Baptism
Introduction
The word "baptize" (from the Greek baptidzo)
means "to identify" or "to be made one with".
In early Greek, the word had both religious and secular meanings.
In general, it refers to the act of identifying one thing with
another thing in such a way that its nature or character is changed,
or it represents the idea that a real change has already taken
place.
As a reference to identification, "baptize" means to
place a person (or thing) into a new environment, or into union
with some one or something else, so as to alter his (its) condition
or relationship to the previous environment.
There are seven types of baptism mentioned in the Bible. Four
of these are real baptisms and three are ritual baptisms.
Real Baptisms
- The Baptism of Moses
- The Baptism of the Cross (or Cup)
- The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
- The Baptism of Fire
Ritual Baptisms
- The Baptism of John
- The Baptism of Jesus
- The Baptism of the Christian Believer
These seven baptisms are described in the sections below.
Real Baptisms
A baptism is called "real" if it involves actually identifying
a person with something or someone.
The Baptism of Moses
The baptism of Moses was a double identification, the children
of Israel are identified both with Moses and with the cloud (Jesus
Christ) as they passed through the Red Sea. There was no water
involved (remember, they went through the sea on dry land when
the waters were parted). 1 Cor. 10:1,2.
The Baptism of the Cross (or Cup)
Jesus Christ "drank" the Cup filled with our sins. Another
way of expressing it is that all the sins of the world were put
into one cup and poured out on Christ while He was on the Cross.
God the Father judged our sins while they were on Christ. Christ
was identified with our sin and He bore our sins on the cross.
He was made sin for us. 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24.
In Matt. 20:22 Jesus speaks of the cup he is to drink as he makes
a reply to the mother of Zebedee's children. In Matt. 26:39, He
prays to the Father to "let this cup pass from me".
Nevertheless, He determined to drink from the cup, as seen in
John 18:11, "the cup which my Father has given me, shall
I not drink from it?"
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a real baptism. When a person
accepts Christ as Saviour, he is placed into the body of Christ.
He is identified as a believer. The mechanics are given in 1 Cor.
12:13.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit did not occur in Old Testament
times. The first occurrence was on the day of Pentecost when the
Holy Spirit placed the new believers into the body of Christ.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the basis for Positional Truth.
Believers are place "in Christ", and in this position
have access to many kinds of privileges and blessings. Ephesians
1 has a good description of what it means to have "all blessings
in heavenly places in Him."
The baptism of the Holy Spirit was prophesied by John the Baptist,
Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16. And it was prophesied by Jesus
Christ, John 14:16,17; Acts 1:5.
The implications of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, for all believers
in the family of God, are given in Gal. 3:26-28.
The principle of retroactive identification with Christ is brought
out in Rom. 6:3,4 and Col. 2:12.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an experience. It is not
accompanied by speaking in tongues or any other kind of feeling
or behavior. The things that happen to believers at the moment
of salvation are accomplished by the Holy Spirit, not by us,
and these things are not experiences.
See Topic: Salvation Doctrines.
The Baptism of Fire
There is a judgment coming at the 2nd Coming of Christ when all
nonbelievers are taken from the earth. They will join the rest
of the unbelievers in Torments (Sheol-Hades-Hell) to wait for
the Last Judgment (The Great White Throne Judgment of Rev. 20)
at the end of the Millenium. This removal of unbelievers for judgment
is the baptism of fire.
Fire is a symbol for judgment all throughout the Bible. Examples
are the fire which burned the sacrifice on the Hebrew altar, and
the fire from God which burned the watered down sacrifices of
Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
The doctrine of the baptism of fire is stated in Matt. 3:11,12;
Luke 3:16,17; and 2 Thess. 1:7-9.
The Lord Jesus taught several parables regarding the end times
when believers and unbelievers will be separated. The believers
are to go into the millenium, the unbelievers are "cast off"
into fire. These parables are analogies to the baptism of fire.
Wheat and tares - Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43.
Good and bad fish - Matt. 13:47-50.
The wise and foolish virgins - Matt. 25:1-13
The sheep and the goats - Matt. 25:31-46
Ritual Baptisms
A baptism is called a ritual baptism, or a ceremonial baptism,
when water is used as a symbol for something else. It is a representative
identification. The individual is placed in the water, which means,
symbolically, that he is identified with that which the water
represents.
The Baptism of John - Matt. 3:6-11.
Here the water is symbolic of the Kingdom of God which John was
preaching. When a person was baptized by John, he was testifying
to his faith in the Messiah and his identification with Christ's
kingdom. The new believer was "identified" with the
water, but the water represented a spiritual identification.
The phrase "Kingdom of God" is a general term referring
to all believers from the time of Adam until the end of the Millenium.
At the time of John the Baptist, all believers were pre-Church
Age Christians, although many lived on into the Church Age (which
began at the Day of Pentecost).
The Baptism of Jesus
When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist, the
water was symbolic of God's will in salvation, namely that Jesus
would go to the Cross.
This was a unique baptism. As He went into the water, he
was saying, in effect, "I will die for the sins of the world."
As he came out of the water He said, in effect, "I will rise
again that believers might have resurrection bodies and victory
over death and the grave."
This baptism was unique because Christ is unique and His work
on the Cross is unique. No one ever "follows the Lord in
baptism" When a Christian is baptized, it for an entirely
different purpose. See the discussion below on believer's baptism.
The Baptism of Believers
In believer's baptism the water represented the Lord Jesus Christ
and symbolizes positional truth. The real baptism of the Holy
Spirit places a believer into Christ. Water baptism is a ceremonial
representation of that face, a picture of Spirit baptism.
Christians have a real identification with Christ in his
death, burial, and resurrection. See Romans 6. Water baptism is
symbolic identification with the person and work of Christ.
As he goes into the water, the believer says, in effect, "I
am identified with Him in His death and burial."
As he comes up out of the water, the believer says, in effect,
"I am identified with Christ in His resurrection and victory
over death and sin, as He is seated at the right hand of the Father."
Water baptism comes after salvation. It does not precede
salvation. Water baptism which precedes salvation is only a religious
practice, ritual without reality, therefore it is meaningless.
Believer's baptism is not religion, but a indicates a relationship
with Jesus Christ that lasts forever.
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