Is my baptism valid? It’s a question we all need to ask ourselves.The Ethiopian eunuch, in Acts 8:26-40, upon seeing water along the road, asked Phillip, “What prevents me from being baptized?” There are legitimate hindrances that would prevent us and that perhaps mean we aren’t ready to be baptized. And for those who were baptized with those hindrances, perhaps that means your baptism isn’t valid.
Hindrance one: ignorance of the Gospel
The Gospel message must be heard and understood before a person is ready to be baptized. In Acts 11, Peter explains that Cornelius was given a message from an angel, who said, “‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’” Cornelius had the desire to be saved, but he first had to hear certain words. Jesus told his disciples to go into the world and preach to every creature, so that all might be saved. Baptism is the initial response to the Gospel of Christ.
In Galatians 1:6, some people were preaching a false gospel. A response to a false gospel is not true baptism or salvation. Peter said to them, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the Gospel of Christ.” It takes the true Gospel message, preached in purity and simplicity, and a willing hearer for valid baptism.
Have you heard the gospel? Was it the true Gospel of Jesus Christ? If not, then your baptism is not valid. But if you have heard the true Gospel, if you understand that Jesus has risen from the dead, that he demands you repent and be baptized for forgiveness of sins, then you have no reason to let this hindrance stand in your way.
Hindrance two: lack of maturity
In order to understand the Gospel, a person must have a certain level of intelligence and maturity. In Acts 8:30, when Phillip encountered the eunuch, he asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And the eunuch replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” An individual must be able to understand that Jesus died for his sins, was resurrected, and that he needs to repent and turn to the Lord. And that person must also be a believer.
Children baptized as infants are not believers; they have not heard, understood, and believed the Gospel. They do not make the choice to be baptized; someone else does it for them, and theirs is not a valid New Testament baptism. Their baptism is also not valid because children have no sin. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). And in Ezekiel 18:20: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” Baptism isn’t valid without repentance, but children are sinless; therefore, infant baptisms are not valid.
Valid baptism also requires the maturity to confess Jesus Christ as the son of God. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15). If you are not mature to make that confession, you are not ready to be baptized.
Hindrance three: a previous false conversion experience
A previous false conversion may hinder one from being baptized. It’s hard to know if someone’s conversion is true, but we can measure with the Word of God. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). If the conversion measures up to the Word, then it is true and valid. If it does not, then it’s false.
What makes a false conversion? First, some of those baptized believe they were saved before the baptism. Mark 16:16: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Both belief and baptism are necessary parts of salvation; just one or the other won’t do. Salvation comes from Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection, from the blood spilled on the cross. How can we receive it if we don’t follow his example and are not baptized? Second, some also believe that their encounters with the Holy Spirit are a baptism on their own, and they don’t have to be submerged in the water. There are only two occasions in the New Testament where this is sufficient: one is the day of Pentecost when the apostles were baptized, and the other is Peter’s visit to Cornelius, where the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and his family. The point of Cornelius ‘baptism’ was to show that salvation was for both Jews and Gentiles, and that there was no separation between them under the new law—but they weren’t yet saved. Peter still had to baptize them by water before they received salvation.
Hindrance four: rebellion
The last hindrance is rebellion. Some understand the Gospel perfectly and know they need to confess, repent, and be baptized, but they are not willing to do it. They prefer their life of sin. In Acts 26, Paul makes his defense of Christianity to King Agrippa, who is almost persuaded to follow Christ. That ‘almost’ is rebellion against God.
So what hinders you? If it is ignorance, find someone who will open the Scripture with you. If it is a question about a past experience, sit down and study it carefully with an open Bible. And if it is rebellion, you already know what you need to do.
Reflection questions
