Our sins are remitted, washed, and cleansed by the blood of Jesus (Mat 26:28, Rom 3:25, Rom 5:9, Eph 1:7, Eph 2:13, Heb 9:12,14,22; Heb 10:19, Heb 13:12, 1 Pet 1:18f, 1 Jn 1:7, Rev 1:5 Rev 5:9, Rev 7:14, cp. Rev 19:13)
The water is joined with the Spirit (Gen 1:2, Isa 44:3, Jn 3:5, Acts 10:47, cp. Mat 3:16, Mar 1:10, Acts 8:39) and the blood (Exo 4:9, Exo 7:17-20, Lev 14:51f, Deu 12:16, Deu 15:23, Psa 105:29, Eze 16:9, Jn 19:34, Heb 9:19, 1 Jn 5:6), and the three bear witness and agree in one (1 Jn 5:8).
Both the Father and the Holy Spirit are spoken of as living water (Jer 2:13, John 4:10, John 7:38)
Jesus baptizes us by means of the Holy Spirit (Mat 3:11, Mar 1:8, Luk 3:16, Joh 1:33, Acts 1:5 and 11:16)
We find water baptism and its sin remitting effects by command, authorized example, and necessary inference (Mat. 3:6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 16; 21:25; 28:19; Mark 1:4, 5, 8, 9; 6:14, 24; 10:38, 39; 11:30; 16:16; Luke 3:3, 7, 12, 16, 21; 7:29, 30; 12:50; 20:4; John 1:25, 26, 28, 31, 33; 3:5, 22, 23, 26; 4:1, 2; 10:40; Acts 1:5, 22; 2:38, 41; 8:12, 13, 16, 36, 38; 9:18; 10:37, 47, 48; 11:16; 13:24; 16:15, 33; 18:8, 25; 19:3, 4, 5; 22:16; Rom. 6:3, 4; 1Co. 1:13, 14, 15, 16, 17; 10:2; 12:13; 15:29; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12; Tit 3:5; 1Pe. 3:21; Mat. 23:25, 26; John 9:7, 11, 15; 13:8 Acts 22:16; 1Co. 6:11; Eph. 5:26; Tit. 3:5; Heb. 9:14, 22, 23; 10:2, 22; 2Pe. 2:22; 1Jn. 1:7, 9; Rev. 7:14; Rev 21:6; 22:1; 22:14,17)
Here’s the premise: The baptism en (‘in the power of’ or ‘with’
the Holy Spirit is simply stating the means by which Jesus Himself (our creator and our savior) administers the baptism of the Great Commission (“…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”
. Most already know or agree that we’re baptized in (by) one Spirit.
1Co 12:13 For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Before commenting on 1Co 12:13 (above), let’s follow the promise of the Father and see where it leads..
Act 13:22-23 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who shall do all My will. 23 Of this man's seed hath God according to promise brought unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus;
Act 13:32 And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers,
Act 26:6-7 And now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; 7 unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!
Rom 1:1-3 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
Rom 4:13 For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
Rom 4:19-22 And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb; 20 yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
Rom 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
2Co 1:20-22 For how many soever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us. 21 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; 22 who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Gal 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Gal 3:18-19 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. 19 What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.
Gal 3:22 But the scriptures shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Gal 3:26-29 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. 28 There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.
Act 2:38 And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Act 2:39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.
The “en” of 1 Cor 12:13 is the Gr., “by”. I submit that Jesus baptized us in the power of (with) the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost, the Apostles were already clean (Jn 15:3; 13:10), and most likely had been baptized by Christ’s authority. For them, the baptism with the Spirit was a filling up of the Father’s promises when the gift of the Spirit was poured out to all nations. Because we’ve seen that the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Holy Spirit, and being clothed with power from on high is what endowed the Apostles with their divine gifts to bring in the kingdom with power, and because John the Baptist spoke specifically of Jesus baptizing you (us) in the power of the Holy Spirit, I submit that when we are (were) baptized in the name (by the authority of) Jesus Christ into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Himself was our baptizer, in the power of (with) the Holy Spirit. What are we baptized into? The body of Christ. This leaves us the one baptism of the Great Commission, a more powerful and personal baptism than we had ever before imagined. We simply have to believe John the baptist’s prophecy was for US, all of us, including the Apostles. With our savior as our baptizer, we, in as real a sense as possible, died with, were buried with, and were raised with Him to walk in newness of life. We died WITH Him as He baptized us into His death. Watch the word of God come alive when we read afresh the power of our savior not only dying for, but actually baptizing us with Him into His death, to be raised with Him through faith in the working of God.
Col 2:8-15 Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: 9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, 10 and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power: 11 in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; 14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross; 15 having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Rom 6:3-13 Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; 7 for he that hath died is justified from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; 9 knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him. 10 For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: 13 neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
1Pe 3:18-22 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, 20 that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: 21 which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; 22 who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Eph 4:1-6 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
1Co 12:12-14 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.
Gal 4:3-9 So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world: 4 but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. 8 Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods: 9 but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again?
Joh 7:37-39 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. 39 But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Eph 5:26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
Isa 58:11 and Jehovah will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in dry places, and make strong thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Isa 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Joe 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of Jehovah, and shall water the valley of [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]tim.
Zec 14:8 And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
