is water baptism a "work" ?
Tyler Nally (tnally@iquest.net)
Wed, 8 Dec 1999 14:56:09 -0500
On Mon, 06 Dec 1999, Schmuel wrote:
> Shalom Higher-Fire,
>
> Has anyone got a nice write-up in response to the
> "water baptism=work" concept...
Here's a write-up about how OT Circumcision is equivalent to NT Baptism.
My pastor back in Illinois gave this bible study on the *essentiality* of
the OT saint to be circumcised as well as the NT saint being baptised.
Bro Tyler
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Ever wonder what the OT's covenant of circumcision meant in relation
to us NT believers? Quite a bit actually. There is a spiritual
equivalent in OT command of circumcision that pretty much types and
shadows that which occured in the the NT command of baptism.
Q: Circumcision, how/why did it come about?
A: Essentially a "mark" reflecting the covenant established between
God and Abram (Abraham).
Gen 17: 9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant
therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and
you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you
shall be circumcised.
11. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and
it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among
you, every man child in your generations, he that is born
in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which
is not of thy seed.
13. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with
thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall
be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin
is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his
people; he hath broken my covenant.
Anotherwords, if you were to be of the seed of Abraham, or even a
slave of Abraham, you *had* to be circumcised as a sign of the
covenant between God and Abraham.
If one *of* Abraham wasn't circumcised, then they were cut off from
the people because the covenant between the individual and God was
broken.
YOU MUST BE CIRCUMCISED --- NO EXCUSES
It even carried over into the passover... Look how important it was.
Exo 12: 43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the
ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:
44. But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou
hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
45. A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.
46. In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth
ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall
ye break a bone thereof.
47. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
48. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will
keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be
circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and
he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no
uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
49. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the
stranger that sojourneth among you.
Anotherwords.... when it came time for those to leave Egypt (a type
of OT sin), in order to leave, you had to eat of the sacrifice of
the passover lamb, and you had to be circumcised. Strangers (those
that weren't the hebrews - gentiles) absolutely *had* to be circumcised
or they wouldn't even be allowed to enter in and eat of the lamb and
later escape in the exodus of Egypt to the promised land.
YOU MUST BE CIRCUMCISED --- NO EXCEPTIONS ---
TO ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY TO ENTER THE FREEDOM OF
THE PROMISED LAND
Let's now look to the NT. The NT actually records a circumcision
made without hands.... some have called it "a circumcision of the
heart."
Col 2: 11 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:
12. 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.
13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having
forgiven you all trespasses;
14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against
us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to his cross;
Peter said (about baptism "the like figure"):
1 Pet 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering
of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a
preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by
water.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save
us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ:
You put off the sins of the flesh (NT) via the circumcision of Christ
through the vehicle of water baptism. Ever wonder why you just felt
*absolutley* clean after being baptised? That's because, baptism
washes away the sin. It remits sin. Don't belive me? Well let's
see what Paul said in Acts when he was recounting his conversion at
the hands of Annanias:
Acts 22: 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
When did this start? When was baptism instituted as a mechanism
to remit (or remove) sins? Surely Paul didn't make this up?
Christ said in the great commission (which is his his last recorded
words here on earth before he ascended up to heaven - Q: How do you
reguard someones last words? A: Pretty important and significant):
Luke 24: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Matt 28: 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mark 16: 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned.
All accounts of the same last words of Christ before he ascended into
heaven. Luke *specifically* said that baptism is for the remission
of sins and that it be done in HIS name. Matthew said that we are
*go*, baptise, and teach. Mark said that if we are baptised we'll
be saved, if not we'll be damned (or just like the OT uncircumcised,
cut off from the people).
Where else does it show that baptism is commanded for the remission
of sins? Well, we gotta get into the church history for that, lets
go to Acts 2 when Peter was asked "What shall we do?"
Acts 2: 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their
heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men
and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
BE BAPTIZED for the REMISSION of sins... Peter said... EVERY ONE OF YOU
Q: Doctrines of Baptisms?
A: Different kinds of baptism's have been around for quite some
time.... It's recorded in 1 Corinthians 10 how everybody
(the hebrew slaves and evidently the strangers that had been
circumcised and eaten of the passover lamb) went through the
baptism of Moses.... A *baptism* shows who you belong to just
like circumcision shows the hebrew as belonging to God.
1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be
ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all
passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
They were baptised unto Moses baptism. Are there more? Yes. The
apostle Paul having travelled around the upper coasts of Ephesus found
certain disciples (believers) that were abiding under a different
baptism:
Acts 19: 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye
believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether
there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?
And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of
repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him
which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus.
The disciples found were *disciples* of John the baptiser. He baptised
with a baptism of repentence. They weren't yet baptised unto a baptism
of Christ (circumcision of Christ made without hands) to be called
children of the most high God. They were on their way... but just not
quite there yet.
Just like God is not delighted in sacrifices any more since he gave
of himself the *supreme* sacrifice. There's also importance showing
that physical circumcision or uncircumcision in the age of grace doesn't
really mean anything or put one in a "chosen" class:
1 Corinthians 7: 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is
nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Colossians 3: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision
nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:
but Christ is all, and in all.
Acts 10: 34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I
perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Many times in the NT, when scripture talks about putting off the flesh
or the filth in the flesh, it's often times shrouded into terms of
circumcision. They are essentially equivalents and use like terms:
Baptism even sounds like circumcision. Like attributes:
1) commanded for all that want to be free ...
A) from slavery - OT
B) from sin - NT
2) removes filth of ...
A) the flesh - OT
B) sin - NT
3) is a sign of ...
A) God's covenant with Abraham - OT
B) Good conscience towards God - NT
4) has promise of ...
A) freedom - OT
B) everlasting life - NT
Just as it's *commanded* that it's for *all*, both have a
similar penalty:
5) Uncircumcision - cut off from the people - OT
6) Unbaptized - shall be damned - NT
Knowing that God no longer *winks* at ignorance:
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
I don't see *any* way why anybody, after knowing the roots of
baptism (from the OT circumcision and it's meaning and promises),
that anybody would *deny* themselves water baptism. If a body
of believers doesn't believe in it or even doesn't practice it....
I'd be highly suspicious of what else is conveniently left out.
Find out why, from your pastor, elders, deacons, etc. If they
dismiss it, go looking elsewhere for a new spiritual home.
--
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| Tyler Nally | tnally@iquest.net | http://www.informit.com |
| Sr Programmer Analyst | tyler.nally@informit.com | phone: (317) 581-4651 |
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