Let My People Think

Posts tagged ‘baptism’

Into what did the 3000 get baptized on the day of Pentecost

Baptism

I don’t know why this eluded me for so long, but in the past few days I had this hunch about the Acts 2 events, as pertaining to the question of baptism. Here’s an interesting twist that I’ve discovered.

Please follow me through Acts 2, all the way from the beginning of the chapter.

Acts 2
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
[ … ]
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

pay close attention to v. 41. The ones that gladly received the word were baptized, and the same day were added 3000 souls / persons to the number of the outcalled (ekklesia, or church).

All the events in v. 41 – they heard the word, they gladly received it, were baptized, and they were added to the rest of the believers – all of these happened in the same day. That much is 100% clear from the passage. The specific question that I want to address is: can we clearly establish at all, as per the passage, that they were or were not water-baptized? Well, it turns out, we might be able to.
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Bible Study, History, New Covenant

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Jesus plus something?

In Galatians 3 (and in the entire letter to Galatians) the context is an encouragement to start in the spirit and continue in the spirit. The whole division of Galatians. 3:1 – 4:7 (which is one logical division) speaks of the work of the spirit, and verses 3:26-29 about how we got into Christ to get qualified for the promise made to Abraham also speaks of the work of the spirit.

Galatians 3:26-29
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Therefore, v. 27 “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” has to also be speaking of the Holy Spirit baptizing us into Christ.

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New Covenant

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Baptism – into what?

immersion

Let’s start off with this passage:

1 Peter 3:21
There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

I think this pretty clearly defines the baptism that saves us as the answer of good conscience toward God, and even underscores it not to be a washing. That’s the solution to successfully passing Mark 16:16 test:

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New Covenant

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