Taufe
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LEKTION 19: TAUFE
Naaman, though an outstanding general of the Syrian army,
was infected with leprosy, the most horrifying plague in Bible times.
Leprosy equals a life of isolation from family and friends,
and a slow and painful death, with no relief.
However, a female Hebrew slave in the house of Naaman,
upon hearing of the general’s condition,
had told him that he only needed to come to the prophet Elisha of the Lord God of Israel,
and the deadly disease would be healed.
Hope and faith kindled in Naaman’s heart,
and he embarked on that long journey to Israel,
with him a band of warriors,
and a fortune of wealth for a fee to buy the miracle of healing.
But when Naaman finally reached the humble home of the prophet,
Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him in person,
but sent only a servant out to deliver a blunt message:
“Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” [12] II Kings 5:10.
Now this somewhat inglorious manner of reception struck quite directly at the pride of the proud Syrian general,
and was taken by him pretty much as an insult, that he was after all just a filthy lepper.
Being requested to go and take not just one, but seven baths, in a muddy river,
was too much for the decorated war hero of the Syrian empire.
“So he turned and went away in a rage.” [12] II Kings 5:12.
But to go back to Damascus, he had to cross… the Jordan river!
And when he and his troops were passing through it,
the men begged their beloved general to just try and do what the prophet said.
Whatever.
Naaman stopped the horse, got off, and slowly walked towards the waters of Jordan.
6 times he dove in and emerged, nothing happened.
But upon the 7th time getting up out of the water,
the leprosy was cleansed flat off his body,
and his flesh not only was healed completely,
but also became invigorated with the tint of health just like the flesh of young children!
Naaman flew back to Elisha to offer his massive offering of thanksgiving,
but the prophet resolutely refused, not taking a single dime.
It was important for the proud and wealthy man to understand
that the salvation of the Lord cannot be bought by money.
Overwhelmed with reverence and awe, the general declared:
“Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel…
thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto YHWH!” [12] II Kings 5:15, 17.
Just like how Naaman experienced such miraculous regeneration,
we too can experience that miracle of rebirth!
1. Which ordinance of the Bible symbolizes the cleansing of the deadly leprosy of sin?
What is the meaning of its name?
[05] Acts 22:16 Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,
calling on the name of the Lord.
[12] Colossians 2:12 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.
The original Greek word “baptizo” means “immerse”, or “dip”.
A person cannot be accounted baptized unless he was fully immersed under water, or “buried” in the water.
The word “baptizo” is always the one used to refer to this sacred ordinance.
Other terms like “pouring” or “sprinkling” were never used even once.
2. According to the Bible, how many ways are there to conduct this baptism?
[10] Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
Nowadays there are a lot of ceremonies called “baptism” by men,
but according to the Bible, there is only one baptism: by immersion.
All these counterfeit baptisms that were made up just for the sake of convenience,
like pouring water or sprinkling water,
of course, are nowhere found in the Bible.
3. Lord JESUS is our example in all things. How was He baptized?
[02] Mark 1:9, 10 And it came to pass in those days,
that JESUS came from Nazareth of Galilee,
and was baptized of John in Jordan.
And straightway coming up out of the water,
he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him.
John baptized Lord JESUS by immersion right in the river where Naaman was healed from leprosy.
Notice that they were “in” the Jordan (not upon the shore),
and our Lord did come “up out of the water”,
confirming that He was indeed baptized by complete immersion.
It is because of this that John chose to baptize
“in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there”. [04] John 3:23.
Christians are followers of Christ ([21] I Peter 2:21),
who chose to be baptized by immersion to “to fulfill all righteousness”. [01] Matthew 3:15.
4. How did Philip baptize the Ethiopian eunuch?
[05] Acts 8:38, 39 they went down both into the water,
both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
And when they were come up out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip.
Philip baptized the eunuch by the same immersion method.
5. What beautiful truths are symbolized in the ordinance of baptism?
[06] Romans 6:4 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.
Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord JESUS Christ,
and their applications to us His followers.
First is the death of the old self,
and then the burial of that sinful life under the grave of water,
and lastly the resurrection from the watery grave to newness of life.
Baptism by immersion matches perfectly all the intended symbols of this spiritual lesson.
The sinful life died, the person ceased to breathe when baptized or buried underwater,
and then was raised up again from the water,
to take the first breath like a newborn baby,
to lead a new life after the order of a new birth.
It can be seen clearly, that when the Biblical baptism commanded by the Lord
is replaced by other convenient modes of baptism,
the spiritual lessons of the ordinance are pretty much destroyed,
not to mention the baptisms themselves are rendered invalid for being unbiblical.
