One Baptism. - What is it?

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soberxp

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In my studies and my experience, some people are baptized by the Holy Spirit before they are baptized by water, while others are just the opposite.

Holy Spirit gives life.
Water Represents The word of Jesus Christ in the Bible.
The word of Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit all gives life.

Being baptized with water is an act/work of faith.
Just as Abraham accepted the word of God, it represented his faith.


If a person does not want to be baptized by water, it means he is not obedient, then how can he be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

So one faith one baptism. Does not mean that we have two baptisms, one water baptism and one Holy Spirit baptism,It is that faith and baptism are united under faith.
 

Wick Stick

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Discussion with a beloved forum member this morning raised the question of baptism.
And to the question in my own mind: What is the ONE baptism?

I know of at least two baptisms: Water Baptism and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Is the one baptism one of these, or something else entirely? Let's discuss.
If there's only ONE baptism, then the two baptisms you know of... must be the same thing.
 
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St. SteVen

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If there's only ONE baptism, then the two baptisms you know of... must be the same thing.
It seems they were intended to be viewed as simultaneous.
But more importantly, it was the public declaration of joining the church.
The ceremony was symbolic, the manifestations of the Spirit were confirmation.

Acts 2:38 NIV
Peter replied, “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.

Acts 2:41 NIV
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

[
 

St. SteVen

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It seems they were intended to be viewed as simultaneous.
But more importantly, it was the public declaration of joining the church.
The ceremony was symbolic, the manifestations of the Spirit were confirmation.

Acts 2:38 NIV
Peter replied, “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.

Acts 2:41 NIV
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Acts 2:17-18 NIV
“‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.

[
 

Hillsage

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In my studies and my experience, some people are baptized by the Holy Spirit before they are baptized by water, while others are just the opposite.
That's what happened in Acts 10:44. When Peter was preaching the gospel and they received the baptism from the Holy Spirit of God and spoke in tongues FIRST. Then Peter commanded them to "be baptized in the name of JESUS CHRIST".
Holy Spirit gives life.
The spirit in every human gives life to that person. It doesn't become the holy spirit of Christ in you until after your spirit is born again.
If a person does not want to be baptized by water, it means he is not obedient, then how can he be baptized by the Holy Spirit.
You just contradicted your first statement above then? As well as my testimony which agreed with your statement.
So one faith one baptism. Does not mean that we have two baptisms, one water baptism and one Holy Spirit baptism,It is that faith and baptism are united under faith.
But that's exactly what happened at the house of Cornelius in Acts 10. And there was a baptism of water without the baptism from the Holy Spirit in Acts 8 when Phillip preached the gospel. Everyone believed and was water baptized including Simon the magician 8:12. But no one got the baptism from the Holy Spirit until much later; Acts 8:14-17

But Eph 4 doesn't say one thing about that "one baptism" being a baptism we undertake. Why isn't it the "baptism of death" which Jesus was going to have to undergo on the cross. His death is the only baptism we all have to believe in to get the same spirit anointing in us which was in Jesus. And that spirit was the spirit of Christ. The same spirit which Jesus yielded to his Father on the cross. And the same spirit which raised Him from the dead when it came back 3 days later.
 

Hillsage

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If there's only ONE baptism, then the two baptisms you know of... must be the same thing.
I honestly don't know if you are being serious with that statement above. Are you?

There's definitely more than two baptisms. And no one seems to understand another baptism in scripture either. Except for me, in my opinion, of course. :Broadly:

1CO 15:29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?
 

Wick Stick

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I honestly don't know if you are being serious with that statement above. Are you?
Yea, the logic checks out. The verse says one baptism. Steven knows of two, though. So, either there's something wrong with our understanding of the verse, or... the two baptisms he knows about are actually just the same one, viewed from different angles, perhaps.
There's definitely more than two baptisms. And no one seems to understand another baptism in scripture either. Except for me, in my opinion, of course. :Broadly:

1CO 15:29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?
Well then what do we do with that verse saying ONE baptism? If you already explained, you could just point me back to that post.
 

soberxp

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You just contradicted your first statement above then?
If that's what you mean, God said in the last days I will pour out my spirit on all flesh.

"If a person does not want to be baptized by water, it means he is not obedient, then how can he be baptized by the Holy Spirit."

If you think this is a contradiction in terms.

I always feel that as a follower of God, why do we always take ourself to compare with unbelievers? As we boast how good we are?

God wishes all men to be saved, then we should wish all men to be saved.

No matter what whether a man believes in Christ,only God can make a man believes in him.

Cuz God said no one seek him.
 
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Hillsage

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Yea, the logic checks out. The verse says one baptism. Steven knows of two, though. So, either there's something wrong with our understanding of the verse, or... the two baptisms he knows about are actually just the same one, viewed from different angles, perhaps.

Well then what do we do with that verse saying ONE baptism? If you already explained, you could just point me back to that post.
I struggled with that verse for years before coming to my present belief. I posted a abbreviated part of my conclusion on post #20.
 
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Hillsage

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If that's what you mean, God said in the last days I will pour out my spirit on all flesh.

"If a person does not want to be baptized by water, it means he is not obedient, then how can he be baptized by the Holy Spirit."

