Tag: baptized

Many Members

~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

1Corinthians 12:12-17 For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 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 all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 

‘So also is Christ’ – Here the congregation is called “Christ” and is compared to a human body with its many members (12:12-28).

‘By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.’ This shows how the body of Christ is constituted. The Spirit is the agent that brings one into the body of Christ by the new birth. This is not a baptism into the Spirit, but into the body of Christ. The body here is the element one is baptized into. The Spirit is the agent that does the baptizing into the body. The believer is the candidate. If it were the Spirit baptism, Christ would be the agent and the Holy Spirit would be the element baptized into.

‘Jews or Gentiles’ Jews and Gentiles are in the same body, the congregation (Eph. 2:11-18; 3:1-6; Col. 1:18, 24).

‘Drink into one Spirit’ – Drinking of the Spirit is the same as partaking of His power. One can partake of Him in sonship without being baptized in the Spirit (Rom. 8:15). Different measures of the Spirit: The Mosaic portion (Num. 11:17, 25); the Mosaic portion divided into 71 portions (Num. 11:16-17, 25-29); Elijah’s portion (2Kin. 2:9); double portion (2Kin. 2:9-10); Elijah’s portion on John the Baptist (Luke 1:15-17); earnest of the Spirit (2Cor. 1:22; 5:5; 1Jn. 4:13; Php. 1:19) and the Spirit “without measure” (John 3:34; Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1; Luke 4:16-21; Acts 10:38); Spirit baptism or baptismal measure (Matt. 3:11; 20:22-23; Luke 3:16; John 1:31-34; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-21; 8:15-24; 10:44-48; 11:14-18; 15:7-11; 19:1-7; Gal. 3:14); the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19; Rom. 15:29); the rivers of living water (John 7:37-39); and the full anointing of the Spirit and enduement of power from on high (Luke 24:49; John 14:12-15)

‘If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? … And if they were all one member, where were the body?’ ‘ All these questions are self-answered. All of 1Corinthians 12:14-26 illustrates the fact that as the human body is one and has many members who have been born again and who live godly consecrated lives (12:27-28; Rom. 12:3-5; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:1-6; 4:1-13; Col. 1:18, 24). Our lives must be living doctrines that produce life upon obedience to the Word.

Without Measure

~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

John 3:34-36 For he whom God has sent speak the words of God: for God give not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loves the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abide on him. 

Christ said to Philip in John 14:10 that the words He spoke unto them (the disciples) He spoke not of Himself: but of the Father that dwell in Him (was in union with Him). Jesus was baptized with the Spirit and not just filled by measure. He had the Spirit ‘without measure’ (Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1; Luke 4:16-21; Acts 10:38) and was thus endued with power for service.

He that believes on Christ – His life, death and resurrection (1Jn. 1:6-7), His testimony (1Pet. 2:21-23), and obey the Words He spoke, shall have eternal life; but judgement for those who do not believe (Greek = apeitheo) who will not allow one’s self to be persuaded to comply with, or to obey, where belief implies obedience and not only mental acceptance of a historical fact.

‘The wrath of God abides on him’ where wrath in Greek here is the word orge, which means temper, agitation of the soul, violent emotion, anger, wrath, indignation, hence used of punishment itself. Here it is God’s attribute manifested in punishing the rebellion and sin of man (Rom. 1:18; 4:15; 9:22; 2Thes. 1:1-12:16; Heb. 3:11; 4:3; Rev. 14:10).