~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 Cor 12:13 For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into
one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and
were all given to drink one Spirit.
Acts 8:36 And as they were going along the road, they came
upon some water, and the eunuch said, Look, water. What
prevents me from being baptized? (38) And he ordered the
chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water,
Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Part 2 of 3]
This baptism has two aspects: the visible aspect by water and
the invisible aspect by the Holy Spirit. The visible aspect is
the expression, the testimony, of the invisible aspect,
whereas the invisible aspect is the reality of the visible
aspect. Without the invisible aspect by the Spirit, the
visible aspect by water is vain; and without the visible
aspect by water, the invisible aspect by the Spirit is
abstract and impractical. Therefore, both are needed.
Not long after the Lord Jesus charged the disciples to carry
out this baptism, He baptized them and the entire church in
the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) on the day of Pentecost (Acts
1:5; 2:4) and in the house of Cornelius (11:15-17). Then,
based on this, the disciples baptized the new converts, not
only visibly into water but also invisibly into the death of
Christ (Rom. 6:3-4), into Christ Himself (Gal. 3:27), into the
Triune God (Matt. 28:19), and into the Body of Christ (1 Cor.
12:13). The water, signifying the death of Christ with His
burial, may be considered a tomb to terminate the history of
the baptized ones.
[continued tomorrow]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible
and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life- study of
Thessalonians, pp. 85-86. Both are published by Living
Stream Ministry, Anaheim. (Repeat 12/7/00)
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