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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Ephesians 4:5 | Eph 4:5 | bible believer | 200822 | ||
you've picked a verse that even the "experts" can't agree on.....and understandably so. but, as with all of God's word, this verse must be looked at in context. as we know, the Bible speaks of several baptisms, 2 of which are Baptism of the Holy Spirit and water Baptism. Baptism of the HS is imparted to all believers at the moment of conversion (an internal event) and water baptism is commanded of all believers as a public demonstration (an external event)of the internal transformation that has transpired. the message of ephesians 4:1-6 is one of unity. eph 4:4-6 speaks of unity that is ours through the spirit (verse 4), through Christ (verse 5) and the father (verse 6). there is only one spirit, the holy spirit of God, who is possessed by every believer and who is therefore the inner unifying force in the body. spiritual baptism, by which all believers are placed into the body by the Holy Spirit, is implied in verse 4. knowing this and considering the context (topic of unity)the baptism of verse 5 is best considered to refer to water baptism. water baptism was extrememly important in the early church, not as a means of salvation or special blessing but as a testimony of identity with, and unity in, Jesus Christ. i pray this information is helpful. perhaps someone else can provide additional clarity. God bless you and stay in the Word! |
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2 | Ephesians 4:5 | Eph 4:5 | bible believer | 200843 | ||
good evening brothers and sisters: upon return from work today imagine my surprise to see the response that my response to this question generated!! i do stand corrected on my use of the word "force" in my initial response. of course, i am very aware the the Holy Spirit of God is not a "force". i can only say that i did not communicate clearly in that phrasing. perhaps better stated would have been that it is only through and thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit in us that the body of Christ experiences unity. to those who noticed my poor choice of words....kudos for your keen eyes! regarding whether or not the particular verse in question (eph 4:5) is speaking of the baptism of the HS or water baptism, i respectfully submit that the remark(s) tendered regarding my consideration of orthodox thought (implying a lack of regard) were uncalled for. nonetheless, if you would genuinely like to know some of the commentators, educators and scholars that i have consulted on occasion (outside of the Biblical text itself) i am happy to share that information: walvoord and zuck; matthew henry; john macarthur. i have found the commentary/insight provided by these men to be consistently true to Scripture and, as such, i do consult them periodically. all of them incidentally, do assert that MOST LIKELY eph 4:5 is speaking of water baptism but i do understand that there are other opinions regarding this. (the commentators appear to understand that as well). to my knowledge, these men would not be considered beyond the pale of orthodoxy! in this context only, whether or not paul was speaking of water baptism or that of baptism of the HS, i would consider this to be a disputable matter, as in romans 14, and i pass no judgment on those whose opinions differ. |
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3 | Ephesians 4:5 | Eph 4:5 | humbledbyhisgrace | 200857 | ||
Thank you for your clarification on the Holy Spirit and "force" issue! I too have found myself in the same position before because of my own inability to properly articulate something. Your not alone :-) Steve |
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