Christian Baptism is what Christ instituted for and commanded for His Church, "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Mark 16:16. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
All who believe and are baptized, are born again unto a living hope, made alive together with Him,
having all trespasses forgiven. 1 Peter 1:3 Colossians 2
They are buried with Him in baptism, being baptized into His death, to walk in newness of life.
Romans 6 , Romans 2
They are circumcised with the circumcision of Christ, which is of the heart, in the Spirit, and
having received the promise of the Father, can confess that Jesus is their Lord.
1 Corinthians 12:3. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
It's Christian because it is by Christ's command and authority. Christ instituted Baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), by which we are united to His death, burial, and resurrection (
Romans 6:3-4,
Colossians 2:12-13), clothing us with Himself and His righteousness (
Galatians 3:27), it is the "one baptism" of
Ephesians 4:5, the new birth of water and the Spirit of
John 3:5 and
Titus 3:5, the washing of water with the word of
Ephesians 5:26, the baptism by which we have drank of the one Spirit as members of the one Body (
1 Corinthians 12:13), etc.
However, you cannot "tuck away" the baptism of the Holy Spirit under water baptism, and several
scriptures here are being misapplied to water baptism. When you study the baptism of the Holy Spirit
in Acts 2 Acts 4 Acts 10 and Acts 19 you will find that it is a corporate experience, unifying the
members of Christs body, enduing them with the power to carry out their mandate in Christ. The
instructions pertaining to this baptism are never applied to an individual, for all who are in Christ are
born again from above, and are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13 Ephesians 4:30
For example, Philip the evangelist converting and baptizing the eunuch Acts 8:26
Jesus is addressing all of His holy apostles in Acts 1:5. for John truly baptized with water, but you shall
be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
These men had all been made clean by His Word, water baptized in His Name and were born again,
ministering in the Spirit, and had the Spirit breathed into them after the resurrection. John 20:22
And yet, He instructs them:
Acts 1:8. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be
witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which came upon them in Acts 2 and 4, also upon the household
of Cornelius as a sign to Peter and his companions in Acts 10. Most instructive of all is the church at
Ephesus in Acts 19. This is the "One Spirit, One Baptism" that Paul speaks of in his letter to them,
not water baptism, you greatly err to misinterpret this:
Ephesians 4:
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who
is above all, and through all, and in you all.
The unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace is established under the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
something you do not acknowledge, perhaps labeling it "Pentecostal". No my friend, this is Christian Baptism, for it is the Spirit that bonds us together, when we are committed to the endeavor.
when we commit to fellowship with one another. This is what it means to be "In Christ".
There will be many who came to Christ, received forgiveness of their sins and baptized in His Name,
and in the absence of true Holy Spirit discipleship will have never experienced the baptism in the Holy
Spirit, of which tongues is just one small manifestation. All the gifts, administrations, and ministries
of the Holy Spirit are necessary to thrive in Christ.
Acts 19:
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
2 he said to them,
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”
So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with
tongues and prophesied.
7
Now the men were about twelve in all.