6. How important is baptism?
[02] Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.
[04] John 3:5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Baptism is shown by the Bible to be so important, that it’s a salvational issue.
It is the public confession of believers in JESUS Christ as the Son of God,
in His death, burial and resurrection,
and an ordinance that must be performed in order to receive salvation.
Only in cases where the repentant sinner cannot perform it,
like the thief on the cross,
will the Lord excuse the sincere but unable seeker ([01] Matthew 3:15).
7. Which ceremony was the ordinance of baptism likened to?
[08] II Corinthians 11:2 I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
[09] Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Baptism is likened to a wedding ceremony.
Just as the woman put on the name of the husband,
Christians put on the name of JESUS Christ
– that is why they are called “Christians”.
Baptism to the Christian life is just as important as the wedding ceremony to a marriage.
In [05] Deuteronomy 22:28-29, the law of God clearly states
that whatever pair of man and woman who are <1> both Christians
and <2> have of their own will became one flesh before marriage,
will HAVE TO GET MARRIED,
because in the books of Heaven,
such couples are already registered as husband and wife,
even when the wedding has not yet been officiated.
All marital laws and statutes of God are applied with full force to such couples.
As the woman is not permitted to refuse to marry the man
after she has voluntarily loved and given herself to him to become one flesh with him,
neither is she allowed to forsake him and marry another
and thus be counted as committing adultery,
so is a person to Christ.
Once someone has voluntarily come to the Lord and fallen in love with Him,
and has given all to Him and has had Him entering into the soul,
that person HAS TO MARRY THE LORD BY BAPTISM (mandatory marriage).
Throughout the entire life, that person is not permitted to divorce the Lord, or go after any other god.
If you did not intend to marry Him,
why did you consent to invite Him to enter into you and become one with you?
Are you mocking God?
[07] I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord,
Let not the wife depart from her husband.
But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband:
and let not the husband put away his wife.
If the woman refuses to marry the Christian man whom Heaven has registered as her husband,
to desert him and marry someone else,
the later marriage will neither be recognized nor blessed by God,
but will just be counted as adultery and fornication,
and she must repent and return to her true husband in order for the sin to be forgiven.
Take a look at the case of David and his wife Michal.
David did not divorce her, but Michal was wedded to another man even when she had become David’s wife ([09] I Samuel 25:44).
By the time David returned, he even had other wives,
yet he still had the right to demand that Michal be returned unto him despite their current marital conditions (II Samuel 3:13-14),
and his wife had to be returned to him.
Despite all the things men can do,
Michal marrying another man and David having fallen into polygamy,
Heaven still recognizes David and Michal as husband and wife
and respects the claim of David.
{Ellen G. White, Adventist Home, 344.2}
‘A woman may be legally divorced from her husband by the laws of the land
and yet not divorced in the sight of God and according to the higher law…
Although the laws of the land may grant a divorce,
yet they are husband and wife still in the Bible light, according to the laws of God.’
Likewise, Christ has the right to demand an official marriage by baptism
with the one who has given all to Him and has had Him entering into the soul,
and His rightful claim must be respected.
8. In order to receive baptism, what requirements do I have to fulfill?
[05] Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of JESUS Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The following are the requirements for baptism:
1) You must confess your sins and repent of them, willing to live a new life of obedience ([23] I John 1:9, [05] Acts 2:38).
2) You must have a surrendered faith in JESUS Christ as the Son of God and our own personal Savior ([05] Acts 8:37).
3) You must understand the fundamental teachings of the Lord in order to believe and put them into practice ([01] Matthew 28:19, 20, [02] Mark 16:16)
{Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, 38.1}
‘True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins.
They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only;
they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them;
or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed.
But all confession should be definite and to the point,
acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty.’
The act of baptizing people who have not confessed and repented of their sins,
who are still unwilling to surrender to JESUS
– in many cases just to chase after achievement targets –
is a terrible mistake that can cause severe consequences:
it sends to those receiving baptism the lying message that they are qualified to receive salvation,
all the while still unwilling to surrender to the Lord,
they have no share in everlasting life.
Baptism to those people simply is a useless bath to wet themselves, totally worthless.
How numerous are those who have been deceived into this false sense of security
by receiving such hasty and pointless baptism, and thus be lost.
Those who officiate the rite of baptism for others must be extremely cautious:
it is better to admit that you do not have enough spiritual discernment
to determine whether a candidate is qualified for baptism or not,
and leave that work to others,
than to inflict losses to the cause of God and have to answer before Him
for the souls you unwittingly deceived into perdition.
