SHOULD WE WATER BAPTIZE?

To understand why water baptism was necessary for the Nation of Israel to enter into an earthly kingdom, we must first see progressive revelation, the difference between the Nation of Israel and the church (the body of Christ) and the need to always rightly divide the Word of truth (II Tim 2:15).

The Nation of Israel will be a kingdom of priests when the kingdom is set up on earth.

Exodus 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

To be a priest of God there were two things that must be done. They had to be washed in water, and they had to be anointed.

Exodus 40:12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.

Exodus 40:15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

John the Baptist shows up after 400 years of silence from God preaching the baptism of repentance FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS. Water baptism does not remit sins today because Jesus has died for our sins. (See I Cor 15:3-4)

Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Matt 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

Matt 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus came to be prophet, priest and king. When he began his ministry he preached repent the kingdom was at hand. He was offering the kingdom to Israel and he was to be their king. The Nation of Israel accepted him as a prophet (John 3:2), and when John baptized him he fulfilled the requirement of Priest. He also fulfilled all righteousness and today we cannot be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. Also the Spirit did not fall on him until after he was baptized.

Matt 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Matt 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Matt 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Matt 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus chose his 12 apostles and told them to go only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and to preach the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This gospel was only for Israel and always includes water baptism. The kingdom was still being offered to Israel until Acts 7 when they stoned Steven. Peter was still preaching water baptism in order to receive the Holy Ghost and the forgiveness of sins when the Lord returned.

Matt 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matt 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, 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 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

The apostle Paul is saved in Acts Chapter 9 and sent to the Gentiles. He does baptize a few, but after he received the mystery of the revelation (Rom 16:25) he wrote the book of First Corinthians telling us that he was not sent to baptize but to preach the gospel. If water baptism was still needed in the age of grace then Paul didn't have that commission.

Paul tells us that there is one baptism, and he also tells us that today when we believe that Christ died for our sins we are baptized BY ONE SPIRIT into the body of Christ (not by water). The references the apostle Paul makes in his epistles are not referring to water baptism but Spirit baptism. (Rom 6:3;Gal 3:27; Col 2:12)

I Cor 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

I Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,

I Cor 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Col 2:12 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.

Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Today we are living in the age of grace; we are saved without works (Eph 2:8-9). God is no longer dealing with Israel or requiring water baptism; he is dealing with all alike (Gal 3:28). The one baptism in the age of grace is baptism by one Spirit into one body, the body of Christ.

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