"Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect."
Today's quote contains several very important points. Therefore, we will attempt to cover them one by one and then compose a summary of all of them at the end of these next lessons.
In the very first part of Paul's statement to the members of the church at Corinth, he defined them as having "contentions" among them. It is obvious, by what he wrote in today's quote, that those contentions had to do with whom each group of the separate groups believed should be more respected in the church. Some obviously felt that the men who had "baptized" them should be looked upon as more of an authority in the church than some of the others who had "baptized".
Paul knew that all of that was trivial nonsense and that no one individual among his peerage was more or less important, or more or less qualified as baptizers. In truth, it made no difference who baptized whom, or for that matter, even IF they were "baptized" in water. Paul was driving home the point that it was Jesus Christ, the perfectly righteous Redeemer who should be recognized as the ONLY One who could save their eternal souls by baptizing them with the Holy Ghost. That baptism being the only baptism that ultimately matters.~
We will continue with lessons from today's quote tomorrow.
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