WATER BAPTISM AND BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

I.      Introduction

Water baptism has in the past been a controversial subject within the earthly church system.  We all recognize that there is no confusion in God and that He does not bring about confusion within the Body of Christ (I Cor. 14:33).  This confusion is a trick of the enemy to hinder the Body of Christ from being united.  The key to eliminating this confusion may lie in the understanding of two basic Bible realizations. 

A.     The believer should understand that the Bible refers to several different baptisms (Heb. 6:1-2).  One Bible scholar records: 

1.      John’s water baptism unto repentance – Matt. 3:1-3

2.      Christ’s baptism in water – John 3:22; Matt. 4:1-2

3.      Baptism in suffering – Luke 12:50

4.      Baptism in the cloud and the sea – I Cor. 10:2

5.      Baptism into Christ and His body – I Cor. 12:13

6.      Christian baptism in water – Matt. 28:19

7.      Baptism with the Holy Spirit – Matt. 3:11-12 

We can not go into all seven of these baptisms in this course.  However, it is important for the believer to understand that these different baptisms are referred to in the Bible; to understand which scriptures refer to which type of baptism; and to understand how each type of baptism relates to the Christian and to the other remaining types.  However, three of the seven types of baptism actively affect the born again believer.  They are 5, 6 and 7 given above.  This lesson will cover types 5 and 6. 

B.     The believer should understand that God has set up and He operates by certain spiritual principles such as sowing and reaping, and faith and works (Gal.6:7; James 2:14-26).

 

Type	Baptizer	Baptizee	Submerged in
Baptism of the Holy Spirit	Holy Spirit	Believer	The Body of Christ
Baptism with the Holy Spirit	Jesus	Believer	Holy Spirit
Water Baptism	Minister	Believer	Water

 

II.                 Baptism into Christ and His body – Baptism of the Holy Spirit 

A.     I Cor 12:13 – Believer is baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. 

1.      This makes the believer one of God’s children and a member of His family – Rom. 8:14-17.

2.      This is God’s action in the rebirth experience – John 3:5. 

B.     Col. 2:11-13 – This baptism refers to spiritual resurrection from death in trespasses and sins.  It is an operation of God, not of a preacher.  It is made effective through the faith in the operation of God, not through the operation of a minister.  We were spiritually dead in sin and this is a spiritual quickening or rebirth. 

C.     Rom. 6:3-10 – Although this scriptures has often been used to explain water baptism, the scripture says baptism into Christ.  The death burial and resurrection here refers to the death of the old sin nature, its removal as lord over the believer’s life, and the resurrection of a new spirit filled, God-like nature in man.  This is all a Spiritual operation wherein the Holy Spirit identifies the believer with the cross.  Christ defeated sin so that it would not reign in the life of the believer and provided a new life style for the believer all by His death, burial and resurrection. 

D.     Gal. 3:27 – Put on --  to be clothed with Christ; to assume His person and character and to act the part.  To sustain the character of Christ in daily living. 

E.      Eph. 4:4-5 – There is only one baptism necessary for man’s salvation, the baptism into Christ.  If this referred to water baptism or baptism with the Holy Spirit, then it would have to state at least two baptisms because the baptism of the believer into the Body of Christ is a necessary prerequisite for the baptism with the Holy Spirit and for the effectiveness of water Baptism. 

III.               Spiritual Principles and Water Baptism 

Every area of our Christian life is centered on a Biblical principle and most of our actions will lead back to the principle of faith and works.  Take salvation for example.  Our salvation is based on faith in the redemptive acts of Jesus.  Now the proof that we believe is given when we act on our beliefs.  It is faith that saves us, but it is worlds that show that we have faith.  With every action of God, there is a corresponding action that God expects from man.  God gave Jesus to save the world; man must accept Jesus to be saved.  God baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ and requires that man have himself baptized in water.  By Baptism of the Holy Spirit, God acknowledges our salvation and identifies Himself with us (in the spirit world).  God then tells man to be water baptized and identify himself with God in the physical world. 

