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Bro. Ostis Wilson Jr.'s Commentary |
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Baptism |
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Questions Concerning . . . |
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(Click on a heading to read
the respective article.) |
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| Being Baptized in the Name of
Jesus Only Question: In the book of Acts
when they baptized, they simply stated: "In the Name of Jesus"
and in some cases no name at all is mentioned but just merely
states that they were baptized. Now why did Jesus say plainly
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost" and then in the Acts it is not specified that way and
no explanation is given? Do you think that in the actual
baptizing ceremony they used the name of Jesus only?
Answer: No, I do not believe that the men who
administered the ordinance of baptism in the Acts used the
name of Jesus only in their ceremony for the following reason.
In Matthew 28:19, Jesus Himself gave the commission to His
apostles in these words: "Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost." When Jesus says anything, that
seals it forever as a positive truth. This was the last thing
He said to them before ascending to heaven. About ten days
later the New Testament Church was born and set in operation
on the Day of Pentecost and numbers were being converted
through the preaching of the gospel, and were baptized. The
history of that first church began about ten days after Jesus
issued this command and approximately 3,000 souls who were
born again and became the first converts and members of the
Jerusalem Church were commanded by the apostle Peter, who was
one of those who received the commission direct from the mouth
of Jesus Himself, in Acts 2:38, "...Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ...."
It seems to me an incredible thing to suppose that within this
short time this apostle who remembered the command of Jesus to
baptize believers of the gospel would have forgotten how He
said to do it. So it is to be assumed that all who
participated in that baptismal service included the "Father,
Son and Holy Ghost" in their ceremony. Again this same
apostle, Peter, in Acts 10:48, commanded the household of
Cornelius the centurion, "...to be baptized in the name of the
Lord...." Note that in Acts 2:38 he said, "...in the name of
Jesus Christ..." and in Acts 10:48 he said, "...in the name of
the Lord...." Then again, in Acts 19:5, referring to the
disciples that Paul found at Ephesus on one of his missionary
journeys, "When they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus." It seems evident to me that the terms
used in the above three scriptural references: "In the name of
Jesus Christ, in the name of the Lord, and in the name of the
Lord Jesus," could not be a part of any commonly accepted
baptismal ceremony as there is no uniformity in them. The
question then, would naturally arise, "Which is correct?" Then
in Acts 8:12 and Acts 8:38, it merely states that the people
were baptized, with no name mentioned.
Now there is a reason for this. The sender of this question
stated that he had been giving out the answer that these "name
terms" were to emphasize Jesus in contradistinction to John
the Baptist who had been baptizing people before Jesus came on
the scene. This is exactly right as I see it. John the Baptist
baptized with water unto repentance (Matthew 3:11) and Jesus
came to Jordan to be baptized of John Himself (Matthew
3:13-17). John was the forerunner of Jesus Christ to prepare
the way for him. But now John has passed off the stage of
action and Jesus has ushered in the gospel day and He is the
principal One and all the work of God is being carried on in
His Name.
This is made clear in a careful reading of Acts 19:1-6. In
this case Paul has encountered twelve disciples at Ephesus and
as he talked with them they told him that they had been
baptized unto John's baptism (verse 3). Then Paul explained to
them that they should believe on Him which should come after
John; that is, on Christ Jesus (verse 5); that is, in the name
of Jesus instead of in the name of Paul.
Here is a thought that makes the point clear to me. In II
Corinthians 5:20, Paul declares that the ministers of God are
ambassadors for Christ and that we beseech people in Christ's
stead. We know that an ambassador is a government man sent by
the government of one nation to another nation to represent
their nation in all its dealings with the nation to which he
is sent. He is commissioned with certain powers and authority
to do business in the name of the government that sent him. It
is a similar case here. Jesus is the King of kings, the Lord
of lords, and King of the saints in the kingdom of God. He
sends forth His ministers as ambassadors to represent Him to
the people of this world in preaching to them the gospel of
the kingdom, baptizing believers, healing the sick, casting
out devils, etc. This is all done through the power and
authority He gives and everything, including baptism, is done
in His Name in the same sense that an ambassador sent by a
nation to another nation does all his business in the name of
the nation that commissioned and sent him; that is under the
authority of the commission given him by those who sent him.
In this case the baptizing was all being done under the
authority of the commission given them by Jesus Himself.
