I Thank God That I Baptized None of You

 

Sadly, there were various problems even from the time of the early church. One of them, as mentioned above, was that the saints became factional and disputed with one another.

 

1 Corinthians 1:11-13 “11For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?”

 

For this reason, the apostle Paul said that, except for a few people, he had not baptized anyone with water, so that no one could say that they had been baptized into Paul’s name. He even gave thanks that he had baptized none except a few people, and testified that Christ had not sent him to baptize, but to preach the gospel. However, at first glance, this attitude of Paul may seem to stand in contrast to the following word of Jesus.

 

Matthew 28:18-20 “18And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. 19Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: 20teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

 

As we see in this word, Jesus clearly commanded His disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of Jesus.” Then why did the apostle Paul, who was sent by Christ, instead give thanks that he had baptized none of them, and say that Christ did not send him to baptize? Did the apostle Paul forget the command of Jesus, or did he disobey it?

 

No. The command which Jesus gave to His disciples and the word which the apostle Paul preached are both the word of God, and therefore they are not different from one another.

 

This is because the baptism that Jesus commanded His disciples to give, saying, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of Jesus,” was not “water baptism” like the baptism that John the Baptist gave.

 

John the Baptist already knew this and testified as follows:

 

Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.”

 

Therefore, Jesus is not the One who baptizes with water. Although Jesus Himself was baptized with water by John the Baptist, that was not the baptism He ultimately came to receive. The reason is that the purpose for which Jesus came into this world was not to receive water baptism, but to receive the baptism of the cross.

 

Luke 12:50 “But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!”

 

Mark 10:38 “But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I drink? or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

 

Thus, even though Jesus had already been baptized with water by John the Baptist, He spoke of another “baptism” that He still had to receive. And that baptism was:

 

John 12:24-27 “24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit... 27...But for this cause came I unto this hour.”

 

Philippians 2:6-8 “6Who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped... 8and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.”

 

As these words testify, that baptism was His death on the cross. Though Jesus is God, He humbled Himself and came to this earth to die on the cross in order to save us. For this reason, the apostle Paul confessed concerning the baptism he had received as follows:

 

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.”

 

Yes. Thus, the baptism we must ultimately receive is not water baptism, but “the baptism of the cross,” in which our old man—our lusts and our boasting—dies together with Jesus (Gal. 5:24).

 

Romans 6:1-13 “...2God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? 3Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death... 6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin... 12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: 13neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

 

That is why the apostle Paul testified as follows:

 

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void. For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.”

 

In other words, believing the word of the cross as the power of God is more important than being baptized with water under the name or influence of any particular person (Rom. 1:15-17). Therefore, when we cast down every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, the word of the cross can become the power of God to us. This is the baptism of the cross of Jesus that we must surely receive.

 

2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

 

Because this baptism of the cross means that our old man must be put to death, this baptism is not something we receive only once. Rather, we must receive it always, daily, in the name of Jesus.

 

2 Corinthians 4:10-11 “10Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. 11For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

 

1 Corinthians 15:31 “I protest by that glorying in you, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”

 

This is the true meaning of the command Jesus gave to His disciples, telling them to baptize in the name of Jesus.

 

“Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you.”

 

Therefore, what we must now understand is that there are not many different baptisms for us.

 

Ephesians 4:5-6 “5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all...”

 

According to this testimony, there is only one baptism for us: the baptism of the cross of Jesus. As mentioned earlier, Jesus is not the One who baptizes with water. When we receive the baptism of the cross only in the name of Jesus, then truly we will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift from Jesus.

 

Luke 9:23 “And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

 

Acts 2:38-39 “38And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.”

 

Amen.