Some minor questions arose in my mind concerning baptism which caused me to rethink my position upon it. Firstly, why does Paul state in I Corinthians I:xvii For Christ send me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect? Secondly, why do the requirements for eldership in both I Timothy III:i-vii and Titus II:ii make no mention of baptism? Thirdly, why do we find no mention of water baptism in the Pauline epistles, i.e. those epistles containing church truth?
Let us take a look at three verses:
I Corinthians XII:xiii For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Ephesians IV:iv, v There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Neither passage can be a reference to water baptism unless there is more than one baptism in effect today, but we know that is wrong for there is one baptism. Also, if the baptism of I Corinthians XII:xiii was a reference to water baptism, then there would be no margin for the Holy Ghost to baptise us into the body of Christ. The one baptism must refer to Spirit baptism and not to water baptism.
Let us now turn to Galatians III:xxvii For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. This cannot be referring to water baptism, unless it is water baptism that places us into Christ. Indeed, if it was referring to water baptism, it would make water baptism a requirement for salvation. According to verse xxviii, since we are all in Christ Jesus, we first had to be baptised into Christ. But if water baptism actually placed us into Christ, then we could not be in Christ until we were baptised in water.
I now turn to Romans VI:iii, iv Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Our baptism into Christ (verse iii) agrees with Galatians III:xxvii as well as I Corinthians XII:xiii. Indeed, if it was referring to water baptism then we could not walk in newness of life without first being buried with him by [water] baptism into death. No! The verses above only make sense when understood as referring to the one baptism of the Holy Ghost that places us into Christ, into His one body.
So, in Ephesians IV:v we read of the one baptism Spirit baptism - of this present dispensation as opposed to the two baptisms pertaining to the kingdom as illustrated in Acts II:xxxviii when Peter called upon individual Jews to Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins [water baptism], and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [Spirit baptism].
It is therefore my position that water baptism is not for the church and that is why the Pauline epistles do not mention it, and why being baptised in water is not a precondition of eldership.
Let us take a look at three verses:
I Corinthians XII:xiii For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Ephesians IV:iv, v There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Neither passage can be a reference to water baptism unless there is more than one baptism in effect today, but we know that is wrong for there is one baptism. Also, if the baptism of I Corinthians XII:xiii was a reference to water baptism, then there would be no margin for the Holy Ghost to baptise us into the body of Christ. The one baptism must refer to Spirit baptism and not to water baptism.
Let us now turn to Galatians III:xxvii For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. This cannot be referring to water baptism, unless it is water baptism that places us into Christ. Indeed, if it was referring to water baptism, it would make water baptism a requirement for salvation. According to verse xxviii, since we are all in Christ Jesus, we first had to be baptised into Christ. But if water baptism actually placed us into Christ, then we could not be in Christ until we were baptised in water.
I now turn to Romans VI:iii, iv Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Our baptism into Christ (verse iii) agrees with Galatians III:xxvii as well as I Corinthians XII:xiii. Indeed, if it was referring to water baptism then we could not walk in newness of life without first being buried with him by [water] baptism into death. No! The verses above only make sense when understood as referring to the one baptism of the Holy Ghost that places us into Christ, into His one body.
So, in Ephesians IV:v we read of the one baptism Spirit baptism - of this present dispensation as opposed to the two baptisms pertaining to the kingdom as illustrated in Acts II:xxxviii when Peter called upon individual Jews to Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins [water baptism], and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [Spirit baptism].
It is therefore my position that water baptism is not for the church and that is why the Pauline epistles do not mention it, and why being baptised in water is not a precondition of eldership.