Especially unbiblical is the act of baptizing newborn children:
a baby obviously cannot meet any of the above 3 requirements to receive this rite.
If small children who are not mature enough to bear accountability before God happen to die,
they will be saved according to the faith of the guardians or parents,
even if only one of them is a believer ([07] I Corinthians 7:14).
There is no need to hastily secure them by an unbiblical baptism out of a pointless fear.
{Ellen G. White, the Great Controversy, 645.1}
‘The living righteous are changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”
At the voice of God they were glorified;
now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air.
Angels “gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers’ arms.
Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part,
and with songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God.’
9. What about the one officiating the rite of baptism?
Does the person have to be a pastor or an official of some kind in order to baptize others?
[05] Acts 9:10, 17, 18 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias…
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house;
and putting his hands on him said,
Brother Saul, the Lord, even JESUS, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me,
that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales:
and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
The one who baptized Saul, who later on became the apostle Paul,
was Ananias, just an ordinary disciple,
not an apostle, or prophet, or pastor, or deacon or evangelist or any church official of any kind,
showing clearly that one need only be a true disciple of JESUS Christ in order to baptize others.
Which makes total sense: because if only church officials are allowed to baptize people,
then we need only a wave of persecution sweeping through,
taking out all the leaders of the church
– such as the persecutions of some communist governments in Russia and China in the past against the Gospel of the Lord –
and immediately the new converts can no longer be baptized,
because there is no church leaders left to baptize them!
Apostate churches and corrupt religious leaders
have the tendency to create rules that have not the Bible for their foundation,
to centralize power into their own hands,
requiring that one must be a pastor or church official to baptize converts,
in the end only obstruct the free growth of the Gospel.
What needs to be strictly enforced are the qualifications for those RECEIVING baptism:
they must have surrendered to the Lord wholeheartedly
and must have been taught His fundamental truths decently,
ready to join the church and be co-workers with the Lord’s family once they are baptized.
On the other hand, those who officiate the rite of baptism need not be a church official of any kind,
but only need to be true and surrendered followers of JESUS Christ,
understanding His doctrines correctly, not being ensnared by heresies,
especially not being in error regarding God, His Son and their Spirit when baptizing people.
10. Baptism is performed in the name of whom?
[01] Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
[05] Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
[05] Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord JESUS.
Although the instruction of Lord JESUS in [01] Matthew 28:19 is to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
but throughout the book of [05] Acts,
the baptisms recorded by Luke ([05] Acts 2:38, 8:12, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5),
are all done in the name of Lord JESUS only.
What happened? Did the apostles deliberately do things the wrong way?
Not at all. The answer is so simple once we understand the nature and meaning of doing things “in the name of” someone or something.
In the biblical mindset, doing something in the name of someone
means doing it BY THE AUTHORITY OF the one whose name is being called upon.
Lord JESUS was telling us to do a certain thing by the authority of those called upon.
The point was about authority, not about reciting the “magic spell” correctly.
All authority in heaven and in earth
has been given unto Lord JESUS ([01] Matthew 28:18), by His Father of course.
That, together with the fact that the Holy Spirit is Christ Himself in spirit form,
we can see clearly that in JESUS concentrated all the authority of “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” mentioned in [01] Matthew 28:19.
This is why throughout the book of [05] Acts,
the disciples only need to call upon the name of JESUS to baptize,
and still be true to His command.
Baptizing in the name of JESUS is baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Does that mean we must not baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit according to [01] Matthew 28:19?
Not at all.
If both baptismal formulas are prescribed in the Bible, both will be legit.
Which form you choose doesn’t matter;
what matters is that both the candidate and the baptizer understand correctly in the mind those they are calling upon,
whose authority they are invoking to officiate the rite.
See lesson “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit“.
That’s why it would be pointlessly stupid for us to engage in arguing and judging one another
regarding what “chant” should be used to “cast the spell”.
The Christian faith isn’t that shallow,
as to revolve around a bunch of dead ceremonies, mantras and spell-casting like other religions,
but it is about receiving a living Being to indwell and rule in the soul by a surrendered faith,
to die and to rise again with Him.
That is the absolute superiority that distinguishes the power of Christianity.
11. From whence came the unbiblical modes of baptism?
[02] Mark 7:8 Laying aside the commandment of God,
ye hold the tradition of men.
Immersion was the only form of baptism performed in the time of the apostles.