A.     Luke 12:8-9 – Before one can confess Christ, one must believe in Christ and His redemptive acts.  Once one believes in Christ, the first opportunity to confess Christ comes with salvation (Rom. 10:9-10).  The next formal opportunity comes with water baptism.  Baptism is supposed to indicate to those present, and to assure oneself, that one believes in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the means of man’s salvation, and that the believer now accepts and identifies himself with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. 

B.     I Peter 3:20-21 – The water did not save them from death.  The ark saved them from drowning in the water.  But Noah had to have faith to build the ark (Read Genesis Chapter 6 – Chapter 8, II Peter 2:5).  Likewise it is not the water in baptism that saves us, but faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ which is symbolized by baptism. 

C.     I Cor. 1:17 – Paul was sent to preach the Gospel and not to baptize.  This does not imply that baptism is not important, but that the proper foundation for baptism must be laid first.  Paul later tells the Corinthians in I Cor. 15:1-4 that it is the Gospel that he preaches (the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ) and their believing and accepting this Gospel that saves them. 

D.     Mark 16:16 – Baptism is based on the principle of faith and works.  It is clear that it is believing or not believing that is the basis of salvation or damnation in this scripture.  If baptism were as important as believing, then why does part b not read “he that believeth not and is not baptized shall be damned?”  Acts 2:38 is also an application of the faith and works principle.  Repentance is an inward change accompanied by an outward action.  God here specifies the action to be water baptism. 

E.      Water Baptism Basics 

1.      Acts 8:36-38 – Should believe in Christ before being baptized. 

2.      Acts 8:38 – Many of the scriptures studied earlier identified water baptism with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  We know that burial implies covering.  Acts 8:38 says they both got into the water.  This implies that water baptism should be by immersion.  In my study, I have found no scriptural evidence of baptism by sprinkling or pouring.  However, please keep in mind that having the blood of Jesus covering your sins is more important to God than having water covering your body.  Baptism is only a symbol.  God looks at our willingness to submit to His will and be baptized. 

3.      Acts 2:38 – Baptism in the name of Jesus only – It is believed that in this scripture “in the name of Jesus” refers to by the authority of Jesus.  It was Jesus who had given Peter the authority to baptize.  Thus Peter was announcing that he was baptizing by the authority given to him by Christ.  I Peter 2:21 – Christ is our example.  Matt. 28:18-20 – Jesus here told the disciples to baptize “in the name of” or by the authority of, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  It is only fitting that the authority is by the three because all three have played a role in man’s salvation.  The Father provided the sin sacrifice.  Christ Himself was that sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit identifies the believer with the sacrifice made by Christ.  All three actions must take place in order for man to be saved.  By being baptized in the Name of the three, man is reminded that his salvation is a joint effort of the Trinity (three distinct beings united in one common goal). 

4.      John 14:17 – (Answering the question must I be water baptized before receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.)  Before receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit one must receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (or the Baptism into the Body of Christ).  Note that this scripture says the world cannot receive.  There were no exceptions stated.  If God then went back and baptized an unbeliever with the Holy Spirit, He would then be nullifying this scripture.  When Paul in Acts 9:17-18 received the Holy Spirit, he had to be a believer.  However, he was not a water baptized believer.  This same situation occurs again in the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48).  Therefore we conclude that one must be baptized into the Body of Christ first, but water baptism may precede or follow the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. 

IV.              Conclusion 

If we as Christians continue to believe and teach that man can not be saved except he be water baptized, then we downgrade the redemptive acts of Christ and say that the Blood of Christ is not sufficient to remove the sins of man.  We make man’s salvation to be an act of man’s works (Eph. 2:8-9).  Salvation is not based on works, but rather works are based on salvation.  The believer should, when given the opportunity, be water baptized because this gives him a chance to confess Christ, and to publicly make known which side of this spiritual war he is on.  The believer should desire to publicly identify himself with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ because it is through Christ that the believer is awarded right standing before God.  Yes, the believer should be water baptized, but he should always remember to attribute his salvation to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, not to his symbolic death, burial, and resurrection through water baptism.   Salvation is based on the act of God through Christ, not the act of man through water.