E-mail Questions Answered by Ken Smith:
1/14/07   Baptism:
A couple of experiences concerning baptism from way back when in 1955 after I made Jesus Lord on April 28th you might find interesting as follows.  Of course, the mode of baptism is not an issue with me at all when I consider the thief on the Cross and St. Paul's statement that he was not sent to baptize.  Basically baptism is a public confession of faith, Rom. 10:9-10 to the Church of Jesus Christ.  It also shares with the Church the need to support the new brother or sister in their pilgrimage of faith, Heb.11.

The Greeks still baptize with three immersions in one baptism due to the context in Matt.  concerning the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  It appears that the correct Greek understanding of the passage is three immersions like you would paint a house 3 times with three coats.  Even with infants they pass the child through the water three times face down quickly.

The Holy Scriptures also indicate that we are Baptized or planted in the likeness of our Lord's death, Rom.6:5.   I know that the basic spiritual implications of baptism is also Romans 12 and represents the new believer's death, burial and resurrection in Christ Jesus.  But some have felt that perhaps there is also another meaning in our Lord's bowed head concerning baptism.  The only way that one can be baptized with a bowed head is forward as kneeling in prayer.  This really works well for a holy prayerful experience as the head is face down in the water rather than face up which is obviously rather fearful.   In baptized a really neat fat lady in the ocean one day and a big wave came in, bowled us all over,  and quickly started taking her out to sea.  I caught onto her ankle as she was speedily moving by,  her husband was there with me trying to get on his feet as well.  We pulled her back to safety.  Later I asked her is she had been afraid.  She said, “Not at all,  if it was my time to meet my maker I was ready.”  She went on to say that she was in prayer and the presence of the Lord and was not bothered by the waves in the least.  This could not have happened if she had been on her back.  I have found that face down does lend greatly to the sanctity and peace of the moment.

The Greek word for Baptism means to be dipped or immersed or saturated.  With the Biblical meaning nothing short of immersions will convey the spiritual truth of that blessed time.  Also as there are no clear indication as to children being baptized in Holy Scripture I usually dedicate young children and anoint them with oil as it seems better to me that they should  memories concerning both their confession of faith and baptism.  If only one of the parents is a Christian they are already sanctified or set apart and blessed, 1 Cor.7:14 so baptism can add little until they have faith to make Jesus both Lord and Savior and to believe in the meaning of baptism.

Of course there is need for serious instruction before going out into the water to baptize.  The following are questions that I ask as I am baptizing.

1.   Do you accept God as your Heavenly Father who love you with an everlasting love and has asked you to join His family.....   Yes
2.   Do you accept Jesus Christ as the Creator Lord, King, Master and as your savior who died on the cross for you?....   Yes
3.   Do you accept God the Holy Spirit as your guide in this life to help you become like our Lord Jesus Christ? .....  Yes

And after the baptism and while they are still kneeling I pray for the Holy Spirit fill all of the empty places in their lives with His presence that have been vacated by their enemy and that they be empowered by the Holy Spirit to have victory in their own lives and to have power to be a witness of our Lord Jesus in helping others in their pilgrimage.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit can happen then or later it is not always the same. The empowering can happen even prior to being baptized  Sometimes there is a need to learn more about obedience and self control before the Holy Spirit can move into a dimension of power with in their lives.  Some Christians never do break through into obedience,  "He gives His Spirit to them that obey Him."  The Power of the Holy Spirit is given through faith in a relationship of obedience and is not just a "church sacrament."  The Holy Spirit is given in power as a blessing to seeking and obedient children,  Luke 11:13.