But then, those who were misled started to bring in other forms of baptism for the sake of convenience.
Thus the sacred rite of baptism, prescribed clearly by the Lord, was distorted,
and its symbolic lessons were buried.
12. What does the Bible say about those who put the teachings of men above the Truth of God?
[01] Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
[09] Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed.
13. Does receiving the Holy Spirit render water baptism unnecessary?
[05] Acts 10:44, 48 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word…
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
When Peter saw the Holy Spirit descend upon the household of Cornelius,
he immediately commanded them to be baptized in water.
That goes to show the importance of officially conducting this ordinance
even when believers have received the Holy Spirit of God.
14. Are there cases when believers need to be re-baptized?
[05] Acts 19:2-5 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?
And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?
And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,
saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ JESUS.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord JESUS.
When Paul was preaching in Ephesus,
there were 12 people previously baptized by John the Baptist,
but had never heard about the Holy Spirit.
And after hearing about this new truth, they were re-baptized.
When receiving new and significant truths,
like the truth about the Sabbath,
or the truth about the identity of the Only True God and His Only Begotten Son,
and how the Holy Spirit is them being with us in spirit form,
re-baptism would not be out of order.
Also, if you have apostated from the Lord,
and now are returning to Him in repentance,
recommitting your life to the Lord through baptism would be very appropriate.
Lastly, if the baptism you have received wasn’t the biblical one,
you are accounted as never having been baptized,
and now you must do it, this time properly.
15. Does the ordinance of baptism go together with joining the church?
[05] Acts 2:41, 47 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:
and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls…
The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
[07] I Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.
[12] Colossians 1:18 He (JESUS) is the head of the body, the church.
[04] John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:
them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice;
and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Before His second coming, Lord JESUS will finish gathering all of His true sheep,
who hear His voice and follow Him wherever He leads, into One Fold.
By now you should have been through the lessons “the Bride of Christ” and “The Testimony of JESUS“,
and know for a certainty that the Lord has one Last True Church in these last days,
and it is none other than the Pioneeric SDA church.
Immediately when people commit their lives to JESUS and are baptized,
they become His sheep and are to be led into the One True Fold.
This leading is declared and conducted by the Lord Himself,
so that none can say that it is just the will of men.
We are all called into one body, His True Church, through the ordinance of baptism.
Newborn Christians are like newborn babies:
they must be put into a family to be protected and cared for, in order to grow.
16. Rejecting to be baptized to join the church is rejecting the will of whom?
[03] Luke 7:29-30 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God,
being baptized with the baptism of John.
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves,
being not baptized of him.
[23] I John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar:
for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen,
how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
[07] I Corinthians 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand,
I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
The reason why a member of the body of Christ can say to other members: “I don’t need you”,
is because that person is actually NOT a member of Christ.
That is the main reason why a professed Christian does not want
– and live as though having no need of –
the other members of the body of JESUS, the church.
Some people come to the Lord but do not want to be baptized,
and/or do not want to become official members of the church,
to open up their hearts to hold communion and worship with other brothers and sisters,
to cooperate with them in the work of the Lord.
These need to remember that baptism and its arrangements are not the will of any man, but of the Lord Himself.
He had so arranged to teach His followers TO LEARN HOW TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER,
and help one another grow in the same family, to cooperate in His service.
17. When JESUS received baptism, what did His Father say to Him?
[01] Matthew 3:16, 17 And JESUS, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:
and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.
And lo a voice from heaven, saying,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
This approbation of God can very well be yours.
Are you ready for it?
Appendix
I. Why did JESUS get baptized?
Lord JESUS did not get baptized to be cleansed from sins, because there is no sin in Him, ever ([21] I Peter 2:22).
John the Baptist was so confused when JESUS came to Jordan asking to be baptized by him.
So much so that John even exclaimed: “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?!” [01] Matthew 3:14.
So why did JESUS get baptized? There are two main reasons.
Firstly, He did it to be an example for us to follow ([21] I Peter 2:21).
Secondly, He got baptized for those who would not be able to get baptized after believing in Him.
There are those who believe in Him in hospitals, prisons, or when they are about to be executed. JESUS consents to let them partake in His own baptism. The thief on the cross right next to Him was a typical example.
II. [23] I John 5:7-8 “For there are three that witness: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three are in one”, what does it mean?
This is considered to be one of the hardest and most confusing verses in the New Testament.
But it will become quite clear once we understand what is the oneness that these three are in.
