To the Harlot and her daughter “churches” the word “baptism”equals “water.” While “baptism” does occasionally refer to water, for the church it is never “a step,” “a means,” or “a requirement” to salvation or the new birth, but it is an act of obedience following the new birth, as any of a hundred other works. Peter’s statement in Acts 2:38 (Water Dog “proof-text” #1) was not a formula of baptism for the church, but, in its context was spoken directly to Israel, while as yet the gospel had not gone out to the Gentiles. It is true that obedient Israelites were first baptized in water and afterward received the Spirit of God: however, Gentiles later received that same Spirit and then responded by water baptism afterward. If Baptists are wrong, and Christians are saved by water then Baptists would be saved anyway when they went down to the river, and no loss is incurred to anyone except that the river is insulted that it did not receive its proper credit; but this is not the case. Baptists get this right and “Church of Christ, Inc.” gets it completely and hopelessly WRONG! We were never saved by water: the snake oil salesmen and peddlers of priest craft ($$$) who try to prove otherwise, are an insult to Jesus Christ who saves:
Κ John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
(This statement leaves out “Mary”, “sacraments”, “high masses”, “intercessing saints”, angels, and WATER!)
2nd Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God . . . rightly dividing the word of truth.”
[To rightly divide with respect to the different baptisms, it must be understood that they are given in their season:]
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. . . .”
[just as for vegetarianism, unclean meats, tithing, circumcision, sacrificing, & sabbath days] (See: “Done And Undone”)
(Water Dog proof text #2: Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”)
[They don’t really believe this applies at all: they always say, “The commandments are done away with.”]
Κ The following baptisms can NOT be blended together INTO ONE, as can be seen when they are examined.
BAPTISM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (only for Israel)
Matthew 3:1-6 “Repent ye . . . .and all . . . were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”
(This is the first use of the word “baptize”.)
John 3:23 “. . . because there was much water there. . . .”
1:29-33 that Christ “. . . should be made manifest to Israel. . . .” (the baptism for the children of Israel)
(Christ is “made manifest” to the church according to John 14:21-23 and 2nd Corinthians 4:10-11)
Acts 13:23-24 “John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.”
19:4 “baptism of repentance . . . that they should believe on him which should come after him. . . .”
[That is, on Jesus Christ, who was not sent to the Gentiles, but to Israel:]
Matthew 15:24 “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
(If this offends your delicate sensibilities, it is too bad for you.)
Matthew 15:22-28 “But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”
(Jesus Christ also baptizes, but not with water.)
Matthew 3:11 “. . . he shall baptize you with the [#1] Holy Ghost, and with [#2] fire. . . .”
(#1) Acts 1:4-5 “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. . . .”
(#2) Revelation 20:13-15 “And whosoever was not . . . in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
BAPTISM FOR ISRAEL, WITH THE KINGDOM AT HAND
(A transition baptism, which is not the same as John’s baptism!)
Acts 19:1-6 “And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.”
QUESTION: What is different here in the formula since Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, has gotten involved?
ANSWER: Compare Matthew 28:16-20 with Acts 19:5:
“. . . baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. . . .”
vs. “. . . they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” [It changed!]
[The Lord does not change, but the lesson plan does. This “water first” baptism ends with the acceptance of the gentiles.]
Acts 1:6-7 Whether the kingdom comes “at this time” is up in the air and depends on Israel receiving her king.
2:36-47 “. . . let all the house of Israel know. . . . they . . . said . . . what shall we do?”
(This is the Water Dog proof-text to prove salvation-by-water for the church!)
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized . . . for the remission of sins. . . .”
(For the church, “remission of sins” comes by “blood” (Matthew 26:28) and by “belief” (Acts 10:43), not by water.)
“And all that believed were together, and had all things common. . . .” (Why don’t Water Dogs have “all things common” if this verse is instruction for the church, and not for Israel awaiting the imminent arrival of her king and kingdom?)
Matthew 3:1-2 “In those days came John . . . saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach . . . Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
10:5-7 “Go not into the way of the Gentiles . . . as ye go, preach . . . The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Luke 19:11 “And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.”
