God's ONE Baptism For His Body!

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turbosixx

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If is conditional, but refers to something that either exists or doesn't. Either a person has been united to Him in His death or not.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
If refers to something they did or did not do. If they have been united in a death like His, then they will be united in a resurrection like His. If they have not, then they will not.

In Acts 2:37, the people who responded heard, were pricked, and asked what to do. That's the evidence that they were saved.
That is evidence they wanted to be saved, not that they were saved.
Jesus said Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, He doesn't says Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, then get baptized.

Part of being saved is to be placed into the body of Christ. So the fact that they responded as the did meant they were identified by God as those who identify with Him in His death. By being baptized, they were confirming publicly this reality.
The bible tells us many things about baptism, public confirmation is not one of them.

You seem only willing to acknowledge the work of God after salvation and ignore the work of in salvation.
The bible tells us baptism is how we are added to Christ.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We see that on Pentecost.
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
 

rogerg

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That verse doesn't specify when he received the HS. We do see the order in verse 17 of receive sight then HS. In 18 we see he received sight then arose and was baptized. The HS is given after baptism.
That's the order we see here.
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We see the same thing here.
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
Ananias asks him, why do YOU wait. There is something Paul still has yet to do. Then he says ARISE. Paul obviously can't do this without getting up. Then he says be baptized and wash away your sins. How can he wash away sins he doesn't have. When Paul was baptized he received the HS.

The bible tells us many things about baptism but public confirmation is not one of them. Only man says that.
[Act 9:17-18 KJV] 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

You're groping.
It does tell us when he received the Holy Spirit. It was when Ananias put his hands on him.
Where do you find that Paul was baptized in water? You don't because it isn't there.
Do you see the "receive thy sight?
Do you see the "filled with the Holy Ghost"
Do you see the "immediately there fell from his eyes"?
Do you see "and was baptized"?
The "and was baptized" means having been baptized by the Holy Spirt. Those blessings only come through becoming baptized with/by the Holy Spirit, not by water.
Our belief is a gift from being born again/baptized of the Holy Ghost. It does not cause salvation.

[Act 2:37-39 KJV]
37 Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.

They were "pricked in their heart" meaning they had already been born/again baptized before then by the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ alone brings the remission of sin; water baptism cannot.

The "Repent and be baptized" wasn't conditional upon their actions - that they occurred UNTO them was in fulfillment the promise of verse 39 - do you see the "For" - "For the promise is unto you" - the "For" links 38 to 39, that promise being of God's promise. When God makes a promise, it is unconditional and impossible to not come to fruition. The promise was to them and "to as many as the Lord our God shall call". Nothing about water baptism mentioned anywhere - it was through God's promise alone.
The "gift of the Holy Ghost" are those gifts that occur FROM being baptized by the Holy Ghost. The "of the" in the following is genitive,
meaning they were gifts that were FROM the Holy Ghost. Observe:

[Heb 2:4 KJV] 4 God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

As we can see below, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus but that baptism did not give to them the Holy Ghost,
because it was symbolic and not the true.

[Act 8:15-17 KJV]
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
 

Cameron143

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For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
If refers to something they did or did not do. If they have been united in a death like His, then they will be united in a resurrection like His. If they have not, then they will not.

That is evidence they wanted to be saved, not that they were saved.
Jesus said Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, He doesn't says Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, then get baptized.


The bible tells us many things about baptism, public confirmation is not one of them.


