I don't agree. Paul makes the point many times that, in the NT, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile with regard to God. He also makes the point that there is only one God, one body of Christ (one Church), and one way of entrance to that body (baptism). So any instruction to the Jews with regard to salvation in the NT is equally applicable to the Gentiles.
@Doug Brents I actually do not care if you agree or not. If you are happy with the way you have been baptized then I am just tickled pink for you.
Every man has to walk through this life not doubting or questioning if he got things right for himself. But when there is evidence of another view
I think it becomes us all to maybe give more then a cursory glance.
The following is just part of a 3 part article I posted on here and I am not asking for comment because it is not mine. But read it and think.
I am starting this well into the 2nd part that I posted. This is my belief and one that I can assure you has allowed my replies and posting to quite often be guided by the Holy Spirit living within me. And that, I can assure you from time to time has filled me to a point I truly cannot describe.
Title " Which Baptism is Baptism? " by Tony Warren, Mountain Retreat Forum
and is copyrighted, disallowing for any changes.
Copyright 1994 Tony Warren
For other studies free for the Receiving, Visit our web Site
The Mountain Retreat!
http://www.mountainretreatorg.net
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Feel free to duplicate, display or distribute this publication to anyone who would like a copy, as long as the above copyright notice remains intact and there are no changes made to the article. This publication can be distributed only in it's original form, unedited, and without cost.
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Water baptism that is efficacious and important is not H²0, but spiritual waters. When God says, repent (Acts 2:38) and be baptized and you will be saved, this repentance is unto salvation, but Baptism in literal water is not. How do we know? Because Ephesians carefully tells us there is one baptism:
Ephesians 4:5
"One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.."
Those are God's words and so they are faithful and true. Nevertheless, it is clear that we saw in Acts 1:5 the mention of two baptisms. John Baptized in water, and spoke of one coming who will baptize in the holy spirit. This is important because we just read God's word specifically declare that there is only one baptism. How can this be? Well, it can be because the only true Baptism is Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the baptism in water is merely a token of that one Baptism. It's just like there is only one sacrifice, which is Christ Jesus. Yet the Israelites offered sacrifices that pointed to the one true Sacrifice, and we offer the sacrifice of ourselves in Christ as holy and acceptable to God. Because of His mercy, that one true sacrifice covers all our works that are wrought in Him.
Hebrews 9:21-22
- "Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
- And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."
These diverse baptisms (
different washings) of the old testament do not in any way mean dippings. It signified a "cleansing" in ceremonial washing, all of which ultimately pointed to Christ. In these cases, this ceremonial cleansing was definitely sprinkling. This blood sprinkled is the shadow or picture of the death, burial, and resurrection with Christ by whose blood we are Spiritually made clean. This cleansing in Christ's death has nothing whatsoever to do with immersion, it has to do only with the "
washing" away of our sins in his blood. They weren't immersed in blood because immersion is not the point. Did the Israelites immerse the Altar or whatever they sprinkled the blood on to signify cleansing? Not at all, and these cleansings is what the sacrament of these diverse baptisms or ablutions signified. The baptism [
baptismos] in which the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, was a sign of sanctification for the purifying of the flesh. The New Covenant is the confirming of the old Covenant by Christ, who came not to do away with the law, but to fulfill or complete it. Old Covenant ablution becomes New Covenant Baptism. Old Covenant Sacrifice becomes New Covenant Communion. Old Covenant Sabbath becomes New Covenant Day of Rest. Old Covenant Israel becomes New Covenant Israel. These were all everlasting laws, and continue only in Christ Jesus. Likewise, Old Covenant baptisms refers to our being 'cleansed' ceremonially, not to us being dipped ceremonially.
Would we use the word to say we are 'dipped' with the Holy Spirit? No, that would be improper because God washes or cleanses us with the Holy Spirit, not dips or immerses us. This baptism in the Holy Spirit of God has everything to do with the cleansing of regeneration. It's about making us clean spiritually, not about a church tradition of dipping or immersion. That is not to say that immersion cannot be a perfectly acceptable way to baptize, it is to say that it is not the 'only' or 'most Biblical' way to baptize. Unfortunately, this position is so often postulated by some Christians.
The fact is, water is not spiritually salvific. When we consider if water can wash away sins, the answer is a resounding, no. Thus how could the amount of water used in a ceremonial sacrament be a qualifier when it is simply a token of the true? In God's eyes, whether one is washed by sprinkling, washing in a cup of water, a tub, a river or a ocean is not the point. The washing of H²0 is not the point, the washing of the Holy Spirit of God is. In Hebrews 9:21-22, and all throughout the Bible this is clearly illustrated.
Ephesians 5:26
- "that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word."
John 3:5
- "..except a man be born OF WATER and of The Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God."
This cleansing water by the word is the birth water of the Spirit, the only water than can sanctify and cleanse so that we might enter the Kingdom of God. Literal water does not cleanse that one may enter the Kingdom, nor does it sanctify, but the washing of the Spiritual water is something far superior than physical water. The water we are born of is not H²0, but the pure water that comes from the new birth, whereby we are regenerated clean from the stain of sin. And truth be known, when we carefully study scripture, we most often see this symbolism of spiritual cleansing in sprinkling, not in immersion. For example:
Hebrews 10:22
- "Let us draw near with a true heart in assurance of faith, having our hearts Sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies Washed with pure water."
This word "washed" is [
louo], but it speaks of the very same baptism of the Holy Spirit that cleanses our desperately wicked hearts. That water spoken of there is not physical water upon our body, but pure spiritual water, the waters of the cleansing of the Holy Spirit. This can only come through the blood of Christ Jesus
by
Tony Warren, Mountain Retreat Forum
and is copyrighted, disallowing for any changes.
Copyright 1994 Tony Warren
For other studies free for the Receiving, Visit our web Site
The Mountain Retreat!
http://www.mountainretreatorg.net
-------------------------*---------------------------
Feel free to duplicate, display or distribute this publication to anyone who would like a copy, as long as the above copyright notice remains intact and there are no changes made to the article. This publication can be distributed only in it's original form, unedited, and without cost.
That sounds like a biased mistranslation.
Now I do believe the gospel (Romans 1:16) by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of my salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) so the gospel is no longer hid to me as it once was prior to my conversion several years ago while still attending the Roman Catholic church.