This is not written to divide, cause stress or start a division in the church again but it is way past time for the "Bride" to check out the old traditions according to Holy Scripture to become the unified, loving,  spotless, wrinkle free “Bride” with no blemishes that is empowered by being of one mind and one spirit.  +K<><

Baptism 1/11/07
While it is true that the Orthodox Church has built a doctrine of baptism around "born of water" our Lord defines His own terms in the next verse as "flesh"  water in this passage meaning born of man or a human as a fallen spirit can not inherit eternal life.  Again John defines the truth of the matter in 1 John 3:5-8 (8).  So in the O.T. it tells us that the "life, or soul, is in the blood" and we know that the spirit is like the wind of life so also is the water the house that we live in or body, John 3:5-6  this has nothing to do with baptism.

The "Church" has been using that verse for centuries to manipulate people into leaning onto their baptism as a part of their salvation.  And therefore being tied to the  "Church" for a life giving sacrament.  It is faith alone that saves, Rom.10:9-10.  Baptism or immersion in water is a public witness of the death, burial and resurrection in Christ Jesus but it does not save.  I do not baptize small children for that reason but I do anoint them with oil and dedicate them to our Lord.  It is far better for the soul to be full of faith and remember the experience of their baptism.  Children of a saved parent are already “Sanctified” at birth, 1 Cor.7:14.  I was baptized as Episcopalian at 19 mo. of unsaved parents,  I remember the day, I thought the Priest was going to wash, cook and eat me like a chicken on our farm for Sunday dinner.  I screamed to the top of my lungs,  they let me go after getting my head wet, I ran out of the church and threw rocks at the Priest when he came out the door after the service.  Baptized a Methodist at 16 years by a fiery evangelist (fear) and finally gave my heart to Jesus as Lord as a Christian (love) at age 22.  Paul would have had a much greater concern about Baptism (immersion)  if it was necessary for salvation, 1 Cor.1:17.  There are millions and millions who will be in the Kingdom of our Lord that were never baptized in water just like the thief on the cross.

The just shall live by faith, Romans 1:17, and chapter 4.  The equation of O.T. Circumcision is the same as N.T. Baptism. Col.2:4-23.  Baptism is a Greek word which means to immerse.  That word, Baptism, is used in the Bible having many meanings, Heb. 6:2  The meaning in Col. is obviously the same meaning as in 1 Cor.12:13,  Titus 3:5,  where St. Paul writes of being “immersed” into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit and has nothing to do with water. And also 1 Pet.3:21, Gal.5:6, Col.2:11-23 (This scripture equates Circumcision with water Baptism.)  Abraham was saved by faith and later circumcised, Romans chapter 4.  So all of the scriptures that concern circumcision actually relate to and teach about the doctrine of water baptism in the New Testament.  The external separation from the world of the Old Testament becomes internal in the New Testament,  Heb.10:16.

12/6/06   Baptism:
In the verse of 1 Cor.12:13 by the context it is to be understood by the reader that neither clergy nor water is involved.   At 19 months I remember my sacramental baptism and also remember throwing rocks at the Episcopal Priest as he came out the door of his church.  No real repentance or conversion there, John 3:16.  I have known of many who were dipped, sprinkled or immersed as children and were yet in need of salvation in the traditional sacramental church system .  The potential error here is to look towards the church or traditions as security for salvation rather than to truly look to Jesus Christ for salvation. It is the walk, not the talk.  It is the rubber on the road that counts. The tree is known by it's fruit.  Even the Table of our Lord Jesus is a  remembrance or memorial according to  St. Paul in 1 Cor.11:24-26. Holiness is primary to the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Even blessed Mary is no longer a virgin according to St. Matthew 1:25,  13:53-58.  Not that it is more holy or perfect to be a virgin than as married in the Lord Jesus.

Catholic Orthodoxy must be validated in each generation to remain Catholic Orthodoxy as the Holy Spirit is giving us more and more Truth as time moves along.  Nothing new will violate the Truth of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Eternal Word.  But traditions have a way of getting in the way of the Truth at times.  The Traditional folks were the ones who murdered our Lord Jesus on a painful cross near the town dump.  We must always be willing to go back to and search the scriptures to see if these things be so.  True Unity brings with it the confirming power of God.  No Power, No Unity,  all just words,  see John 17.

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