What’s Baptism, and What Does the Bible Say?
The Logos “blog” tells how to study what the Bible teaches about the subject of baptism.
First off, it recommends “Start with a Bible Word Study.”
Using the lexical resources in Logos 5 is how to do a word study about baptism. The blog’s author comments:
“This will bring you definitions from all your Greek dictionaries and show you every place where your Bible mentions this Greek word. You’ll see that the word literally means “to dip” or “immerse,” but obviously there’s more to baptism that being underwater.”
Secondly is the “Next step: the Topic Guide”
With the Topic Guide, a feature of Logos 5, “just enter a topic and hit ‘Go.'”
See more at the link:
The final step mentioned in this Logos article about baptism and how to study it in the Bible is to search using the Logos 5 software using the “morph.” The “morph” is the morphological root, what most of us that are not linguists or Greek scholars would call the “root word.” The software will in a matter of seconds bring up every occurrence of the Greek word root baptō and all of the Greek words related to this root.
I posted the following “Comment” on the Logos blog to further assist users of the Logos 5 software in the study of baptism, calling attention to the Bible study tool The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, which is included in the Logos 5 software. Readers of this site know I created The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge to furnish students of the Bible with a more complete resource of cross references for Bible study.
http://blog.logos.com/2013/02/whats-baptism-and-what-does-the-bible-say/#comment-44201
Logos 5 contains some very wonderful resources. One of the resources that will be found most useful, and more complete and balanced in its presentation of the subject of baptism, is The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. This resource presents not only cross references more completely than any other resource now in print, but notes which delve deeper into the issue. One major note on baptism is found at Romans 6:4, which presents the strongest arguments available in support of the mode commonly called immersion. Notes elsewhere, linked to Acts 1:5, present further evidence on the Biblical mode of Christian water baptism. The note at Acts 1:5 also distinguishes between real baptism accomplished by the Holy Spirit upon conversion to Christ, and ritual water baptism administered by human agents to another person.
You can learn a whole lot more than you bargained for if you take the time to carefully study a Bible subject using the resources available in Logos 5. Don’t forget to make full use of The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, one of the major tools for Bible study in Logos 5.
hello jerry. a good scripture ref on our spiritual baptism is in 1 co 12.13 for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body,whether we be jews or gentiles,whether we be bond or free; and have been made all made to drink into one spirit. trying to be a detective here and ask 5 questions and one how! 1. who is this talking about? jews or gentiles the church the body of christ gal 3.27-28 for as many of you have been baptized into christ have put on christ.,vs 28 there is neither jew nor greek, there is neither bond nor free,there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in christ jesus., 2. what does he mean by baptized into one body? again the biblical answer is what do the scriptures say? comparing scripture with scripture, rom 6.4-11 really sheds alot of light on baptism of the spirit.vs 4 therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as christ was raised up from the dead, we shall be also in the like ness of his resurrection; vs 5 for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: vs 6 knowing this,that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,that henceforth we should not serve sin. vs 7 for he that is dead is freed from sin.vs 8 now if we be dead with christ,we believe that we shall also live with him:vs 9 knowing that christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. vs 10 for in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto god. vs 11 reckon your selves dead to sin, but alive unto god through jesus christ our lord. 3. when did baptism with christ occur? the moment we placed our faith in our lord jesus christ!eph 2.8-9. m. rom 6.11 reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto god throught jesus christ our lord. the tense of the verb in 1 co 12.13, and rom 6 is past tense already completed! we are in christ! e 4. how ? by the spirit of god i c12.13 for by one spirit baptizes us into the body of christ!5 why 1. that we might be servants of righteousness 6.18 being the made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. 2. eph 4.19 now there fore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of god;vs 20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,jesus christ himself being the chief corner stone;vs 21 in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a hold temple in the lord: vs in whom ye also are builded together for a habitiation of god through the spirit. ep 4.4 there is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called one hope of your calling; 4.5 one lord,one faith,one baptism, eph 4. 6 one god and father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all. co 3.11 christ is all in all 6. where? we are in christ eph 1.3 who hath blessed us with all spiritural blessings in heavenly places in christ. there are some denominations that require you to be baptized in water to be a member of there church even if you have been baptized b4. not taught in scripture! it meant alot for me to be baptized in water by immersion when i was saved. i publicly identified with the body of christ a born again believer for that i am really thankful to lord his grace in saving me.
Someone just now sent a kind message about this site, but posted the comment via this site’s Facebook page. I have never figured out how to make use of Facebook. My sons set that up, and think it is wonderful. I have never had any success in learning how to use it or to respond to comments there.
So, here is my reply to the poster there:
Thank you for your kind comment regarding my Real Bible Study site. Yes, I do very highly recommend the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Yet, I find the cross references in my book, Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible, and its predecessor, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, to be far more complete as a Bible study tool. I have not been able to figure out how to use Facebook properly. It is easier for me to post replies to comments and questions at the http://www.realbiblestudy.com site itself, so feel free to visit there and make comments or ask further questions!
Dear Ken,
Thank you for your comment. As you know, Romans 6:4 has more to say about spiritual baptism than water baptism, for there is no water mentioned in Romans chapter 6, far as I recall.
