Hi Tony,
Why do you assume that because Peter water baptized Cornelius, it was therefore necessary? The Scriptures don't say that, and you can't automatically assume that everything an apostle did was a commandment from God.
Peter doesn't even mention water baptizing Cornelius and his associates when he recounted what happened to the legalistic Jews who were concerned about his eating with Gentiles.
Acts 11:15-17 MKJV
(15) And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
(16) And I remembered the Word of the Lord, how He said,
John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
(17) If God gave to them the same gift as to us, they having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to prevent God?
If water baptism was necessary for salvation, don't you think Peter would have mentioned that as well, especially to the religious Jews hung up on physical rites such as circumcision? It was these same people who later influenced Peter to act hypocritically when he separated himself from the Gentiles in their presence:
Galatians 2:11-16 MKJV
(11) But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was to be blamed.
(12) For before some came from James, he ate with the nations. But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision.
(13) And the rest of the Jews also dissembled with him, so as even Barnabas was led away with their dissembling.
(14) But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before all, If you, being a Jew, live as a Gentile, and not as the Jews, why do you compel the nations to Judaize?
(15) We Jews by nature, and not sinners of the nations,
(16) knowing that a man is not justified by works of the Law, but through faith in Jesus Christ; even we believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith in Christ, and not by works of the Law. For all flesh will not be justified by works of law.
Peter water baptized Cornelius and his group because of a precedent set beforehand by God and not by revelation of what the Lord was doing next. It was because he received revelation, however, that Paul said he wasn't sent to water baptize. Paul understood the symbolic nature of this rite, which made it no longer necessary when Christ fulfilled it by the baptism in His Spirit.
You ask why Paul water baptized the disciples in Ephesus after they had already been water baptized once before. Are the Scriptures talking about water baptism there? It could sound that way, but consider the following translation of the verses in question.
Acts 19:1-6
(1) And it happened, in the time Apollos was in Corinth, Paul was passing through the higher parts to come to Ephesus. And finding some disciples,
(2) he said to them, Believing, did you receive the Holy Spirit? And they said to him, We did not even hear whether the Holy Spirit is.
(3) And he said to them, Then to what were you baptized? And they said, To the baptism of John.
(4) And Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe into the One coming after him, that is, into the Christ, Jesus.
(5) And hearing, they were baptized
into the Name of the Lord Jesus.
(6)
When Paul laying hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in languages and prophesied.
What I see happening there is that Paul preached Christ to them and laid hands on them, which is when they were baptized, receiving the Spirit of the Lord.
Would water baptism “in the Name of the Lord” baptize believers “
into His Name,” meaning into Him, or would the baptism with His Spirit do this? Certainly it's the latter, as we see.
“And all were baptized
into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:2 ESV)
It's the reality of God's Presence and spiritual acts that baptizes into His Name, not a ritual. If water baptizing “in the Name of the Lord Jesus” brought salvation, then the disciples in Samaria would have received His Spirit when they were baptized that way. But the baptism in the Spirit didn't happen until the Lord directly intervened through His apostles.
Acts 8:14-17 MKJV
(14) And the apostles in Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them;
(15) who when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
(16) For as yet He had not fallen on any of them, they were baptized only in the Name of the Lord Jesus.
(17) Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Note that the apostles didn't lay hands on Simon, who also had been water baptized in the Name of Jesus:
Acts 8:13-24 MKJV
(13) Then Simon himself believed also, and being baptized, he continued with Philip. And seeing miracles and mighty works happening, he was amazed…
(18) And when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
(19) saying, Give me this power also, that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
(20) But Peter said to him, May your silver perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
(21) You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
(22) Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
(23) For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.
(24) And answering Simon said, You pray to the Lord for me that none of these things which you have spoken may come on me.
If being water baptized in the Name of Jesus changed anybody, then Simon wouldn't have been offering money for the gifts of the Spirit, or unrepentant when confronted about it.
If being water baptized in the Name of Jesus was so important, why wasn't it done with Apollos, who only knew “the baptism of John”? Rather, Aquila and Priscilla “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly,” after which Apollos was a help to the disciples of the Lord:
Acts 18:24-28 KJV
(24) And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
(25) This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
(26) And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
(27) And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
(28) For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
Consider as well, that Aquila and Priscilla did these things with Apollos after spending time with Paul. Why didn't they do as you claim Paul and the apostles would have taught them? You can't say they weren't following God, because the results show that God was with them and Apollos, whom they ministered to in Christ.
