Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) Mount
Baker
Beacon Volume 02, Number 49
12/03/2023 Published by
Mt. Baker
church of Christ Location:
1860 Mt. Baker HWY
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 30821
Bellingham, WA 98228
(360) 752-2692 Sunday:
Bible Classes..........9:30 AM
Worship..10:30AM; 6:00PM
Wednesday:
Bible Classes.........7:00 PM
Web site: Mt. Baker church
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Editor......John Bass
| In this issue:
"ONE BAPTISM" (1)
Steven J. Wallace “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were 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” (Eph. 4:4-6).1
Where many today are obsessed with pluralistic views and mirages of truth, Paul by inspiration speaks narrowly of “one.” Unity is based on what is real, not what is pretended to be. There are as many faiths and baptisms as there are Lords. But there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ (Acts 2:36; 10:36; 1 Cor. 8:6). There is likewise only one faith and one baptism.
What is the “one baptism” of which Paul speaks? Is it Holy Spirit baptism? Is it the baptism of John? Is it a baptism of suffering? Is it a metaphorical baptism in the word?
The correct identification of this baptism is what the Ephesians themselves did in response to Paul’s teaching. Simply look at the original recipients of the letter to the “Ephesians” and observe their historical conversion to Christ in the book of Acts.
They had previously been baptized into John’s baptism Acts 19:1-3:
1 “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
2 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."
3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John’s baptism.”
After Paul had explained to them the purpose of John’s baptism, they were baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5). Although John’s baptism was by immersion in water and for the remission of sins, it had become an invalid baptism and was done away. It looked forward to the Christ and His cross whereas baptism in the name of the Lord looks back to the Christ and the cross.
John’s baptism was preceded by the confession of sins (Mk. 1:5). The one baptism is preceded by a confession of Christ (Acts 8:36-38; Rom. 10:9, 10). They are different baptisms of different times and purposes. It necessarily proves: “One cannot be taught wrong and baptized right.”
When these Ephesians found out they were baptized wrong, they didn’t argue with Paul about whether baptism was necessary for salvation or not. They didn’t contend that “one baptism is as good as another.” Rather, with humility like that of small children, they took the good step of obedience in being baptized in the name of the Lord. Why is this so important? Because baptism is a command of Christ for salvation (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:20, 21).
Baptism in the name of the Lord is also by immersion in water (Acts 8:38, 39). The Ephesians understood this and would have understood Paul’s statement in Ephesians 5:26 as such, “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.”
Baptism in the name of the Lord is distinguished from Holy Spirit baptism which occurred infrequently on two different occasions. We find it upon the apostles in Acts 2:1-4. The only other place we find it is upon the household of Cornelius in Acts 10:44. Holy Spirit baptism was never a baptism for men to administer. It was never a baptism for men to obey. It was a promise that only Christ could administer it (Mk. 1:8; Acts 1:4, 5). You can read the clear distinction between the two baptisms in Acts 10:47, 48.
Baptism in the name of the Lord is the “one baptism” in Ephesians 4:4-6. In the next article, we will see how the “one baptism” is tied to the other six “ones” that are mentioned by Paul there.
Have you been baptized in the name of the Lord?
1 Unless noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Top
SAYING "OH, MY GOD"
Robert Turner Hardly a day goes by that we do not”hear somebody exclaim, “Oh, my God!”. Whether at work or school, the bank, supermarket, or even the church parking lot, this expression is heard again and again. Television, no doubt, is the chief offender, with nearly every game show, soap opera, situation comedy, prime time drama and movie featuring the phrase. There is even an art in saying “Oh, my God!” just right. The trick seems to be to say it, not loud or quick, but to draw it out and let the “God” trail off. This is a sure fire device, guaranteed to get a laugh and spice up one's dialogue.
“Oh, my God!” has become a faddish and clever saying. It is used to register alarm, surprise, delight, dismay, sarcasm, and almost every kind of response. Some people, indulging us, find the phrase offensive. And some, we are sure, cannot imagine why. Why does it grate so upon our ears?
It will profit us to consider the faith and devotion manifested by men and women from the long ago; several of these are singled out as examples for Christians today ( Hebrews 11). Their insistence of reverence and humility while addressing Deity stands in marked contrast to the casual and offhand manner prevalent today. Abraham, for example, approached God with these words “Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes” ( Genesis 18:27). Jacob marked each place that the Lord spoke to him with a stone or an altar, recognizing that even the plot of ground was sacred because the Lord had revealed Himself there ( Genesis 28:17). It is impossible to imagine the patriarchs of old referring to God in a flippant or causal manner.
Although we are not under Mosaic Law today, we worship and serve the same God revealed to the Hebrew fathers. The Lawgiver of Israel, Moses, was instructed to take off his shoes in the presence of God because, “the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Moses was so overwhelmed by the knowledge that he stood before God that he “hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God” (verse 6). The posture of godly fear and awe was shown by Peter before Jesus (Luke 5:8) and John on Patmos (Revelation 1:17).
The first three of the ten commandments given to Israel concern the manner in which His people were to esteem Jehovah God. They were not to have any other gods before Him, were not to build an image or likeness of Deity to rival His own majesty, and “thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain” (Leviticus 19:12). God's people were taught that the name of the Lord God was holy, and not to be made common!
The Jews sought to protect and preserve the sacredness of God's name. Indeed, in the centuries before the birth of Jesus they decided to stop pronouncing it altogether, lest its usage become common and ordinary. When the scriptures were read, the word Adonai (Lord) was substituted for the Hebrew YHWH (Yahweh or Jehovah). The Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek (280-130 BC) rendered the sacred name Kurio (lord). The original pronunciation of YHWH is unknown. While we lament this casualty of Jewish zealousness, we must admire the veneration God's people held for even the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Ought Christians today, who are to “serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28), show less respect and regard for our heavenly Father?
“Oh, my God!” is unquestionably and unmistakably offensive. It is a trivial and vulgar use of His holy and reverent name “Give to the Lord the glory due unto His name” (Psalms 29:2). His name is far too holy to be invoked at the sight of a messy room or foolish behavior. “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psalms 34:3).
“Oh, my God!” goes beyond such ditties as “goodness!” or “gracious!” or “Gee!” and other euphemisms whose divine connection may not be realized until their obscure origin and etymology is looked up in a reference dictionary. “Oh, my God!” is not a euphemism at all! No effort is made to disguise the reference to God. If “Oh, my God!” is not a vain usage of God's name, what in the world is? Top
Created by John Bass, last updated. 12/09/2023 The Mount Baker Beacon is a weekly publication of the Mt. Baker church of Christ, Bellingham, WA.
Send all questions, comments to the editor, John Bass at (360) 325-5149 or johnbass2468@gmail.com |
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