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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
on "UNITY" Q. What does the Bible have to say about unity?
THE BAPTISM THAT UNIFIES I.Introduction: SEVEN ONES OF UNITY A. Ephesians 4:4-6 B. The 7 "ones" of unity
5. Faith 6. Baptism 7. God C. One Body 1. This refers to the body of Christ, the church - Ephesians 1 :22-23 a. Ephesians 1 :22-23 - And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 2. Paul speaks here of the universal church a. The "body" of saved believers throughout the world b. Of which Christ is the "head", and the "savior of the body" -- Ephesians 5:23 Ephesians 5:23 - For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 3. With only one body, one universal church, there is only one head Jesus D. One Spirit 1. This would be the Holy Spirit 2. Who has already been described in this epistle... a. As "the Holy Spirit of promise" - Ephesians 1: 13 Ephesians 1: 13 - In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise b. As "the guarantee of our inheritance" - Ephesians 1: 14 Ephesians 1: 14 - who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. c. By Whom both Jew and Gentile have access to the Father - Ephesians 2:18 Ephesians 2:18 - For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. d. In Whom God habitats those who are being built a "holy temple" - Ephesians 2:21-22 Ephesians 2:21-22 - in whom the whole building, beingfitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. e. By Whom the "mystery of Christ" was revealed to the apostles and prophets - Ephesians 3:5 Ephesians 3:5 -which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: f. Through Whom God strengthens with might the inner man - Ephesians 3: 16 Ephesians 3: 16 - that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, g. As the One whose "unity" is to be maintained in the bond of peace - Ephesians 4:3 Ephesians 4:3 - endeavoring to keEphesians the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace E. ONE HOPE OF YOUR CALLING... 1. For Paul, this pertains primarily to "the resurrection ofthe dead" - Ac 23:6; 24:15; Ro 8:23-24; cf. 1 Co 15:19-23; Ph 3:10-11,20-21 2. Which necessarily includes such concepts of "salvation" (1 Th 5:8) and "eternal life" (Titus 1:2; 3:7) F. ONE LORD... 1. This refers to Jesus, of course - 1 Co 8:5-6 2. Whom God has made "both Lord and Christ" - Ac 2:36 G. ONE FAITH... 1. This the body of truth, "the faith", which Jude says was "once for all delivered to the saints" - Jude 3 2. It is that "pattern of sound words" of that Paul taught Timothy (2 Ti 1:13), and which he was to commit to faithful men (2 Ti 2:2) 3. We fmd this "pattern of sound words" in the pages of the New Testament, which contains that which all Christians must believe H. ONE BAPTISM... 1. This is the baptism... a. Commanded by Jesus - Mt 28:18.20; Mk 16:15.16 b. Preached and commanded by His apostles - Ac 2:38; 10:48 c. By which those who submit to are added to the Lord's body, the church - Ac 2:42,47 2. The baptism in which a penitent believer is immersed in water for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit" Ac 2:38; 10:47-48 I. ONE GOD AND FATHER... 1. The Father, Who together with the Son and Holy Spirit, makes up the "Godhead" 2. Note that Paul emphasizes both: a. His personality ("Father of all") b. His transcendence and omnipresence ("who is above all, and tbrough all, and in you all") J. Not one of these is "non-essential"! E.g., just as crucial as maintaining who the "One Lord" is, so we must be steadfast in holding to the "One Baptism"! K. Focus on One Baptism 1. Define Greek Baptizo a. The Enhanced Strong's Lexicon defines baptizo to mean "1) to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge. 2) To cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe. 3) to overwhelm. II. Which Baptism? A. Of John the Immerser? 1. Matt. 3:1ff; Mark 1:4-11; Luke 3:2-28; John 1:15-16; Acts 19:1-5 2. Was valid during the preparation for the coming of Christ 3. The prior passages reveal. . . a. That the location of his ministry, the wilderness of Judea, where he baptized in the Jordan River in Aenon near Salim because there was much water there; b. That he was commissioned by God to administer his baptism thereby fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3 (Luke 1:76; Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; John 1:33) c. That the purpose of John's message was i. repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ii. prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight iii. to bear witness of Christ by pointing others to him as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world," iv. after Christ came John was to diminish while Christ was exalted d. That those who responded to John's baptism were commanded to i. Have faith (implied as they were Jews, Matt. 3:7; Luke 3:12; John 1:19, Acts 19:4) ii. Repent (Matt. 3:2, Mark 1:5, Acts 19:4) iii. Confess their sins (Matt. 3:6; Mark 1 :5) iv. Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Markl:4; John 1:26,31,33; Acts 19:4) 4. The duration of John's baptism was to end with his ministry. When Paul found some in Ephesus who had been baptized only with John's baptism, he taught them correctly and they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:5). John's baptism was not in the name of Christ, but rather pointed to the Christ (Acts 19:4). Clearly, John's baptism was limited in time and could not be the baptism to which reference is made in Ephesus 4:5. B. Of the Holy Spirit 1. Matt. 3:1ff; Acts 2; 10; 2 Cor 11:5 2. There are two explicit examples of Holy Spirit baptism a. the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) b. Cornelius' household (Acts 10) 3. Holy Spirit baptism was administered by Christ (Matt. 3:11; John 15:26) or the Father (John 14:26) 4. In all cases of Holy Spirit baptism, the purpose was never to save 5. The Holy Spirit baptism fell on the apostles a. To teach them all things (John 14:26) b. To bring all things to their remembrance (John 14:26) c. To enable the apostles to accurately bear witness (John 15:27) d. To guide them into all the truth (John 16:13) e. To show them things to come (John 16:13) 6. The purpose of Cornelius' Holy Spirit baptism was to convince both the Jews and Gentiles that the blessings of salvation were now for all men (Acts 10:44-45; 15:8-9) 7. Holy Spirit baptism was a promise. It was not a command to certain ones for certain purposes (Luke 24:49; Acts 1 :4-5). 8. Being thus limited in time and purpose, being a promise and never a command, being administered by Deity and never by human agency, it cannot be the baptism of Eph. 4:5. C. Of Fire 1. John the Immerser taught that there would be a baptism of fire. 2. The baptism of fire will be administered in eternity in hell (Rev. 20:14) 3. By God who judges the world through Christ (Acts 17:30-31; Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 2:16; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 20:11-15). 4. The purpose of the baptism with fire is to punish the wicked and disobedient men, angels and Satan from His presence (Matt. 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:8-10; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). 5. The baptism with fire will be administered at the end of the Christian dispensation and will last eternally (everlasting punishment, Matt. 25:46; 2 Thess. 1:8-9). 6. Clearly this baptism cannot be the baptism of Eph. 4:5. It is not administered during the Christian dispensation and it is never administered by human agency. D. Of the Great Commission 1. Not John the Immerser a. John's baptism pointed to the Christ (Acts 19:4). b. Was limited in time and completed fulfilled 2. Not Holy Spirit Baptism a. Why wasn't everyone else in Acts 2 baptized with the HS b. If Cornelius had "THE ONE" baptism, why was he commanded to be baptized? c. Finished during the first century 3. Not Baptism of Fire a. Only happens after Christ comes b. Not administered by a person c. Only for the wicked and disobedient,
III. Of the Great Commission (THE ONE baptism Not John's, not HS, not fire) A. What The One Baptism is 1. Strong's: Immerse, submerge, wash, overwhelm €ﾝ 2. Burial in water, not sprinkling, not pouring B. Examples of Conversion - 1. Pentecost - Acts 2: 14-41 - Repented - Baptized 2. Samaria - Acts 8:5-13 - Believed - Baptized 3. Ethiopian - Acts 8:35-39 - Believed - Confessed - Baptized 4. Saul- Acts 9,22,26 - Baptized 5. Cornelius - Acts 10:34-38 - Believed - Baptized 6. Lydia- Acts 16:13-15 -Heeded-Baptized 7. Jailer- Acts 16:30-34 - Believed - Baptized 8. Corinthians - Acts 18:8-11 - Believed €“ Baptized C. What it does. 1. It takes away your sins. a. Acts 2:38 Forgiveness of sins b. Acts 22:16 Washes away sins 2. It saves you and adds you to the church a. 1 Peter 3:21 Saves you (not just get wet) b. Acts 2:47 adds us to the one true church, body 3. It gives you rebirth a. Titus 3:3-5 washing of regeneration and renewal Note who does the work here... God b. It gives you a new clean slate i. No matter what sins ii. No matter how bad iii. No matter how many iv. Acts 2:38 The Jews crucified Jesus and they were forgiven c. 1 Cor 6:9-11 i. Unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of heaven ii. v. 11. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 4. It puts you in Christ, where all spiritual blessings are found a. Gal 3 :26-27 as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. b. Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places D. What it doesn't do 1. It does not take away all of your problems 2. It does not change your physical environment a. No new job, school, family b. Not a physical escape/cure all 3. It does not make you rich materially 4. It does not make temptation go away a. You do need to purge yourself of sinful behavior (Repentance) b. But don't think that you will no longer have any desire for the fleshly things that have ruined your relationship with God in the first place E. What it means 1. Representation of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus. a. Rom 6:3-4 i. Baptized into his death, raised in newness of life b. 1 Cor 12:13 i. Baptized into one body c. Col 2: 12 i. Buried with him in baptism ii. Raised with him through faith iii. Working of God d. I Peter 3:21 i. Baptism now saves us ii. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 2. Alive to Sin = Dead to God 3. Dead to Sin = Alive to God F. Urgency 1. Acts 16:33, same hour, immediately 2. Acts 8:36, what hinders me 3. Acts 22: 16, why are you waiting? 4. Acts 10:48 commanded Invitation A. Are you in the one body? Your sinful self must die, and you be reborn. B. Your opportunity is now; Accept the Free Gift or we are destined to die without it. |
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