Foundational - 06 - Baptism PDF
Foundational - 06 - Baptism PDF
Foundational - 06 - Baptism PDF
By Peter Tan
Many Christians believe in these basic tenets but they cannot verify from
the Bible an apologetics for their faith. It is a common experience to meet a
Christian who speaks in tongues but who cannot show from the Bible why
tongues is essential. This book seeks to meet that need of teaching and
grounding in these areas.
They are the ‘bare essentials’ for the Christian life. There is a great need
for Christians to be taught the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
Jesus, in speaking to the disciples James and John, asked them whether
they could be baptized with the same baptism He was baptized with and to
drink the same cup from which He drank? (Matt. 20:22, 23). Jesus was
definitely referring here to the baptism of suffering. To the answer that they
were able, Jesus even agreed with them that they shall indeed be baptized
with the baptism of suffering.
The call to the Christian ministry is also a call to suffer for Him. Of
course, some people suffer for their own sins and mistakes and call it
persecution but true bona fide Christian suffering is suffering for being like
Christ. Peter speaks of Christian suffering as being persecuted for
righteousness and not for unrighteousness (1 Pet. 4:15, 16).
Jesus Christ lived and died in the flesh about two thousand years ago in
the nation of Israel. He was the manifestation of the love of God to the
people he met and ministered to. Today Christ is raised and seated at the
right hand of God. Jesus needs human vessels today to be channels and
manifestations of the love of God to the present people of the world who
cannot see Him. When He calls and chooses a person for His ministry, He
expects the vessel to be an instrument and visible manifestation of Him to
the world.
In doing so, the chosen vessel will have to be prepared to go through the
same hardship and rejection that He went through. The vessel would have to
be baptized with the same baptism He was baptized with and drink the same
cup of suffering which He drank. John and James were later persecuted and
suffered for their ministry in Christ.
Paul who wrote the major part of the New Testament had many glorious
and wonderful results in the ministry - signs, wonders and miracles. Many
souls were won to Christ through his ministry and many churches were
founded. However, the sufferings and persecutions he received were also
directly proportional to the massiveness of his results.
Paul understood that in the ministry, you don’t get something for nothing.
Somebody has to suffer the difficulty and pay the price that others may
receive it easier. In the ministry, it is none other than the minister who
should pay this price. Paul said that he was always carrying about in his own
body the dying of the Lord Jesus (the baptism of suffering), that the life of
Jesus also may be manifested in his own body (2 Cor. 4:10). His analogy of
the baptism of suffering is that death works in him that life may work in
others (2 Cor. 4:12).
If only ministers today would understand that God did not call them to a
life of ease, comfort and professionalism, there would be more done than
what has been done thus far. Imagine if all ministers would live sacrificially
as an example of Jesus and pay the price for the sheep they minister to, to be
blessed, the world would be shaken by the impact of the church today. The
sad story is that there are too many who want the results without paying the
price for the results.
The baptism of suffering imparts the grace of God, the anointing of God
and the ability of God to rejoice in the sufferings of rejoice. The sacrifices
and the burdens of the ministry become no longer a burden but a joy and a
privilege. Being in the ministry is like living in a glass house - your life is
watched constantly as an example. Living in this manner can be
uncomfortable for those new in the ministry but a good dose of the baptism
of suffering will impart the grace to live the exemplary life.
Ministers need to learn the art of dying that others may live (2 Cor. 4:12).
The call to the ministry is a call to sacrifice, to inconvenience ourselves, to
immolate, to yield, to dedicate, to consecrate, to donate and to give of
Our ministry is like John the Baptist; preparing the way, smoothing out
the rough ways, levelling the hills and mountains that others may find it
easier to come to Christ. We pour our blood, sweat and tears, picking up the
stones and rocks along the way that others will not be blocked or hindered
in any way from coming to Him.
Baptism into the body of Christ is known as being ‘born again’. When we
are born again, God places us into the body of Christ. We become a part of
God’s family with God as our Eternal Father. This baptism takes place
spiritually when we ask Jesus to come into our lives as our Lord and
Saviour. Note the difference in the following three baptisms:
In body baptism, the Holy Spirit (the baptizer) takes us (the subjects) and
places us into the body of Christ (the medium) (1 Cor. 12:13).