The bible tells us baptism is how we are added to Christ.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We see that on Pentecost.
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
You are adding something that is not there. You have to be baptized into Christ. It doesn't say when you are water baptized you are baptized into Christ. Only God can baptize someone INTO Christ. Being baptized into Christ is a spiritual reality. God places the individual into the body of Christ. Before we are saved, we have not been placed or baptized into Christ. When we are saved we are. In water baptism, we are placed into a baptismal, or some other entity that holds enough water to do the job.
So much of the confusion on this topic is caused because people can't distinguish how God uses the term baptism.
One principle I've shared is in Romans 1...the invisible things of God are known by the physical things made. The spiritual baptism INTO Christ is pictured by water baptism. Otherwise, to be consistent, from your perspective, we have to be literally be crucified, die, be buried, and resurrected.
 

turbosixx

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[Act 9:17-18 KJV]
It does tell us when he received the Holy Spirit. It was when Ananias put his hands on him.
The giving of the HS can only be given by an apostle. Please consider Acts 8. Philip had baptized people in the name of Jesus but the HS hadn't fallen on any of them. The apostles came and laid hands on them and they received the HS.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
Ananias could not give the HS by laying of hands, he was not an apostle.

Did Jesus receive the HS before or after His baptism?
 

turbosixx

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You are adding something that is not there. You have to be baptized into Christ. It doesn't say when you are water baptized you are baptized into Christ. Only God can baptize someone INTO Christ. Being baptized into Christ is a spiritual reality. God places the individual into the body of Christ. Before we are saved, we have not been placed or baptized into Christ. When we are saved we are. In water baptism, we are placed into a baptismal, or some other entity that holds enough water to do the job.
So much of the confusion on this topic is caused because people can't distinguish how God uses the term baptism.
One principle I've shared is in Romans 1...the invisible things of God are known by the physical things made. The spiritual baptism INTO Christ is pictured by water baptism. Otherwise, to be consistent, from your perspective, we have to be literally be crucified, die, be buried, and resurrected.
Respectfully, I don't see how I'm adding anything. It's been there from the beginning. I agree only God can place you into Christ. If we start at the beginning, we see what the apostles were taught on how to convert the sinner. We see what they did to convert the sinner. What we see is just what Jesus instructed them to do. Convert the believer by water baptizing them.

What is your understanding of the great commission?
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.


When Peter preaches the first gospel sermon, they baptized the believers just as Jesus instructed. Only the baptized believers were added to the church. The apostles didn't add them the HS did.
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The OT helps us to understand the things in Christ. I suggest to you in Christ we are priest. Just as the OT priest were consecrated by washing of water before they could enter service, we to have to be water baptized before we can enter service. Jesus is our high priest and He was baptized before He entered service and before He received the HS.
 

Cameron143

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Respectfully, I don't see how I'm adding anything. It's been there from the beginning. I agree only God can place you into Christ. If we start at the beginning, we see what the apostles were taught on how to convert the sinner. We see what they did to convert the sinner. What we see is just what Jesus instructed them to do. Convert the believer by water baptizing them.

What is your understanding of the great commission?
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.


When Peter preaches the first gospel sermon, they baptized the believers just as Jesus instructed. Only the baptized believers were added to the church. The apostles didn't add them the HS did.
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The OT helps us to understand the things in Christ. I suggest to you in Christ we are priest. Just as the OT priest were consecrated by washing of water before they could enter service, we to have to be water baptized before we can enter service. Jesus is our high priest and He was baptized before He entered service and before He received the HS.
Peter didn't convert anyone. The Holy Spirit was poured out on Him and he preached. The Holy Spirit then used the word of God to produce hearing and faith in those who believed. They were born from above exactly the way John 3 and Romans 10 describe.
One other note, what happened on Pentecost, and to a lesser degree, throughout the book of Acts is the baptism of the Spirit. That is not the same thing as being baptized into the body of Christ. The first is an outward sign authenticating to the believer and to observers that a work of God has taken place. The second is an inward, and nonexperiential work of the Spirit whereby we are placed into the body of Christ.
 

Cameron143

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Respectfully, I don't see how I'm adding anything. It's been there from the beginning. I agree only God can place you into Christ. If we start at the beginning, we see what the apostles were taught on how to convert the sinner. We see what they did to convert the sinner. What we see is just what Jesus instructed them to do. Convert the believer by water baptizing them.

What is your understanding of the great commission?
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.


