I would like to challenge your thoughts on baptism.
We generally baptise to identify with Christ’s death and resurrection. Further, it is seen as a public declaration of belief.
I wonder, can there be more to baptism? When Jesus told us to baptise, did he really ask us to do the above?
What do you think?
In my thinking: After yrs of observation, baptism, (B), the maj’ty do think of a water baptism. However, (1) B isn’t 100% ONLY a water B for proclaim-ing ones’ faith in Christ, & you are correct - the principle of identificat’n (id -ing) w/ the Christian faith (f) (f being 2 parts. - 1. Accept’g & undrstnd’g the purpose of Christ’s work. 2. Believ’g it then, for yourself. Remember, even Satan KNOWS, but chooses to reject God.
Additionally, the more important baptism, the only one that counts, is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling empowers every B at the moment of Salvation. This ‘empowerment’ is what makes our human spirit alive / awake to God (Triune) and then able to understand the ‘things of God’. Sometimes we may doubt our own Salvation, because (b/c) we do not FEEL anything. While it is true we have much more than ‘head knowledge’, the “cincher”, if you will, comes when God answers our prayers. There have been some very important answered prayers personally, proving beyond doubt, I will be face to face with my Lord, or put another way, - I will never die! Many times in Scripture the topic of batism is brought forward. Though having not counted them, my guess is God wanted to impress upon us something of great import. If B in/ with/ of, WATER was so important, I have pause to ask myself, “Why then, did my Lord tell the theif on the cross, he would be with Him, Christ, in Paradise ? Therare MANY Bible Doctrines being put forth out there which simply DO NOT stand beside God’s Word. Do you think Satan may be alive and well on planet Earth? But of course! His subtlties put forth just enough truth to be palatable to our minds and he knows this very well ! The Word Baptise originates from the ancient languages, pronounced Bapt-tid-zo, and means, among other things, to id with. Much the same as warriors dipping their spears in blood to id with their enemies blood. Water baptism in Christ’s time on Earth meant certain dis-avowment or separation to any Jewish traditions, much less his own family. So it was a HUGE statement of faith. And just as SAUL/ later PAUL had done before his Damascus Road conversion, these early Christians ran the very REAL risk of severe punishment, if not death. . . . Pls email me your thoughts Thanks for the ‘vent-time’
Dear Peter & co,
just very briefly: I think even the word “identify” is too weak. If we identify, there is still a distance between us and the object with which we are identifying. According to Romans 6, we are baptised eis, “into” Jesus Christ, into his death, we are buried with (sun) him, we are sumphutoi with his death and resurrection, the Greek word meaning “grown together with,” like two plants who are joined… Wow!
I believe that this talks about realities, they are no symbols, and the best way forward for understanding this is to meditate on texts like Rom 6!
Greetings to my friends over there!
Anders
Anders and David,
First, Anders, this is the blog to be brief on. I do not write often due to lack of time. You are free to do the same!
I think that ID might be correct in its true sense. However, we might have lost the understanding of what ID means. An ID badge shows who I am. It is supposed to tell someone a mirror of me!
With other words, I am one with my ID, my ID is who/what I am.
Having that said, (i will study Rom 6 tonight…) I think that there is more supernaturality in the baptism than we, oftentimes, claim. While in Tulsa, VCC performed baptism after the Wednesday night service. We happened to stumble over our dear friends baptizing one of their kids. A current class I thought included the statement that baptism is merely a public statement that “I am now a Christian!” We have dematerialized the meaning of baptism!
Just as there is a great discussion on the elements of the Eucharist and the supernatural involvement, or, presence in the eucharist, I think that there is a divine act taking place in the baptism.
More later…