Therefore it is said to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus
but the proper terminology in the baptismal ceremony is
forever the one that Jesus Himself gave: "In the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." |
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Born of Water and of the
Spirit
Question: Please discuss the "new birth" and what the
term "water" refers to in John 3:5. Is this water baptism?
Answer: John 3:5 says, "...Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God."
The whole topic of Christ's conversation with Nicodemus
recorded in the first several verses of the third chapter of
St. John's gospel is the new birth, or being born again. His
speech is concerning the heavenly birth. Now, if we can find
out from the Word of God just how this experience is reached
and the agents that are cooperative in its being reached, we
will know what is meant by the water and Spirit, for they are
the two agents spoken of by which we are born again. By
referring to the marginal reading in John 3:3 and 7, we note
that this second birth is "from above." In John 1:13 the
writer speaks of those receiving Jesus as being "born of God."
In John 3:6 Jesus draws the distinction between two kinds of
births. One was of the flesh or a natural birth. The other was
of the Spirit or a spiritual birth. Since the spiritual birth
is "from above" then the agents that bring it about must
necessarily be from above. Since the birth is of God the
agents must necessarily be of God and emanate from God. Since
the birth is spiritual the agents and elements involved in it
must necessarily be spiritual. Hence, the term water in the
text could not possibly refer to literal water, for the
elements and agents involved in the new birth must meet all
these requirements. They must be from above, of God and
spiritual. While it is true that literal water is given us by
God for "...He...sendeth the rain on the just and on the
unjust" (Matthew 5:45), yet it could not be said to emanate
from God, for God is a Spirit and that which emanates from a
spirit is not literal but spiritual. This, at least, answers
one part of the question: "water" in the text under
consideration could not refer to literal water and could have
no reference to water baptism being a part of our spiritual
birth. It has its place all right, but not here.
Again, it is not the outer man, or the flesh, that is born
again. This was the big question with Nicodemus, "...How can a
man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into
his mother's womb, and be born?" (John 3:4.) Jesus' response
to this question was, "That which is born of the flesh is
flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John
3:6.) But it is the inner man or soul that is affected by this
birth. David said, "He restoreth my soul:..." (Psalm 23:3.) It
was the soul that was dead because of trespasses and sins.
Ezekiel 18:4 and 20 says, "...The soul that sinneth, it shall
die...." Therefore it was the soul that needed to be restored
to life or born again. Now it must be evident unto all that
"Spiritual things must be compared with spiritual and natural
things with natural." (I Corinthians 2:13-14.) They do not
intermingle and one does not affect the other. Literal things
do not affect or react on the spiritual, neither the spiritual
on the literal. Therefore literal water could not react upon
the spiritual part of man; hence could not be employed as an
agent in the heavenly, spiritual birth of a person's soul.
When we look into the Word of God, which is the only place we
can find the plan and operation of salvation and the new or
heavenly birth clearly set forth, and begin to search for
agents that will meet all three requirements for employment in
this operation of being born again (from above, of God and
spiritual) we find only two that qualify the Word of God and
the Spirit of God. But let us see if we are born of the Word.
Let us look first at I Peter 1:23. "Being born again, not of
corruptible seed (now it must be evident unto all that literal
water is corruptible and we have seen some of it that was so
corrupted that it could hardly be used for anything), but of
incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for
ever." James 1:18 says, "Of his own will begat he us with the
word of truth,..." I Corinthians 4:15 says, "...For in Christ
Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." We see clearly
in these three texts that the Word of God is one of the agents
in the spiritual begetting and new birth of the soul. To be
born implies a coming into a state of life. But life naturally
can be produced only where there is the seed of life. This is
also true in a spiritual sense. Spiritual life can only be
produced from a spiritual seed of life. In the text above, I
Peter 1:23, we discover that the incorruptible seed is the
Word of God and that it liveth. Jesus said in John 6:63,
"...The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they
are life." Hence, the Word of God is the seed of spiritual
life. A seed planted in the earth, under the proper conditions
of moisture, heat, light, etc., will germinate and spring into
life. So the spiritual seed, the Word of God, when planted in
the heart and acted upon by the germinating power and
influence of the Holy Spirit will spring up and produce life
in the soul. In the eighth chapter of Luke, Jesus gave the
parable of the sower who went forth to sow and mentioned a
number of places and conditions into which the seed fell. Then
in reiterating the parable to His disciples He said in Luke
8:11, "...The seed is the word of God." Then He continues in
verse 15 by saying, "But that on the good ground are they,
which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep
it, and bring forth fruit..." Again Jesus says in John 5:25,
"...The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead (spiritually
dead) shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that
hear (receive the Word of God, the seed of spiritual life)
shall live." This is how a man is born again, by the operation
of the Word and Spirit of God in his heart.
