John Fredrick Evans,
I feel you are treating this issue as personal or an attack to your faith. Scripture as you, other Christian leaders and I know, must be interpreted accordingly and we should not read into scripture. Don't you feel that what you are saying is more sectarian? No one says water baptism is unchristian, what we are saying is that water baptism is not for us and it is not a command for us Christians. Water Baptism is not an act of obedience either because Jesus never asked us to get baptized in water. The fact that your wife feels that not being baptized in water is "unchristian", does not make it Christian because it is not. It was and still is a Jewish practice that ended with John the Baptists who was given that mandate while Jesus' Baptism was the baptism of fire and Spirit.Those Christians who had stuck to this Baptism as in Acts 19: 1were later shown the real Baptism.
I feel you are treating this issue as personal or an attack to your faith. Scripture as you, other Christian leaders and I know, must be interpreted accordingly and we should not read into scripture. Don't you feel that what you are saying is more sectarian? No one says water baptism is unchristian, what we are saying is that water baptism is not for us and it is not a command for us Christians. Water Baptism is not an act of obedience either because Jesus never asked us to get baptized in water. The fact that your wife feels that not being baptized in water is "unchristian", does not make it Christian because it is not. It was and still is a Jewish practice that ended with John the Baptists who was given that mandate while Jesus' Baptism was the baptism of fire and Spirit.Those Christians who had stuck to this Baptism as in Acts 19: 1were later shown the real Baptism.
1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether [a]there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized [b]in the name of the Lord Jesus.
It is evident that these people were not again taken into the water because the bible say here that by the laying on of hands, they were all baptized in the name of Jesus.
It is evident that these people were not again taken into the water because the bible say here that by the laying on of hands, they were all baptized in the name of Jesus.
In addition to that, Baptism per Se, real baptism, that Jesus preached is contained in these verses here
Mark 10:38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" and But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!
Jesus is talking about true spiritual baptism to be joined with him in his death and Resurrection and John you would agree with me here that the word Baptizo translated to mean immerse does not in any way refer to water alone and here does not mean water and has nothing to do with water. I would like to say that from my own study of the Greek version of the bible, the word Baptizoβαπτίζω is from two Greek words βαπτω meaning dip or dye and ζω, ζω here being a short form of ζαω which translated means eternal life and therefore this results into a compound noun βαπτίζω meaning dip life or dip live like our English word dip fry. So if we are diplifed into Jesus, we become new creatures, the old has gone and behold everything is new.
Mark 10:38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" and But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!
Jesus is talking about true spiritual baptism to be joined with him in his death and Resurrection and John you would agree with me here that the word Baptizo translated to mean immerse does not in any way refer to water alone and here does not mean water and has nothing to do with water. I would like to say that from my own study of the Greek version of the bible, the word Baptizoβαπτίζω is from two Greek words βαπτω meaning dip or dye and ζω, ζω here being a short form of ζαω which translated means eternal life and therefore this results into a compound noun βαπτίζω meaning dip life or dip live like our English word dip fry. So if we are diplifed into Jesus, we become new creatures, the old has gone and behold everything is new.
If we take the picture of dying, when a piece of cloth has been dipped into the dye, it becomes or takes on the nature of or the characteristics of the dye in which it is dipped. Most clothes made from Cotton are white originally but when dyed they become blue or black or yellow depending on the colour of the dye. The analogy here is that when a sinner is DIPPED INTO LIFE who is Jesus Christ, he takes on the nature of Jesus Christ who now indwells him/her from the time of conversion to the end of time.
The problem with church History is that what particular people wanted the scripture to say, they went on straight and translated it to give their own opinion and not what the Bible say itself. These include Charles T. Russel of the Jehovah's Witnesses and may others. It has led to false practices (viz, sprinkling or christening, pouring or effusion), leaving the impression that people may have optional forms of "baptism."
The "one baptism" of Eph. 4:5 refers to salvation the baptism that wrought by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit who is our Anointing. So linguistically the root meaning of the word is being dipped into the TRIUNE GOD, an action I do not know how it works because it has remained a mystery even one song writer wrote that he did not know how the Spirit convicts and leads men unto repentance". This is the one Baptism that saves. Whether an individual Christian finds water to be important for his/her life without having undergone this one baptism that saves, his/her effort has come to naught. Because the waters of the Jordan could not save all the sinners who went down there until Jesus Shed His blood on the Cross. It is not the ORDINANCES OF CHRISTIANITY THAT bring us together, it is what Paul wrote
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also 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 over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore [a]it says,
“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what [b]does it mean except that He also [c]had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the [d]saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the [e]knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature [f]which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 [g]As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness [h]in deceitful scheming; 15 but [i]speaking the truth in love, [j]we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together [k]by what every joint supplies, according to the [l]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
The same thought flows in Romans 6
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become [a]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [b]in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old [c]self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be [d]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is [e]freed from sin.
Definitely here there is no mention of water. I do not believe this baptism in into death here has anything to do with symbols or the so called outward signs you are talking about. The essence of being born again is what the bible calls baptism into Jesus Christ.
I would like to draw your attention to another scripture in the book of Acts you wrongly said supports water Baptism, in Acts 19: 1ff
1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether [a]there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized [b]in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were in all about twelve men.
Here in the verses we have just read above, there is clear contrast of the two baptisms, the Baptism of John and the Baptism in the Name of Jesus. The former was in water for repentance while then later has faith in Jesus and being baptized in the name of Jesus. John please let us engage in this matter with sobriety and we should not allow our denominational prejudices or id·i·o·syn·cra·sies to influence the way we look at scripture.
I will respond to the issue of the Kingdom when I get your response. Thanks
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