Many sincere believers understand Romans 6:4 to teach baptism in water by immersion. That is a matter for each believer, or their chosen fellowship group, to determine. I was taught baptism is properly by immersion only. But when I studied it further, after reading Uncle Frank’s book by Hughey, The Scriptural Mode of Christian Baptism, I saw from the Biblical evidence he marshalled that immersion may not be the mode practiced in the New Testament.
Could a person discover this going by the Bible alone, and not learning it from a book by Hughey or some other human author? I think most definitely a person could figure this out if they were very patient and thorough in their study of the Bible. The trouble is, most presently available Bible study resources are biased in favor of immersion. Lexicons in common use reflect the Baptist viewpoint. But the lexicons have been changed to suit the audience they expect to be purchased by.
That is why I placed very complete notes on both sides of the question in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Whichever side you favor, at least in The New Treasury I have placed the evidence and arguments that support either view. People would benefit much in their Bible study if they would carefully consider each view and the evidence that supports it, then make a careful judgment as to which view, if either, has the best evidence in the Bible to support it.
Thankfully, the issue of water baptism is not a salvation matter.
Now that I am working on Galatians 1 in my studies, I am impressed that a matter many today would class as something that we can agree to disagree upon was not so understood by Paul.
Judaizers were attempting to persuade the people in the churches Paul founded in the region called Galatia to not simply believe, as Paul taught, that salvation is by grace alone. They taught, and apparently readily convinced Paul’s converts, that Paul’s message was incomplete. Paul had failed to teach them to keep the law of Moses. Keeping the law of Moses was most important to the Judaizers, and an essential requirement to be saved.
Probably no one today is advocating that Gentile believers must be circumcised as a religious practice in order to be saved. Paul successfully wrote enough in the book of Galatians to forever get rid of that bit of false doctrine.
But the Galatian heresy is very much with us today. While no one suggests that faith in Christ is unnecessary, even heretics that claim to be Christian believe that, there are many religious groups who want to add something to Grace. Some want to add keeping the Ten Commandments. Some want to focus upon keeping the Fourth Commandment regarding the Sabbath. Some want to claim that you must be a part of their religious group or you cannot be saved. Some even want to claim that you must be baptized by immersion or you cannot be saved. Some won’t state that baptism by immersion is necessary for salvation, but if you attempt to fellowship with them they will only let you be a “second class citizen,” for they will not admit you to church membership or the Lord’s Supper until you submit to baptism by immersion. Those who practice these things are guilty of committing the same error the Galatians did. In theology it is called the Galatian Heresy.
Paul taught bluntly that those who have fallen for another Gospel which he did not teach them were falling for a falsehood that made the Cross of Christ of none effect. Now you can check out the answer to this question: can you possibly be saved if for you the Cross of Christ has become of none effect?
jerry you make some really good points. alot of churches draw up there”lists” of what a christian ought to be and how he ought to live, rules, ritual, tradition govern there ministry.instead of the teaching the amazing grace of the gospel. gal 5.1 is a wonderful verse “stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. h.a. ironside once said” how often you see people who seem to wonderfully converted, and then they lose it all as they get occupied with all kinds of questions,rules,ceremonies and ritual. god would have heart occupied with his blessed son” in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. col 2.3
I have now completed my work of expanding the cross references for the book of Galatians. I am more convinced than ever that Paul wrote the book to answer the Judaizers who were infiltrating the churches in Galatia.
The Judaizers were answered in part in Acts 15. Notice that they insisted that keeping the Law of Moses was essential to salvation.
Modern groups who promote the same error as the Judaizers roundly criticized by Paul and doubly cursed by Paul in the book of Galatians fail to understand that insisting upon obedience to any law violates the Gospel of the Grace of God given by revelation to the Apostle Paul personally and directly by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 4:9 tells us that Paul charged the Galatians with heresy should they turn back again “to the weak and beggarly elements, whereby ye desire again to be in bondage.” Paul compared turning to the Law of Moses to turning back to the idolatry of paganism from which the Gentile Galatians had been saved from by the Gospel of Grace through Paul’s ministry.
Now some fail to understand just what turning back to the Law of Moses involves. It involves insisting on keeping the Fourth Commandment regarding the Sabbath.
This is clear by the very next verse, where Paul faults the Galatians for observing days, and months, and times, and years.
Observing “days” has reference to observing the Sabbath. Observing “months” has reference to observing the New Moons.
And so through the Jewish ceremonial calendar.
Paul had not taught the Gentile Christians in the churches he founded in Galatia to do any of these things.
The Judaizers added these things to the Gospel, and thus taught “another gospel,” which Paul affirmed was not another, but was a false gospel.
Paul told the Galatians, “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Galatians 4:11).
The use of the Greek tenses, particularly the Aorist Tense, shows Paul taught that to begin to turn to another Gospel is to immediately lose all the benefits of the true Gospel.
Therefore, do not be led astray by anyone or any group or denomination which wants to add to the Gospel plan of salvation things they think are important to obey. Such additions compromise our liberty in Christ, and constitute a false gospel. Paul pronounces a double curse, a double anathema, upon anyone promoting such a false gospel, stating very plainly:
Notice that the true gospel was once for all delivered unto the saints in its complete form before Jude wrote his letter, where he states:
May the Lord Himself grant all of you who read this the grace to avoid falling into the errors Paul and Jude warned us about.