Now it is surely evident unto all that the term "born again"
describes the same experience and operation that is described
elsewhere in the Word of God by "salvation" and "being saved."
But let us see how the Word is connected with salvation or
being saved. I Corinthians 1:21 says, "...It pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." But
preach what? "Preach the Word." (II Timothy 4:2.) "Preach the
gospel." (Mark 16:15.) "Teach all things I have commanded
you." (Matthew 28:20.) "They went everywhere preaching the
Word." (Acts 8:4.) And God said He was pleased to save men by
the preaching of His word which is able to save your souls.
(James 1:21.) "...I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation..." (Romans 1:16).
"The Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation." (Ephesians
1:13.) It is an indisputable fact, from this collection of
Holy Scriptures, that the Word of God is one of the agents
employed in our being saved. Now just a test or two to prove
by the Word of God itself that the Word is represented by
water in some instances in the Bible and the proof will be as
complete as the Word of God can make it that the term "water"
in John 3:5 means the Word of God.
Ephesians 5:26 says, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word." Here the
sanctification of the Church is spoken of as being
accomplished with washing of water by the Word. But Jesus says
in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is
truth." So we see here that the Word and water are used
interchangeably and are put to the same use to accomplish the
same result. Again, it speaks in this same place of being
cleansed with the washing of water. But Jesus said in John
15:3, "Now ye are clean through the word..." and Peter tells
us in I Peter 1:22, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in
obeying the truth..." Jesus said, "...Thy word is truth."
(John 17:17.) There are perhaps other similar texts, but Jesus
said every word was established by two or three witnesses so
this is deemed sufficient at this point.
Now if literal water could possibly fill the three
requirements for this spiritual birth that is, if it could be
spiritual, of God or emanating from God and from above, then
there might be some room for argument about this text, but it
is impossible and therefore that consideration is out.
However, the term "water" is not only used interchangeably
with the Word in certain instances in the spiritual sense, but
it is also used in certain instances as interchangeable with
the Holy Spirit. But since the text is so worded "water" and
(conjunction implying another separate person or thing)
"Spirit," and the Spirit is introduced in the text under His
own name and since the Word and Spirit are the only two agents
which can meet the necessary requirements for employment in
the operation of the spiritual birth, then the matter just
narrows down to one unalterable conclusion "water" in the text
means the "Word of God." The Holy Spirit works in connection
with the Word in effecting the new birth by convincing people
of its truth and of their need of its benefits, by inspiring
faith in the heart causing it to act in harmony with the
Word's precepts and furnishing the germinating power and
influence which causes it to spring up and produce life in the
soul. |
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Water Baptism and Spiritual
Baptism
Question: Could you explain to me the difference
between the two baptisms (water baptism and spiritual
baptism)? Which is the true baptism?
Answer: I trust the Lord will enable me, by His Spirit,
to make this answer plain. First, I would say that both
baptisms referred to in the question are true baptisms,
definitely taught in the New Testament Scriptures. The one is
a work of man, immersing the bodies of believers under the
water as a public testimony of their conversion to Christ; the
other is a work of the Holy Spirit upon the inward man,
inducting him into the body of Christ and purifying his heart
by faith. Further, let us understand that both of these
baptisms are exclusively and totally New Testament doctrine.
They were never taught nor practiced among the Israelites in
Old Testament times. They belong exclusively to the gospel
dispensation and are to accompany the preaching of the gospel
and the conversion of souls to Christ. The word baptism does
not occur a single time in the Old Testament. There is only
one reference to baptism relating to the Israelites in the New
Testament and it is found in I Corinthians 10:2 where it says
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
This refers to the Israelites passing through the Red Sea with
the cloud of God over them and enveloping them from Pharaoh s
army, and it was a mass operation, not an individual, personal
thing such as an individual converted to Christ testifies to
when he is baptized. In Acts 1:21-22 we read, Wherefore of
these men which have companied with us all the time that the
Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the
baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from
us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his
resurrection." We see, then, that the ordinance of water
baptism came right in and had its beginning with the bringing
in of the preaching of salvation through faith in Christ and
His gospel.
