| Can we just find something else to fight over? | | | | but is NOT baptized. What becomes of them? If |
| Infants, adults after believing, sprinkling, immersed, | | | | your theology is that when you confess with your |
| immersed backwards, immersed forward, once, | | | | mouth and believe in your heart, that is when you |
| twice, three times, on the name of the Father, Son, | | | | are saved, then the word "saved" needs to be |
| and Holy Spirit, in the name of The Lord Jesus Christ. | | | | defined at this point. |
| It "saves" you, it doesn't save you, its an "outward" | | | | In the purest sense of the word, that which is lost, |
| sign of something that has happened internally, its a | | | | those that already stand condemned, are in need of |
| testimony and for others to witness. | | | | salvation. Salvation from what, or better yet, from |
| To tell you the truth, I don't see what all the fuss is | | | | Who? When a person is lost and condemned, they |
| about. Its very clear that when you study the | | | | are destined for eternal separation from Almighty |
| scriptures and have the Author of the Good Book | | | | God, specifically, the Father part of the Godhead. In |
| teach you, what EXACTLY baptism is and does. | | | | eternal separation, one would experience the "wrath" |
| The word baptism in the New Testament is used | | | | of God, this is what we are saved from, the wrath |
| numerous times and indicates 7 different types. Let's | | | | of God. What part of us is this wrath directed at? |
| first look at what the "word" baptism means. Baptiso | | | | The answer would be our spirit and soul, as the body |
| is the Greek word, meaning to immerse, dunk, or a | | | | returns to dust after we die, at least this corruptible |
| process to dye something. No definition ever defined | | | | part of us does. So one answer for is baptism |
| it as sprinkling anything. Sprinkling is a "man made" | | | | necessary for salvation, is definitely NO. |
| tradition, not a scriptural definition. | | | | So what is meant by the passage of Mark 16? Could |
| The 7 types of Baptism as shown in the New | | | | there be something else we might need saving from? |
| Testament are as follows: | | | | A closer look at the way we are created, in the very |
| John the Baptist's baptism: an act of repentance, | | | | image of God reveals the answer. Father, Son, and |
| turning away from sin, given to John by God as | | | | Holy Spirit; body, soul, and spirit. We learn from |
| indicated by Jesus when He asked the Pharisees who | | | | Galatians that the spirit wars against the flesh and |
| it was from. | | | | the flesh against the spirit. Paul in Romans 7 adds |
| Jesus' baptism in water: baptized by John the Baptist, | | | | even more confusion to this by stating that the very |
| yet John knew that Jesus had NO need of the | | | | good he desires to do, he does not do, yet that |
| baptism that he was preaching, as Jesus was without | | | | which he doesn't want to do, he does, but not him, |
| sin and therefore not needing a baptism as an act of | | | | rather the corrupted fleshly nature that is in his |
| repentance. So why did Jesus get baptized if he | | | | physical body. |
| didn't need to repent? The answer can be found in | | | | The body, our flesh, that which is corrupted, flawed, |
| Ezekiel where the Lord set forth ordinances for the | | | | set against God then must be the second part of |
| Jews when ordaining Priests. As Jesus turns 30 years | | | | this equation, what else must we need to be saved |
| old, this is when one officially becomes an ordained | | | | from? |
| Priest, to enter into the Priesthood, that person must | | | | Will you go to heaven without being water baptized? |
| undergo a baptism. Jesus was simply obeying the | | | | Yes! Will you have a greater struggle against the |
| very laws and ordinances that He put into place. | | | | flesh in trying to follow and please our Lord without |
| Jesus' baptism on the cross: when James and John | | | | being immersed in water, the answer again is Yes. |
| approach Jesus to be seated one on his left and one | | | | But God is not a cruel God, leaving us without a |
| on his right, He asks, will you drink the cup that I | | | | remedy. To see His remedy, we need to look at |
| drink and be baptized with the baptism I will be | | | | what ALL baptism does. |
| baptized with? What is this "baptism" Jesus speaks | | | | The predominant text is Romans 6. Baptized into |
| of? It is the baptism where while on the cross, He | | | | Christ, baptized into His death, having been buried, |
| will be immersed completely into all the sins of the | | | | united with Him in the likeness of His death. These |
| world, He will be "dyed" and stained from this | | | | are all action terms, not some symbolic good gesture |
| baptism, so much so that the Father will be forced to | | | | but action, united, buried, walk, raised. Is that it? Like |
| look away and abandon Him in this wretched state. | | | | Christ, I was buried, like Christ I was raised? Usually |
| Baptism of more than 3,000 on the day of | | | | this is where the teaching ends with a resounding |
| Pentecost: the disciples at this point having been | | | | Yes, that is it. |
| taught baptism for the remission of sins, after over | | | | When I first believed, my action was to take a step |
| 3,000 of the 50,000 present are "cut to the quick" | | | | of faith, believe, God then did His miraculous |
| by words implementing them in the death of Jesus, | | | | transforming of my spirit into an unblemished, |
| they repent and are immediately baptized. | | | | justified, purified, redeemed spirit that could and |
| Baptism by the Holy Spirit and fire: (Mt 3:11) this is to | | | | would fully be so entwined with the Holy Spirit that |