Keep reading to verse 9-10, we have the answer:
“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater:
for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:
he that believeth not God hath made him a liar;
because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
In other words, these three, “the Spirit”, “the water”, and “the blood” are “one” in bearing testimony of the Lord JESUS Christ.
Once we understand that clue, we can move on to identify what “the Spirit”, “the water”, “the blood” are.
What are the testimonies that bear witness of our Lord JESUS to all?
1) The blood: the first testimony is the ordinance nowadays called “the Lord’s supper”,
where Christians will drink new wine, which is unfermented grape juice, symbolizes the innocent blood of Christ.
[01] Matthew 26:27-28 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine,
until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
[07] I Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread,
and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
2. The water: the baptism by immersion that Christians officiate to be a public testimony to others, as analyzed in this lesson,
symbolizes burial, and resurrection that Christ Himself has been through.
3. The Spirit: the power of the Holy Spirit manifested in miracles and men’s renewed nature and changed lives,
to the point that they become people willing to be martyred for their faith.
This is the third testimony.
Throughout the ages, these three testimonies have repeatedly slammed into the faces of all those who beheld them the truth:
JESUS Christ is the Son of God, and in Him is everlasting life.
III. [07] I Corinthians 15:29 “baptized for the dead”, what does it mean?!
Some churches leaned upon this one solve verse in the Bible
to set up an entire service of baptism for the dead,
in which a live person will accept JESUS and be baptized
on behalf of a dead infidel who died outside of Christ so that the infidel can be saved,
as if the living can do anything to alter the decided fate of the dead!
All the misunderstanding about this verse stems from failing to understand accurately what the “baptism” referred to in the verse is,
because in the Bible, besides water baptism (with immersion being the only correct way to officiate it),
there are also baptism by the Holy Spirit and baptism by fire ([03] Luke 3:16), a total of three baptisms.
So before hastily bathing the living for the dead,
we need to calm down and determine which baptism was Paul talking about here, among these three.
[03] Luke 12:50 (JESUS said) But I have a baptism to be baptized with;
and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
Question: when JESUS said this, was He already baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit?
Obviously yes.
So the baptism that JESUS was still expecting cannot be those two,
but can only be the baptism by fire.
So what is baptism by fire?
When James and John came with their mother
asking the Lord to be seated on His right hand and on His left in His kingdom,
JESUS had replied them thus:
[01] Matthew 20:22 Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of,
and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
They say unto him, We are able.
Baptism by fire is the very cup that JESUS was about to drink
from the garden of Gethsemane ([01] Matthew 26:39) to the cross: suffering.
Baptism by suffering is the final form of baptism for Christians.
Unlike the other two, suffering can be received for others.
Not just Christ, but the true servants of God, like the apostle Paul,
had also endured much persecution and suffering for the church:
[12] Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you,
and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.
What about “the dead” in [07] I Corinthians 15:29?
How can the dead saints be benefited by our sufferings?
In [19] Hebrews 11, the apostle Paul has listed many dead saints with their miraculous achievements by faith,
only to sum it up in these two verses:
[19] Hebrews 11:39-40 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
He also wrote in [06] Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature
waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
In other words, all the dead saints have not yet received the perfection promised to them,
which is the resurrection and everlasting life in a sinless world,
because they are still waiting for the last generation of saints
to reflect fully in their character the divine image of God.
Before the hour of Christ’s second coming,
the Lord will have a people that He can point to
before not just the whole world, but before the entire universe,
and plainly declare that these are unmistakably His children.
They will be the hard-core evidence proving that His grace is sufficient
to fully restore sinners back to the original perfection of character of His divine image,
and no one shall ever be able to have the slightest question in their mind
about Him bringing these people into the innocent society where He reigns as King.
We shall examine this final generation of saints in a coming lesson “Who are the 144.000?”.
As you have embarked on this spiritual journey of faith and transformation,
you have diligently studied Biblical truths,
and now hopefully have embraced the importance of baptism,
and are eagerly waiting to receive this sacred sacrament.
But while you have made significant strides in your understanding of God’s word,
there are still crucial truths that must be grasped
before you are fully prepared to enter into this sacred rite.
Just a few more lessons to go.
In the next one, we shall delve into a profound topic that lies at the heart of the Christian faith:
the Second Coming of Christ, which is the end of the world,
and the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom upon the earth.
This Truth, often shrouded in mystery and speculation,
holds immense significance for every believer,
as it represents the culmination of God’s plan for humanity,
the end of all sin, and the dawn of a new era,
all of which you shall find out, by clicking “next”.