After Jesus had risen from the dead and had been with His
disciples periodically for about 40 days, He delivered unto
them His divine commission to Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19.) Mark records this
same commission in these words, ...Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved;... (Mark 16:15-16.) These
scriptures make it very plain that baptism is to be taught
wherever the gospel is preached and all converts to the
Christian faith are to be baptized as an outward testimony of
that inward work of grace in the soul. The disciples taught
this wherever they preached and souls were saved.
Water baptism is symbolic of all the fundamental elements of
the atonement the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of
our Lord Jesus Christ and our faith in the whole plan of
salvation in all of its parts. Paul makes this very plain in
Romans 6:3-4 where he says, Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Baptized into Jesus Christ would clearly refer to a spiritual
operation. By faith in the merits of the shed blood of the Son
of God the soul is born again of the Spirit (John 3:5),
inducted into Christ, and brought into fellowship with Him
through the operation of the Spirit. As a result of this
experience, the converted individual is baptized in water to
give in symbol an outward testimony to the inward work of the
Spirit in his soul. Verse 4 of Romans, chapter 6 says that
because we are baptized into Christ, therefore we are buried
with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised
up from the dead we should walk in newness of life. This is
water baptism. Its purpose is to signify that we are dead with
Christ to the things of the flesh, and we symbolize that by
being buried in the water. We further testify to our new life
in Christ by being raised up out of the water. Water baptism
is closely related to the gospel of Christ because it
testifies in symbol to our faith in the death, burial, and
resurrection to a new life (eternal life) of the Lord Jesus
Christ. In I Peter 3:21 Peter referred to baptism as a figure,
and compared the eight souls being saved from a drowning death
by the ark they were in to the souls of all who are baptized
into Christ Jesus being saved from eternal death by abiding in
Him. He also mentioned that it was not the washing away of the
filth of the flesh. There is no actual cleansing from sin in
the ordinance of baptism, but Peter says it is the answer of a
good conscience toward God. Now it must be recognized by all
that a person cannot answer to a good conscience until he has
or receives a good conscience. How does one obtain this good
conscience? Hebrews 9:14 says, How much more shall the blood
of Christ,... purge your conscience from dead works to serve
the living God?" Hebrews 1:3, speaking of Christ says, ...When
he had by himself purged our sins,... Revelation 1:5, speaking
of Jesus, says, "...Unto him that loved us, and washed us from
our sins in his own blood." We see here that our sins must be
purged by the blood of Jesus and our conscience purged before
one is eligible for baptism. Then the individual is baptized
in water to give public testimony to that experience.
Let us look a little at the teaching in the New Testament
regarding spiritual baptism. This is also an exclusive New
Testament doctrine. While there are numerous scriptures in the
Old Testament relative to the Spirit of God coming upon
people, and qualifying them for some special work or purpose,
yet there are no references at all to any people ever being
baptized with the Holy Spirit and Him abiding within them such
as is taught for all converted souls in the New Testament. In
Matthew 3:11-12 John the Baptist said, 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: 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. Here we have water baptism and Holy Ghost
baptism contrasted. Men could baptize with water, but it took
Jesus to baptize with the Holy Ghost, and He had to die and
shed His blood in order to do it. Jesus said in John 16:7,
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you
that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Again Jesus said in Acts 1:5, For John truly baptized with
water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many
days hence.
All of the above texts make it clear that the baptism of the
Holy Ghost had not yet come upon men up to the time of Jesus,
nor during His time, but He was preparing the way for the Holy
Ghost to come. In Luke 24:49 Jesus said, And, behold, I send
the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. The
promise of the Father was the Holy Spirit as an abiding
Comforter for the saints and a source of power and victory for
preaching and living the gospel. It was prophesied in numbers
of places in the Old Testament Scriptures but was not poured
out upon the Church until the day of Pentecost after Jesus had
gone away and sent Him according to His own promise in John
16:7. The reader may refer to Isaiah 32:15-19; 35:3-7; 44:3;
and Joel 2:28 for just a few references of prophecies of the
giving of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 15:8-9, Peter in testifying of his experience at the
house of Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, said this: And God,
which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the
Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference
between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Here is
stated one of the basic essential works of the Holy Ghost in
the hearts of saints "PURIFYING THEIR HEARTS BY FAITH. He is
the only One qualified to purge the heart and life of any
individual from all dross, worldly affections, self-love and
interest, etc., which is an absolute essential if we are to
have power and victory in our lives and fulfill all the
standards set forth in the Holy Scriptures for holy living.
