Ernest T. Bass
Well-Known Member
This context of 1 Corinthians 1 proves the necessity of water baptism, see my post #9 above.
There was division at the congregation in Corinth.....instead of them all being OF Christ some were OF Paul, some OF Apollos and some OF Cephas. To heal this division, Paul asks a rhetorical question in verse 13:
"Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"
This question stated in the positive has Paul saying:
"Christ is not divided! Christ was crucified for you. You were baptized in the name of Christ."
Paul's point being this...... if you are going to be OF someone then two things must be true of that someone, that someone must:
1) be crucified for you
and
2) you must be baptized in that someone's name.
Of course these two things are only true of Christ therefore no one can be OF Paul or OF Apollos or OF any man.
1) was Christ crucified for you? Yes, Hebrews 2:9 Christ tasted death for every man. Yet every man will not be saved because every man will not meet requirement #2.
2) requirement #2: have you been baptized in the name of Christ? This baptism in the name of Christ is the same baptism of Acts of the Apostles 2:38 and Acts of the Apostles 10:47-48 which is water baptism in the name of the Lord for remission of sins. The phrase "in the name of" is a legal term. If you buy an automobile you go and register the car "in the name of Grams". It shows you are the owner of the vehucle. Those who have been baptized "in the name of the Lord" come under the Lord's ownership, those baptized belong to the Lord, they are His.
Again, Paul shows BOTH #1 AND #2 must be true for one to be OF Christ.
