The LLM Question of the Day for 11-14-2010. During the Current Age of Grace, are there to be multiple Baptisms (Eph.4:5)? Yes or No?

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And now the answer to the LLM Question of the Day for 11-12-2010

Question:John the Baptist baptized with water that Christ might be made manifest TO Israel. True or False?

Answer: TRUE! Now let us read carefully John 1:31, “AND I KNEW HIM NOT: BUT THAT HE SHOULD BE MADE MANIFEST TO ISRAEL, THEREFORE AM I COME BAPTIZING WITH WATER.” John the Baptist answered the question himself.

And, 94.1% of you, out of 425 responses, got it right! Now, I want you all to REALLY think about today's question before responding. The answer will be to you tomorrow by email.

Most preachers, and Pastors, claim that we are working under the “great commission” of Matthew 28:19-20, and that we are to baptize with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, AFTER believers are made members of the Body of Christ by Holy Spirit baptism. But they do not know what for. Many defend their practice because “it is too late to change”. But not one of the dozen or more water baptism theories can be proved by the Word of Truth rightly divided.

They cannot prove their practice by the Bible, except by corrupting some Scriptures and wholly ignoring other Scriptures. In addition to the baptism of Matthew 28:19-20, which most Christians claim to be “Christian” baptism, (which is a non-Biblical concept), note the three baptisms of Luke 3:16, “JOHN ANSWERED, SAYING UNTO THEM ALL, I INDEED BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER, BUT ONE MIGHTIER THAN I COMETH THE LATCHET OF WHOSE SHOES I AM NOT WORTHY TO UNLOOSE: HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND WITH FIRE.”

So, we have: “WATER”, “HOLY SPIRIT”, and “FIRE”. THREE BAPTISMS

NOW note the FOURTH baptism of Luke 12:50, “BUT I HAVE A BAPTISM TO BE BAPTIZED WITH: AND HOW AM I STRAITENED TILL IT BE ACCOMPLISHED.” THIS is Christ’s baptism on the cross, “DEATH”.

So if we include Matthew 28 we have FIVE baptisms. HOWEVER, we read in Ephesians 4:3-6, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: One LORD, one faith, ONE BAPTISM, One God and father of all, Who is above all and through all, and in you all.”

So then, which of the five baptisms of Luke and Matthew is the ONE BAPTISM of Ephesians 4:5?

The ONE Divine Baptism of Ephesians 4:5 is the “Death” baptism of Romans 6:3, and Colossians 2:12. It is significant that when Christ mentioned His “death” baptism He gave this order to His apostles, “Then charged He His disciples that they should tell NO MAN that He was Jesus the Christ.” Matthew 16:20. Christ, in the twelfth chapter of Luke, mentioned His “death” baptism. Death baptism is mentioned in Romans 6:3-4.

Now check up on this interesting fact there is no water baptism in the last twelve chapters of Luke, after Christ mentioned His “death” baptism. There is no record that any one received water baptism after the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul wrote of the “death” baptism of Romans 6:3-4.

Why did John baptize with water? Well, here, listen to John the Baptist tell you, “And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.” John 1:31. What did Christ say in Matthew 16:20? “Then charged He His disciples that they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ”. After that, there was no need for water baptism as long as this order stood. But later on, what happened? “Then said Jesus, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” After this prayer the same Jews who were denounced as “serpents”, “vipers” and “hypocrites” in Matthew 23 were tenderly and affectionately addressed as children of the covenant in Acts 3:17, and Acts 3:25.

Christ’s order of Matthew 16:20 was RESCINDED. Christ began anew with Israel on the day of Pentecost. Let’s go to Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, Whom ye have crucified, both LORD and Christ.” Surely the LORD began anew with Israel on the day of Pentecost. Strange! Here the twelve apostles did the very thing they were told not to do in Matthew 16:20. They testified to Israel that Jesus is Christ. So also did the Apostle Paul in Acts 9:20 and in Acts 17:3-4. Why did they testify to Israel who the LORD Jesus Christ, is? Because of Christ’s prayer on the cross.

So, with Israel’s new opportunity to accept Jesus as Christ and King, water baptism was again in order, in line with John 1:31, until the rejection was announced in Romans 11:1-15. Note Romans 11:15, “FOR IF THE CASTING AWAY OF THEM BE THE RECONCILING OF THE WORLD, WHAT SHALL THE RECEIVING OF THEM BE, BUT LIFE FROM THE DEAD?”