In water baptism, the minister (the baptizer) takes us (the subject) and places
us into water (the medium).
In the baptism in the Holy Spirit, Jesus (the baptizer) takes us (the subject)
and places us into the Holy Spirit (the medium).
The term ‘body baptism’ is not too familiar with the average Christian
because today the terms ‘born again’ and ‘converted’ are more commonly
used. However, the terms ‘baptized into the body’ are common terms used
by the people in the New Testament. The apostle Paul used this term very
often in his writings in the epistles (Rom. 6:3-6). In this study, please note
that the terms ‘baptized in the body’ are synonymous with the terms ‘born
again’ and ‘converted.’
5. There is a new nature imparted. The seed (nature) of God has been
implanted within us when Jesus came into our lives as Lord and Saviour (1
Jn. 4:9). We are now a new creation (Greek - new species) (2 Cor. 5:17).
6. There is the experience of a new purpose and meaning to life (Eph. 1:9,
10; 2:10). Life does not consist in merely working, eating, sleeping and
pleasure anymore (Rom. 14:17). There is an eternal purpose to all of
creation.
After reading the above list, some Christians would probably wonder
whether they have really been born again. Don’t worry. You have, if you
have made a decision to accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour. What you
lack is teaching to help you understand what has happened in that ‘born
again’ experience.
Our souls consist of our mind, emotions and will. All these three areas of
the soul need to be subjugated to the spirit man. Our spirit consists of our
conscience, intuition and communion. These are the three areas that need to
Paul speaks of the importance of the conscience in his spiritual life and
ministry. His conscience was highly trained to bear witness with the Holy
Spirit (Rom. 9:1).He served God with a pure conscience (2 Tim. 1:3). A
good conscience prevents spiritual shipwreck (1 Tim.1:19).
The intuition is the inner sense of knowing that is beyond and above the
mind. As Christians, we can know some things without understanding them.
We can ‘sense’ the rightness or wrongness of some things before our minds
picked up the understanding of why it is wrong. Our spirit can ‘perceive.’
Paul could sensed that the journey was in danger of being aborted but the
centurion was not persuaded (Acts 27:10). The centurion and the helmsman
went by the natural sense knowledge and to their minds it was the best time
to travel (Acts 27:11, 12). The intuition can be trained (Heb. 5:14).
The baptism into the body is only the beginning of a new walk and a new
life (Rom. 6:4). We should understand all that it involves and press on into
deeper spiritual growth.
Baptism in water is purely a symbol and it does not save us. However, as
we will see, obedience in this ordinance brings many blessings. In the early
days of Christianity, altar calls were not made by the raising of hands or the
calling forward to the front. These are methods which have been adopted by
the modern church to help a person act out his decision. They are good and
should be encouraged.
In New Testament days, the indication that people have made a decision
to follow Christ is through water baptism. It was the method by which
people could act out their faith that they have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord
and Saviour. Because of the adoption of methods today, like raising of
hands and coming to the altar area, as an indication of accepting Christ,
modern Christians tend to think that they have demonstrated their decision
already and consequently, do not continue in water baptism thus missing the
blessings involved.
Such Christians quote Mark sixteen saying that Jesus said that only those
who believed and were baptized shall be saved (Mk. 16:16). They forget to
quote the other half which says that those who do not believe shall be
damned. Damnation or judgment to eternal death only takes place when we
do not believe and not when we are not baptized. Jesus did not say that
those who are not baptized shall be damned but He only said that those who
do not believe shall be damned.
If a person is not born again and gets baptized in water, he will still be a
sinner - a wet sinner. Peter writes in his epistle saying that water baptism
does not remove the filth of the flesh but is the answer of a good conscience
toward God (1 Pet. 3:20, 21). We are not saved by outward ordinances but
rather by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The second reason is that when water baptism was performed in the New
Testament, there was always the necessity for much water. John the Baptist
chose a place with much water for baptizing (Jn. 3:23). If water baptism had
been by any other mode but immersion there would not have been the
necessity for much water.
