Water Baptism Part 5

[Footnote 104: Acts 7.8]

[Footnote 105: Mat. 3.15]

[Footnote 106: Acts 1.5; Acts 11.16]

[Footnote 107: Jon. 19.30]

[Footnote 108: 1 Cor. 12.31; Col. 2.14, 17]

[Footnote 109: Heb. 10.1, 9; Heb. 9.13, 28; Heb. 9.12]

[Footnote 110: Acts 1.11]

[Footnote 111: Acts 1.12; Acts 1.4; Acts 24.49; Acts 2.1, 18; Jon.

16.16, 22]

[Footnote 112: Jon. 14.16, 21]

[Footnote 113: 1 Cor. 12.13; Gal. 3.28; Acts 2.16, 18]

[Footnote 114: Life of St. Paul P. 52]

WATER BAPTISM AND CHRISTIAN BAPTISM

Water is not to be understood whenever baptism is named; neither is baptism to be understood whenever water is named. There are many baptisms without water mentioned in Scripture and elsewhere.

The four evangelists and Peter each define two different and distinct baptisms following closely after each other. First John's baptism of water, then Christ's baptism of the Holy Spirit. Our Saviour also testified to these two independent baptisms but to no other baptism as the result or successor of these two. He speaks of one as past and of the other as yet to come.[115]

Many years later, Paul said there was only one baptism; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.[116]

One of these two baptisms which Christ and all the evangelists tell us about must have ended before Paul wrote. Which baptism had ended? Which remains? Can any Christian doubt which baptism remains to us? Christ's death, resurrection, ascension and return at Pentecost had all intervened between the time when John told the Jews of two baptisms and the time when Paul claimed there was but one. During this time Christ had blotted out ordinances and nailed them to his cross. He made no reservation 3 of water baptism. It went with the rest.[117]

Christian baptism came in fullness; water baptism ended.

Near the close of Peter's ministry he said: The baptism which now saves is not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward G.o.d by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.[118]

Putting away the filth of the flesh evidently here refers to Jewish purification by water baptism. Peter says this is not the baptism which now saves. The baptism which now saves is the answer of a good conscience toward G.o.d by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.[119]

This answer of a good conscience toward G.o.d can refer to no other baptism than that of the Holy Spirit which Jesus said was the promise of the Father to follow or supercede John's water baptism.[120] It is also called the gift of the Holy Spirit, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. And again it is called the earnest of the Spirit. This is the baptism which Peter recognized as that which was foretold by the prophet Joel: In the last days saith G.o.d I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. On my servants and on my handmaidens will I pour out of my Spirit and they shall prophecy.[121]

These are the Gospel days in which we now live. This is the one baptism ordained to remain.

Churchmen say: Burial with Christ in baptism (Rom. 6-2) is figurative, a mortification of our l.u.s.ts; not a literal burial in water.[122]

We heartily accept this church teaching and suggest that baptism into Christ and crucifixion with Christ are no more literal.[123]

We see no more water about baptism into Christ than we see wood in the cross upon which all Christ's children must be crucified.[124]

Church catechism teaches that "baptism is generally necessary to salvation." As an apology for introducing this extrinsic word "generally," they say the thief upon the cross was evidently saved without baptism.[125]

As we understand this is all contrary to Scripture teaching, one error calls for another and the catechism leads astray. There is no "generally" about Christ's teaching. He said positively, Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit; and again he said, Ye must be born again.

Without this new birth and baptism we see no hope of salvation.[126]

The thief was evidently baptized upon the cross with this saving baptism and was born again without water, and was thus prepared for the paradise which Jesus promised him. He experienced repentance, forgiveness and remission of sin.[127]

Simon the Sorcerer was baptized presumably with water; was he born again? We are told that he remained in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity and that his heart was not right in the sight of G.o.d.[128]

Altho' apostles baptized Simon with water he was evidently not born again. Altho' admittedly not baptized with water the repentant thief was born again.[129]

Paul said, as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.[130]

Had Simon put on Christ, his heart would have been right in the sight of G.o.d, not in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity.

According to Paul's teaching, Simon was not baptized into Christ; but the repentant thief was baptized into Christ and put on Christ.

The bond of iniquity in which water baptism left Simon bound is a poor recommendation to the rite. Has it improved since that early day, or is the gall of bitterness less pungent, or has the sight of G.o.d become dimmed?[131]

The New Testament makes no connection between new birth and water baptism.

Baptism, not of water, but of the Holy Spirit, makes the heart right. By resisting this baptism we fail to be baptized into Christ.[132] By yielding to this baptism we become our Saviour's new born children, baptized into Christ and buried with him in baptism.[133] This baptism is freely offered to every son and daughter of Adam.

Those of every land who never saw the Scriptures nor ever heard of Jesus with outward ear may be baptized with this saving baptism and be born again without instrumentality.[134]

There are diversities of operations, but it is the same G.o.d.[135] Our Saviour left us not dependent on book, man or water for salvation. His love is universal and unbounded; he tasted death for every man.[136]

This is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws in their minds, and in their hearts will I write them.[137]

Paul says, "The grace of G.o.d that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." This does not imply that this grace has appeared to all men in the same way and fulness, but it does imply that it appears to every conscience with sufficient fulness to bring salvation if listened to and obeyed.[138]

He now stands at every door and knocks; if we open the door he will come in and sup with us.[139] If we love him he will abide with us; but we must heed his gentle knocks, his still, small voice, and open the door.[140]

Churchmen say: The visible church, comprising persons good and bad, saints and sinners, is the kingdom of G.o.d, or the kingdom of Heaven, and that the door of entrance is water baptism duly administered.[141]

Paul tells the Corinthians, the Gallatians and the Ephesians, each in nearly the same language, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of G.o.d. Of fornication, wrath, strife, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, Paul says: I tell you plainly, they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of G.o.d. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, goodness, temperance, etc. Again, he says the kingdom of G.o.d is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.[142]

By Paul's whole teaching those who yield the fruit of the spirit--love, joy, peace, &c., are the inheritors of this heavenly kingdom and the unrighteous are rejected.

Again Paul says: Some of those Corinthians who were once unrighteous were washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and in the Spirit of our G.o.d. He said they were not inheritors of this kingdom while they were unrighteous.[143]

Membership in the visible church at Corinth did convey this inheritance.[144] They had to be washed, sanctified and justified (not in water, but) in the name or power of the Lord Jesus and in the spirit of our G.o.d. They had to be washed in the Spirit of our G.o.d before they could enter his kingdom.[145]

In four of Paul's epistles he recognizes the Spirit at the door of entrance to this kingdom. He mentions it seven times in ten verses in this connection, but nothing whatever about water baptism.[146]

Paul knew of no door to this kingdom by way of water baptism or he would have told us of it, for this door and how we may enter is just what Paul was emphasizing.