Is Water Baptism for today?

[Christine]

Water baptism has no place and has no value for believers during this Dispensation of grace. There are two strong, clear statements in Paul's letters that teach this truth. ONLY Paul could write from this perspective.

1. Eph. 4:5 states, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." This verse is a part of the seven unities of the Holy Spirit. There is a Divine balance in the arrangement of these seven truths:
A. Body
B. Spirit
C. Hope
D. LORD
c. Faith
b. Baptism
a. God


The two Aa's, two Bb's, and the two Cc's balance each other. The central member is D which refers to the RISEN LORD, Christ Jesus. He occupies the center of God's purpose in this Age of grace.

The Bb.members teach that the Holy Spirit is related to Baptism. This baptism is the work of the Holy Spirit and not the work of man. Only Paul teaches of the Spirit baptism that places us into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3; Col. 2:12).

So then, the 'one baptism' of Eph. 4:5 is Holy Spirit baptism, and this baptism is the ONLY ONE THAT COUNTS in this Age of grace. It takes place at the time of salvation. And since there is only ONE, there cannot be two baptisms for today.

2. Paul stated in 1 Cor. 1:17 that he was not commissioned by the risen Lord to baptize. This verse in the Greek is very dogmatic in a negative way: "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, in order that the cross of Christ should not be made empty." This is a landmark verse. Paul is the only one who could write it because the 12 Apostles were commissioned to baptize (Matt. 28:19-20). The Greek word for 'send' is APOSTELLO, the verb form of the noun APOSTOLOS, apostle. Just as Jesus was sent by His Father into the world (John 17:18), so the risen Jesus sent Paul out to preach the Gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) which did not include water baptism. This is the first indication that water baptism is NOW separated from the gospel message.

The reason why the cross of Christ is mentioned with 'baptism' here is because BOTH have to do with the forgiveness of sins. When water baptism is preached for the forgiveness of sins during this Dispensation of grace, it cancels out the need for the cross of Christ. This is one reason why water baptism is such a dangerous doctrine for believers - it maligns the death of Christ. And don't be fooled into thinking that preachers can get away with this kind of Bible teaching. Just read Galatians 1:8-9.

To get around this, Acts 2 brethren teach that baptism is a 'type or 'symbol' of the believer's identification with Christ (Rom. 6:3-4). They also teach that Paul's main ministry was to preach the gospel and his secondary ministry was that of baptizing, and if he couldn't do the baptizing, an assistant did this work for him. These ideas are nothing but human inventions brought about because of being inconsistent in understanding the truth related to Israel and to the Body of Christ.

The so-called great commission of Matthew and Mark does contain water baptism, and the Lord did command His disciples to baptize those who desired to be saved. But this baptism was for the forgiveness of sins, as Peter well knew on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). This is not Christianity but Evangelical Judaism.

That the Church, the Body of Christ, began on the Day of Pentecost presents one of the major problems of Acts 2 Dispensationalism. As a matter of fact, many Reformed teachers also believe this. The Day of Pentecost is strictly a part of Judaism, and the church that is mentioned in that chapter (in verse 47) was completely made up of Jewish believers who looked to the Lord as their Messiah and Saviour.

Following Christ in baptism is not a spiritual concept. It is a carnal, fleshly idea. We are not to follow our Lord in His earthly ministry (2 Cor. 5:16). It is impossible to follow Him in baptism because His baptism was unique. It was never intended to be copied. The 12 Apostles never copied it, so why should we? The only reason for a water baptism rite for the people of Israel was for the forgiveness of sins, and the cross makes this rite obsolete. Besides, the risen Christ NEVER told members of the Body of Christ to be baptized with or in water.

by Robert C. Brock

[Christine]

Thot we would bump this topic for further discussion....

[Jay]

I know for our salvation; to be saved, "Water Baptism" has no value in the Dispensation of Grace.  But I thought "Water Baptism" was to SHOW believer; the body; the church -which is us that we're already saved...  This act is to show you I am saved.  Feel free to email me.

