section 1
So, now let us take what we learned and start to apply it to the ordinance of Baptism, or as we traditionally view baptism. People have various views and hang ups about the ordinance of Baptism, its place, significance and power. Some going as far as to say you must be baptized to get to Heaven. Yet, the Scriptures point out again and again, despite some cherry-picked verses, that the Gospel is what really matters and always has. It is the message, the Word, Christ that saves the heart, not an outward ritual i corinthians 1:13-21 . The call to be baptized or immersed in the name of Jesus acts 2:38, 41 proverbs 18:10 was in response to the forgiveness Christ offered i john 2:2 to all who would receive Him john 1:12-13 . You could easily and accurately read the often-disquieting Acts 2:38 in the Greek as, "repent and be immersed, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ INTO the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Water immersion was never the point, but an inward response acts 15:8 to Christ that results in being imbued, soaked, filled, dyed with the Holy Spirit acts 11:15-17 , which not only supersedes our rituals but is the very point of the outward ordinance of baptism in the first place acts 10:47-48 ezekiel 36:24-27 .
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
God, Who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as He had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?"
"Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.
my notes:
section 2
The water baptism is inferior, a shadow of the reality hebrews 8:5-6 to the far superior baptism that Christ offers. Water baptism is to point to the fire baptism we receive from Christ john 1:29-34 which is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit matthew 3:11 acts 2:1-4 . Which would perfectly fit to when people began to follow Jesus and be baptized, He Himself never baptized people with water john 4:1-2 . So, this may change our perspective a bit on baptism and this ordinance. Not that we should not baptize people in water, but what was Christ really wanting us to do in making disciples? Did He want us to merely convert and induct people into a consumeristic membership, or did He want us to make every effort to immerse them into a genuine relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit matthew 28:18-20 ?
They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of Whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man Who ranks before me, because He was before me.’ I myself did not know Him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel." And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from Heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I myself did not know Him, but He Who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on Whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."
"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes One Who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that He was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
my notes:
section 3
When we bind ourselves to Jesus isaiah 56:6-7 through believing Him, we have chosen to enter into unity with Him john 17:20-23 ; willingly co-pursuing His amos 3:3 matthew 11:29 : mindset, love, attitude and purpose philippians 2:1-2 ; eagerly cooperating with Him to override our own thinking, cravings, pride and selfishness by clothing ourselves in His own character romans 13:8-14 .
Hence, the ordinance of baptism pictures a whole host of inner truths: relational galatians 3:26-28 , positional ephesians 2:6 , instrumental ephesians 2:10 hebrews 9:13-14 , effectual ephesians 1:11-12 and pursuable i thessalonians 5:14-18 philippians 3:10-14 illustrations of the substance of being immersed in Christ. For water baptism is not about some outward cleaning, but an open, unashamed ii corinthians 4:2 ii timothy 1:8, 12 romans 1:16 mark 8:38 response to God in no longer pursuing your own desires but rather His i peter 3:20-4:2 .
And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to My covenant— these I will bring to My holy mountain and give them joy in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus...
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him Who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the Gospel by the power of God,
which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know Whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
For whoever is ashamed of me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.
to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who has gone into Heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.
Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
my notes:
section 4
This is why we are to be baptized in water so that we may declare His Gospel and unashamedly declare our aim for an undivided relationship, service and worship of Him psalm 86:11 i corinthians 8:5-6 . Paul literally uses this water immersion to illustrate the spiritual realities of being united with Christ in His death, going under water romans 6:3 , so to be united in His resurrection life, coming out of the water romans 6:4 . Hence, our unity with Christ does away with the power of sin in our life romans 6:1-2, 5-7 and frees us from the fear of death romans 6:8-9 , so that we can live with God, for God, through God romans 6:10 . So, baptism is the repeated physical illustration that we get to participate in of God’s redemption of us. It depicts the Good News all the way from the Old Testament to today, and should then clearly teach us how we should continually think, feel, conduct…respond to God romans 12:1-2 … in our: decisions, impulses, freedom, desires, pursuits, His grace, death, life, etc…the Good News of Jesus romans 6:11-14 .
Teach me Your way, LORD, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.
For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from Whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all things came and through Whom we live.
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.
The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
my notes:
Scripture quotations taken from one or more of the following versions as noted:
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