When Jesus sent His apostles on their "Great Commission," He stated 3 things that they were to preach and practice EVERYWHERE THEY WENT PREACHING HIS GOSPEL MESSAGE OF SALVTION. Those 3 things were: (1) Make disciples (2) Baptizing them (3) Teaching them to OBEY EVERYTHING He had commanded ---- AND HE JUST GOTTEN THROUGH COMMANDING ** BAPTISM ** FOR EVERYONE WHO WISHED TO BECOME A DISCIPLE OF HIS... HOW MUCH MORE PLAINLY COULD IT BE MADE??
And we see this command to baptize people being carried out again and again: in Acts 2, Acts 10, and in Acts 8 where Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch and they came upon some water and the eunuch asked, "See, here is water! What hinders me from being baptized?" And it was after the eunuch was baptized that he "went on his way rejoicing."
If the eunuch had been forgiven and saved before he was baptized, then the scriptures would have shown it that way... but they didn't. This is irrefutable evidence that baptism IS necessary... that it IS required... in order for a person to be saved.
In all probability, Jesus did NOT say what is claimed by Matthew 28:19. below is an article if you want to read it. But consider the truth that absolutely none of the disciples EVER baptized or commanded baptism in this formula.
Constantine Wrote Matthew 28:19 Into Your Bible!
What Did Matthew Actually Write, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," OR "Go ye, and make disciples of all the nations IN MY NAME"? . . .
http://www.israelofgod.org/Constantine.htm
When Phillip baptized the eunich, in fact, any mention of baptism in water is to be expected. These were Jews and Jewish tradition demands water baptism for the remission of sins. But Jesus changed all that!! If we continue to demand water baptism then we deny the completed work of Christ. We are baptized with Christ, died with Christ and we are raised with Christ. Why must we repeat what He already accomplished for us? Wasn't His accomplishment enough? Do we have to add to what He did?
"Baptism" is NOT synonymous with "water"!
Luke 3:16
John answered them all, “I
baptize you
with water. But [in contrast] one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will
baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Acts 18:24-28
(24) Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.
(25) He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately,
though he knew only the baptism of John [the baptism in water unto repentance].
(26) He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately [i.e., that “the way of God” was no longer the “baptism of John”].
(27) When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.
(28) For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 19:1-6
(1) While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus [where Apollos had just been teaching “only the baptism” of John]. There he found some disciples
(2) and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit [holy spirit].” [4]
(3) So Paul asked them,
“Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.
(4) Paul said, “John’s baptism [into water] was [note the past tense] a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
(5) When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. - In water again?!!??!!
Reread this passage!!! Read it again! Let it sink in!
Hebrews 10:1
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
All of the ritual and ceremonial washings of the Old Testament were symbolic in nature and were a precursor to the greater reality of the inner cleansing by the Messiah’s work and baptism in holy spirit. In God’s “economy,” they were done away with when the greater baptism that He had in mind finally came to pass on the Day of Pentecost, and the Church began. Interestingly, it was John the Baptist who introduced the phrase “baptize with holy spirit.” The Greek word baptizo means “to immerse” or “to dip.” The liquid connotation of “baptizing in holy spirit” must be figurative, because holy spirit is intangible, and cannot literally be poured out, nor can one literally be immersed in it.
Hebrews 9:9-10
(9) This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and the sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper.
(10) They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings [baptismos]—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
Remember that the word “baptism” means “to dip” or “to immerse,” and does not in any way indicate the substance or element into which something is immersed. In reality, the word “baptism” is not a translation, but a transliteration into English of the Greek words baptismos (noun) and baptizo (verb). Look again at verse 10 above!!! It clearly says that the “external regulations” like water baptism applied only until the time of a new order!!! When did that “new order” begin? When Jesus Christ made available an internal cleansing by his virgin birth, sinless life, death, resurrection, ascension, and giving of holy spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
1 Corinthians 12:13
For we [Christians] were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all given the one Spirit [spirit] to drink.
1 Peter 3:20-21
(20) who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
(21) and this water symbolizes baptism [an immersion] that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body [i.e., not water baptism] but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ…
Note carefully that the Word of God very specifically says that the baptism that now saves you is not water baptism, but rather something that touches you on the inside, even your conscience. That was made possible by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and his subsequent ascension and exaltation as Lord, which made him the baptizer with holy spirit.
Act 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Act 11:16 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.
Act 11:17 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?
Act 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Acts 10:47 and 48a
(47) “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the holy spirit [no article] just as we have.”
(48a) So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Most Christians read these verses and assume that Cornelius and his cohorts were then submerged. Even if they were, it was not because God’s Word prescribed it. But there is another way to look at this. First of all, the Bible does not say that they were baptized in water—it says Peter ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, which I believe implies water as per his previously Jewish mindset. But was that command carried out? Not necessarily. Acts 11 begins by stating that the news of what happened at the home of Cornelius swept across Judea, and that the still-zealous-for-the-old-water-baptism church leaders back in Jerusalem quickly confronted Peter about his going into the home of a Gentile “dog.” He told his inquisitors the whole story, just as Acts 10 records it, but when he got to the part about the Gentiles speaking in tongues, he said:
Act 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Act 11:16 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.
Act 11:17 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?
Act 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
When did Peter remember that Jesus had said, “Hey, water’s out, holy spirit’s in”?
It is very important to realize that Paul could not have said, “Christ did not send me to baptize” if Christ had in fact commanded Christians to go into the world and make disciples and baptize them in water (Matt. 28:19). Christ did command us to go into the world and make disciples and baptize them, but it is Church tradition, not the Bible, that says this baptism means in water. We have already seen that we are now to be baptized, fully immersed, in holy spirit. If Christ did not command water baptism, and he did not send Paul to baptize, how can water baptism be necessary for salvation? It cannot. Furthermore, Paul would not have been “thankful” that he baptized only a few people if it were a prerequisite to being saved (1 Corinthians 1:13-17).
Finally, tell me where the Bible says that the Apostles were baptized.
Agape,
CiY
