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Sunday - 11:00 AM
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Sunday - 6:30 PM
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Malcolm Green
Jerry Lunsford
Burl Sink
Richard Bateman
Dan C. Bailey1713 W State St
Bristol , VA 24201-3639
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State Street Church of Christ (Bristol, VA)
One Baptism
by Dan C. Bailey
The Holy Scriptures teach in Ephesians 4:4-6, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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." The epistle to the saints in Ephesus was most likely composed between 63 and 65 AD. Although there are several baptisms mentioned in the New Testament, there was only one baptism in force at that time. That same "one baptism" is in force today. Please carefully consider the following points:
2. The one baptism is a baptism in water. In the eighth chapter of the book of Acts we read about the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:35-39). Peter proclaimed at the house of Cornelius, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." (Acts 10:47-48). Peter would later refer to baptism in his first epistle by describing those in Noah's day. "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." (I Peter 3:20-22). The apostle Paul speaks about the "one baptism" in Ephesians 5:26: "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."
3. The one baptism is for the remission of sins. Peter was guided by the Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost. He boldly proclaimed: "...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).
The one baptism was a baptism in water for the remission of sins. We read in Acts 22:16 where Ananias told Saul, "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." The blood of Christ cleanses one of sin when he is scripturally baptized. "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1:5).
4. The one baptism is an immersion in water. The Greek word for baptize is "baptidzo." It is defined in Thayer's Greek Lexicon as: 1. properly, to dip repeatedly, to immerge, submerge, (of vessels sunk...)" (p. 94). In the New Testament, baptism is described as a burial. Paul said, "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" (Romans 6:3-4). In Paul's epistle to the saints in Colosse, he again describes baptism as a burial. "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" (Colossians 2:12).
5. The one baptism puts one into Christ. "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:27-29). When one enters into Christ, he becomes the seed of Abraham and is an heir of salvation.
6. The one baptism puts one into the one body. "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" (I Corinthians 12:13). The one body is the church that Jesus is the head over. "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23). Jesus shed His blood for the church. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). Jesus built the church. "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Everyone who is willing to believe the gospel, repent of sins, confess the name of Christ, and be buried with Him in baptism is added by the Lord to the church. "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47).
Have you been sctripturally baptized into Christ?
