Q&A

Question

If someone is water baptised via immersion and not by sprinkling, is it recognised by Tabernacle Bible Presbyterian Church? Or does that individual need to be rebaptised via sprinkling again to qualify for the Lord’s supper? Are non-Bible Presbyterian Christians allowed to partake of the Lord’s Supper, assuming they are saved and have been baptised with water?

Answer

The Bible emphasises the following concerning water baptism:

  • Baptism is a sacrament instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16)
  • Baptism is done in the name of the triune God (Matthew 28:18-20)
  • Baptism is a sign and seal of inward grace (Romans 4:11), and is a public declaration of one’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-5). We are now identified with Christ. It also signifies how one has been cleansed inwardly of his sin (Acts 22:16; Hebrews 10:22)

 Concerning the mode of baptism, it is interesting to note that the way of cleansing and purification for the nation of Israel during the Old Testament is by sprinkling.

“And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.” (Leviticus 5:9)

“And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times: And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:” (Leviticus 14:51-52)

“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.” (Numbers 8:6-7)

“And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave: And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even. But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he  is unclean.” (Numbers 19:18-20)

Nevertheless, the Bible does not emphasise the mode of baptism, whether it be sprinkling or immersion. What is critical is whether the individual is truly born again and cleansed by the blood of Christ. Rev Timothy Tow put it most succinctly, “Water more or less, Gospel is the best.”

A person should not rebaptise if he has been baptised with water before. To do so would mean that all that he had believed before was wrong and therefore null and void. Water baptism symbolises the baptism with the Holy Spirit which occurs only once. There is no repeated baptism of the Holy Spirit as it would mean that the work of the first baptism by the Spirit is incomplete in making the believer a member of the body of Christ. Therefore, if one has been baptised by immersion, there is no need for him to be “rebaptised” by sprinkling.

The qualification for partaking the Lord’s Supper is for a person to be a believer of Christ and be baptised with water (whether by sprinkling or immersion). The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is for all genuine Christians and not just Bible-Presbyterians. They are permitted to partake the Lord’s Supper so long as they fulfil these necessary qualifications.

Yours affectionately,
Pastor Clement Chew