Here we have a radical change indicated: the casting away of Israel meant the reconciling of Gentiles. This is one of the most important dispensational verses in the Bible. Stop here. Pray and meditate on this scripture.

Catch the full significance of the truth of Romans 11:15 and Romans 11:30. Here we learn the all-important truth that the sons of Abraham (notice I did not say Abram) lost their place of special privilege. Racial and religious barriers were removed and now the other children of Adam were justified without a cause by God’s Grace. Romans 3:24.

The Apostle Paul was the LORD’s “reconciliation” preacher. WITH THE FIRST MENTION OF “RECONCILIATION” coming through the Holy Spirit in the Apostle Paul’s Epistles, there was no further record of any water ceremony. God was through with ceremonial washings and all religious practices when He was through, albeit temporarily, with His religious nation. Note Hebrews 9:10, “Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers baptisms, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.” With the Ministry of Reconciliation the reformation came.


Let’s not forget, that there were no religious baptisms until God gave them to Israel at Sinai. Members of Christ’s Body today are united to the Head in the heavenlies, baptized with His baptism and are complete in Him, and have nothing to do with water baptism.

I want you to take note, Water baptism AND signs are found TOGETHER in the New Testament Scriptures, except that John the Baptist performed no miracles and Christ, did no baptizing. In the Apostle Paul’s Prison Epistles we find no water baptism, and neither signs, nor tongues, nor sign healings. We find DIFFERENT gifts to the Body and one Divine Baptism in Ephesians 4. Certainly, the Holy Spirit knew that it would be out of the question for believers, with such water baptism confusion, to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit.

Now, let’s tackle this real quick, every once in a while we’ll hear some brother trying to prove that the LORD has linked water baptism and the LORD’s Supper together as the two ordinances to be practiced or observed by the members of the Body of Christ. They quote 1 Corinthians 11:2, “That ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances as I delivered to you.” The word here, translated ordinances, is “parakosis”, meaning “traditions”. This is an entirely different Greek word than the word “dogma” which is used for ordinances in Colossians 2:14.

Every intelligent student of the Scriptures knows that it is NOT God’s will that members of the Body of Christ should be divided into clergymen and laymen. There is no Scriptural proof that a man must be an ordained “reverend” before he is Scripturally qualified to baptize a fellow believer, or to preside when members of the Body of Christ take the bread and wine in remembrance of the death of Christ.

While God does want things done decently and in order, He certainly does NOT want any member of Christ’s Body to consider the LORD’s Supper as something RELIGIOUS. We are not a race of servants, as were the people of God under the law. We are a race of sons. Christ wants us to be righteous and spiritual but He does not want us to be religious. IF the LORD’s Supper is a religious ordinance, THEN it has no place in the dispensation of the Grace of God. However, it is not. So, now note 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the LORD’s death till He come.”

Now the question “how often is ‘as often’”? If the LORD’s Supper is a memorial, there is NO specified time or place where believers are to gather to remember the LORD. It is not a compulsory, legal ordinance that must be observed in a church building at a regular time on Sunday or any other day. Also, if a Child of God is so moved, he or she can observe it alone with the LORD. The language of 1 Corinthians 11:26, studied in the light of the Dispensation of Grace, grants to the saints of God the privilege of gathering in a home, or any kind of a building, at any time saints care to gather to remember the LORD. And, it cannot be proved that the expression, “breaking bread”, used in several verses in Acts referred to “the LORD’s Supper”.

Now, of course, there are those brethren that would rule the LORD’s Table OUT of the Dispensation of Grace because it was a religious Jewish ordinance, associated with Israel’s New Covenant, and a continuation of Israel’s Passover. There are even some who say that during the “Acts” period no Gentile Christian in the “Acts” Body sat at the LORD’s Table; but only Jews. And they gathered at Passover time, on the fourteenth day of Israel’s first month.

There has NOT been any man of God who has produced any valid Scriptural reason for the elimination of the LORD’s Table from “the Dispensation of the Mystery” in Ephesians 3:9. Those who have attempted to use the Scripture for their refusal to sit at the LORD’s Table have gotten into rather serious trouble with OTHER doctrines, and they have done anything but rightly divide the Word of God.

The Word stands, that the Apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul, received his authority from the RISEN Christ to present to members of the Body of Christ the blessed privilege of partaking of the bread and wine until the LORD Jesus shall have come.

Tomorrow we will discuss, HAVE YE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT SINCE YE BELIEVED? (ACTS 19:1-12)

So There You Have it!

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