Water Baptism Today: An Absolute Exercise in Futility! By Bill Parker

This is from a number of interesting articles left on my Forum by Bill Parker

This article has to be polished up a bit, as it is not quite to my liking.It is suffient though to show that my line of reasoning is correct. The only one who can do baptising today is the Christ, due to the fact that He is the only one in possession of the Holy Spirit. Only He can pour it out, to do baptising today!

After thirty some odd year’s of Bible Study, as I look back now, I can see that everything I began learning from the start, I learned from what I had been taught by the religious leader’s of Christendom. From the start of my baptism and association with the religion that I followed, I passively accepted everything that they taught me, as the truth, the real truth of the Bible. It is true that many things taught to me could be supported by the Bible, while many other things, left me in a state of bewilderment. I realize now that my teacher’s as well as myself were doing a mere cursory reading of the scriptures, then establishing our beliefs on merely surface knowledge. My teacher’s as well as myself were lacking the “key to Knowledge.” When this was gained, then all would have thoroughly understood what the scriptures were actually saying.

One of the things that are not properly understood was the subject of Baptism. There are, of course many more, but this one subject alone when properly understood, would clear up all of the misconceptions that are taught and believed today.

When John the Baptist came baptizing he made this statement:

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with Holy Spirit and with fire.” {Matthew 3: 11}

John the Baptist here pointed to something that was yet future. Something that would replace water baptism altogether! The writers Mark, Luke and John also pointed to this future event, and alluded to the same thing. {Mark 1:8} {Luke 3: 16} {John 1:33}
In Matthew 3:13-15 we find this discussion between John and Jesus:

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me.” Jesus replied, let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” “Then John consented.”

John himself knew that, at some future date he himself would have to be baptized by Jesus. But he did as Jesus instructed him to do, so as to accomplish what Jesus had stated.

“To fulfill all righteousness. ”We note from scripture that John’s Baptism continued right up to the time that Jesus was taken up to “sit at His Father’s right hand.” {Acts 1: 21-23}

Then, too, John’s Baptism was

“preached to all the people of Israel, for the purpose of revealing the Christ to the Nation of Israel under the Old Law Covenant. {John 1:31}

It was not for the Gentile Nations. {Acts 13:23-25} This Baptism was for them to gain forgiveness for all the sin’s committed while under the Mosaic Law Covenant. {Acts 3:26} {Acts 13:46}

In conversation with certain ones sent by the Pharisees, John had been asked:

“Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”

John answered them saying,

“I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. ` “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”{John 1:25-27}

The conversation continues:

“I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, `He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” {Verses 32,33}

So, then, what was the reason for John’s baptism? This is revealed to us in John 1:31, where it states:

“I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”

This brings me to a question put to Jesus by the chief priests and scribes. In answer to their question, He asked them a question in return. He said to them:

“Was the Baptism of John from heaven or from men.” We know from scripture that John received instruction from Heaven to carry out his baptism. But the baptism itself was not from heaven. Not directly. “And they answered that they did not know where it came from.” {Luke 20: 1-8}

Keep in mind John’s word’s

“I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven.”

So the baptism that would follow his would come directly from heaven itself. John’s baptism would be eventually phased out, as he himself indicated in John 3: 30,31. He stated himself:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”

So the baptism that Jesus would become involved in would be above that of John, and would come directly from the invisible heavens, and would increase so as to include all of the Nations of the earth, for all of those who would accept Jesus, and obey Him.

At this point it must be considered what Jesus stated at Matthew 15: 24. He said that He was

”sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Then too, he had commanded his followers, this:

“Go nowhere among the Gentiles and do not go to any town of the Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” {Matthew 10:5,6}

The Nations would not be considered until after the Baptizing work for the Jew’s, under the Mosaic Law was near its final completion. They then would turn to the Nations, and John’s Baptism of repentance for their sins, as displayed by water baptism would continue on those who accepted the true Messiah, and were willing to obey Him. {Acts 5:32} They too, then, would receive the Holy Spirit; and be baptized into the Christ. {Acts 19:5} The Mosaic Law Covenant did not only condemn the Jew’s under the Old Law Covenant who had not kept the Law, but the entire world of mankind as well. {John 7:19} So all were in need of repentance, and all were obligated to display that repentance by submitting to John’s water baptism. When that was done they then received the Holy Spirit, and were baptized into the Christ. {Romans 3:19-23}

It would be done unseen to the human eyes, due to the fact that it was a “baptism in the Spirit.” Only the individual involved would be aware of it. It would be clearly evident to others though as it would be manifest by his ability to set forth scriptural interpretations that would be impossible to refute or contradict. {Luke 21:15} Although some would try! {Acts 6:9,10} Jesus focused on this point in John 3: 8, where He stated:

