A Brethren IN CHRIST said:
So how do you deal with 1 cor 12:13 you Ignored that verse
For by one Spirit are we all baptised in to one body
Read it and believe it please do not be foolish ..........1cor 1:18-21
To see water baptism and the Holy Spirit joined together in 1 Cor. 12:13 is not surprising. Notice some passages in which they are joined together:
a) "Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (Jn. 3:5)
b) "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" (Ac. 2:38)
c) "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" (***. 3:5)
I don't believe that 1 Cor. 12:13 is saying that the Holy Spirit is the "ELEMENT" the Corinthians were baptized into, but the "INSTRUMENT" used to influence them to be baptized. "By" (Strong's 1722) means "instrumentality" according to the lexicons. The phrase "by the Spirit" is also found in verse 3 and verse 9 of 1 Cor. 12. In those verses, "by the Spirit" means "under the influence of the Spirit." Compare 1 Cor. 12:13 with Lk. 4:1 where Jesus "was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." In other words, 1 Cor. 12:13 is teaching that the Corinthians were all led to be baptized into one body under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
"By one Spirit" in 1 Cor. 12:13 is similar to the following verses as well:
1) "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Eph. 2:18).
2) "Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph. 3:5).
As to how the Holy Spirit leads is another discussion, good for one to start on another thread.
But notice also that 1 Cor. 12:13 teaches the result of baptism: that it puts us into Christ's body. At baptism, the Lord adds one to the church (Ac. 2:47).
Now, as to 1 Cor. 1:18-21, what is the preaching of the cross? Are you implying that preaching baptism is not preaching the cross?
When Philip spoke to the Eunuch in Ac. 8:35 he "preached unto him Jesus". but the next verse says he asked about baptism. Pray tell how he know to be baptized. Because preaching Jesus includes preaching the conditions for salvation, which includes baptism.
Do you not know that one meets Christ at the cross when they are baptized? Look at Rom. 6:3-5, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized 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. If we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."
Do you not see the cross in those verses?