Finally, water baptism is to show forth our death, burial and resurrection
in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:4, 5). What better way is there than immersion to
show forth all three aspects of the work of Christ in our lives? When a
person dies, we don’t just sprinkle them with sand. We bury them.
In the New Testament, we see that Jesus gave the command for water
baptism as ‘baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit’ (Matt. 28:19). In the book of Acts, we see the disciples
baptizing in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48;
19:5). Some Christians insist that only baptism in the Name of the Lord
Jesus is the correct formula claiming that the Name of Jesus Christ is the
only Name for all the Trinity.
If you ever encounter this group, understand that the basis for their
insistence is not just because of their desire to be biblical but rather this
same group who teach thus do not believe in the Trinity at all. (We will
teach on the Trinity under Volume 13 of this series).
Actually both formulas should be acceptable because both have its basis
on the Scriptures. However to tie both portions of Scriptures together, I
In the Old Testament, God told the Israelites that if they obey His voice,
His commandments and His statutes they will never be sick (Ex. 15:26).
Obeying His voice means obeying the leadings of His Spirit. Obeying His
commandments means keeping to all His moral and absolute commands in
His Word. Obeying His statutes means obeying all the religious symbolism
that God had ordained. For the Israelites keeping the symbol of the Passover
was one of the statutes (Ex. 13:10). There is a blessing in keeping God’s
statutes.
For New Testament saints, the statutes of God involved keeping the
Lord’s Supper and water baptism. Water baptism does not determine
salvation but it sure does determine the blessings. You may be a good
Christian obeying His moral laws and doing your best to obey His Spirit.
But if you have not been baptized in water, you are not obeying His statutes.
Let us be complete in our obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The disciples of Jesus Christ had received the born again experience and
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit before the day of Pentecost. Jesus breathed
into them and opened their understanding to the Word of God (Jn .20:22;
Lk. 24:49). It was only forty days later that they received the baptism in the
Holy Spirit with the speaking of tongues (Acts 1:5-8; 2:4).
The Samaritans received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and were even
baptized in water by Philip (Acts 8:12). It was some time later that Peter and
John came from Jerusalem and got them baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts
8:17).
Paul was born again on the road to Damascus. He had to be born again
because Jesus commissioned him to the ministry (Acts 26:16). Jesus will not
commission someone who is not born again. Moreover, Paul in his
encounter with Jesus called Him ‘Lord.’ (Acts 9:5). Paul in giving his
personal testimony traces the beginning of his Christian life and ministry to
the heavenly vision he received on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:19).
Moreover, Ananias called him ‘Brother Saul.’ (Acts 9:17). It was only three
days after his conversion that Paul received the baptism in the Holy Spirit
(Acts 9:9).
Cornelius and his whole household received the baptism in the Holy Spirit
and the born again experience at the same time (Acts 10:44-46). The Jews
were convinced that the Gentiles had received because of the evidence of
tongues (Acts 10:46). This was the only case of people receiving the
conversion experience and the baptism in the Holy Spirit simultaneously. It
was more an exception rather than the norm. The reason for this was the
tremendous spiritual hunger demonstrated by Cornelius (Acts 10:1,2).
In the above study, we see that in four out of five incidents, people
received the baptism in the Holy Spirit after the born again experience and it
was definitely not taken to be one and the same experience. Nor was it an
automatic occurrence. Even in the case of Cornelius, the time he had spent
in spiritual hunger, prayer and fasting had brought the special move of the
Holy Spirit among his household.
In Jerusalem, one hundred and twenty disciples all spoke in tongues when
they were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Cornelius and his whole
household spoke in tongues (Acts 10:46). The Ephesians spoke in tongues
(Acts 19:6). Paul was a tongue-talker (1 Cor. 14:18). Even though there was
no record of tongues in the case of the Samaritans, there was evidence that
could be seen and heard (Acts 8:17, 18). To be consistent with the Bible the
evidence that could be seen and heard points back to the same evidence on
the day of Pentecost which Peter says could be seen and heard (Acts 2:33).
