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ORIGINAL: daddyslittlegirl
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ORIGINAL: Kosherboy
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ORIGINAL: IL_ray_phillips
Blessed are you,O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us regarding the immersion.
So is this the proper baptism of water thata person must have along with the baptism of the spirit to be saved?
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Seems to be what John Used and the Apostles, to do it under the Blessings of Our LORD and Our GOD.
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How can we reconcile that thought with Matthew 28:18-20?
 Questions, Questions, Questions, always Questions
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Just before Messiah Jesus ascended into heaven, He spoke to His disciples saying, "
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28.18b-20 ) The expression
in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit has become a liturgical utterance used in baptisms. Did Messiah Jesus mean something more than simply an utterance used in baptisms? Is it possible that He outlined the essential steps of discipleship?
The concept of Christian baptism is based on the practice in Judaism of cleansing in the
mikveh. The Torah distinguishes between clean and unclean. Whenever someone became unclean, he entered the
mikveh for cleansing. The Jordan River served as a
mikveh for Jesus. The person entering the
mikveh totally immersed himself in the water. Hence, the practice of immersion was adopted by the early Church. Messiah Jesus also introduced the concept of being "
baptized in the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1.5). Again, the idea is that the person is immersed in the Holy Spirit. Thus, when we consider the examples of baptism in Scripture, we see the person being immersed, covered, or overflowing with the medium of baptism.
Messiah Jesus instructed His followers to baptize their disciples in the
Name of the Father, in the
Name of the Son, and in the
Name of the Holy Spirit. We would understand this to mean that the disciple would be immersed, covered, or overflowing in the medium of baptism, i.e., the
Name. The word
name in the Bible implies character, function, and purpose. Biblical names often describe the essential character of a person. So Messiah Jesus actually instructed His disciples to be intimately and fully immersed in the characteristics of the
Name of the Father, the characteristics of the
Name of the Son, and the characteristics of the
Name of the Holy Spirit.
When we consider the name of the Holy Spirit outlined in Scripture we find several descriptive functions or characteristics. Perhaps the most significant name for our purpose of discussion has to do with the revelation of Jesus. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you." (John 16.14). Later, Paul would say that, "no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12.3b). We could say that the name of the Holy Spirit is the revealer of Messiah Jesus. When one is baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, then, Messiah Jesus is revealed to him. He is able to discern (see) the resurrected Messiah and know Him personally. Indeed, this is the sign that one has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Pentecostal movement is incorrect when it teaches that the sign that one has been baptized in the Holy Spirit is that he speaks in tongues. The Scriptural sign is that the person of Messiah Jesus has been disclosed to him, that he intimately discerns and knows the resurrected Jesus.
There are many names that come to mind when we consider the Son, including
Savior,
Master,
Lord and
Word of God. For our discussion here, we will consider the name
Lord. Peter said, on Yom Hashavuot, that God had made Him both "
Lord and Messiah" (Acts 2.36). When we are baptized in this name of the Son, we are baptized into His Lordship, Messiah Jesus becomes Lord of our lives. Lordship implies that He supernaturally directs our lives. We assume His purpose and live for His glory. The apostles considered themselves bondslaves of Messiah Jesus. The sign that a person has been baptized in the name of the Son is that he follows Jesus as Lord. Jesus predicted that at His coming, many confidant of His acceptance would describe their works but He would declare to them, "
I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matthew 7.23). This means that they were never baptized into the name of the Son. They had not known Him as Lord.
There are likewise many names of the Father revealed in the Bible. Perhaps the most significant was revealed to Moses. God said to Moses, "
I Am Who I Am" (Exodus 3.14) The word used here is the future tense of the state of being verb. The true meaning is "
I Will Be What I Will Be". This is a statement of the absolute sovereignty of the Holy One. We also recognize the name of
Creator. In addition, God has been revealed as
El Shaddai meaning the "mighty God". Finally, God said that His memorial name by which He would be known to all generations is, "
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3.15). This last name is very important because it gives us the sign by which we know that we have been baptized in the name of the Father. When we embrace God as the God of our fathers, we embrace the people of the fathers, i.e., we claim a heritage in the midst of and with Israel. Paul said that no one could say that Jesus is accursed by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12.3a) because it is the same Holy Spirit that reveals the glory of the Son. In like fashion, no one can say that Israel is accursed that is baptized in the name of the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Conclusions[/align]We conclude that Messiah Jesus meant much more than just a baptismal liturgy when He said, "
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit". He outlined the essential steps of discipleship by which one would grow to maturity. The baptism in the name of the Holy Spirit is the initial step. The Holy Spirit reveals the person of the resurrected Messiah. The second phase of discipleship is making Jesus Lord by the Holy Spirit. He becomes the focus and purpose of our lives. We, by faith, follow Him. He, in turn, will lead us to intimate knowledge of the Holy One. He said, "
I am the way and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14.6) We only experience the name of the Father as Messiah Jesus leads us into His presence. Finally, the ultimate step of discipleship is knowing the name of the Father. The sign that a person has experienced this is their love for God's people Israel. This is a day of great confusion and deception. There are a multitude of "ways to God" outlined before us continually. The way of baptism in the name of the Father, the name of the Son, and the name of the Holy Spirit is sure and will never lead to disappointment.
Under Whose Name Did John Baptized ?
