I truly admire and respect your knowledge, research, articles, and question/answer forum. You are AWESOME!! I just have a question that pertains to baptism, which is very personal for my family.
My two teen aged boys, and my ten-year old daughter were sprinkle-baptized in our church numerous years ago. But since that was before their age of accountability, I have been suggesting to them that they make this ultimate profession of their faith on their own (by being submerged). They are very receptive to this idea, but since we are not tied to any specific church, my wife suggested that I baptize them myself in our swimming pool. Although I know the verses that pertain to this symbolic ceremony, I am not legally ordained or qualified to perform this very important act of submission.
We discuss Bible events and prophecies more at home than we ever hear preached in the Church, but I do not feel that I am qualified. Do you think that I should leave this to professionals?
Thank you for being such a wonderful, shining light to sojourners awaiting to be brought back home soon!!
As a believer and their father you are eminently more qualified than anyone else to preside over the baptism of your children. The notion that people having theology degrees are more qualified than the rest of us to perform these rites was brought about by denominations and governments wanting official records more than anything else. There was a time in our recent past where an official baptismal certificate was as good as a birth certificate in determining a person’s age and citizenship.
But having such a record is a civil not a theological issue and if you don’t require one there’s no reason not to baptize your children. It is after all a matter between your children and your God. He will look into their hearts, determine the validity of their actions, and keep the appropriate records.
I suggest you perform the ceremony and then do something special like a party or something similar to memorialize this very special event. A man can have no greater joy than to know that his children are walking in the truth. (3 John 4)