HOSS VS A BUPTIST (Part 1)

Here is me refuting a study from a friend of mine on the water baptism issue. This is no attack on him personally, just on the false baptist doctrine of water baptism. His words in italics, my refute in bold parenthesis. --Eli "Hoss" Caldwell


I consider the water baptism by Paul to be different than the water baptism for remission of sins because according to the gospel that Christ revealed to him and committed to his trust, Paul would have never baptized anyone for the remission of sins and in order that they might receive the Holy Ghost. (True, Paul baptized as a symbol of the washing away of sins as a symbolic representation of the clean conscience.....Acts 22:16, Hebrews 10:22, 1 Peter 3:21) Did he baptize in order to impress the Jews as Stam and others claim? The Jews that rejected Christ had also rejected John's baptism (Lk. 7:30). How would baptizing the Philippian jailor at midnight impress the Jews? Baptizing the Corinthians didn't seem to impress the Jews (Acts 18:8-13). (Who said Paul baptized to impress the Jews? Water baptism as a symbol of the washing away of sins as a symbolic representation of the clean conscience was done by Gentiles in Matthew 27:24. )  The fact that he baptized those that had already been baptized with John's baptism PROVES his was a different baptism (Acts 19:1-6). Do you recall the lesson I taught on that passage? (What version are you using? The AV does not say that Paul re-baptized anybody in Acts 19, that is Buptist tradition. Might I ask WHY Paul would re-baptize in Acts 19? Acts 19:5 is referring to what John did, that is Paul is telling what John did. http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/what-about-acts-19-nt-right-division.html )

We know that Paul was not sent to baptize and nowhere in scripture does he teach that it was essential. However, he did water baptize and he said that we should follow him. (So you follow Paul by doing what he was sent NOT to do and what he did not tell you to do? Sure.......) He never said that the church should not baptize converts. (Why would he tell them that if he never told them to START baptizing converts?) Baptism is for identification. Water baptism under the gospel of the kingdom identified disciples with that message. Paul's water baptism cannot identify people with the kingdom message because he never preached it. It must therefore identify believers with the gospel of the grace of God and be different from kingdom baptism. (You made that up, water baptism was a symbol of the washing away of sins as a symbolic representation of the clean conscience.....Acts 22:16, Hebrews 10:22, 1 Peter 3:21)

Paul did not promote water baptism but he did not prohibit it either. (Yes he did, he said that we have "one faith" (Eph. 4:5), which is the doctrine committed to him for the church age revelation (1 Cor. 16:13, 2 Cor. 13:5, Eph. 4:13, Col. 1:23, Col. 2:7, 1 Tim. 3:9, 4:6, etc.) which is the mystery revelation doctrine committed to Paul (Col. 2:6-7, Titus 1:9, 13). And guess what? Water baptism isn't in that "one faith" of Ephesians 4:5 nor is it the "one baptism" of the same verse, that is the baptism by the Spirit through the faith of the operation of God upon salvation according to 1 Cor. 12:12-13 and Colossians 2:10-12.)  That is the position that I take also. As long as a person understands that water baptism does not put them in Christ or add anything to their standing in Him, I see no problem with baptizing believers that desire to be baptized. (Here's one, it is not in our "one faith" and it is a waste of time which we are told not to do in Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5.) We cannot dogmatically prove that Paul baptized by immersion but the Bible never says that he baptized WITH water and so we cannot prove that he didn't baptize by immersion. Baptism by immersion is the best mode of baptism to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. (LOL. Water baptism is the symbol of purifying/the washing away of sins as a symbolic representation of the clean conscience.....Acts 22:16, Hebrews 10:22, 1 Peter 3:21 and also see John 3:25-26 with Numbers 8:6-7.)

1 Cor. 1:17 does not mean that Paul was against water baptism. He was against people claiming they were baptized in his name (1 Cor. 1:13-16). (Well when they claimed to be baptized in his name he pretty much said he didn't care who was baptized.)

Eph. 4:5 does not mean that there is only one baptism for this age. It means there is only one baptism by which the one Spirit baptizes us into the one body. (It means that we have one baptism in our calling according to Eph. 4:1-3. Water baptism is outside of our calling.)

Keep studying the Book (2 Tim. 2:15), it is always time and effort well spent. Our goal is not just knowing, but knowing God and His will. (Thanks. You too.)