1. “Jesus Himself did not baptize, but rather His disciples” (John 4:2).
When the Lord was on earth gaining disciples, He did not baptize; rather, His disciples baptized. We must pay attention to the fact that it does not say that His apostles baptized. It says that His disciples baptized. Of course, among the disciples there were apostles, but they did not baptize in their office as apostles but in their position as disciples. This tells us that the Lord had disciples do the baptizing. The disciples, the believers, baptized others. Thus, any believer who is a disciple of the Lord can baptize. The teaching that only the clergy can baptize or that only those with an office in the church can baptize was started and ordained by the Roman Catholic Church. This poison of heresy was also brought into the Reformation from the Roman Catholic Church; this is against the teachings of the Bible and against the Lord’s will. According to the Lord’s will, a believer does not need to hold an office in the church in order to baptize. Baptism is not based on one’s office in the church; rather, any saved believer can baptize someone in his status as a believer. Of course, anyone baptizing another person should carefully consider all sides of the matter and seek the Lord’s leading.
2. “Go...baptizing them” (Matt. 28:19).
The Lord’s command to preach the gospel to the nations and to baptize the nations was given to the disciples, not to the apostles. Although the eleven who received this command were apostles, they are not called “the eleven apostles”; instead, they are called “the eleven disciples” in verse 16. When the Lord gave this command, He did not consider them to be apostles but disciples. If the Lord had considered them to be apostles when He gave the command, only a small number of apostles would have gone out to preach the gospel to the nations, and not all the disciples would have participated in this matter. This is not the Lord’s intention. He wants all the disciples who believe in Him to preach the gospel to others and to baptize them. Anyone who is His disciple should preach the gospel and baptize people. Preaching the gospel is the heavenly occupation of His disciples, and baptizing people is their duty. Preaching the gospel and baptizing are two sides of the Lord’s commission to His disciples. Both aspects are the responsibility of His disciples, and both are their authorized right. Therefore, whoever preaches the gospel has the authority to baptize.
3. “A...disciple...named Ananias” (Acts 9:10, see also vv. 17-18).
When the Lord chose Paul to be an apostle, He did not send an apostle to baptize him; He sent a disciple named Ananias. The Bible does not tell us that Ananias held any office in the church; it says only that he was a disciple. This also shows that as long as one is a disciple, he can baptize others; one who baptizes does not need to hold any office in the church. Furthermore, when Paul went to Damascus, the church there may not have been officially established, so the Lord sent a disciple named Ananias to baptize him. This tells us that in any place where there is a church, any of the saints can baptize people together with the whole church, but in a place without a church, any of the scattered disciples can baptize. Of course, this is speaking in principle; we must follow the Lord’s leading for the details, just as Ananias did.
4. “They both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:38).
Philip was not an apostle but an evangelist (21:8), yet he not only preached the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch but also baptized him. This clearly tells us that whoever has the authority to preach the gospel can also baptize. Moreover, Philip was on a road in a place without a church, so he baptized the man by himself. This also proves that in places where there are no churches, the believers can baptize those to whom they preach the gospel. Of course, this is in principle; we must also follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as Philip did.
5. “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius” (1 Cor. 1:14; see also Acts 18:8).
Although many believed and were baptized when Paul first preached the gospel in Corinth, Paul baptized only a few of them, such as Crispus and Gaius. The other disciples baptized the rest. Paul and the other disciples’ practice shows that baptism does not need to be carried out by an apostle sent by the Lord or by any other person with a spiritual office. The apostles sent by the Lord or those with spiritual offices can baptize people, but in places where there are brothers, it is best to be like Paul and not baptize so many; rather, we should allow the brothers to baptize lest there be an improper result.
Some who serve the Lord baptize many people, but this is not appropriate or according to the pattern left by the apostles. Some, however, based upon 1 Corinthians 1:17, only preach the gospel and never baptize others; this is not right either. This does not follow the footsteps left by the apostle. Although the apostle said that he was not sent out to baptize but to announce the gospel, he did baptize some. He clearly wrote of this in the preceding verses. What he meant was that the goal of his being sent out was not to baptize people but to announce the gospel; he was not saying that he never baptized anyone. When it was necessary, he baptized people; however, in places where there were brothers, he did not baptize many. It is best if there are brothers to participate in the baptizing to prevent anything inappropriate from occurring, but if there are no brothers, one must do it oneself.