Is it right to make people take classes before baptizing them?

[Hopefully]

2 hours ago, LearningToLetGo said:

Who is it that baptizes?

I agree.

[Hopefully]

46 minutes ago, Sower said:

I see no reason for him not  to be allowed to be baptized, assuming he knew why he was getting baptized.

This is my problem with mandatory classes. The person even wanting get baptized should be indication that they know why. Many people are baptized as adults and some of them are not new believers. 

What do you think about turning down adults who are not new believers unless they take classes, or only baptizing members?

[Sower]

38 minutes ago, Hopefully said:

This is my problem with mandatory classes. The person even wanting get baptized should be indication that they know why. Many people are baptized as adults and some of them are not new believers. 

What do you think about turning down adults who are not new believers unless they take classes, or only baptizing members?

Quote;
"The person even wanting get baptized should be  indication that they know why"

Should be is not the same as knowing. I would want to have confidence of belief if I was baptizing some one.
People getting baptized, young are old, are probably new believers, and likely unlearned.
The church is wise to insure the young believer actually knows what he/she is doing.
Our church also requires new members to go to several bible classes with Pastor before joining.
At first I thought this was aver doing it, till I understood many 'professing' Christians were discovered to be  not saved,
much less ready for baptism. This can only be discovered in a setting listening to their testimony by pastor/elders.
There are a lot of pew sitters within the church body who go through ritual, never learning/knowing the truth of the gospel.
People complain the church is getting weak. It is, if half of the local body is still ignorantly lost.
 

[Riverwalker]

9 hours ago, Hopefully said:

I have only seen one church that offers baptism after every service wether you are a member or not. Many churches won’t baptize just because you ask but require you to take classes first. Is this biblical? I just wonder why so many churches do it. After service is over they always ask is there anybody not saved that would like to give their life to Christ, but they never mention when people can be baptized, or what their baptism schedule is since a lot of churches don’t have their own pool. I am already a member of a church, but had thought about leaving to join the church that baptizes people after every service wether they are a member or not. Thoughts?

The times I have seen this done, was by the way of making sure you know what you were about to do, and what significance it was. Nothing wrong with it in my mind

[appy]

I don't understand the purpose of requiring multiple classes before one can get baptized. I mean a simple explanation of its meaning and purpose should be given to those who wish to go through it, yes. And then some time to give thought to what was explained to them, plus allow them to ask questions if needed. But classes?  An unbeliever going through water baptism becomes a meaningless ritual, without truly desiring to make a commitment of faith and trust in Jesus to save them.

How much more of an explanation does one need than understanding that water baptism is not what saves us, but is a public confession and testimony of faith in Jesus and thus, making a commitment to put to death the sinful nature that is within us, and is committed to following Christ. That the person is indeed repenting of their sins, confessing faith in front of witnesses. Water baptism symbolizes the death and burial of the old carnal self and its sinful nature. (repentance) Commitment to die to self must follow faith.

 

[Justin Adams]

To answer the OP. It is typical of man to try and 'gild the lily'. I do not think Cornelius' household needed it either.

[Justin Adams]

6 hours ago, LearningToLetGo said:

I meant no offence, but was rather imagining the hypothetical case of a stranger walking in off the street, hearing the sermon and wanting to be baptised on the spot.

Exactly. Like the eunuch with Phillip.

[GandalfTheWise]

It's a touchy topic depending on someone's beliefs.  Here are some of the issues that drive things (unorganized and in no particular order).

Is baptism focused primarily on the individual or on the body of Christ?  If it is focused on the individual, then the only thing that matters is that someone baptizes them somewhere and somehow.  If it is focused on the body of Christ, then it is about how the community helps extend baptism to a believer to get the largest possible blessing from it.

Some see it on a spectrum of spiritual effect.  At one end are those who see it primarily as a public testimony of salvation and at the other end are those who see it as a necessary part of salvation.

Some see it as initiated by the individual and others see it as initiated by the God through the church to individuals.

Some see it on a range from unnecessary to recommended to highly recommended to mandatory.

Some see it as the definition of being a "Christian" and that you cannot be a member of a church without having been baptized at some point.  Others see the definition of being a "Christian" as testifying to a saving work of Christ in their lives.

Some see the mode of baptism (sprinkling, dousing, or immersion) as critical to whether or not a "real" baptism has been done.

Some see the words spoken by the baptizer to the baptized person as critical and that the right words must be used.

 

Many Christians make dogmatic statements about baptism and can get quite touchy when someone disagrees.   I try to understand the unspoken assumptions someone is using when I interact with them on the subject and then focus on those things.

 

[Who me]

Why are people baptised? Possible this has already been answerd, for me it is a witness to others of what has already happened. They are already a Christian, it is not a process that makes one a Christian.

Without a baptismal class it can be a pointless thrill seeking event.

 

Let me tell you a story. A great number of years ago I was part of a 20's church group, we would meet for Bible studies and for social events. Well on this Saturday we has arrange to drive to the coast, maybe swim, certainly picnic, go for a walk etc. We got to a small coastal resort and were walking along the beach and came across a crowd.

They were singing hymns and there was a line of people being baptized in the sea.

We had among us some non Christian friends. One of whom decided they want to be part of this and joined the queue and was baptised. This person wasn't a Christian they weren't challenged or as far as I could tell even asked whether they believed in Jesus, just dunked in the sea.

A pointless thrill seeking event for that person.

 

Classes, form filling, challenging has a perpose in weeding out those who are not real.

[LearningToLetGo]

1 hour ago, Who me said:

A pointless thrill seeking event for that person.

Maybe. Possibly. Who can know how this event may wend its way through this person's life?