Baptism

[farouk]

Water baptism is symbolic, though an important symbol nonetheless.

The passage about being born again, John chapter 3, isnt about baptism.

[Steveg]

Water baptism is symbolic, though an important symbol nonetheless.

The passage about being born again, John chapter 3, isnt about baptism.

bin though all that. I'm not doing it again!

[farouk]

I'm not proposing to start to discuss the Roman Catholic view of it, either; my question would be, rather, What saith the Scripture? hence my ref. to John 3, which doesn't mention baptism as in connection with regeneration.

[Onesiphorus]

Dear farouk ,absolutely agree ,but the problem is that saints tend to get lodged in that verse and there is so much truth if one reads on in that passage

we are discussing baptism yet I refer to Johns comments in that same chapter John 3:28-31

Jesus says in John 3:7 Marvel not what I have said to the ,that thou must be born again

Jesus also refers to NIcodemus as a "master ;or teacher; of Israel yet he knowest not these things John 3:10 ,indicating that the prophecies explain this

but note how he refers to Nicodemus as a "master of Israel" reinforcing the ministry of Christ on earth as confirmed in verses such as

Romans 15:8 and more importantly Matthew 15:24 please note the word "only"

[Bloodbought]

dear All

We are getting difereent opinions because we are considering ALL baptism as being the same.

John the Baptism baptised for a sign of repentance of sin.

The Baptism of Jesus was different because He had no sin to repent of.

Baptism in the book of Acts is in transition from John's baptism to new testament baptism.

new testament Baptism is symbolic of death
Rom 6v3 Know ye not that as 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 just 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, so we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this: that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over Him.
10 For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Baptism according to the epistles is a sign that we have given up our old life and our old self (we have died) and rise to walk in a new life in Christ Jesus.

We see this symbolised in the journey of the Israelites form Egypt to Caanan. They passed through the river Jordan (Death) in to the promised land. Only one person who left Egypt entered Caanan. ALL the others had died They entered the new life in Caanan having given up all that Egypt represented. Egypt typifies the world of sin.

When The Lord is talking to Nichodemus He introduces the topic of water in response to Nichodemus question "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!"

Jesus rsponse to this was "I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Just in case that was not clear enough Jesus says, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit"

This has NOTHING to do with baptism.