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Bible Studies for the Church and for Christian Ministries - BIBLE STUDY ON TOUGH ISSUES 

 

 

Baptism: Water Baptism, Baptism with the Holy Ghost and Baptism with Fire

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The bible says there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, (Eph 4:5).

 

Here is the question that all readers must answer: Is your baptism a water baptism, or a spirit baptism? Please email us with your answer.

 

 

Executive Summary:

 

1. Water baptism will make you wet.

a. Water baptism will not make you saved.

 

b. Water baptism will not qualify you for membership in the church.

 

c. Water baptism should not be used as a prerequisite for membership in local assemblies.

 

d. Water baptism is not essential in becoming part of the Bride of Christ.

 

e. Water baptism may give you an opportunity to give your testimony, but you would be doing more harm than good by giving it in that manner. You can schedule any opportunity to give your testimony without doing so in a way that falsely presents the meaning of baptism.

2. Spirit baptism is salvation. Spirit baptism is baptism with the Holy Ghost. Spirit baptism will make you saved, (The term "saved" meaning: part of the church, part of the body of Christ, part of the bride of Christ, and a son of God.)

a. Spirit baptism is not an experience subsequent to salvation

 

b. Spirit baptism is not verified by biblical tongues today

 

c. Spirit baptism has never been verified by unknown tongues or gibberish

 

d. Spirit baptism has never been accompanied by phenomena such as "Slain-in-the-spirit".

Baptism with Water:

 

Just as circumcision of the flesh was a token of the covenant - which was a type and shadow of God's intent that his people be circumcised in their heart (Rom 2:29) - so likewise, water baptism was a type and shadow of our salvation by immersion in the name of Jesus - which is the Word of God, by which the Holy Ghost fills us with all truth.

Hence we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, unto salvation. (Eph 4:5; I Cor 12:13)

 

We need to be circumcised in our hearts and baptized with the Holy Ghost.

 

We do not need to be circumcised in the flesh, nor baptized in water.

John the Baptist baptized in water for one purpose - to make Jesus known to Israel:

And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. (John 1:31)

John the Baptist, himself, dismissed the ritual of water baptism being anything of more significance, by also saying:

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matt 3:11)

Water baptism serves no biblical purpose for us today, because its purpose was fulfilled in John the Baptist's ministry. Water baptism does not make us saved. It does not add us to the church. It is not the first step of obedience, nor any step of obedience, in our new Christian life, because Jesus never commanded us to be water baptized. He commanded us to baptize people in his "name."

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matt 28:19)

The name of Jesus is the only name by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). The name of Jesus is the Word of God (Rev 19:13). Therefore, to baptize people in his name is to immerse them in the word of God. We are to teach all nations, baptizing them in his name, unto salvation - teaching them of his Word until they are saved.

 

John the Baptist came to baptize in water, but Jesus did not. Water baptism had served its purpose. In fact, Paul reinforced this by saying that:

I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; (I Cor 1:14)

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. (I Cor 1:17)

With these words, Paul is clearly teaching that water baptism is no longer important. He also clearly states that water baptism has nothing to do with the gospel - "not to baptize, but to preach the gospel".

 

This is the gospel, of which Paul was speaking when he dismissed the need to baptize with water:

1 Corinthians 15

 1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Note that Paul says we are saved IF we keep in memory what he preached.  It should therefore be obvious that if we don't keep in memory what he preached then we won't be saved.

 

Likewise, Jesus said that we would be his disciples and that we would know the truth and that we would be made free IF we continue in his word.  It should therefore likewise be obvious that if we don't continue in his word then we won't be his disciples indeed, we won't know the truth and we won't be made free.

 

What are some of the key things Paul preached?

a. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23)

 

b. The wages of that sin is death. (Rom 6:23)

 

c. We must come to a knowledge of our sin, a knowledge that we have transgressed God's law.

 

d. We must repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38)

 

e. We must believe that Jesus died, was buried and rose again to pay for our sins. (I Cor 15:1-4)

 

f. We must receive the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Christ, with which Jesus baptizes us, immerses us, to cleanse us of our sin, to save us, to give us life in exchange for death, and to make us new in him. (Acts 19:2-6)

To explain this - but jumping ahead a little in doing so - we emphasize that Baptism with the Holy Ghost is essential to biblical salvation. It follows repentance from sin and belief on the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is why Paul asked the Ephesians in this passage (Acts 19:2), Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?  They had repented; they had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, but they had not yet received salvation by receiving the Holy Ghost.  (This process is confirmed in Acts 2:38.)  Baptism with the Holy Ghost seals our salvation with the holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption. (Eph 1:13 and 4:30)  This is God's promise of commitment to a relationship with us.  Our responsibility is to continue in his word (Jn 8:31), which includes continuing to believe (believeth) on him (Jn 3:16), and continuing to remain faithful to his commands/leading (Rom 8:1).