(In the Acts 2:38 baptism there is no need to tarry for the Holy Ghost, as before:)
Luke 24:49 “but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Acts 1:5 “. . . but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”
(QUESTION: Who is “ye” here? ANSWER: “the apostles whom he had chosen” from verse 2.)
[This isn’t the “gentile church” here: these are all Jews.]
Acts 2:1 “they were all with one accord in one place.” [Who is “they?”] (ANSWER: See the previous verse!)
(1st Corinthians 1:22 “For the Jews require a sign. . . .” The Lord gave them a sign.)
v. 2 “there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind. . . .”
v. 3 “there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”
v. 4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues. . . .”
(QUESTION: Why do the “Charismatics,” who say this is their baptism, claim verses 1 & 4, but not 2 & 3?
ANSWER: They can’t fake what’s in 2 & 3.)
Matthew 10:5-7,23 “Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.”
WHAT HAPPENED? Right in the middle of things the gospel went out to the Gentiles and the Lord DIDN’T COME!
(See: Matthew 21:42 — 22:14 The parable of the uninvited guest.)
Acts 13:45-46 “. . . but seeing ye . . .judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”
14:27 “. . . that God . . . had opened the door . . . unto the Gentiles.”
18:5-6 “. . . from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”
22:10-22 “. . . they will not receive thy testimony concerning me . . . I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.”
28:22-28 “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles. . . .”
(Until this time the formula for baptism was as given to the Jews.)
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Acts 9:1-18 Paul gets the Holy Spirit first and then gets water. (The new testament Gentile plan.)
(Now Paul, who replaced Judas, is the apostle of the Gentiles:)
Romans 11:13 “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles. . . .”
(In the old testament Gentiles would have to get circumcised (in flesh) to enter in with Israel.)
Κ 10:44-48 Gentiles get Holy Spirit and then water. (They got signs for Jews present.)
(again: 1st Corinthians 1:22 “For the Jews require a sign. . . .”)
11:1-18 “the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.” (to Gentiles, also)
Matthew 3:11-12 “. . . he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. . . “ (“Water” is made distinct from this!)
John 1:12-13 “. . . born, not of blood . . . nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Two people deciding to go down to the river, and getting soaked, can’t accomplish this. If you disagree, then you believe in Voodoo! You are a papist!)
3:3-7 “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (baptism of the Holy Spirit is a “birth”)
(The “water” in v. 5 was your mama’s water bag. Don’t wrest it into a “baptism:” it’s a reference to the first birth. –v. 6)
1st Corinthians 12:13 “by one spirit are we all baptized into one body. . . .” (Water doesn’t have anything to do with it.)
Ephesians 4:5 “. . . One Lord, one faith, one baptism. . . .” (This is the operation of God!)
Romans 8:5-11 “. . . if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.”
6:3-4 “. . . we are buried with him by baptism into death? (Water baptism is symbolic of this, but doesn’t cause it.)
Colossians 2:8-12 “circumcised . . . without hands . . . buried . . . in baptism . . . through . . . the operation of God. . . “
Ezekiel 36:26 only this “operation of God” gives a “new heart.” (Water can’t do that.)
Psalm 51:10 David asks for “the operation” – “a clean heart”
1st Samuel 10:9,6 God gave Saul “the operation.”
Ephesians 2:11-13 “. . . Gentiles . . . aliens . . . made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit . . . and have no confidence in the flesh.”
(“priests,” “elders,” and witch doctors dunking, sprinkling, and “performing the sacraments.”)
2nd Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works. . . .”
Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Not to mention water!)
Ephesians 1:17-19 “. . .the hope of his calling . . . according to the working of his mighty power. . . . (Not yours!)
Galatians 3:1-2 “. . . Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
vs. 26-27 “as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (There’s NO “water” in all of Galatians.)
Titus 3:5 “Not by works . . . which we have done, but . . . he saved us, by the . . . renewing of the Holy Ghost. . . .”
1st Peter 3:21 “. . . the answer of a good conscience. . . .”
Romans 5:1-10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
[and all the water in the Pacific Ocean couldn’t save you]