1. "Baptism" is a greek word "baptizo" meaning to "identify with", thus it means ....in scripture to place a person into a new environment, or into union with someone ....or something else so as to alter the person's condition or relationship to their previous ....environment. Two types; Real and Ritual. ....A. Example; "Baptizing" a red hot sword into water, the metal is "annealed", undergoes ........molecular change and also cools. This is a real baptism. 2. Real baptisms; Literal change or effect. ....A. Moses; A double identification; (1 Cor 10:2) .......(1) Children of Israel identified with Moses as they crossed the Red Sea. .......(2) Moses identified with the cloud (preincarnate Christ) and with the sea, remained ...........dry amidst the waters. ....B. Fire...unbeliever identified with judgement at 2nd Advent; (Matt 3:11, 13:25; Luke 316b) ....C. The Cross (The cup in the eucharist); (Matt 20:22, Luke 12:50) .......(1) Christ identifies Himself with the cross and our sins. .......(2) All the sins of the world put in one "cup" and poured out on Christ. The Father ...........judged our sins in Him. ....D. Baptism of The Holy Spirit, placing us into union with Christ; (Acts 1:5, Rom 6:3,4, ........1Cor 12:13, Gal 3:26-28, Eph 4:5, Col 2:12) .......(1) Mechanics; Holy Spirit places believer in Christ at moment of salvation .......(2) Did not occur in Old Testement or any other dispensation; (Col 1:25,26) .......(3) First prophesied by Christ during incarnation; (Jn 14:20) .......(4) Unification of believers (water baptism divides); (Eph 4:5, Heb 2:11) .......(5) Began the Church Age; (Acts 1:5, 2:3, 11:15-17) .......(6) Basis of current positional truth; (Eph 1:3-6) .......(7) Not experiential, not felt in any way. 2. Ritual Baptisms; Water representing something else; No literal change, only figurative. ....A. Baptism of Jesus, Unique; (Matt 3:13-17) .......(1) Christ identified Himself with His Father's will that He go to the cross. .......(2) Water represents The Father's will and plan. ....B. John the Baptist; (Matt 3:1-11, Jn 1:25-33, Acts 19:2-4) .......(1) Water represented The Kingdom. .......(2) Identification with Jesus in His death, rejection of human good, ............retroactive positional truth. .......(3) Identified with air, coming out of water, current positional truth, picture of union ...........with Christ in resurrection life, walking in newness of life, divine good. .......(4) Represents faith in Christ, but has no actual effect. .......(5) Two ordinances for The Church; (a) Water baptism once, represents salvation, and ...........(b) Communion, repetitious, represents fellowship with God. Doctrinal Notes Archive: Notes [ HOME ]