Is private baptism without a pastor biblically valid?

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20
Is private baptism without a pastor biblically valid? The Bible establishes that there is an authority commissioned for baptizing.
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rogerseheult
Facts 1) The Jews were sold in 474 B.C. to die by Haman for 10,000 talents of silver (Esther 3:9)
2) The Jews were saved from this and therefore "owed" God 10,000 talents of silver
3) God forgave them and instead had their descendants: Finish Transgression, Make an end of sins, Reconcile for iniquity, and Confirm covenant for 1 week (Daniel 9:24-27)
4) The 69 weeks began in 457 B.C. with the start date given in Daniel 9:25 (Building of Jerusalem (not the temple). A copy of this is seen in Ezra Chapter 3 until Messiah the Prince (Daniel 9:25)
5) 457 B.C. + 7X69 = 27 A.D. the year of Jesus Baptism (he begins public life and is annointed).
6) Jesus taught for 3.5 years until his death (sold for 30 pieces of silver) - in the middle of the week and the disciples went out to the Jews until Steven was stoned and Saul became Paul and the message went to the Gentiles (the 70th week) The Jews as a people rejected the Messiah and they were destroyed by the people pf Prince Titus (he was the son [prince] of the Roman Emperior
Vaspasian.
Now read Matthew 18:21-35 The parable about the King, servant, and fellow servant. You may ask, what does this have to do with anything? Read: 1) A king is found to be owed 10,000 talents of Silver by his servant
-Israel owed God 10,000 talents of silver because He saved them during the time of Esther
2) The king threatened to sell the servant's wife and children (young and old)
-this language is almost exactly the same as the decree by Xerxes in Esther 3:13
3) The Servant begs for help and forgiveness (the greek word used is "prosekynei" which means to bow down and pray.
-Esther fasted for 3 days - this is something that one would do to God (pray)
4) The king forgave the servant
-just as God forgave Israel despite getting into trouble on their own
5) This same servant turns around and finds a fellow servant that owes them 100 denarii. He grabs this fellow servant's neck and demands payment and refuses to forgive him until he pays it all!
-The Jews did the same to the Christian's after the death of Christ for 30 pieces of silver (Tyrian Shekle). Interestinly the denarii at the time of Christ contained 3.9 grams of silver meaning that the total amounbt of silver was 390 grams. A Tyrian Shekel was recently found in Jerusalem weighting 13g. This means that Jesus was sold for 30X13 grams = 390 grams of silver. The exact amount found in the passage in Matthew 18 and a direct reference to the debt owed between the servant and fellow servant.
6) The Servant refuses to forgive despite the pleading from the fellow servant. The greek word used there is "parekalei" which means to admonish and entreat (not pray) which is exactly what the Christians were doing to the Jews after the death of Christ but before the Jews (as a people) probabtion closed 490 years after 457 B.C. in 34 A.D , 1 week of 7 years after Messiah was annointed.
7) The King finds out about the actions of the Servant and ends forgiveness of him after the Srvant rejects the pleasing of the fellow servant.
-In reading the Passage in Matthew we notice that Jesus says in verse 22 that we should forgive 70X7 times - a direct and unignorable reference to Daniel chapter 9. It is plain as day. Isreal's forgiveness runs out in 34 AD and just like the unforgiving servant, Israels probation closes and they are turned over "to the [Roman] tormentors" in Matthew 18:34. The 70th week cannot be in the future as the destruction of Jerusalem has already occured. The destruction of Jerusalem is the result of the 490 years or 70 weeks running out. These are consecutive weeks.
How can it be that the 10,000 talents are the same. The 100 denarii just happen to eactly equal the 30 pieces of silver. The greek words are perfectly employed in the respective places. The time period for one is 490 years and the other is 70 weeks! AND Oh, there is one more: The Jews were sold by Haman in the thirteenth day of the first month. Jesus was betrayed by Judas after the feast of Simon which took place 2 days before the feast of unleavened bread (Nisan 15) which means that Jesus was sold on the thirteenth day of the first month - the very same day (Mark 14:1-11) - the two events represented both occured on the same date: Nisan 13.
Jesus in Matthew 18 is not only telling a parable but also a prophecy about his own death.

Caller:  I have a question about baptism.

Pastor Doug:  Ok.

Caller:  My wife and I are of a particular denomination however, we believe that we should get baptized by immersion and we wanted to do it privately.  We wanted to go to the beach – she baptize me, immerse me and I baptize her in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Would that be valid in God’s eyes if we did that?

Pastor Doug:  All right.  The Bible seems to establish, John, that there is an authority that God recognizes.  And when the deacons for instance were chosen, not only were they picked, but the Disciples laid hands on them.

When people were baptized in Bible times, folks who had been commissioned and given authority baptized.  The Bible has, of course Prophets, like John baptizing the Apostles and then the highest level under that we see baptizing – or I should say the lowest level – are the deacons.  There was one deacon, Phillip, and we don’t know when he baptized if he was still a deacon or if he had been promoted, I don’t know.

But, there’s no record in the Bible of disciples baptizing one another.  Usually it was the leadership.  And let me tell you why that is.  I’m a Pastor.  If every member of my church, as soon as they joined the church, if they felt like they could go and baptize whoever they felt led to baptize without any kind of a clearing process, you end up bringing people into the church who really may not have been taught.  And one of the criteria for baptism, John, Jesus said go ye therefore and teach, baptizing them, and teaching them again.

And so I’d be hesitant.  I’ve had people ask this question before, but I would be hesitant.  You know my question for you is, why would you not want to have a public baptism where you invite your Pastor?  Are you part of a church family?

Caller:  Of another religion.

Pastor Doug:  Well, I mean but you do go to a church?

Caller:  Yes, yes.

Pastor Doug:  Do they practice baptism by immersion?

Caller:  No, no, no.

Pastor Doug:  They don’t?

Caller:  No.

Pastor Doug:  Well I’d encourage you to pray that God will lead you to a church that practices that, and then ask the Pastor to participate.

Caller:  Ok.

Pastor Doug:  That’s my advice – and hey incidentally John, once again, we’ve got a lesson that has a lot more detail on this we’d like to offer you for free and anyone else who has the same question.  I’m sure you’re not alone.

The title, is it “Buried But Not Forgotten”?

Co-Host:  “Buried But Not Forgotten” – that’s it.

Caller:  Ok.  So if I can just clarify this.  You don’t think the Bible recognizes or – you don’t think that Jesus would recognize that kind of baptism?

Pastor Doug:  Well I’m not going to make a dogmatic statement there.  Let me tell you why John.  There are Christians in some communist countries, who accepted Jesus, and there were only a couple of them, and they baptized each other and I think the Lord blessed and acknowledged that because they were operating under extreme circumstances.

And so to say, as a fiat statement, that you cannot have just disciples baptizing each other is not valid but I would say I’d be cautious about doing it that way.  If you do have Bible teaching, Bible believing churches in your community, why wouldn’t you want to participate in one that teaches and believes that?

Caller:  Ok.

Pastor Doug:  Ok?

Caller:  Sounds fair.

Pastor Doug:  All right.  God bless you.

Caller:  Thank you.

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