Baptised in the Spirit.

Covenanter · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1446

Do we know what baptism is?
We argue about infant or believer, sprinkling or immersion, and the significance of the rite. I've even met people (on the Theology on line forum) who argue that water baptism was a transitional rite only for 1st century Jews.

As evangelicals, we tend to accept as true believers those who show the evidence of an active faith regardless of how they were baptised. Yet we all have strong views about the practice.

Baptism begins in the NT as the ministry of John. It signified the cleansing of the repentant sinner. He foretold the coming of the Messiah, who would baptise with the Holy Spirit & with fire.

Mat 3:11 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:
12 Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

More later.
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May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will ... (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Covenanter · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1446

A suprsing feature of John's baptism is that it seems the Pharisees expect the Messiah to baptise:

Jhn 1:24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

Is baptism prophesied? How is it mentioned in the Old Covenant Scriptures?

Eze 36:24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].
28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

Ezekiel is prophesying the Gospel call, baptism for cleansing from sin, a new heart, & the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Why sprinkling?
In the LXX, (Greek OT) there is a reference to baptism in the case of Naaman, who baptised himself 7 times. The Hebrew translated is normally bapsi in the LXX, & is used for dip & sprinkling rituals.

More later - with references.
_________________
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will ... (Hebrews 13:20-21)

keepingthefaith · Guest

keepingthefaith · Guest

If you look into the two types of baptisms.
Water Baptism, candidate..saved sinner
element.....water
Baptiser.....Christian
result...good conscience before God

Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Candidate ...sinner
element ....Holy Spirit
baptizer...Christ
result...member of the body of Christ
Rmans 8;9
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
Ephesians 1-13
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[b] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
2 corinthians1;22
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

-theophilus- · Joined: 24 Sep 2006 Posts: 562

One God, three hypostases.

In belieiving that God is the baptizer, rather than the Holy spirit, or Christ, or the Father, there is not the probelm you described earlier.
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ICXC NIKA!

keepingthefaith · Guest

Covenanter · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1446

I know the thread is "Baptised in the Spirit" but we need to consider what baptism means & is.

Hebrews 9:10 gives a clue. All the translators except Young translate "baptisms" as "washings." Even the modern Greek uses a word for washings.
Hbr 9:8 the Holy Spirit this evidencing that not yet hath been manifested the way of the holy [places], the first tabernacle having yet a standing;
9 which [is] a simile in regard to the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which are not able, in regard to conscience, to make perfect him who is serving,
10 only in victuals, and drinks, and different baptisms, and fleshly ordinances -- till the time of reformation imposed upon [them].

Hebrews proceeds to list the various baptisms:
The red heifer ritual (Numbers 19) ;
The Exodus 24 blood of the covenant sprinkling;
The purification of the tabernacle vessels.
All these baptisms were sprinkling.

He contrasts these with the true baptism effected by the blood of Christ:
Hbr 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The LXX word used to translate the Hebrew "tabal" used for Naaman's dipping (baptism) is normally "bapsei." This is used in dip/sprinkle rituals as for sprinkling the Passover blood on the doorframes, & sprinkling the water & ashes.

When David prays, "purge me with hyssop" he is calling for the Numbers 19 ritual in all its significance to cleanse him from sin & guilt in connection with Bathsheba. (Psalm 51.)

This makes a strong case for the baptism of believers by sprinkling. John could easily be standing in the water with a jug. The "immersion" mode is not specified in Scripture. It is inferred from the "buried" allusions.

When we consider John's words about Jesus baptising, he says Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit & with fire. The apostles were baptised with the Holy Spirit who was poured out on them, & on Cornelius. (Acts 2:17, 10:45)

The effect of baptism into Christ is stated in Titus 3:
Tts 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The Holy Spirit comes from above, & it is logical that the baptism should be from above. As Peter writes:
1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

I hope you are beginning to see my line of thought. Baptism has the significance of applying the cleansing blood of the sacrifice of Christ to the sinner to cleanse from sin, & pouring out the Holy Spirit to cleanse his life. Gifts are incidental to all this, & are given to equip the believer for service. (Romans 12 & Eph. 4) I do not think we can take the extraordinary gifts of 1 Cor. 12 & 14 as normal for the Christian today.

I understand the baptism with fire to be the flames of hell.
_________________
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will ... (Hebrews 13:20-21)

bobbyc · Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1367

Covenanter · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1446