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

So, like the wind, and its sound, we cannot actually see it, it is invisible, but we experience its effects. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. This baptism is something going on, that only the one “born of the Spirit” is aware of. It is unseen to the eyes of the world in general, as is the wind itself. We know from scripture that certain ones of the Apostle’s could by the laying on of hands impart the Holy Spirit. Then some, not all, were taken down into the water and baptized in symbol of repentance. Some had only been “Baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

When the Apostle’s “laid their hands on them they then received the Holy Spirit.” {Acts 8: 15-17} Then too, some had “never even heard there was a Holy Spirit” and “when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them.” {Acts 19:2-7}. So, John’s baptism in water continued until the Christ ascended back to His Father’s right hand. {Acts 1:21,22}

Then it would cease, Jesus then would be the only one to do baptizing and this baptism would be the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The first account of this baptizing where no water is used is found in Acts 2: 1-47. A reading of Galatians 2: 7 tells us that the Apostle Paul was entrusted with a ministry to the Uncircumcised, while Peter’s was for the circumcised believers. So Peter was commissioned to baptize believers “into the Christ,” while Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:17 that “Christ did not send him to baptize” anyone in water.

This of course would be true of any of the remnant of Christ’s Brothers alive on earth at this present moment. This fact puts all of the baptizing done today into the hands of Christ Jesus. So the baptizing in water ended when Christ ascended back to the right hand of His Father. Then the one who John the Baptist said, was “above all” would do all of the baptizing of future believers. The Apostle Peter pointed this out as previously mentioned, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentile believers at Pentecost. Peter then alluded to the prophecy of Joel which he quoted:

“In the last days I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh’ … {Joel 2:28,29}

Then the Prophecy in Jeremiah 31: 31-34 would come into play. Jehovah at that time would “put his Laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts.” Now it was the word of truth that served as the water for baptism, a complete change from literal water, to a “wellspring of water that would bubble up from inside each individual to impart everlasting life.” {John 4:14} So the water of baptism now comes from within the individual. They would be “cleansed by the washing with water through the word.” {Ephesians 5:26} {Hebrews 10:22} But it would not be this water alone that cleanses believers today it was a combination of the water and the blood of Jesus that accomplished this cleansing.

As we learn in 1John 5:6,7

“This is the one who came by water and blood-Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.” “And the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.”

Now the washing of water comes through the word of truth that Jesus taught while on this earth. Now we know what Jesus meant when He said to Peter:

“Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.” {John 13:8}

As each believer today applies himself, or herself to study of the Bible, “pondering” over and “meditating on the Holy Writings, commensurate with the time and effort put forth, their appreciation for the knowledge gained, coupled with a clearer understanding, will cause them to see areas in their lives that need to be changed in order for them to bring their lives ever more closer into harmony with Jehovah’s revealed will and ways. As the light gets brighter and brighter, their persistent efforts at study and learning will eventually bring them to the point of pleasing Jehovah very well. By doing this they would eventually be washed clean from all sin. {1Timothy 4:14-16} {Proverbs 4:18} {Romans 12:1,2} {Colossians 3:12-14} {Ephesians 4: 22-32}

The information set-forth thus far puts the entire empire of religion on this earth today in the same position the ancient nation of Israel was in. They were all baptized into the Law of Moses, but that baptism became null and void when Christ arrived on the scene. {1Corinthians 10:1-5} The exact same thing is true now.

Every Religion on this earth today, including the followers of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, must, in order to gain Jehovah’s favor and blessing be Baptized in Holy Spirit. There is only one today that can do that! While walking this earth Jesus Himself did no baptizing, now He is the only one who does it today. {John 4:2} As we might expect there are requirements to be met before that Baptism can take place.

As the ancient nation of Israel had to recognize the Messiah when He appeared on earth in the first century, and abandon the way of worship that they followed under the Mosaic Law, in favor of following Him, so too today. Whatever the religion one is associated with today, they must serve notice that they are leaving them, in favor of following the Christ. By doing that they will show Jehovah that they wish to belong to Him. The Bible clearly tells us

“Jehovah knows all those that belong to Him.” {2Timothy 2:19}

In John 14:6 Jesus tells us this:

“I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Then in John 6:44 we learn this:

“No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me”

… So Jehovah will only draw those who He considers His. These He will draw to His Son. When He does that, they will receive the baptism by Holy Spirit. Those who refuse as certain ones among the ancient nation of Israel did will stand condemned. Jehovah will only draw those who are willing to obey His Son as ruler. Only these will receive the baptism by Holy Spirit. {Act 5:32} As it is stated in Ephesians 4: 4,5 “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” That is the baptism from heaven, done by the Messiah. Those that are done by the religious leaders today, of whatever denomination, are an absolute exercise in futility.