Scripture References: Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38
**Water Baptism**
Do you believe there is a contradiction between what Jesus said andwhat the apostle Peter said in the above two verses of scripture? Ifyou do then you are in reality saying that the Bible is not inspired ofGod, but is only the works and thoughts and ideas of man. There isabsolutely no contradiction in what Jesus said and what Peter saidabout baptism. What seemingly may be thought to be a contradictionshould reveal to you that there is a truth concerning this subject thatonly a few can see and understand. Did not Paul tell us these verywords as stated in I Thessalonians 5:21 saying, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." Ithas been said by some that they had rather believe what Jesus said thanto believe what Peter said, but is not what both Jesus and Peter saidwritten in the same book we call the Bible? If there is as little asone contradiction in the book we call the Bible, then I could not haveany confidence in it all. Is not God more than able to watch over hisword and not allow man to tamper with it? Can man change Gods word thathas forever been settled in heaven, as Psalms 119:89 states saying, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." Mancannot change Gods word, but all he can do is attempt to change it bywriting another book and call it a Bible. For another book to say whatthe KJV of the Bible does not say is only a book that was written byman and was not inspired of God and so therefore it's not Gods word.Gods word cannot be changed nor can Gods word be destroyed and doneaway with. If man could change Gods word, then man would be morepowerful and more intelligent than God is, which is totally impossible.Man is a creation of God; God is certainly not a creation of man.
Arewe not told by the apostle Paul these words written by him in ICorinthians 1:20 that says, "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is thedisputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" Yesman's wisdom is worldly wisdom and down right foolishness with God eventhough man may think otherwise. Man takes upon himself inspired bySatan thinking he does not need God, but can get along just finewithout his word and so therefore God turns man over to a reprobate mind andin time man will destroy himself in his own craftiness. Many people hasadded and taken from Gods word of the Bible and think nothing of it,but in the long run he will see his plight.
Looking into the realm of today's religious world of Christianity,we can see the greatest majority of the clergymen baptizing theirconverts in accord with what Matthew 28:19 says thinking this scriptureis referring to water baptism. What Jesus said about "baptism"in this scripture is not reference to being baptized in water, butrather it's a reference to the Spirit baptism into Christ. Just becausethe word "baptizing" is used in this scripture this in no wayproves it's referring to water baptism. If Jesus was referring to beingbaptized in water using the formula "in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"then Peter would have used this formula when he told the Jews to bebaptized, as stated in Acts 2:38. The ministers in the many UnitedPentecostal Churches teach that Jesus was also referring to waterbaptism in Matthew 28:19, but they teach that it must be done in thesingle name of the Lord Jesus Christ and not the title form of Father,Son, and Holy Ghost. There is only one single name that must be used,but water baptism in Christ's name is not what Matthew 28:19 isreferring to. Allow me to show you the truth of what Matthew 28:19reveals. First of all if Matthew 28:19 is reference to water baptism inthe name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, then why do we notfind one single disciple of Christ baptizing any believer using thisformula in the entire book of Acts where we find four different placeswhere believers were being baptized in water? Let us refer to thesefour different places found in Acts where believers are not beingbaptized in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the HolyGhost, but rather in the single name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thefirst place is found in Acts 2:38 that says, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you "in the name of JesusChrist" for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."Why did Peter tell the Jews to be baptized in the name of the LordJesus Christ and not in the name of the Father, the Son, and of theHoly Ghost? The second place is found in Acts 8:12-16 that says,"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning thekingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, bothmen and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he wasbaptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding themiracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles whichwere at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, theysent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)" Againwhy were these believers baptized in water in the name of the LordJesus and not in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?
The third place where believers were being baptized in water is found in Acts 10:47-48 that says, "Canany man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which havereceived the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to bebaptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certaindays." Again why were these believers being baptized in water inthe name of the Lord and not in the name of the Father, the Son, and ofthe Holy Ghost? The forth place where believers were being baptized isfound in Acts 19:1-5 saying, "And it came to pass, that, whileApollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coastscame to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Haveye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him,We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And hesaid unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, UntoJohn's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptismof repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on himwhich should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heardthis, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Again why were these believers baptized in water in the name of the Lord Jesus and not in the "name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Ghost?" Now I want to show you the truth of what Matthew 28:19 reveals. Just because the word "baptizing"is used here this does not prove it's referring to water baptism, solets do what Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:21 and prove all things andhold fast that which is good. If you will look closely at Matthew 28:19you will hear Jesus telling his disciples to "go and teach all nations, baptizing them" butJesus was not telling them to teach all nations that they must bebaptized in water here. Water baptism is only one principle of truthout of many that we must believe and do. What then were these disciplestold to teach all nations? Look at verse twenty for the answer to thisquestion that says, "Teachingthem to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, Iam with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Thesedisciples were told to teach all the truths to the nations that hefirst taught them. Jesus certainly was not telling them to first teachthe nations all of the many truths of his word and then end upbaptizing them in water like most believe. To prove what Jesus wastelling them to do let us look at Matthew 3:11 that says, "I indeedbaptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me ismightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptizeyou with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." Notice that John tells us that Christ will baptize with the Holy Ghost. Both John and Jesus were baptizers. Johnbaptized "with water" but Jesus "baptized with the Holy Ghost." How does Jesus baptize with the Holy Ghost? How he does this is revealed in Matthew 28:19 so lets look at this verse again.
How does Christ baptize with the Holy Ghost? Notice that Jesus told his disciples to go and "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Ghost." To see the truth of this statement look at what Jesus said to them saying, "teach all nations, baptizing them." They were told to "teach all nations" and "baptizing them."If you will allow the word of God (which is Christ) to teach you, thenyou are at the same time allowing the word of God (Christ) to baptizeyou, but the word (Christ) must be revealed to you by revelation of theSpirit. So it is the Spirit by the word of God, which is Christ, thatwill baptize you into the one body of Christ, which is the one truechurch. It was not the disciples that were doing the baptizing, butrather it was the truth (Christ) in them that was doing the baptizingwith the Holy Ghost as he revealed the word to them. So this isreference to the Spirit baptism and not water baptism like the greatestmajority of people think and believe. The believers of the truth werebeing baptized into Christ as the Spirit revealed and led them into thetruths of Gods word. This is how Christ (the word of God) baptizes thebeliever with (by the help of) the Holy Ghost. It is the word taughtand revealed through the disciples that was doing the baptizing as theword was being revealed by the Spirit. The "name" ofthe Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost is the Lord Jesus Christ thatbelievers will be spiritually baptized into where they in time willbecome new creatures in Christ that Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians5:17. What Peter said in Acts 2:38 is definitely reference to waterbaptism and not baptism into Christ like UPC and Church of Christbelievers teach. Water baptism does not baptize believers into the bodyof Christ, because Paul tells us these words in I Corinthians 12:13saying, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and havebeen all made to drink into one Spirit." The Spirit by the word ofGod (which is Christ) baptizes the believer into the one body ofChrist, which is the church. So Matthew 28:19 is our baptism intoChrist's body and not in water like millions of people has been led tothink and believe. Water baptism in Christ's name as Acts 2:38 statesis for remission of sins and the Holy Ghost will be given, but failingto obey this command will leave you in darkness and give Satan aperfect opportunity to deceive you as he has done with multipliedmillions of people today and in times past. "He that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.".....amen