We read in I Corinthians 12:13, For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit. Here we see that every converted soul is
inducted into the body of Christ, established in a unity and
fellowship with the saints by the Holy Ghost, and maintains
that relationship with Christ and Christians by continuing to
drink of that one Spirit.
In John 7:38-39 Jesus said, He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of
living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they
that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not
yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Such texts could go on and on, but I have already over
extended the space allotted to me, so I will break it off
right here. God bless you.
Greetings to all readers. Since no one has sent in a question
to be discussed this month, I have elected to discuss II
Corinthians 3:18.
II Corinthians 3:18, in its entirety, reads as follows: But we
all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord. This verse gives to us a
clear and concise formula for becoming more like our Master,
day by day, as we earnestly seek a closer proximity to Him. In
the first place it opens with the statement, We all. Thus we
conclude that what is said in this verse is for every child of
God, without respect to age or station in life. God has no
respect to these things and does not exclude anyone from the
special benefits referred to in this scripture on those
grounds. He does have special respect to the disposition,
attitude and condition of the heart of each individual.
Consequently, some people are able to gain a closer
relationship with the Master and have a richer, fuller
relationship with Him, and reflect His glory in their lives
more than others.
In Ephesians 3:17-19 we read of another all. That Christ may
dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to
know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye
might be filled with all the fulness of God. The word
comprehend, in verse 18, means to seize upon together. God
wills for every one of His saints to possess this divine
fullness; yet some do not because of an imperfect disposition
toward Him in not having an all-consuming desire to possess
His fullness in their hearts and lives.
The next statement in the verse is, with open face. Open face
refers to having an open countenance, heart and mind. Hebrews
4:12 tells us that the Word of God is a discerner of the
thoughts of the heart. Verse 13 says, Neither is there any
creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are
naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
We surely all know this is so. What God wants out of us is a
disposition of heart in which we do not want anything hidden
from Him, but are anxious for Him to search us out and know us
altogether, thereby helping us out of any defective condition
He discovers in us. The Psalmist said, Search me, O God, and
know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there
be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24. Ah, folks, if we come before the Lord with an
open face, an open countenance and an open heart, and with the
prayer of the Psalmist, we are in a position to enter into the
full benefits set forth in this verse.
The next clause in the verse is beholding as in a glass the
glory of the Lord. In James 1:22-24, a comparison is drawn
between the Word of God and a glass (mirror). He says a person
looks into the Word of God and sees himself. We all should
look into God s Word to see ourselves and discover what we
need to do to be made like Him. But there is a clearer
scripture than this that shows the glory of the Lord is
revealed in the Holy Scriptures. In Romans 1:16-18 Paul says,
...I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:... For therein is
the righteousness of God revealed... For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven.... The Bible is a book about God. It
does not undertake the proposition of proving there is a God.
It just assumes the existence of God and the opening statement
in it is, In the beginning God.... In the Bible we learn what
kind of God is, and we see Him depicted clearly and
beautifully in the life of His Son Jesus who was the express
image of His person. (Hebrews 1:3.) Jesus Himself said in John
14:9, ...He that hath seen me hath seen the Father;... And it
is in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that we
see Jesus living, teaching, and revealing the Father in every
detail. Therefore we conclude that representing the Word of
God as the glass into which we look in order to behold the
glory of the Lord is a right and scriptural conclusion. The
glory of the Lord is surely revealed there.
We see Christ s mercy, longsuffering, forbearance and love in
dealing with His apostles. They had many defects and
shortcomings, but He taught them, and sometimes rebuked them,
in love and meekness. In the end He was able to bring them out
and make them foundation stones in the Church of God, except
for Judas. Christ was able to look past what He saw and heard,
and look into their hearts and discern what was there, and act
upon that.