The baptism in the Holy Spirit does result in the speaking of tongues.
Some people say that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is the evidence of the
Holy Spirit. We have nothing against the fruit of the Holy Spirit (In fact it
will be covered in Volume 11 of this series). But we must be Scriptural in
regard to the doctrines we hold. It was certainly not the fruit of the Holy
Spirit that the people in Jerusalem saw in the one hundred and twenty
disciples, it was tongues! (Acts 2:7, 11). Neither was Simon the magician
watching the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Samaritans, it was a
visible evidence that was demonstrated and immediately tangible! (Acts
8:18).
It takes time to see the fruit of a life. Sometimes we even have to live with
a person and watch them react to the circumstances of life, to conclude that
the fruit of the Holy Spirit is present in their lives. The fruit in our lives are
In Cornelius case, it was definitely not the fruit in their lives that
convinced the Jews that the Gentiles had received the baptism in the Holy
Spirit. Anyway, there was not enough time to observe for fruit for they
hardly knew them then. However Peter concluded that they had definitely
received the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the same manner as at Pentecost
(Acts 11:15-17). It was the tongues that convinced them (Acts 10:46).
Yet some others say that power is the evidence of the baptism in the Holy
Spirit. Again we point to these people that in the case of the one hundred
and twenty disciples, there was no evidence of a single miracle being
performed and yet they were definitely baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts
2:33). The Samaritans did not demonstrate any miracle and yet Simon the
magician saw that they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18).
Neither did Cornelius demonstrate any miracle in his life and yet the Jews
acknowledged that they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:47).
The reason why Christians do not show power is because many times they
are ignorant of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:1) and not because
they were not baptized in the Holy Spirit. A lack of teaching and grounding
in the Word is the cause for the lack of fruit and power and not the lack of
the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Bible standard of the baptism in the Holy
Spirit is the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the speaking of tongues.
The speaking in tongues unto the Lord is praying in the spirit. It is our
spirit man praying (1 Cor. 14:14, 15). Every born again Christian need to
allow the spirit man to pray. And when their spirit man prays, according to
the apostle Paul, their understanding will be unfruitful (1 Cor. 14:14). That
means that it is the speaking of tongues each time the spirit man prays. All
Christians have a spirit man and all their spirit man needs to pray.
Many Christians, after they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, do not
continue exercising prayer in tongues because they are not taught the
benefits. Remember that Paul said the praying in tongues is praying in the
spirit (1 Cor. 14:14). When we pray in tongues, we are spending time in the
spirit realm and therefore are growing more sensitive to the spiritual world.
In the early days of my ministry, I did not realize the benefits of speaking
in tongues until I had a spiritual experience in the spiritual realm in regard
to tongues. I was praying in tongues one day while seated on a balcony in a
flat. I prayed for about one hour when suddenly I felt difficulty praying in
tongues. Every word I spoke felt artificial and it was only with great effort
that I managed to pray. However I persisted in praying in tongues and after
some time it was easy again to pray.
I did not understand that experience but that night the Lord showed me in
a dream, the exact picture of me praying in tongues on the balcony. I saw
myself praying in tongues with ease. Then suddenly a black hairy demon
came and went round and round me saying, ‘Yakity, Yakity, Yak, Yak.’ Of
course I did not realize that the demon was there in the day time as I did not
see it. But there it was, the same incident replayed for me like a movie with
the spiritual dimension added.
1. When we pray in tongues, it is our spirit man that prays (1 Cor. 14:14).
Our spirit man is activated and dominates our whole being as we pray in
tongues.
2. Our spirit man is built up and energized when we pray in tongues (1 Cor.
14:4).
9. When we pray in tongues, we enter our spiritual rest (Heb. 4:8-10;1 Cor.
14:21;Isa. 28:11,12).
10. Praying and singing in tongues helps us to worship God at a higher level
than our understanding permits (1 Cor. 14:15; Jn. 4:23, 24).
