Jaffecake wrote a most excellent reply regarding baptism, in the Watchtower Organizations own words.

  I say do what you feel is most important. It that is to be dunked again, to re-dedicate your life to your new understanding, no problem.

  I dedicated and was baptized into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father's name happened to be Jehovah. I have since realized that this is only a nom de plume. I dedicated my life as a Christian to the understanding I was given at the time by jehovah's Witnesses. I never felt a connection to the Divine until after I left. I feel that the WTBTS improperly stiffled that connection and condemned anyone who felt/developed the connection. I none-the-less, dedicated myself as a Christian. Period.

  Today, I'm beginning to understand just what that means. Thanks to JWD, I have broken down my belief structures and have begun to rebuild them; keeping what is valid to me, and discarding beliefs that are no longer necessary. This is something the WTBTS heavily discouraged and disfellowshipped for! But in the True Christian Congregation, this is encouraged so we can fully know and understand.

  I'm glad I started that thread. It got some people thinking, as I had been thinking and examining when I posted it.

  Blessings on your path

  Brenda
• 

  Dutchy Elle

  Hi Carmel,

  If you look at the context in Matth. 3:11-12, you see that John the Baptist talks to the Pharisees and Sadducees. He calls them offspring of vipers, and talks to them about the coming wrath.

  If they repent, Jesus will baptize them with the holy spirit, but if they don't, he will baptise them with fire, the fire of the wrath. The ones who didn't repent were baptized with fire in 70 CE. The wheat (the ones who repented) was gathered in the storehouse and they were baptized with holy spirit in 33 CE at Pentecost, the unrepented ones (the chaff) were burned (baptized with fire).

  So this fire has nothing to do with water baptism. The message of John the Baptist was a message to Israel, not to people who live now.

  Greetings,

  Dutchy Elle
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  the_classicist

  As recoreded in the Didache, a valid baptism is one done whilst saying the words, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." It doesn't matter if you are fully "immersed." All Christian Churches (at least 99%), view the WT baptism as invalid because it excludes these words. Unless you got a rebel elder to do it saying those words.

  Baptism isn't just a symbol, it forgives sins, which most of us, most certainly me, need.
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  coldfish

  Thanks for all your replies,

  I think I will pray more about it and do more reseach before making any decision.

  Thanks again

  Debbie