Subject: are you required to be baptisted again |
Bible Note: Diaryleader, So the Old Testament saints were saved not by grace through faith but by the Law? Then what did we need Jesus for? We could have just been saved under the Law by being baptised into Moses (1 Cor 10:1-4). Baptism is not a work of the person being baptised but rather a work of Christ in and through His body, the Church. God can work outside His normative means (baptism)but baptism is the norm according to scripture. He tells the Church to preach, teach and baptize in the great commission. So it is Christ through the body of Christ that works in baptism not the person being baptized. There were other foreshadowings of baptism in the Old Testament as the New Testament makes clear in 1 Cor 10:1-4, 1 Peter 3:20. Just as the water used by God in the time of Noah and Moses washed away sin and God's enemies and saved His chosen poeple so God through the waters of baptism destroys / washes away sin and saves His people when we are baptised into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not an either or option: either water or the Spirit, but rather a both and situation of water and the Spirit. A few OT examples of water and the Spirit together: Genesis 1:2 Genesis 7 and 8 Exodus 14 Joshua 3 and 4 2 Kings 5 Water and fire are often associated in scripture with the holy Spirit because they both have the power to purify or destroy. They cane destroy as if by flood or uncontrolled fire or save as if by drinks of cleaning or warming and buring away of dross or contagion. My primary point (with which you may not agree)is that the separation of water and the Spirit when looking at baptism is artificaial and not in line with Scripture. I agree with you on John's baptism. Emmaus |