I find it kind of funny when some evangelicals tell me that a certain verse isn't "wet" in scripture in reference to baptism. They make a vast disconnect between the baptism of the spirit and the baptism of water, as if they were meant to be two different things. Sure there are two aspects - water and spirit. But I don't see them as separated. But what strikes me as odd, is the standard for which water must be mentioned. If water isn't mentioned then it must be talking about Spirit baptism, so they say. But if you take all the verses that don't mention water, you find that the Bible doesn't teach anything about water baptism, even the great commission doesn't mention water, and we don't have any command to (water) baptize all nations! Why even do this? But even still when you apply this standard, all you are left with is the water baptism in the book of Acts where it specifically says that it saves you, gives you the gift of the Spirit, and washes away your sin. In Corinthians where it says Paul is glad he didn't baptize anyone, even that doesn't even mention water, yet its used as ammunition against one baptism. It's just another game of playing fast and loose with the scriptures.
I guess the question is: Where do people get their rules from?
And the second question is: Where in the Bible does it say, water baptism is merely a symbol that doesn't do anything but symbolize an outward sign of an inward reality? In other words, that it cannot offer what it signifies? But at the same time, I thought outward signs are what make things inward realities for us, ie the cross. I don't think there's anything specifically magical about that, it's just a reality of the world.
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