Understanding Water Baptism – Part 2 – By Tom Buckle

Understanding Water Baptism

Part II

 

    The Law and the Gospel of the Kingdom

 

John preached a message of preparation for the kingdom of God.  Jesus said, “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” (Luke 16:16-17Luke 16:16-17
English: World English Bible - WEB
16 The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. ¹⁷ But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.

WP-Bible plugin)  The gospel of Matthew quotes Jesus saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:11, 13, 14Matthew 11:11, 13, 14
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11 Most assuredly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. ¹³ For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.

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John’s Baptism

 

The Holy Spirit within is often called the “spirit of burning”.  Fire is symbolically used to identify God’s presence, representing both judgment and purification from sin.   When one asks Jesus to come into his life, the Holy Spirit comes with His presence and cleanses the heart with a spiritual baptism.  Jesus’ own baptism was different than John’s, in that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him with a voice from heaven proclaiming Jesus to be God’s son.

 

In keeping with John’s example, the preaching of the baptismal message was to first repent and then be baptized as a seal or covenant of obedience to Christ.  The reign of the Kingdom of God was coming through the Messiah (Anointed One).  Only the obedient righteous were to be a part of that Kingdom.

 

Jesus Instructs His Disciples  

 

The resurrected Jesus instructs His disciples to teach and baptize followers in His name. “(18) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19)  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28: 18-20Matthew 28: 18-20
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18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

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Believers Are Baptized

 

Baptism is for the person who has come to Christ.  Peter, preaching on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell, challenged his audience to repent and be baptized.  (38) “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”(41) “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:38, 41Acts 2:38, 41
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38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.

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Philip, the evangelist, was a preacher that God used mightily.   In Samaria, the people believed when they heard him preach and saw the miracle he did.  “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized” (Acts 8:12Acts 8:12
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12 But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

WP-Bible plugin).  Later, in the same chapter of Acts, Philip receives instruction from an angel of the Lord to join up with an Ethiopian traveling near Gaza in the desert.  Philip obeys the angel’s charge and the Spirit’s instruction.  He preaches Christ to the Ethiopian and he believes in Jesus.  The Ethiopian immediately wants to be baptized and sees water near by.  (36b) “‘See, here is water.  What hinders me from being baptized?’ (37) ‘Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’  (38) So he commanded the chariot to stand still.  And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38Acts 8:36-38
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36 As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?” TR adds “Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ He answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’”^{37  38} He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

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After the Apostle Paul’s conversion (before his name was changed from Saul) on the Damascus road, he was baptized three days later.  “Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized” (Acts 9:18Acts 9:18
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18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

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In the epistle of Galatians we are told, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27Galatians 3:27
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27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

WP-Bible plugin).  The Apostle tells the believer that baptism is symbolized as being clothed with Christ.  It is an important act for a Christian to do.

 

Baptism is compared to Christ’s death and resurrection.  First, coming to Christ is burying past sins and mistakes in the grave, represented by immersion into water.  Secondly, coming up out of the water illustrates a cleansed new person with new life in Christ.  It is a perfect example of what happens when one comes to Christ. (3) “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:3-5Romans 6:3-5
English: World English Bible - WEB
3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;

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