Lesson 710

(Lesson 710)(07-30-13) Today's "baptism" example is found in Ephesians 4:5. Our quote will include verses 1-5, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

The phrase "one baptism", as it is applied in this quote, is clearly in reference to the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, seeing that His action alone allowed us to be redeemed. Therefore, this usage has the same intent as the usage applied in Luke 12:50 wherein Jesus said "But I have a 'baptism' to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!"
In contrast to what many "scholars" contend, there is indeed ONE "baptism" so far as that term is associated with the salvation of ones eternal soul. Within that "baptism", the sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God, water plays absolutely NO part.

When studying any New Testament text that contains the term "baptism" or one of its grammatical variations, we must remember that the Greek term "baptizO", which simply means to immerse for an effect, with all it's differing intents, was transliterated to the English word "baptize" without clarification as to what the term really implies with each different usage. The word "baptize", as it is applied in the New Testament, rarely means to dip into water then remove. In most applications it means to place an item, or person, into some medium and leave them there. In the case of the living soul, true "baptism", in the sense that the term is applied in the above quote, binds the soul of the believer to Jesus Christ forever. The soul is not dipped into Christ and then taken out.

Therefore, the usage of the term "baptism" as it is applied in Ephesians 4:5 defines a binding to the sacrifice of Christ through faith in Him.~