'For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ
have put on Christ.
.. There is neither Jew nor Greek,
.... there is neither bond nor free,
...... there is neither male nor female:
........ for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ's,
then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise.'
(Gal 3:27-29)
Hello
@Butch5,
@Charlie24 &
@First and the Last,
According to Gal. 3:27-29 (above) baptism was a levelling and a unifying incorporation of the believer into Christ, whereas, the history of the professing Church shows that the question of baptism has been the cause of much bitterness, strife and division. I believe that much of the disputation that has torn the Church, has arisen out of the failure to discern the dispensational differences that mark the several ministries of the New Testament.
Hi Chris,
I would submit that the disputation has occurred because many have accepted the erroneous teachings of Martin Luther and his "Faith Alone" doctrine. Prior to the Reformation people didn't question the necessity of water baptism. This is a new phenomenon that has risen from the Reformation. In order to defend this doctrine one must reject that works of any kind play a role is salvation. Then people choose how they want to define works. If it's faith alone then they have to reject anything a person does. Thus they define works as anything a person does. This leads to absurd conclusions. It also leads to conflict within their own beliefs. It becomes necessary to deny certain passages of Scripture. In the real world these same people wouldn't even consider defining works as anything a person does. Let's suppose that everyone in this conversation is a business owner and has several employees. Each employee is given certain works or tasks to do in their job. Now suppose the boss comes in one day and finds one of the employees in the break room all day reading a book. Everyone in this conversation is that boss. Does anyone think that the boss is going to pay that employee for sitting in the break room all and reading a book? Of course not. Now, here is the employee's defense, boss, you wanted me to do works and I was in the breakroom doing works, so you should pay me for the day. If people define works in the real world the way they do in the Bible they should pay the employee for the day because the employee did works. Of course the boss' argument is going to be, those aren't the works I gave you to do. So, in the real world they differentiate between works, yet in the Bible the don't. What is the basis for this differentiation? A preconceived belief in Martin Luther's "Faith Alone" doctrine.
In the days of John the Baptist, baptism was with water only, with the promise of spirit baptism. Then during the Acts period of approximately 40 years we see both baptism with water and Spirit: but then in the epistles written following the Acts period, namely (Eph. Phil. Col. 1 & 2 Tim, Titus and Phile.), it is Spirit baptism only, as is confirmed in Ephesians ch.4:3-6, and, 'The Unity of The Spirit', in which there is but one baptism, and that is of the Spirit:-
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
There is:-
.. one body, and
.... one Spirit, even as ye are called in
...... one hope of your calling;
........One Lord,
.......... one faith,
............ one baptism,
.............. One God and Father of all,
Who is above all,
and through all,
and in you all.'
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris
I agree with part of what you said. However, I have to disagree with the end. I would submit that the one baptism is water. Mark opens his Gospel with these words.
1 THE beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and
preach the baptism of repentance efor the remission of sins. 5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Mk 1.
From this we see that the very beginning of the Gospel of Christ is water baptism and it is for the remission of sins. That's the very beginning. It's the same thing Peter said, which is probably where Mark got it. Peter said,
Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ac 2:37–40.
Be baptized for the remission of sins. To that Peter ties the receiving of the Holy Spirit. This is just what we see with Jesus' baptism. Upon coming out of the water He received the Holy Spirit.
If baptism with the spirit is something apart from water baptism then there is more than one baptism. Also, Paul taught salvation through water baptism.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Tt 3:3–5.
He said God saved us by the bath of regeneration. The only bath in the Christian faith is water baptism. Also, he contrasts that with the act of the Spirit so we know that the bath of regeneration is not talking about spirit baptism.
It seems pretty clear to me that water baptism is just what we see in Scripture, the place where we enter into a covenant with God.