We see Christ in John 8:4-11 dealing with a sinful woman taken
in the very act of adultery, which seems to be the most
grievous sin in the catalog. But Jesus saw her penitence and
willingness to accept His mercy, and He forgave her sins and
started her in a life of righteousness. In John 5:1-9 we see
Him coming to the pool of Bethesda where there was always a
multitude of sick and invalid people waiting for the water to
be troubled, that they might be healed. He walked right past
the multitudes of sick and infirm people, to perhaps the most
hopeless and helpless person there, and healed him and sent
him home carrying his bed. In Luke 19:41 we see Him looking
over the city of Jerusalem which was filled with His enemies,
and where a few days hence He would be crucified; but He
looked ahead 40 years or so and saw the indescribable calamity
that was to befall that city, and His heart was broken and He
wept.
These and many more examples are all very beautiful and reveal
the glory of the Lord, but we want to move on to the end
result and see how it works in us to conform us to His image
which we must have before we are ready for heaven. The process
is this: We look into the Word of God today and see Jesus in
some particular part of His character, in His dealings with
whatever group He is among, and see how He deals with them. As
we pursue this thought, let us think of the fleshy tables of
our hearts as a camera. When you load your camera with film
and focus it on any particular object, and flip the lever or
button that opens the lens, an impression is made on the film
of the exact likeness of the object your camera was focused on
when you opened the lens. When the film is developed, the
picture will come out exactly as you had it focused when the
picture was taken. But it is important to remember that if you
move the camera the instant the lens opens, the picture will
be blurred and unclear, and you will not be happy with it. It
takes time to be holy and we do not want to be nervous nor
moving about when taking these shots and making these pictures
on the fleshy tables of our hearts as we behold the glory of
the Lord and His character and likeness; as we meditate on His
Word.
We may be looking into the Word today where we see Jesus in
one aspect of His life as He dealt with people friends, foes,
adversaries, common people or top brass, so to speak, etc.
Whatever the situation and the people involved, it is showing
Jesus in some particular segment of His character and
likeness. As we continue a while in deep meditation and holy
devotion before the Lord, a picture begins to form and take
shape of Jesus in that particular aspect of His character.
Then as the picture comes out clear and beautiful and we
continue in quiet meditation and devotion before the Lord, and
submit ourselves to the Lord to make us like that, and open
the lens of our souls to Him, that image is stamped on the
film of our souls. Then as we repeat that process day after
day, looking into God s Word, perhaps in another passage,
revealing Jesus in His dealings with another group of people,
and in other conditions or circumstances which emphasize other
aspects of Jesus character, and we repeat the same process of
humbling our hearts and submitting to God to make us like
that, opening the lens of our soul, that picture is stamped on
the fleshy tables of our hearts, which is the film of the
soul.
God has His own developing process. The ordinary routine of
living, the trials, tests and provocations of daily living,
brings out the exact reproduction of what our vision was
focused on when we opened the lens of our soul and the picture
was taken. As we behold in the Word (glass) the glory of the
Lord His character in all of its aspects and open our hearts
and minds to the Spirit of the Lord, He performs His work in
us to conform us to that same image. Amen. |
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Baptized for the Dead
Question: Can you help us with any understanding on I
Corinthians 15:29? We had this in our Bible Study and could
not come to an agreement on its meaning.
Answer: I think it to be a quite difficult scripture
and Adam Clarke classes it the most difficult verse in the New
Testament, and says that it has about as many interpretations
as interpreters. I do have some thoughts on it and I will pass
them on.
First, I will insert the text. "Else what shall they do which
are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why
are they then baptized for the dead?"
We can surely say with positivity that this text does not mean
what some make it to mean; that if a person dies without
having been baptized that a living person can be baptized for
them, or in their stead. In this belief, some have been
baptized numbers of times in behalf of different people who
have died without having been baptized. This contradicts the
whole tenor of the Scriptural teaching on this subject and
does away with, or circumvents the individual, personal
responsibility of every person for his salvation and willful
obedience to God personally and individually. Jesus said in
Mark 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved;..." This makes it clear that the one who does the
believing must be the one who is baptized not a substitute for
him. II Corinthians 5:10 says, "For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad." Romans 14:12 says, "So then every
one of us shall give account of himself to God." All of these
scriptures, and many more, make it clear that no one can do
anything at all in behalf of another person's salvation after
he is dead and gone.