If you think this is a contradiction in terms.
For me it wasn't that I didn't want water baptism. At 22. I was just 'born again' for 6 months, before receiving the baptism from the Holy Spirit (and speaking in the prayer tongue from my holy born again spirit. 1Cor 14:14). My experience before that point was, I was sprinkled as a Roman Catholic baby. After receiving that baptism of the Holy Spirit my girlfriend (now wife 53 yrs) and I were in a home-church being discipled, and we were studying water baptism. And the spirit of Christ in me ping-ed my heart saying that sprinkle did not count. I announced what I felt I had heard, and Art (home church leader) said he would do that. Turns out, my girlfriend and another couple were all raised Lutheran and sprinkled. They all felt they needed to get baptized for the same reason I was. We went to the Arkansas river and all got dunked in flowing water (literally) and according to the Word (symbolically). Eg. outward 'sign' of an 'inward change'. All that just to say, maybe I'm just not be reading your post, as you're intending it. T

Getting back to that "all flesh" verse you quote from Acts 2:14 above; It really didn't indicate that 'that baptism' was 'their choice' on the day of Pentecost. The whole body of Christ received that baptism in a sovereign move of God. And that was the same pattern used at the house of the Gentile Roman Cornelius, when Peter preached the gospel, for the first time, to Gentiles, and they also spoke in tongues.

I'd like to share a teaching one time years ago, which said that the Greek words "pas sarx" were translated as "all flesh". Then he said those 2 words could have, just as correctly, been translated as "whole body". And on the day of Pentecost it was the "whole body" of believers, that the supernatural power from the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, and supernatural tongues was spoken out of them.
Cuz God said no one seek him.
I believe in predestination for the salvation of our spirit, based upon that scripture, as well as a few others. :backtop:
 
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St. SteVen

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One Baptism. - What is it?​


Discussion with a beloved forum member this morning raised the question of baptism.
And to the question in my own mind: What is the ONE baptism?

I know of at least two baptisms: Water Baptism and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Is the one baptism one of these, or something else entirely? Let's discuss.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope
when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith,
one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
- Ephesians 4:4-6 NIV



I'm struck be the singularity of this description. (in all its elements)

There is one body
and one Spirit,
just as you were called to one hope
when you were called;
5 one Lord,
one faith,
one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all
and through all
and in all. - Ephesians 4:4-6

This is a beautiful thing.
We tend to talk about what divides us.
This outlines what unites us.
 

soberxp

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I know of at least two baptisms: Water Baptism and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Is the one baptism one of these, or something else entirely? Let's discuss.
I think the disciple knows the Water Baptism and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, but they still say there is one Baptism, then the only one answer is the one Baptism by the blood of Jesus Christ.
 
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St. SteVen

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I think the disciple knows the Water Baptism and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, but they still say there is one Baptism, then the only one answer is the one Baptism by the blood of Jesus Christ.
There is no "baptism in the blood of Jesus" that I am aware of.
I think I understand what you are saying, but it's not really a thing.

I think you need to choose between the water or Spirit baptism as the one baptism.
What does each symbolize?
 

soberxp

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There is no "baptism in the blood of Jesus" that I am aware of.
I think I understand what you are saying, but it's not really a thing.

I think you need to choose between the water or Spirit baptism as the one baptism.
What does each symbolize?
Our sin covered by the blood of Jesus Christ,
But it was not truly covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. I mean in its literal sense.the water or Spirit baptism represents the blood of Jesus, cuz the "blood" here in the Bible means the holy Spirit or the word of God.
Whatever one we choose, it's based on whether we believe in the Jesus Christ and his blood for covered Our sin.


BTW, the water or Spirit baptism not for Drowning to death is like a great flood. But perhaps it is a kind of commemoration for such an event, or perhaps the great flood is a kind of warning and foreshow.
 
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Wick Stick

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Scripturally speaking, there is more than ‘one baptism’ that pertains to the ‘foundational doctrines' for ‘us as born again believers’ If we are to attain perfection.

HEB 6:1-2 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal/aionios judgment.
This seems to be the only verse in the Bible where baptisms is mentioned in plural.

I think, perhaps, the plurality here might just be attributed to multiple people undergoing the same baptism.
 

Wick Stick

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There is no "baptism in the blood of Jesus" that I am aware of.
I think I understand what you are saying, but it's not really a thing.

I think you need to choose between the water or Spirit baptism as the one baptism.
What does each symbolize?
I'm not sure we need to choose one or the other. In most places in the Bible, they seem to go together. In John 3 (below), Jesus puts them together:

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Also, these verses make baptism equal to being "born again." That's the symbolism you asked about. Now, if we just knew what "born again" means...
 
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St. SteVen

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BTW, the water or Spirit baptism not for Drowning to death is like a great flood. But perhaps it is a kind of commemoration for such an event, or perhaps the great flood is a kind of warning and foreshow.
As I understand it, water baptism symbolizes death while going down into the water and resurrection life when coming up out of the water.
 

St. SteVen

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I'm not sure we need to choose one or the other. In most places in the Bible, they seem to go together. In John 3 (below), Jesus puts them together:

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Also, these verses make baptism equal to being "born again." That's the symbolism you asked about. Now, if we just knew what "born again" means...
Even then, seems to be the question, "As opposed to what?"
- One Lord, opposed to all others.
- One faith, opposed to all others.
- One baptism, opposed to all others. WHAT OTHERS?

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope
when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:4-6 NIV
 

Hillsage

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This seems to be the only verse in the Bible where baptisms is mentioned in plural.

I think, perhaps, the plurality here might just be attributed to multiple people undergoing the same baptism.
I'm pretty sure what 'I think' and posted (#20), trumps your 'opinion' here. That's my opinion. You asked me to point you 'back' to any opinion I had on this thread. Did you read post #20?
 

St. SteVen

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The one baptism of Eph 4:5 that you must believe is the baptism of Jesus' death, not yours. That is what gives us His the born again spirit of christ in us....making us his spiritual body on earth.
It can't be right if it requires ten paragraphs to explain.
And it certainly isn't clear in the scripture in question.