John’s baptism was for the remission of sin. Did those who obeyed John’s baptism have to be rebaptized on the day of Pentecost? Thank you so much. I enjoy the good web-site you have. ~ Mack Bennett
As the questioner correctly notes, “John’s baptism was for the remission of sin.” Mack Bennett poses a valid and interesting question (“Did those who obeyed John’s baptism have to be rebaptized on the day of Pentecost?”), though, a question of merely academic significance, since everyone now living has always and only been subject to the baptism of the Great Commission. Below is an excerpt from my book, The Church Divine, which addresses the question before us.
In the closing days of the Jewish dispensation, a prophet of God initiated what became known as “the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25) or “John’s baptism” (Acts 19:3). This water baptism was practiced by John the Baptist, his disciples and the disciples of Jesus. Everything John the Baptist did, including the baptism he administered, prepared the way for the Messiah and his kingdom (Matt. 3:1-6). John the Baptist urged his auditors to: (1) repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4) and (2) believe on the Christ who would come after him (Acts 19:4). However, this baptism was preparatory and temporary; it was valid only if practiced before the establishment of the church (Acts 19:1-6). John’s baptism was for the remission of sins in prospect of the death-burial-resurrection of Christ, much the way people formerly living under Patriarchy (e.g., Adam, Noah and Abraham) and those for whom atonement was made under Judaism were saved in prospect of redemption made possible through Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:4; 9:15).
Persons receiving John’s baptism before the Pentecost of Acts Two received the remission of sins and membership in the Lord’s church conditional upon the establishment of the church. They were not re-baptized in the baptism of the Great Commission. Water baptism practiced from Acts Two forward was the baptism of the Great Commission, with the lone exception of Acts 19:1-6 where some disciples were incorrectly baptized in John’s baptism and later re-baptized in the baptism of the Great Commission.
There is no Scriptural indication that any of the 120 disciples of Christ mentioned in Acts 1, the twelve apostles (including Matthias) or any of the hundreds of disciples (1 Cor. 15:6) were re-baptized in the baptism of the Great Commission following the establishment of the church. Further, the 3,000 converts in Acts Two were added to a body of believers already present, expressed in the KJV as “to the church” and the ASV as “to them” (Acts 2:37).
