Lesson 698

(Lesson 698)(07-18-13) Today's reference to a usage of the term "baptized" is found in Acts 16:15. We will begin our quote at verse 12, "And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us."

It is reasonably obvious that the woman mentioned in this quote and her family were "baptized", or immersed into water, seeing that they were gathered by the side of a river.

This is yet another example further establishing that water baptisms administered AFTER Jesus had ascended were only allowed AFTER the candidate had accomplished the "baptism" into Jesus Christ as demanded in Galatians 3:27, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

In this example the woman, "whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." had already accepted the sacrifice of Christ BEFORE she and her family were immersed in water.

I was raised to believe that Christians are to be "baptized" in water after having accepted Christ and His sacrifice as the remitter of all sins, or as commonly said, after having been saved by grace.

That doctrine provides that water "baptism" authorizes Church membership and identifies the newly "baptized" believer as a follower of Christ. There are those who even contend that if one is not "baptized" in water, that one cannot receive the Holy Ghost.

We know that part to be wrong since Cornelius and his family received the Holy Ghost BEFORE they were immersed in water. Acts chapter 10.

I have, in my very intense study of the New Testament, never been able to find sufficient scriptural evidence to affirm the above assumption. If any one of you can help me with establishing this doctrine, please do so. Give me the references that establish that premise.

Today's example of the term "baptized" clearly indicates that the medium into which the woman and her family were immersed, was water.~