The most remarkable quality of the Holy Spirit is the quality of being
measured. The Holy Spirit was given in measures in the Old Testament.
Elisha had a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (2 Kings 2:9). Moses had
the measure of the Holy Spirit upon him taken and divided to the seventy
elders (Num. 11:17). Some say that we cannot divide the person of the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at the moment dwelling in the spirits of born again
Christians. We do not understand how He could be in our hearts and yet in
another Christian’s heart. But we do know that He can be omnipresent.
When they were born again, the Holy Spirit could now dwell in their new
spirits. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him
and he in God (1 Jn. 4:15). And by this we know that He abides in us, by the
Spirit whom He has given to us (1 Jn. 3:24). The Holy Spirit definitely
dwells in us when we are born again (Rom. 8:9-10).
Paul prayed for the Ephesians to receive the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation even though the Ephesians were born again and baptized in the
Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:17, 18). We can receive progressive measures of the
Holy Spirit. As we grow measure by measure, we will reach the full
measure and stature of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13).
Jesus said that whoever drinks of then water that He gives will never thirst
but shall become in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life
(Jn. 4:14). I believe that this refers to the salvation measure of the Holy
Spirit.
Jesus also said that if anyone is thirsty, let him drink and out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water (Jn. 7:37, 38). Rivers convey the meaning
If James were to write his epistle today, instead of comparing the tongue
to a ship’s rudder or a horse’s bridle, he would have compared the tongue to
the steering wheel of a car (Jam. 3:3, 4). If we want to take control of a car,
it would be most natural to take control of the steering wheel. Therefore,
when the Holy Spirit controls and fills our lives, one of the first things He
does is to take control of our tongues.
There is a difference between Jesus’ baptism in the Holy Spirit and ours.
When the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, He came in the form of a dove and
Jesus did not speak in tongues (Lk. 3:22). When the Holy Spirit came upon
the disciples, He came in the form of fire and they spoke in other tongues
(Acts 2:3,4). John the Baptist testified that Jesus shall baptize with the Holy
Spirit and with fire (Lk. 3:16).
There are two differences between Jesus and us: Jesus had no sin nature
and no unrenewed mind. All of us have a sin nature and an unrenewed mind
prior to conversion. Therefore when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, the
Holy Spirit’s fire purifies us and continues to burn in our lives to preserving
us from the weaknesses of inherent in our sin nature. We were also given an
ability to pray bypassing the limitations of our mind, which is still in the
process of renewal. When we pray in tongues, our
understanding does not comprehend (1 Cor. 14:14,15).
God has equipped us with spiritual weapons to overcome our sin nature
and our unrenewed mind in order that we can be like Jesus was when He
was manifested on this earth.
The disciples were filled afresh and spoke the Word of God with boldness
(Acts 4:30). Note how the Bible records that they witnessed with great
power (Acts 4:33). A greater measure of the Holy Spirit produced an
increased measure of power.
The Ephesians who were already born again and baptized in the Holy
Spirit were prayed for by Paul that they might receive the Holy Spirit of
wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:17). Paul prayed that God would give them
the Holy Spirit even though they already had received the Holy Spirit. Paul
was praying for an increased measure of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
The Apostle John saw a vision of Jesus Christ and the seven Spirits before
the throne (Rev. 1:4; 4:5; 5:6). The very manifestation of the Holy Spirit in
heaven speaks to us of the fact that the Holy Spirit has the peculiar quality
of being measured. It is beyond doubt that the Holy Spirit is the third person
of the Godhead. But being a person does not limit Him from the ability to be
measured as shown in His work through human vessels all through the
Bible.
The number seven represents the full measure of the Holy Spirit which
Jesus had. It is the Will of God that the church of Jesus Christ receives the
full measure of the Holy Spirit. The church is destined to reach the full
measure of the stature of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13).
Understanding the person and quality of the Holy Spirit would help us to
humble ourselves at the feet of God constantly so that we learn to ask for
and receive measure upon measure of the Holy Spirit. Don’t stop where you
are. Press on deeper into the fullness of God. Press on deeper into the
greater measures of the Holy Spirit.