| be immersed fully into the Holy Spirit. It may happen | | | | there could be no distinction. I didn't understand it, I |
| at the time of a water baptism or at a later time, | | | | wasn't even really taught it, I was just told it, but |
| scripture does not set a specific place, event, or time | | | | regardless, it happened anyway. |
| that it happens. Some even found themselves | | | | So it is with this ordinance called baptism. Two very |
| baptized in the Holy Spirit before a water baptism | | | | profound scriptures that I've NEVER even heard |
| (Acts 10:47) | | | | taught on in Church are directly tied to this ordinance. |
| Some erroneously teach that the one and only | | | | Colossians 2:11-13 a circumcision done without hands? |
| manifestation of a Holy Spirit baptism is in speaking in | | | | The removal of the body of flesh? When did all that |
| tongues, this is NOT substantiated in scripture. | | | | happen? According to Paul at the moment you took |
| Although there are many instances where that was | | | | action and were "buried" with Christ in baptism. |
| AN immediate manifestation, it is not dictated by | | | | "having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you |
| scripture to be THE manifestation. | | | | were also raised up with Him through faith in the |
| Baptism of the people of Israel under Moses: (1 Cor | | | | working of God," But one dare not build a doctrine on |
| 10:2) by a cloud and when passing through on dry | | | | but one scripture, that would not be rightly dividing |
| land when the Red Sea was parted. | | | | the Word of God. Is there another scripture that |
| Baptized into the Body of Christ: (Gal 3:27) although | | | | shows this principle of a "spiritual" circumcision? |
| this is scripturally referenced, it is somewhat of a | | | | Romans 2:28-29 ..."nor is circumcision that which is |
| mystery as to exactly when this happens, but we | | | | outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one |
| might find some clues in the Romans 6 passages. | | | | inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the |
| For a better and more thorough understanding of | | | | heart, by the Spirit," |
| baptism in water, we will need to look at all the | | | | Body, soul, and spirit - if we see that there is an |
| scriptures. I won't go into ALL of them here as there | | | | event where we can then be saved from our flesh, |
| have been entire books written on the subject. | | | | it is when the Spirit of God circumcises our flesh and |
| Let's start with the last command from our Lord | | | | cuts it away from our heart or spirit. |
| Himself: (Mt 28:19) Therefore go and make disciples | | | | Is this not so much more than merely an "outward" |
| of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the | | | | sign of what has occurred inwardly. Is it not much |
| Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This | | | | more than just letting a group of people watch you |
| sets an ordinance, first teaching everyone about | | | | go down in the water in an action to unite with |
| Christ, then when "baptizing" them, do it in the | | | | Christ's death and resurrection? |
| "name" of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The order | | | | The argument that one does not need to get |
| of "when" to be baptized is set for us on the day of | | | | baptized at all taken from the thief on the cross next |
| Pentecost: Acts 2:38) "Repent and be baptized". Just | | | | to Jesus is a weak argument. All I have to say is that |
| how the baptism is performed will have to be learned | | | | if you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, AND |
| from other texts. | | | | you find yourself on a cross and unable to get to |
| The best being when Philip was witnessing to the | | | | water, then don't get baptized. A side from that, if |
| Ethiopian eunuch. At some point in the witnessing | | | | you can't get into a couple of feet of water, identify |
| process from Philip, the Ethiopian came to a saving | | | | with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, then |
| knowledge of Jesus Christ, reached the conclusion | | | | my bet is you'll probably also have a difficult time |
| that he should be baptized and seeing water | | | | loving your neighbor. |
| proclaims, "Look! Water! What prevents me from | | | | The people who watched me get baptized in 1971 in |
| being baptized?" to which Philip replied, "If you believe | | | | a small Baptist Church in Sedgwick, Ks are not in my |
| with all your heart, you may." The eunuch then | | | | life some 37 years later testifying to that baptism. |
| confessed Jesus Christ and went down into the | | | | They certainly weren't around when a church I was |
| water and he was baptized. The order being set, | | | | at in Florida decided that my original baptism didn't |
| believe then baptism. All passages of scripture follow | | | | save me. What the Lord showed me 5 years later |
| this trend, in NO cases is it varied. | | | | was that my second baptism was not going to |
| We've now established who and when, now begs | | | | re-circumcise me, so I got wet. This is not to say |
| the question, is it "mandatory"? The answer is an | | | | that if you would like to get "re-baptized" not to do |
| astounding Yes AND No. The burning question MUST | | | | it, it may very well be the step of faith that solidifies |
| be "saved from what?" in order to effectively | | | | your identification with Christ in your mind in a way |
| answer this question. Mark 16:16 proclaims that | | | | never experienced before. |
| "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but | | | | So go to all people everywhere proclaiming Christ, |
| whoever does not believe will be condemned." This | | | | making disciples, and baptizing them. |
| leaves one scenario unresolved, whoever believes | | | | |