When Peter preaches the first gospel sermon, they baptized the believers just as Jesus instructed. Only the baptized believers were added to the church. The apostles didn't add them the HS did.
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The OT helps us to understand the things in Christ. I suggest to you in Christ we are priest. Just as the OT priest were consecrated by washing of water before they could enter service, we to have to be water baptized before we can enter service. Jesus is our high priest and He was baptized before He entered service and before He received the HS.
I truly do not understand why people are so preoccupied by outward behavior and not inward reality. Ritual cleansing doesn't make one clean inwardly any more than putting on sackcloth and ashes makes one contrite. But one who recognizes their inward uncleanness and are humbled by the Spirit before the Almighty will bear outwardly those signs which are meet with repentance. It is the inward reality that produces the outward expression. Otherwise, it remains a form of godliness, but denies the power thereof. And the act is not accepted of God who looks upon the heart. There is a wonderful picture of this in Isaiah 1.
 

rogerg

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The giving of the HS can only be given by an apostle. Please consider Acts 8. Philip had baptized people in the name of Jesus but the HS hadn't fallen on any of them. The apostles came and laid hands on them and they received the HS.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
Ananias could not give the HS by laying of hands, he was not an apostle.

Did Jesus receive the HS before or after His baptism?
You're making stuff up again and inferring things into the Bible that are not stated therein. Biblical rules are biblical rules only
when/because the Bible states they are. It is not yours to make up which are, and which aren't. To do so is to add to the Bible.
The Bible informs us that true baptism is given by God alone.

[Jhn 1:33 KJV]
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Jesus was always God, to include Him being the Holy Spirit.

[Act 11:9, 15-18 KJV]
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common. ...
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as [he did] unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
 

rogerg

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The Holy Spirit then used the word of God to produce hearing and faith in those who believed.
Just out of curiosity, if I understand you correctly (and quite possibly I'm don't), how does someone come to believe before they are given faith?
 

Cameron143

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Just out of curiosity, if I understand you correctly (and quite possibly I'm don't), how does someone come to believe before they are given faith?
I don't believe one can, unless you consider a false profession or a natural, emotional one. The natural man still retains a conscience that can be appealed to. It is folks such as this who eventually fall away.
 

oyster67

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How does one call upon the name of the Lord? If you could point to how in one of the conversions God has recorded for us that would be great.
Luke 23:
42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
 

oyster67

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For example, can we love spiritually only and not physically?
It is the Spirit within that yields the fruit and good works when we walk in the Light and live by Faith.

Ephesians 2:
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
 

oyster67

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My point is, we do what we are. Everyone acts. Even Yoda knows this...do or do not. There is no try.
Great object lesson! I am impressed! (In a positive way, of course. :giggle:)
We all bear fruits and do works... It's just a matter of what type they are.
 

turbosixx

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I truly do not understand why people are so preoccupied by outward behavior and not inward reality. Ritual cleansing doesn't make one clean inwardly any more than putting on sackcloth and ashes makes one contrite. But one who recognizes their inward uncleanness and are humbled by the Spirit before the Almighty will bear outwardly those signs which are meet with repentance. It is the inward reality that produces the outward expression. Otherwise, it remains a form of godliness, but denies the power thereof. And the act is not accepted of God who looks upon the heart. There is a wonderful picture of this in Isaiah 1.
You didn't tell me your understanding of Jesus's instructions to the apostles.
 

oyster67

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My point is Paul says IF we we have been united with Him in a death like His. If is conditional. Buried in baptism is how we die with Christ. It is also how our sins are washed away.
No. Our sins are washed away by the Blood of Jesus and it alone.
 

oyster67

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The bible tells us baptism is how we are added to Christ.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We see that on Pentecost.
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
We receive this baptism of the Holy Spirit the moment we come to Jesus and are born again. It is not imparted by tub-dunking.
 

Cameron143

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You didn't tell me your understanding of Jesus's instructions to the apostles.
The great commission? What is the focus of great commission? To baptize or teach? And why is this the focus?
 

oyster67

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You didn't tell me your understanding of Jesus's instructions to the apostles.
John 4:35
“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”

Luke 10:2
“Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”