© 02 Colin Melbourne
Some people misunderstand Eph. 4:5: One Lord, one faith, one baptism… The New Testament refers to at least seven baptisms. We discuss them here.
There is… One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all…
…the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptismS, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Holy Bible Eph. 4:4-6, Heb. 6:1-2 KJV
How Many Baptisms in the Bible?
God says there’s ‘One baptism’ in Ephesians, but ‘baptisms‘ (plural) in Hebrews 6. There are those who would see this is a contradiction in God’s word, but of course it is not. The ‘one baptism’ referred to in Eph. 4:5 is the born again baptism, not water baptism. The Holy Spirit, in this passage, is reminding believers that there’s only one way into the kingdom of Heaven, through being born again by repentance and heart-faith in Christ. That is when a sinner is baptised into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. (See also Titus 3: 4-7) There’s only one baptism into Christ, only one way to be saved.
The Holy Spirit in Hebrews 6 describes ‘the doctrine of baptisms‘ plural as basic teaching, here’s seven outlined. The first three are described on pages of their own.
Born Again Baptism: The New Birth.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The Power Baptism.
Baptised into Moses
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
1 Co. 10:1-5 KJV
In this chapter the Holy Spirit is warning believers against unbelief, idolatry, and sexual immorality by drawing attention to Moses as a ‘type’ of Christ. He uses the expression, “And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Implying that all of the Jews who left Egypt trusted in Moses’ authority and leadership enough to risk passing through a desert to escape Pharaoh’s slavery. In this sense Moses was their ‘saviour’. They followed him through the Red Sea, after it parted by a Divine miracle, and were shielded and led by a cloud for forty years in the Sinai desert.
Moses was a ‘type’ of Christ, and the baptism into Moses, a shadow of the born again baptism into Christ.
Note: Jude verse 5 makes it clear that those who perished in the desert did not truly believe. A warning against insincerity, and nominal ‘Christianity’ today.
I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
A nominal ‘Christian’ is a person who claims to be a Christian, but has not been genuinely born again. They are still in their sins, and condemned by them. They may attend a church, be able to recite the whole Bible, but they will perish in Hell, because You MUST be born again.
John’s Baptism: Baptism of Repentance
Paul asked a group of disciples in Ephesus,
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.
Acts 19:3-5 KJV
At God’s command John the Baptist introduced a water baptism of repentance, but this was soon rendered obsolete by the New Covenant water baptism introduced by his relative, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It had served its purpose by paving the way for the first coming of Christ, and the start of His public ministry.
John’s baptism is also referred to in these verses: Mtt. 21:25, Mk. 1:4, Mk. 11:30, Lk. 3:3, Lk. 20:4, Ac.1:22, 10:37, 18:25
Baptism of Fire
John the Baptist declared,
I indeed baptize you with 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 with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mtt. 3:11 KJV
John brought a good thing, a symbol of what was soon to come. Christ instituted the reality of the New Covenant in His Blood with the subsequent Holy Spirit baptism of fire. Halleluia!
This prophecy of the coming baptism of fire was first fulfilled at Pentecost, and is recorded in Acts 2:3-4. It is the power baptism to set born again believers on fire for their Lord Jesus Christ, and burning with zeal to get His message to the ends of the Earth.
Have you received God’s baptism of fire beloved? Do you have the power to prove that Christ is alive and Lord of all? Do you burn inside to reach the lost with Christ’s love and Gospel? If not, you need to be Baptised in Fire.
The baptism of fire is also alluded to in these verses: Lk.3:16, 12:49, Ac.2:3-4, 1 Th. 5:19
Baptised into Death
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
Ro. 6:3-5 KJV
It is important to understand that God’s Spirit is here referring to the born again baptism, not water baptism. The spiritual rebirth of a person occurs the instant they repent and believe in Christ as LORD (Almighty God in the Flesh) and Saviour. They are baptised into Christ’s death, and raised to new life with Him. Their old nature is crucified with Christ (v.6), and they receive the eternal life of Christ into their heart becoming a new creation. They are set free from sin, guilt, condemnation, and are forgiven, saved, and at peace with God through Jesus’ sacrifice and mercy. Water baptism mirrors this burial and resurrection symbolically: the reality must have occurred prior to water baptism.
Christ alludes to His actual baptism into death (on your behalf) in Luke 12:50:
I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am straitened till it be accomplished!
Oh how much He suffered to set you free from sin and Judgment. What pain He endured to make the way for you to come back to your Creator.
Don’t you dare leave this site today without getting right with God. Christ suffered all the punishment due to you. Now you must choose to reject Him or repent and believe the good news. What are you going to do?
© 02 Colin Melbourne
Basic Bible Doctrine: Is “Pappy” Nelson’s proven sound classic written in 1914 and used as the official doctrinal AoG handbook.