1 Corinthians 1:12-17
Father God, thank you for this time that we have to read and study your word rightly divided. Please help us to learn how believers can "be of the same mind" and "speak the same thing" and that there be no divisions or contentions among us by us rightly dividing the word of truth. Thank you also that we are baptized by the very Spirit of God from the moment that we believe the gospel.
In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
1 Corinthians 1:12
12 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.
This is denominationalism. One person or group would say that they followed Paul, or Apollos or Cephas [Peter], not understanding that we don't follow men and we are not under the law. We do follow Paul but we follow him as he followed Christ! Paul is our Apostle and is our ensample, but we do not worship Paul! Those saying here that they followed Christ were actually referring to following Christ in His EARTHLY ministry to Israel and not necessarily in His HEAVENLY ministry through Paul and so they were not acknowledging Paul as the appointed Apostle for the dispensation of grace. Those who followed Apollos were following him because of the way that he preached (he also had preached John the Baptists message) because he was an eloquent speaker. They were impressed by his presentation more than the actual doctrine that he taught. Those saying they followed Peter are like the denominations today that think of Peter as the first Pope, not knowing that Peter was part of the earthly prophetic program and not the heavenly mystery program for us today in the dispensation of the grace of God. Christendom is EXACTLY like all of this today!
You can think of it this way:
• Those claiming they were following Paul (but really they were not) are like the "New Covenant grace" churches that understand grace but get mixed up about the dispensational changes that occurred and don't realize that we are not under a new covenant, rather we have the riches of God's grace. The new covenant will be for Israel. They refer to Paul's Epistles often but don't understand Paul's appointed apostleship and haven't understood the revelation of the mystery.
• Those following Apollos are sort of like the people in Christendom that just follow whichever preacher is the most popular at the time, not really considering if their doctrine is truly sound or not. The prosperity gospel, charismatic movement, popular mainstream Christian preachers all fit this category. One of the first popular preachers was Charles Spurgeon. People would pack his church so much that their was once a stampede of people when they thought there was a fire in the church and several people died!
• Those following Peter are like Messianic Jewish groups that think we need to keep the law and they mix law and grace. They are also like Roman Catholics who think that we are a nation of priests today and they have a Priesthood and a Pope, etc. But the Acts 2 dispensationalists and charismatics could also fit this category because they think that the church began in Acts 2 instead of Acts 9, and they believe that the sign gifts have continued on.
• Those following the Lord Jesus Christ might sound good but they don't understand that Jesus sent Paul to be our Apostle for the dispensation of grace and that we are to follow Paul as he followed Christ. These are like the denominations that mostly get their doctrine from the red letters and for the most part ignore, or even reject, Paul and they have no clue what God is doing today in forming the church the Body of Christ. They also believe that we are spiritual Israel and so they believe that we can take Israel's earthly promises for ourselves. These are all just some examples.
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
The body of Christ is one body IN Christ. We are NOT to have divisions. Then, Paul begins to explain that with the dispensational changes that have occurred, this means no more water baptism.
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
The Corinthians were boasting about who had water baptized them!
15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
Water baptism at this point will soon subside, and the sign gifts will too later on. Water baptism is not required for our salvation today, nor ever was since Acts 9 when the church the Body of Christ was beginning to be formed. Water baptism was a Jewish cleansing ritual and was required for Israel's program, for them to be a kingdom of priests and enter God's coming earthly kingdom. But it was never a requirement for us. However, it was used during the transitional period to help some Jews to choose to believe the gospel. Paul had also physically circumcised Timothy and he had taken a nazarite vow in the hopes that some Jews would choose to be saved.
[See my study on "baptism in the Bible" in my Romans chapter 6 playlist]
So water baptism ended, and was never a requirement for us in the dispensation of grace, but here's the thing ... Most groups in Christendom continue to preach water baptism today! They preach it as either a requirement for salvation or as an "outward expression of an inward grace". Really, all it is today is a work of the flesh! Some people hold onto water baptism so tightly that the moment you even mention that it's not required today at all, they immediately think you are a heretic! They won't even listen to anything else that you say because THEY WANT TO HOLD ONTO THEIR OWN FLESHLY EFFORTS TO BE MADE RIGHT BY GOD, or to hold onto their own fleshly efforts to "receive extra blessings from God" for their "obedience" to be water baptized. They want to hold on to their CHURCH TRADITIONS OVER GODS WORD RIGHTLY DIVIDED. They, for the most part, do NOT quote Paul regarding baptism in order to get you baptized, but have to turn to the scriptures that are about Israel's program, which have nothing to do with us today. If they do quote Paul about baptism they do so without any understanding of what he was actually saying!
I have never been water baptized in any church. But, I believed the Gospel of my salvation and I was saved unto eternal life. As a believer, I read and study God's word rightly divided daily and teach it to others regularly. Yet, in some so-called "Christians" eyes I would be considered as being still lost, on my way to hell, or backslidden, or rebellious or a heretic! All because I never let some preacher, or priest, dunk me in water, or sprinkle me with water! Unbelievable!
Paul goes on to say,
17 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.
Paul was the greatest evangelist of all time except for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Yet, he can't even remember the people he baptized! If it were imperative to either our salvation OR to our edification, Paul would have been baptizing people left and right! He also would have mentioned water baptism in every single epistle, not only mentioning it but emphasizing it, but he doesn't!
But this doesn't mean that there isn't ANY baptism at all. The Holy Spirit baptizes us into Christ's death, burial and resurrection the moment that we believe the gospel. This is NOT a water baptism, but a dry, Spirit baptism performed by the Spirit of God.
Romans 6:3-5 in the KJB says,
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"
The word baptism essentially means "to be placed into." When a person today believes the gospel, they are immediately baptized by the Spirit of God into Christ's death and into the body of Christ. This means that our old man has died, and is crucified with Christ. We are then identified with, or placed into, Christ and become a member of his body (placed into the body of Christ). When this happens, there's no water at all! It happens instantaneously the very moment that we believe the gospel. We are baptized by the very Spirit of God.
Rom 6:3 KJB
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Colossians 2:11-12 also says,
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Circumcision and water baptism were also both "shadows of things to come" (Col 2:17). In Israel's program they were physical requirements, but in the dispensation of grace, they are performed spiritually by the Spirit of God Himself the very moment that we simply believe the gospel.
That being said, if you were water baptized in your past, just be sure that you have NOW trusted in Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for your sins without works of any kind. If you are including water baptism as part of your salvation, then you are adding works to grace and you are not saved! Simply trust in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as atonement for your sins and you will be saved unto eternal life!
Thank you Father God for clearly showing us the truth in your word rightly divided about baptism and water baptism and the importance also of following Paul as our pattern as He followed Christ. In Christ's name we pray, amen.
Homework: please go and listen to my 2 studies on baptism in the Bible that is in my Romans chapter six playlist for more understanding regarding baptism.
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