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

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

Question: Did God have one spiritual program from Mark 16 to Acts 28:24, and then change His program after Acts 28:25? Yes or No.

Answer: YES! It is not by accident that the Holy Spirit through Luke wrote so that the last sixteen chapters of the Book of Acts records the activities of ONE man and mentions only such other persons as had dealings with that man, the Apostle Paul. Note his testimony...For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles I magnify mine office... Romans 11:13. It is also no accident that about one half of the Apostle Pauls Epistles were written BEFORE the Divine judgment of Acts 28 and the other half thereafter. This should cause us to ask this question...If the Book of Acts is the record of the Acts of the Apostles, and if the last sixteen chapters tell of the acts of the Apostle Paul, why does the Book suddenly stop right in the midst of Pauls activities several years before his death? Paul certainly was unceasingly active right up to the last moment of his life. It is generally believed that the Apostle Paul experienced two imprisonments at Rome. The first time for...the hope of Israel (Acts 28:20), and the second time for...the Mystery among the Gentiles. Ephesians 6:19-22; Colossians 4:3-4; and Colossians 1:24-27. The Child of God who is a careful student of the Book of Acts, and the Acts period, will learn that during the first nine chapters of Acts, Gods order was...to the Jews, and NOT to the Gentiles, (Acts 3:29-32, Acts 10:28, and Acts 11:19). Then from Acts 13:1 to Acts 28:28, Gods order was...to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles. Acts 13:46; Acts 18:5-6; Romans 1:16; and Romans 11:11-30. Then in Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Titus, and 2 Timothy, written after the close of Acts, Gods order was no longer...to the Jews first.

Well, you guys did GREAT on this question. 87.5% of you got it right, out of 670 responses! Excellent Job! Now think about today's question carefully before answering.

John 1:31 “And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest TO Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”

Good Job Steve! And there you have it! It is NOT for a testimony...

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.”

Why did John the Baptist baptize with water? “That Christ might be made manifest to Israel”; “for the remission of sins” What was the significance of the water baptism received by Saul of Tarsus who was converted some months after Christ died on the cross? Hear the Apostle Paul’s own testimony: “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins. Calling on the name of the LORD.” Acts 22:16.

“BE BAPTIZED AND WASH AWAY THY SINS.” Very plain language is this. But, take note…The Apostle Paul was NOT “buried to witness to the world that he had been buried with Christ in baptism” as so many Children of God do today, because they feel, or have been told, that this is pleasing to God. Understand, W-a-s-h does not spell b-u-r-y.

Note the sequence order in Acts 8:5-13: Philip presented the message of Mark 16:14-18 in Samaria. The people believed Philip and God’s Word. Then Peter and John came several days later and laid hands on those baptized believers and they received the Holy Spirit. Today, during this Dispensation of Grace, we receive the Holy Spirit upon Believing!

SO, WHEN WERE THE TWELVE BAPTIZED?

Some Bible teachers teach that the Jews, including the twelve apostles, who were converted while Christ, was on earth, received “kingdom” water baptism. They say ““Christian” baptism began on the day of Pentecost when the Body of Christ began”, (which we know that the Apostle Paul was the first member of the Body of Christ). Then they claim that the twelve apostles, with the one hundred and twenty, were the first believers to be baptized into the Body of Christ. However, this then runs them into trouble, because they admit that the Twelve were not RE-baptized. Of course, then they have more trouble with the message of Peter on the day of Pentecost and the sale of their houses and lots. Acts 2:41-43; Acts 4:34.

These men, then, twist Acts 2:38 as they do Mark 16:14-16. They preach “repent and receive the Holy Spirit and be baptized with water” not even quoting the words “for the remission of sins” They forget about “the sale of their property” They say, “Well, that was a kingdom program”. They preach “he that believeth and is saved shall be baptized”, but “no signs”!