Baptism with the Holy Ghost:

 

As we just reviewed, Jesus did not come to baptize in water. Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with Fire. This is very important:

Those who repent, believe on Jesus and receive him as Lord and Saviour, he baptizes with the Holy Ghost (to save them).

 

Those who don't, he will baptize with fire, in the Lake of Fire, at the second death. (Rev 20:14,15)

For those of us who are in Christ, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. (Eph 4:5) That baptism is baptism with the Holy Ghost - Spirit baptism.

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 in to one Spirit. (I Cor 12:13)

Jesus was speaking ONLY to his disciples (not just the twelve Apostles, but to all who continue in his word - John 8:31) when he said:

For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:5)

Notice that Jesus did not include the words baptized "with fire" when he was speaking to his disciples. That is because the baptism with fire that John the Baptist mentioned (in Matt 3:11 and Luke 3:16) ONLY pertains to the unsaved.  Jesus will baptize the UNSAVED with fire.

 

John the Baptist was speaking BOTH to believers and to unbelievers in the crowds that followed him when he said that Jesus would baptize them with the Holy Ghost and with fire. (Holy Ghost for believers, and fire for unbelievers)

 

Pentecostals should take note of this when calling for the Lord to send Fire upon them and when following evangelists who scream FIRE, FIRE, FIRE upon themselves and their followers.

Baptism with the Holy Ghost empowers us to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:8)

 

Baptism with the Holy Ghost does not make us speak in gibberish.

 

Baptism with the Holy Ghost does not make us fall uncontrollably on the floor; or fall into the arms of a 'catcher' (i.e. popularly referred to as 'slain-in-the-spirit'; but the authorized King James Bible makes no mention of this phenomenon.)

 

Biblical baptism with the Holy Ghost places us into the body of Christ.

 

Biblical baptism is integral to salvation.

Charismatic/Pentecostal Baptism in the Holy Spirit - a False Baptism:

 

Pentecostals consider the baptism in the Holy Spirit to be a second blessing, a subsequent event to salvation, but it is not.

 

'Charismatic/Pentecostal' baptism in the Holy Spirit will deceive you. It will not save you. It will not empower you. It will make you drunken (unsober) and uninhibited, in violation of I Pet 5:8 and other verses. It will quite probably make you devil-possessed. (i.e. popularly referred to as 'demon-possessed'; but the authorized King James Bible makes no mention of demons.)

 

Charismatics/Pentecostals claim to speak in tongues, when they are "baptized with the Holy Ghost" as a spirit speaks through them. This is not the Holy Ghost; not the Holy Spirit. It is "another spirit" (II Cor 11:4)

 

Charismatics/Pentecostals claim to be overcome by the spirit when they are "slain-in-the-spirit" This is not the Holy Ghost; not the Holy Spirit. It is "another spirit" (II Cor 11:4).

 

Conclusions:

 

1. Water baptism serves no purpose today and is a detriment to the biblical presentation of the gospel.

 

2. Baptism with the Holy Ghost is NOT the experience taught by today's Pentecostals/Charismatics which they validate by accompanied manifestations (including tongues and slain-in-the-spirit phenomena). The request of Pentecostals/Charismatics to be baptized with fire is a request to be cast into the Lake of Fire at the second death.

 

3. Baptism with the Holy Ghost is essential to biblical salvation. It follows repentance from sin and belief on the Lord Jesus Christ.  This is why Paul asked the Ephesians (Acts 19:2), Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?  They had repented; they had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, but they had not yet received salvation by receiving the Holy Ghost.  (This process is confirmed in Acts 2:38.)  Baptism with the Holy Ghost seals our salvation with the holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption. (Eph 1:13 and 4:30)  This is God's promise of commitment to a relationship with us. Our responsibility is to continue in his word (Jn 8:31), which includes continuing to believe (believeth) on him (Jn 3:16), and continuing to follow his word (Rom 8:1 and John 10:27).

 

 

 

 

 

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The "Berean Research Institute" is a scripture-based, family-oriented area of cyber-space wherein men, women and children can research beliefs and doctrines that impact their assembly, ministry and/or personal lives.

We encourage all to fear God and to keep his commandments by searching the scriptures daily and by being doers of the word.

Many people today claim to be Christians, disciples of Jesus, but fail to continue in his word as commanded in John 8:31, and therefore are deceiving even themselves.  (James1:22)  The result of such deception will be exclusion from the Kingdom of God (Matt 7:21-23 and Matt 25:8-12).

Not everyone ... shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matt 7:21)

If you consider yourself to be a Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic, JW, Adventist - even a life-long one - and are convinced that you are on your way to heaven, we encourage you to consider some of the biblical doctrines that we examine in these articles and videos - and be SURE that you are on your way to heaven.

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