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NASB | Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, |
Subject: Is baptism done only once? |
Bible Note: You wrote: "First, because the people of Acts 19 were baptised, this does not signal the joining of the church." I am a little confused here. I thought you were Church of Christ. Yes, the Lord adds to the church (which means that we are JOINED to the church, even if you do not like that word), but don't you see us becoming part of the communion of saints -- the bride of Christ -- at BAPTISM? You also wrote: "Second, as for all post-Pentacost conversions receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, you need to read the account of Philip and the Eunuch in Acts 8:34-39. Its says that the eunuch went away rejoicing but never says he received the Holy Spirit." No, and it didn't say what he had for dinner that night, either. That doesn't mean he starved! We can see in other places in Scripture where becoming a Christian means receiving the Holy Spirit. Let's start with what is most likely the verse of Scripture you quote most: 'Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' --Acts 2:38 Then we can move on to what Paul says: "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory." --Ephesians 1:13-14 "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." --Romans 8:9 "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." --1 Corinthians 6:11 Lastly, we can point to the words of the Lord Himself: "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.' --John 7:37-39 As you can see, those who hear the gospel in belief/repentance receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. To say that it is at the discretion of the apostles ignores all of those cases (such as Cornelius in Acts 10) where the Holy Spirit is not transmitted by any discretionary action on the part of the apostles. As an aside, since all the apostles are at home with the Lord, how do you think we receive the Holy Spirit today? --Joe! |