The Baptism of Christ Part 1

By: Larry Yarber

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16)

Both, our Lord and John the Baptist, preached of the approaching kingdom, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:1-2) and, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). However, this kingdom would not be established upon the earth until after the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord. Jesus said the Hadean world (hell) would not stop him from building this church. This indicated that the church would not be built until after His demise, "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). In preparing the people for the appearance of this kingdom, both Jesus and John taught a baptism similar to that of the great commission, "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4). And, it is interesting to note that immediately after our Lord taught Nicodemus about the second birth (water and spirit), He went into the region of Judea with His disciples baptizing those who came to them (John 3:22-23). Since those who were later baptized with this same baptism had to be re-baptized (Acts 19:1-5); it is obvious that there was a difference between the baptism of the great commission (Jesus' baptism) and the baptism administered before the establishment of the kingdom (John's baptism). Thus, we must be careful never to confuse John's baptism with the baptism of the great commission.

It is evident that the element of Jesus' baptism was/is water. In the conversion of Cornelius and his household, after the Holy Spirit had descended upon them, Peter asked, "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. ..." (Acts 10:47-48). When Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch the Bible says, "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 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 8:36-39). No one can deny that water was the element in each of these baptisms. From these passages we also see that baptism is a burial or immersion, not sprinkling or pouring (effusion) (also see and read Romans 6:1-7).

It is also clear to see that the baptism which was commissioned by Jesus was to be administered by the authority of the entire Godhead and not by the authority of only one of the Trinity, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:18-19). When the book of Acts refers to those being baptized in the name of the Lord, it is simply stating that they were being baptized with the baptism which had been commissioned by Jesus Himself (Acts 10:48, 19:5, and 2:38). To do something in the name of another is to do whatever they say by their authority. When we say stop in the name of the law this means you have been commanded to stop by the authority of the law. Paul penned, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Colossians 3:17). Thus, the baptism Jesus commanded was to be administered in the name of the entire Godhead!

In our next article we will continue to look at "THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST".

10 Reasons to Study the Bible 

1.      The Bible yields sweet fruits to him that reads. Its depths are unfathomable, and it riches are unlimited (Romans 11:33).

2.      A knowledge of Gospel truth is necessary before we can be made free from sin (John 8:32).

3.      We cannot make clear to unsaved people what is not clear to ourselves. “The disciple is not above his teacher.” The blind must      not lead the blind. (Luke 6:39; Romans 2:19; 2 Peter 1:9)

4.      The possession of a working knowledge of the Bible arms one for the warfare of life. “And take unto ourselves the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

5.      A working knowledge of the Bible “furnishes the man of God to every good work.” There is a Bible message to cover every condition and problem of every human being. It can be used in every emergency from the cradle to the grave (2 Timothy 3:13-17)

6.      The knowledge of the Bible enables one to be comforted and help to discouraged and distressed brethren. “Comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

7.      Only by knowledge of the Word of God can you feed your soul. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

8.      A lack of Bible knowledge will made you a workman that needeth to be ashamed, because you do not know how to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

9.      Knowledge of the Bible is the only safeguard against fatal error. “…do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?” (Mark 12:24).

10. We cannot be the parents we ought to be without nurturing our children in the chastening and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

Via: East End Bulletin, McMinnville. TN