Greetings to you, friend. We've never intended ours to be a question-and-answer kind of program. However, today, we are responding to several questions that people have asked since our recent program about the conversion of the jailor at Philippi. Some were seeking help. Some just appeared to be quarrelsome about it. Well we’re not quarrelling with anybody. We just want to be helpful, if we can; and we invite you to stay with us.
My friend, it's a real pleasure to welcome you to our Bible study program In Search of the Lord's Way for this life and His way for preparation for life in the world to come. We pray we'll both be blessed by our study today about the “one baptism” mentioned in Ephesians 4:1 to 5. For a free copy of the printed message, or a CD or an audio cassette tape, simply address your request for it to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083. Our e-mail address is searchtv@searchtv.org. Or you may access the program for further study on our website, www.searchtv.org. And our toll-free telephone number is 1-800-321-8633.
Most often when people write us with a question they are motivated by something they have heard us say that they didn’t quite understand; or something that they have heard from their own pulpit or it could be even something they've heard on another program like ours. Often, it’s something they have not heard discussed anywhere else and they need some help on it. Some things they ask are controversial. We have tried always not to add to the controversy, but to contribute some Biblical thought to the discussion of controversial questions that will even diminish or even suspend the debate. Often what we have to say is very different from what is generally taught in churches everywhere or on other programs. We might even be offering an opposite point of view to what's generally taught.
Today’s message is about what the Bible calls the “one baptism” in Ephesians 4:1 to 5. I pray all who are interested in these things will accept the Bible as the final word on the subject. Because, you see, it’s impossible to establish unbiased, objective truth on subjective (I mean by that personal or prejudiced) experience. After the hymn, I'll be back, and we’ll read the passage together and then we will pray. Ken Helterbrand is our song leader.
Our Bible reading today is in the book of Ephesians chapter 4, the first six verses. I believe I said five awhile ago but I really don’t want to exclude that sixth verse and you will see why when I read it. “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you are called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Now let us go to that God in prayer. Our Father who art in heaven, we are so thankful for the privilege of prayer that we can come to You in the name of Jesus Christ with our cares, and with our thanksgivings, and with our petitions. We thank You, our Father, for the passage that we have read today and the great meaning and the impact that it has upon our lives and the lives of other people. Bless our study, we pray You today. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
If you read the Bible, especially the New Testament, very much you are aware that baptism is a frequent subject there. You are probably aware, too, that the Scripture mentions five baptisms: (1) the baptism of John, (2) the baptism of the Holy Spirit, (3) the baptism of fire, and (4) the baptism of suffering, and (5) the baptism in water. Yet, we just read in the Scripture that “there is...one baptism.”
In the text we just read God is making an appeal for unity among the Christians; he urges all of us with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; that those Christians in Ephesus (and we) are to endeavor, and that just simply means to strive for and even to struggle, to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He then enumerated those seven things in which all Christians commonly share. And his conclusion is that since we all share in all this, there should be unity among the Christians in them. We do God an injustice if we say that these are the only things in which we should find common ground, only that these are reason enough for striving for Christian oneness.
The Spirit’s purpose in citing these seven ones is not to convince us that there is but one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one faith, one hope, and one body (or church) and one baptism; but to use those universally accepted truths as a firm foundation on which to make a strong appeal for unity. Likewise, it isn't our purpose today to convince anyone that there is but one baptism; we should already believe that because the Scripture says it. It's the purpose of our study to determine from the Bible which of those mentioned in the Scriptures is that one. Which ever one it is, is experienced by all Christians of all time. Any baptism which has not been experienced by every member of the New Testament church, all Christians, could not possibly be the one baptism of which we read here. Otherwise, the reasoning would be fallacious. One could hardly argue for unity on the basis of all having experienced one baptism, if indeed they had not all experienced one baptism.
First, in our attempt to learn which of those five baptisms mentioned is this “one,” let's consider John's baptism a moment. John the Baptist came preparing the way of the Lord and preached "a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4). Some years later Apollos came preaching in Corinth. He was an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures; oh, he was instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in the spirit, and diligent in teaching the things of the Lord. But he knew only the baptism of John. A man and his wife, Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and taught him the way of the Lord more accurately. That is recorded in Acts chapter 18, verses 24 through 28. So, John's baptism was valid in his ministry of preparing for the coming Messiah, but it is obviously not the one referred to in our text. Because, you see, Paul then came to Ephesus and found twelve men who had been baptized with John's baptism. After being taught, they were then "baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts chapter 19, verses 1 to 5). So, John's baptism could not have been the one baptism of Ephesians 4 and 5. His ministry was limited to the Jews for a limited time and had ceased long before Paul wrote in our text there is one baptism.
John promised, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but there is one coming after me who is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Some think there is only one baptism in that verse, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire being the selfsame thing. However, that assumption is not well founded and I don't know of a respected scholar of any faith who holds that view. Furthermore, Mark records John as saying simply, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (Mark chapter 1, verse 8), with no mention of the baptism of fire. And, when in Acts 1 and 5 Jesus said, "John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now," He made no reference to the baptism in fire.
The fact that when the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, there "appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them," (Acts 2 and 3), doesn't support the idea of the baptism of fire, either. Those divided or cloven tongues in the King James Version were not fire; they were like fire, and the apostles were not immersed in them as the term "baptism" indicates, but the tongues sat upon them.
My friend, the baptism of fire is a reference to the coming judgment, the judgment of God. Jesus divided his audiences into two groups by likening them to two kinds of trees: those that bring forth good fruit (they repent and believe in Jesus), and the others who do not bring forth good fruit are hewn down and cast into the fire.