So then, that interpretation is out and we must search in
another area for the meaning of this scripture.
The resurrection of Jesus and then of the saints at His second
coming is a basic, fundamental, cardinal doctrine of the
Christian faith. It is indeed the corner stone of our faith.
Everything is founded upon that throughout the New Testament.
The death of Jesus was sacrificial and redemptive but it would
have been totally in vain had He stayed dead in the tomb and
not been resurrected. In I Corinthians 15:16-17, Paul urges
that if the dead rise not, then Christ is not raised and if
Christ is not raised, our faith is vain and we are yet in our
sins. There could absolutely be no salvation for us without
the resurrection of Jesus Christ and our belief in it. Romans
10:9 says, "...If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." This makes it
entirely clear that we must believe in the resurrection of
Jesus to be saved. Also Romans 4:15 says that Jesus "...was
delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification."
Romans 1:4 declares Jesus "...to be the Son of God with power,
according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from
the dead. God had born record to Jesus as His Son at His
baptism (Matthew 3:17), on the Mount of Transfiguration
(Matthew 17:5), and at the feast in Jerusalem (John 12:28),
and other occasions. The final confirmation and seal of His
Sonship was given in His resurrection from the dead. God
raising Jesus from the dead attested to the fact that He was
fully satisfied with His sacrifice and death. Isaiah 53:11
says, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be
satisfied:..." The sacrificial death of the sinless One
satisfied all the claims of a holy law and the honor and
holiness and justice of God Himself and God witnessed all of
this by raising Him from the dead to die no more and making
Him heir of eternal life. (See Romans 6:9; Revelation 1:8.)
Not only did He obtain eternal life for Himself, but for us
also. "...Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have eternal life." (John 3:15.) Read also Romans 6:23; Romans
5:21; I Peter 1:3-5; Hebrews 5:9; and Hebrews 9:12.
When Jesus incorporated in the commission to preach the gospel
to the whole world the idea of baptism ("He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved;..." Mark 16:16) and commanded them
to baptize believers in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matt 28:19), He had something
specific and important in mind. He did not say, "He that
believeth and washeth the saint's feet," or, "He that
believeth and taketh the Lord's Supper," or, "He that
believeth and greeteth the brethren with a holy kiss," shall
be saved. While all these things are important and are
commanded, yet in the commission He singled out baptism
because it maintains a relationship with this corner stone of
our Christian faith that none of these things mentioned, nor
any other thing, does.
The ordinance of baptism is an emblem of death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus and an outward, public testimony of
belief in it. In John 14:19, Jesus said, "...Because I live,
ye shall live also." The true believer in Christ lives his
life and dies his death in this hope based on this direct
promise of Christ and many, many more throughout the New
Testament. By baptism, he gives public, open testimony of his
belief in his own coming resurrection and his hope of eternal
life which God, Who cannot lie, promised before the world
began. (Titus 1:2.)
The ordinance of baptism symbolizes this experience of the
believer in all of its aspects: death to sin, self, the flesh,
and the world; buried in the water as a testimonial of this;
and resurrected (raised up out of the water) to a new life in
Christ Jesus. Paul says in Romans 6:3-5, "Know ye not, that so
many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection." And again in Colossians 2:12, Paul said,
"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with
him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised
him from the dead."
Now to sum up: the ordinance of baptism symbolizes the death,
burial, and resurrection. It also symbolizes our own death to
sin and our resurrection to a new life in Christ spiritually.
It also symbolizes our approaching death (physically) and our
coming resurrection (physically) unto eternal life. And in it
the true believer witnesses his faith and belief in all of
these three aspects of the plan and work of God and testifies
to his experience of salvation through the operation of God.
The verse involved in this question (I Corinthians 15:29)
being inserted right in the middle of an extensive discussion
on this subject and taken in this context, leads me to the
conclusion that it relates to this directly. All of the three
aspects discussed here have to do with death and resurrection.
Now, Paul argues that if the dead rise not, then there is no
salvation and our faith is vain and we are yet in our sins
because Christ would not be risen either. Then why be baptized
at all? The ordinance has no meaning at all if there be no
death and resurrection. We would only be testifying to a false
hope and witnessing a lie concerning our own experience which
could not be without the death and resurrection of Christ.
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