Yesterday we began a reflection on two conjoined baptisms found in Luke/Acts. They both center around the phrase "I [John] baptize you with water...He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." We concluded that John's baptism with water showed outwardly the inward change of belief and behavior affected by repentance. We also noted that Jesus participated in, practiced and proscribed this baptism with water.
...He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
Jesus would not only continue the baptism with water, he would begin a more powerful (Luke 3.16) baptism. This baptism would involve the Spirit and fire. As people believe the Good news, Jesus would pour out the Holy Spirit into their hearts (Romans 5.5,) This baptism would bring power into the lives of the believer (Acts 1.4-8.) This first happened on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2.1-3) and several subsequent times.
Power results from this immersion into the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness resulted from the immersion into water. The baptism with water symbolized the cleansing of that forgiveness. The baptism with the Spirit actualized the purification that amplifies power. This second baptism included fire. Fire can purify. The strength of any reagent grows as the diluting additives are purified out. Ivory soap cleans effectively because it is 99.44% pure soap with very little additives for color or fragrance.
"I [John] baptize you with water...He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
Peter recalls these words years later at the home of the God-fearing Roman Centurian Cornelius (Acts 11.16.) As Peter preached the Good News, Jesus sent His Holy Spirit on the man and his household (Acts 10.44-48.) Peter made the connection between this baptism with the Holy Spirit [of Jesus] and that of John with water. Even these non-Jewish people had been baptized by Jesus with the Spirit so they should be baptized with water by His disciples.
There are at least two other incidents involving the baptism of John with water and the baptism of Jesus with the Spirit (Acts 18.24-26 and Acts 19.3-4.) Together these all show early Christ followers believed that both were the normal experience of new believers. They saw the connection and necessity of both John's baptism with water and Jesus' baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Lord send your power!
Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Baptism of John and Jesus
Luke/Acts records two conjoined accounts of baptism. The Gospel according to Luke retells the ministry of John the Baptizer. The Acts of the Apostles recounts among others, the ministry of Peter to the household of Cornelius. The words prophetic in John and fulfilled in the mind of Peter form the nexus of these baptisms. I [John] baptize you with water...He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
I [John] baptize you with water...
John presented his baptism as one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3.3.) Forgiveness was the result of the prerequisite change of mind. Josh held participants in his baptism to a high expectation of "fruit in keeping with repentance." (3.8.) he refused to baptize some and admitted others. When confronted with his expectation, some in the crowd asked for clarification. They needed assistance in understanding what repentance looked like.
John gave three examples of "fruit in keeping with repentance." First, the truly repentant are concerned for the welfare of others. They share when they have something to wear or eat (verse 11.) Second, The truly repentant don't take advantage of others (verses 12-13.) They recognize the rights of both themselves and others. Lastly, the truly repentant cultivate contentment with what they have and don't take by force what belongs to others (verse 14.) Redirected minds redirect actions.
John's baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins emphasized the relation of the individual to the Covenant God offered rather than that of the people of God to that same Covenant. This call literally "laid the ax to the root of the tree" of dispassionate, disconnected relating to YHWH who passionately performed His Covenant duties. Claiming to belong, by natural birth alone, to the People of God did not suffice. "God can raise up children for Abraham" from inanimate, dispassionate objects like the river rocks lying along the Jordan river banks. Every individual needed to choose for themselves.
At least a few, and perhaps many, found offense in this call to personal responsibility rather than national identity. These had disconnected personal participation in the Covenant from the benefits of belonging to the Covenant People. Then, as now, God's grace invites the faithful to partner with Him in the work in them and in the world (2 Corinthians 6.1.) Personal responsibility, not group identity, produces "fruit in keeping with repentance."
But John defines repentance in terms of interactions with our fellowman. Answering the call for individual response to God's offer of Covenant finds expression in social responsibility. While no one can count on family (Abraham's children) or religious affiliation (Judaism) or geographic location (Judah, Jerusalem: capitals) for salvation, we express our saving relationship through these.
John's Baptism with Water physically demonstrated an inner change. The participant left the baptism changed -- dry became wet. One does not have to read creatively to imagine that this act could have been a dunking. As the participant was symbolically buried in the river, the crowd witnessed the end of their old way of believing and behaving. As they rose, the crowd saw a resurrection to their new way of believing and behaving.
Jesus affirms this baptism of repentance by participating in it (verse 21.) His presence sanctioned this baptism. He later commissions His disciples to continue this repentance-leading-to-forgiveness baptism (John 3.26, John 4.1-2.) His practice continued the baptism begun by John. Our Lord's final words to them were to "go...baptizing" (Matthew 28.19-20.) These facts bond the John's Baptism with Water with Jesus' Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
I [John] baptize you with water...
John presented his baptism as one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3.3.) Forgiveness was the result of the prerequisite change of mind. Josh held participants in his baptism to a high expectation of "fruit in keeping with repentance." (3.8.) he refused to baptize some and admitted others. When confronted with his expectation, some in the crowd asked for clarification. They needed assistance in understanding what repentance looked like.
John gave three examples of "fruit in keeping with repentance." First, the truly repentant are concerned for the welfare of others. They share when they have something to wear or eat (verse 11.) Second, The truly repentant don't take advantage of others (verses 12-13.) They recognize the rights of both themselves and others. Lastly, the truly repentant cultivate contentment with what they have and don't take by force what belongs to others (verse 14.) Redirected minds redirect actions.
John's baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins emphasized the relation of the individual to the Covenant God offered rather than that of the people of God to that same Covenant. This call literally "laid the ax to the root of the tree" of dispassionate, disconnected relating to YHWH who passionately performed His Covenant duties. Claiming to belong, by natural birth alone, to the People of God did not suffice. "God can raise up children for Abraham" from inanimate, dispassionate objects like the river rocks lying along the Jordan river banks. Every individual needed to choose for themselves.
At least a few, and perhaps many, found offense in this call to personal responsibility rather than national identity. These had disconnected personal participation in the Covenant from the benefits of belonging to the Covenant People. Then, as now, God's grace invites the faithful to partner with Him in the work in them and in the world (2 Corinthians 6.1.) Personal responsibility, not group identity, produces "fruit in keeping with repentance."
But John defines repentance in terms of interactions with our fellowman. Answering the call for individual response to God's offer of Covenant finds expression in social responsibility. While no one can count on family (Abraham's children) or religious affiliation (Judaism) or geographic location (Judah, Jerusalem: capitals) for salvation, we express our saving relationship through these.
John's Baptism with Water physically demonstrated an inner change. The participant left the baptism changed -- dry became wet. One does not have to read creatively to imagine that this act could have been a dunking. As the participant was symbolically buried in the river, the crowd witnessed the end of their old way of believing and behaving. As they rose, the crowd saw a resurrection to their new way of believing and behaving.
Jesus affirms this baptism of repentance by participating in it (verse 21.) His presence sanctioned this baptism. He later commissions His disciples to continue this repentance-leading-to-forgiveness baptism (John 3.26, John 4.1-2.) His practice continued the baptism begun by John. Our Lord's final words to them were to "go...baptizing" (Matthew 28.19-20.) These facts bond the John's Baptism with Water with Jesus' Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
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