But
if, as you say, Paul did water baptize the Ephesians spoken of in Acts 19, this still doesn't prove your contention that water baptism is a necessary rite today. As we have shown you, Paul also oversaw the circumcision of Timothy (Acts 16:3), yet Paul knew and preached that circumcision wasn't necessary for salvation. Indeed, those who trusted in circumcision, the same as you trust in water baptism, were a threat to the Gospel Paul preached:
Galatians 2:1-5 EMTV
(1) Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, also taking Titus along.
(2) And I went up by revelation, and I set before them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those with influence, lest somehow I might run, or had run, for nothing.
(3) But not even Titus who was with me, although he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised;
(4) and that was because of false brothers secretly brought in (who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might reduce us to slavery),
(5) to whom not even for an hour did we yield in subjection, that the truth of the Gospel might remain with you.
And to the Ephesians you claim Paul water baptized for their salvation, he later wrote:
“There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith,
one baptism…” (Ephesians 4:4-5 MKJV).
What baptism was Paul talking about? You ask us for Scriptures to prove things, Tony, and we've given them to you, but you have no respect for the Word of God.
Where in the Scriptures do you find that two water baptisms were commanded (one for repentance and one in the Name of Jesus), as it appears you believe was necessary (and maybe think still is)? The preaching of two water baptisms for salvation isn't found anywhere in the Scriptures because it was never necessary or mandated by God.
Water baptism isn't necessary - we have given you ample proof. You keep asking us for the Scriptures, which we have supplied, refuting your understanding and use of the Scriptures. If you still wish to continue arguing your point, it's only because you're religiously stubborn in idolatry of other gods, one of them being water baptism and another, the Bible that you interpret in your carnality to justify yourself.
Here's what the Lord said to those who used the Scriptures against Him and the truth He spoke:
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about Me. But you are unwilling to come to Me, so that you may have life” (John 5:39-40 EMTV).
You use the Lord's words to indicate one DOES find life in the Scriptures:
“
We cannot argue the scriptrure away, Jesus said, we must search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life JOHN 5VS39 and then he said in JOHN 7 vs 38 he that believeth on me as the scripture hath said,”
Jesus said
the very opposite. And isn't that what your stance is with us? You deny and defy what the Lord was saying to the Jews…that life wasn't where the Jews were looking for it. So with you and us. Your dogged insistence is not on the truth of the Scriptures, but on your interpretation and understanding of them.
You're the one shut out of the Kingdom of God, not because you weren't baptized in water, but because you haven't been baptized in His Spirit.
How then shall we speak the same thing when our trust is in the Lord and Author of the Scriptures while yours is in the Scriptures, interpreted your way?
You say, “
NOW JOHN CHAP 3 VS 5 CLEARLY STATED THAT A MAN MUST BE BORN OF WATER AND SPIRIT ONE IS AN OUTWARD SHOWING AN EVIDENCE OF CHANGE, HOLY GHOST BAPTISM THROUGH FAITH ,BUT GOD GIVE THE HOLY GHOST TO THEM THAT OBEY HIM.”
You shout, “
THE SCRIPTURES COMMANDED US TO BE WATER BAPTIZED AND FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.”
As we've already told you, the Lord wasn't speaking of water baptism but of being washed by the Water of His Word. You err, being carnal, and can't hear, being set on your gods.
Question: Do you really believe that if one were to receive the Holy Spirit but not be water baptized that therefore he would not be permitted into the Kingdom of God? Really, Tony? Where do you find Scripture for that?
Imagine the Lord saying to that person, “Yes, I understand that you have received and have dwelling in you MY Spirit; however, I can't have anything to do with you because you weren't immersed in water, sorry to say.”
You say, “
I KNOW YOU KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT BAPTISM JUST COME BACK TO THE TRUTH AND DONT LEAN TO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING JUST ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND LET HIM DIRECT YOUR PATH GOD BLESS ,,,,TONY THOMAS”
No, you don't know we know the truth about baptism. You argue with what we know the Lord has revealed to us, claiming it's of our own understanding. We have acknowledged and do acknowledge Him and have received His Mind and understanding of matters. You have not. We are blessed and you oppose that blessing, b
ecause leaning to your understanding.
Read
What It Means To Be Born Again. You have an erroneous understanding of the new birth, because you haven't been born again.
You write, “
Hi greetings in JESUS CHRIST NAME the one and only true GOD.”
Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ IS the One and Only True God (
The Most Glorious of Truths). We speak in His Name to you. Consider prayerfully what gods you're serving that keep you from hearing us and what we speak in the Lord.
Paul & Victor