He pictures Christ as the Judge who comes with His winnowing fan in His hand, separating the wheat (that is the good), which He gathers into his garner, from the chaff (the wicked) which he burns with unquenchable fire. That unquenchable fire is undoubtedly a reference to the judgment, the baptism of fire. Obviously that is not the one baptism of Ephesians 4. That is for part of John's audiences.
Jesus was saying there would be others in his audiences who would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. "Baptism," meaning to "immerse or submerge," is appropriate terminology here because it aptly describes what occurred. Just as in water baptism, the subject is completely overwhelmed or submerged in water; those who were baptized of the Holy Spirit were completely overwhelmed or submerged in His power. Jesus spoke of it as being "endued with power from on high," in Luke chapter 24, verse 47.
But, is Holy Spirit baptism the one baptism of which Paul wrote in Ephesians 4 and 5? The premise stated earlier, that what Paul is talking about just has to be a universal experience of all Christians, rules out any possibility of that. The answer has to be "No!” Holy Spirit baptism is not the one baptism of Ephesians 4 and 5. The reason? It is not experienced by all Christians everywhere and always, including the Day of Pentecost. Even the strongest advocates of it teach that there are Christians who have the baptism of the Holy Spirit and other Christians who do not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But aside from that, the Holy Spirit baptism was neither intended for, or promised to, or given to all Christians. Neither John or Christ made that kind of promise.
A key passage here is Acts 1 and 5 in which Jesus said, "John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Well, it seems clear enough, doesn't it, that Jesus is not making this promise to all Christians for all time, friend, including you and me? It might if you don't read the verse in its context. But, we all know that is wresting or twisting the Scriptures to one's own destruction (2 Peter chapter 3, verse 16). And it's wrong, to take a verse out of its context, apart from the verses before it and after it, and make it mean something that it wouldn't mean if kept in its context.
If you begin reading at verse one and follow it closely, you can’t help but see the truth that some people seem to have difficulty understanding, that Jesus was assembled with his apostles. And it was to them (the apostles) that He made that promise. It was not to all Christians. And as you continue to read to the last paragraph of the same chapter, and on into the second chapter you can't help but see that it was the twelve (Matthias having been numbered now with the eleven) upon whom the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost. The multitude was not promised and did not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They were promised “the gift of the Holy Spirit” and doubtlessly received it when they “repented and were baptized.” Well, the same is true with the promise made to the apostles in John chapter 14, verse 16 and forward; and John 16, verse 7 and forward, too. If you and I lay claim to these promises and a special guidance of the Holy Spirit which were intended for the apostles in order to perform their apostolic ministry, aren’t we falsely representing God's word? No, no, no friend, not all Christians received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, even in the first century church, so Holy Spirit baptism is not the one baptism of Ephesians 4 and 5.
Furthermore Holy Spirit baptism was always administered by our Lord without involvement of a human agent. "He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit," said John. Holy Spirit baptism was always a promise of God and never a command of God. Holy Spirit baptism was never a condition of salvation in the Scriptures; therefore, it is not the one baptism which all saved people have in common.
Unlike the baptism of John and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of the great commission has a universal application. It’s intended for every person who will accept the gospel of Jesus Christ until the end of the world. Matthew tells us that Jesus said, "All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Mark records it in Mark chapter 16, verses 15 and 16: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe shall be condemned." Both of these passages teach that the gospel of Jesus Christ and the baptism connected with it are for all nations, all the world, every creature. It’s a command; it’s named by our Lord as a condition of salvation and would therefore be the one baptism experienced by every disciple in Ephesians 4 and 5. It is the baptism that is to be preached to every creature in all nations in all the world to the end of time. Therefore, it is the one baptism of which we read in Ephesians 4 and 5.
Furthermore, this baptism of the great commission is commanded and is to be administered, not by the Lord personally, but by men, in His name or by His authority. Jesus told them to teach and baptize all in the nations. On the eventful day of Pentecost, Peter, the spokesman for the apostles, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, commanded those inquiring Jews to "Repent, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”(Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit is a gift of God) “For the promise to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." Well, about three thousand of them did so, and I pray that you will today receive the message of God, repent and be baptized. You, too, will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, but not the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let’s go to God in prayer. Holy Father, we are thankful for the simplicity of Your word. Oh, we are so thankful for the revelation of it so that we can understand it in our own language. We are so thankful. We pray this message will be a blessing to all who hear it. In the lovely name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!
It must be obvious that the only baptism mentioned in the Bible that could possibly meet the criteria of the one baptism discussed by Paul in Ephesians 4 and 5 is water baptism, the baptism of the great commission of our Lord. My friend, it’s the only one that is a universal experience of all saved people on which Paul might build his case for unity: one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one faith, one hope, one body, one baptism.
Well, we have had to rush right through this material, so if you think you would like to study it again and you have some time to do that just sit down and quietly peruse it, why don't you just write us requesting a printed copy of it, or audio CD, or audio cassette tape. Our address is In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083. By e-mail it's searchtv@searchtv.org. Or if you prefer you just pick up the phone now and dial 1-800-321-8633. That is our toll-free telephone number. The title of the program is The One Baptism. Ask for it by name, please. If you prefer you may have an audio cassette tape or CD just by specifying your preference.
It's free, whether it's a tape or a CD, it’s free. Our program is produced in our Edmond studios in Oklahoma and air-time on this station is provided by Christian friends of yours, members of some churches of Christ in the area of this broadcast station. Well, we intend to be back next week and we hope you will, too. And meanwhile be telling someone else about this program of Bible study. Would you? God bless you. We love you.
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