-Jason Gamble
 BlesJayToday@gmail.com

[Christine]

I know for our salvation; to be saved, "Water Baptism" has no value in the Dispensation of Grace.  But I thought "Water Baptism" was to SHOW believer; the body; the church -which is us that we're already saved...  This act is to show you I am saved.  Feel free to email me.

-Jason Gamble
 BlesJayToday@gmail.com

Great question, Jay. Please find me anywhere in scripture where it says that water baptism shows that we are already saved? You won't find it because its NOT a biblical idea at all, but a "churchianity idea" and one that falls into the category of "traditions of MEN", with no basis in fact found in the scriptures for us at all. Isn't that a mind blower??? We have taken it for granted that what you and I were taught was true, when in fact....its NOT!

In fact...the ACT of being water baptized today for a believer is a sign of UNBELIEF. In Eph. 4:5 the scripture tells us that in this present age of GRACE there is ONLY ONE baptism. "One Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism."

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Where is water mentioned here?

This baptism has NOTHING to do with water! The meaning of the word is to "identify with something or someone." When the HOLY SPIRIT places us as individual members of the BODY, THAT is the ONE baptism that God accepts today...its all we need. If we are trusting God and taking Him at His word, then adding water baptism to the ONE baptism He says is sufficient is NOT walking by faith in what God says, but telling God that the ONE baptism HE says is sufficient, in our opinion, really ISN'T!

In fact, scripture tells us that by adding TO what God says is sufficient by engaging in the ACT of water baptism, we make the Cross of NONE effect.  Why? Because we are mixing the programs.

Israel was the ONLY One required to water baptize. It was because they were a NATION Of PRIEST's and water was part of their cleansing ritual. Did the water do the saving? NO...but the action was still REQUIRED to demonstrate their faith.

OUR ONE baptism has to do with believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ in order to receive the salvation already secured at the Cross.

Church talk and tradition tells us that water baptism is an outward sign of something that has already taken place inwardly.

SCRIPTURE tells us that water baptism has NO Place in the believers life. We already HAVE the one baptism that placed us INTO the Body....to add another to it shows UNBELIEF and a total misunderstanding of the purpose of baptism to begin with.

Hope this helps.

[Christine]

Good exchange here....take a peek.

[Roofdad]

In reading some of these topics, there are some that are worth "resurrecting", no pun intended. I had many questions about water baptism. I do know that it is one of the MAIN points of division in the Body of Christ: church A does not recognize church B's baptism, or if you were baptized in church B, and want to begin being a "member" of church C, then you must be re-baptized..... and I began to really look, and try to understand, and here is what I discovered....
Whenever water baptism is mentioned in scripture, it is ALWAYS for the remisssion of sin, and NO other reason. Not as an outward sign of an inward decision, or to show someone that we are saved. ONLY for the remission of sin. This was not always so, either..... before John the Baptist came on the scene in Israel, the remission of sin was accomplished by the sacrificing of lambs, at the various Jewish feasts, when this was done. This was sort of a "loophole" that God allowed because Israel could not keep the whole law.
Then, along came John the Baptist after 400 years of silence from heaven, with new information: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand", and offering water baptism for the remission of sins, without so much as a single lamb being sacrificed! Animal sacrifice then, was superseded by repentance and water baptism for the remission of sin.
After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, more new information came from heaven: the revelation of the mystery of Christ, and the preaching of the perfect and completed work of Christ on the cross for the complete remission of sins! God made another change! Water baptism and repentance for the remission of sin was now superseded by the preaching of the cross! Whho can deny this truth? No wonder the apostle Paul teaches us that Christ sent him not to baptize, but to preach the gospel (that was revealed to him), in 1 Corinthians 1:17. Hmmm..... looks like water baptism really only gets you wet! And THIS is what causes so much division in the Body of Christ?