You can ask any intelligent spiritual preacher, “Does water baptism help to save a sinner?” “Will water baptism help get any one into the true Body of Christ Church?” “Does water baptism have any merit or value to help the believer’s standing in Christ?” Does the believer have to prove to God or to man that he is saved by receiving water baptism?” To every question there will be a prompt, dogmatic, unmistakable “NO”. If there had been any value whatever to water baptism in connection with the Pauline Gospel of Grace, by which we are saved during this Age of Grace, that greatest of all soul winners, the Apostle Paul, instead of saying “I thank God I baptized only a few of you” would have baptized every believer he saw and he would have boasted about it!

NOW, Pay Attention, there is something radically wrong with all of the different water ceremonies practiced by evangelical Christians. It is high time that some of the Bible teachers in the groups of Fundamentalists, who are not afraid of men, should rescue their fellow Fundamentalists from their inconsistencies, and learn why Christians are wholly disregarding Ephesians 4:3-6.

AND WHAT ABOUT FOLLOWING CHRIST IN BAPTISM?

Now and then we will hear some fundamental Pastor call upon members of the assembly to follow Christ in baptism, mainly from Baptist pastors. Now, the LORD Jesus was circumcised thirty years before He was baptized. Luke 2:17-27. Right after He was baptized He went on the Jewish Sabbath into the Jewish synagogue, as had been His custom. Luke 4:16. He told the Jews to whom He ministered to obey the Law and find the priest and present a gift, Matthew 8:1-4, Matthew 23:1-3. Are we to do all of this as well?

While Christ was on earth He was a Minister of the Circumcision, under The Law, sent only to Israel, preaching “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”, healing the sick. Romans 15:8; Matthew 15:24; Galatians 4:4; Luke 19:9; Matthew 10:5-8. While Jesus of Nazareth was being approved by God in the midst of Israel with signs and miracles, (Acts 2:22), so far as the Holy Scriptures are concerned, only ONE Gentile man received a blessing from Him, and that man loved the Jews and built them a synagogue. Luke 7:1-8. So tell me, should we tell believers to follow Ya-hweh Yahuwshua, The LORD Jesus Christ, in circumcision, or to the Jewish synagogue on the Jewish Sabbath, OR, because it conveniently fits our “church creed”, just in the matter of baptism? Can you see the hypocrisy!

Note Matthew 10:5 “go not to Gentiles”. If we are to go back to The LORD Jesus Christ on earth for our program today in this Age of Grace, we will certainly run smack into an Old Testament religious Jewish program. Going to the other side of the death and resurrection of the LORD Jesus we shall find the priests, offerings, sacrifices, the Scribes and Pharisees in Moses’ seat. We will not find the Dispensation of Grace for Gentiles, or membership in the Body of Christ. Let’s not join with those whose slogan is “back to Jesus”, because we are, NOW, as members of His Body, seated with Him in the heavenlies where He is far above. Let’s not go back to the land of the Jews under The Law. Shall we go back to where Jesus called the Gentiles “dogs”? Matthew 15:25-27.

Some years after Christ was resurrected and ascended up into Heaven, God opened a door to the Gentiles. Acts 14:27. Paul was “the apostle to the Gentiles”. And the Apostle Paul said, “Christ sent me not to baptize”. Paul never once intimated that water baptism was a witness to the world that a member of Christ’s Body had been baptized into the death of Christ, buried and raised with Him. The baptism of Romans 6:3-4 is both meritorious and efficacious and IF there is any water there (which there is NOT), then it is water baptism that made saints out of sinners. To which we say, “God Forbid”!

“KNOW YE NOT THAT SO MANY OF US AS WERE BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST WERE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH? THEREFORE WE ARE BURIED WITH HIM BY BAPTISM INTO DEATH: THAT LIKE AS CHRIST WAS RAISED UP FROM THE DEAD BY THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.” Romans 6:3-4

Now, with these verses read Colossians 2:11-12, “In Whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. 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.”

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

Then note Ephesians 4:5, “ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM”

All of these baptisms, which I have referenced above, refer to ONE and the same Divine Baptism. In which a believer is baptized into Christ, into the death of Christ, into the resurrected Christ, into the Body of Christ. Colossians 2:11. This Divine Baptism is what makes the believer a member of the true Body of Christ Church and makes him complete in Christ. Colossians 2:10.

So There You Have it! More on water Baptism tomorrow. Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide. The time is short