"Legalism" - A Meaningless Word

I was baptized with the trinity baptism by the Baptists, then at the urging of my Apostolic friends I was Baptized again in Jesus name so I got all the bases covered.

Spirit Baptism is the "one" Baptism. Water Baptism is a ceremony that does nothing to change hearts.

According to you. I don`t see any scripture references in your post 

No you put baptism in a verse that doesn't say baptism, John talks about baptism later in the chapter if you keep reading but you cant change insert your own word and use it to try contradict clear verses like

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

And without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins

But the verse "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." you need to deal with the "and of Spirit or you cant enter the kingdom of God or you get below.....


Your saying no-one can enter the kingdom today, but the born again are already in the kingdom because the kingdom of God is within you. Jesus said "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

Transformed from darkness to light

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

See that Light, Jesus Is the Light



Is eternal security in Gods promises? but how can you prove the faith of someone else? would you like the sign of Jonah?

Those things you could call sanctification or discipleship or even Love

Today is the day of salvation 

the gospel is how you are saved 1 Corinthians 15 

You cited a verse but then gave no proof to prove the verse says what you claim it says.




The context of 1 Cor 12 is the church at Corinth was divided over spiritual gifts.  In order to bring unity, Paul reminded them that the same one Spirit gave them gifts according to the will of the Spirit so there should be no envy or conceit over the various gifts.  Paul in v13 uses the one Spirit to show the unity in how they all entered the body.

Points to note:

(1)
Paul did not say 'baptized with water' but rather said 'baptized by ONE Spirit' for Paul's point was NOT to stress the element (water) but the agent (Spirit), to show they all equally met the same condition (water baptism) to be in the body as all were bestowed gifts by the same one Spirit....so there was unity among gifts and unity in entering the kingdom regardless of nationality and this was done by the same one Spirit.

(2)
Jn 3:5 there are two elements in the new birth, 1) Spirit 2) water and both elements are found in 1 Cor 12:13:

Jn 3:5---------Spirit +++++++++++++ water >>>>>>>>> in the kingdom
1Cor12:13----Spirit +++++++++++++ baptized >>>>>>> in the body

Since there is just one way to be saved, no alternatives, and the Bible does not contradict itself then both verses must express the same idea making it clear that water baptism is the type of baptism under consideration.

(3)
from 1 Cor 1, we read Paul and others water baptized the Corinthians, men cannot baptize with the HS.  Water baptism in the name of Jesus has been commanded, with the command making it a necessity to enter the body thereby making water baptism the one baptism of Eph 4:5.  No one ever was ever commanded to be "spirit baptized".  

(4)
Paul in 1 Cor 12:13 shows the Spirit was the agent of baptism as Jesus is said to be the agent of baptism in Jn 4:1-2 "When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)" Note it says 'Jesus baptized' but Jesus did NOT personally baptized but He authorized the disciples to water baptize. Since Jesus authorized/commanded water baptism, then Jesus is said to be the agent when one is water baptized by a disciple. Likewise in 1 Cor 12:13, the Spirit like Jesus did not personally baptized those Corinthians but the Spirit inspired/authorized the Apostles to teach water baptism as the means to entering the body, hence when the disciples water baptized those Corinthians, the Spirit is said to be the agent.

Note in Acts 8 the Spirit sent for Phillip to water baptize the eunuch.
If 'spirit baptism' is the one baptism of Eph 4:5. Phillip was not necessary to be there for the Spirit could have baptized the eunuch Himself.  Yet the eunuch was not spirit baptized but water baptized and saved by that water baptism.  The Spirit was the agent in authorizing water baptism but it was a man, Phillip, that did  the water baptism, hence it can be said the eunuch was baptized by the Spirit since the Spirit authorized it.


(5)
men have been commanded to be water baptized, so if I am not water baptized that is solely my fault, my culpability.  Yet if 1 Cor 12:13 is Spirit baptism and I have not been 'spirit baptized', then my being unbaptized and lost outside the body of Christ cannot be my fault, but the fault and culpability of God/HS for failing to have baptized me with the Spirit.  Furthermore, God/HS baptizing you with the spirit but not me makes God a respecter of persons when He is not (Acts 10:34-35).

(6)
baptism with the HS was a prophecy of Joel that God would pour out His spirit upon ALL FLESH.  All flesh does not mean every single person universally but at the time of Joel, mankind was seen in 2 divisions, you were either a Jew or Gentile, hence Jew and Gentile made up "all flesh".  In Acts 2 the Lord baptized the Apostles with the Spirit and the Apostles were Jews.  In Acts 10 Cornelius was baptized with the HS and he was a Gentile.  Hence all flesh, Jew and Gentile, had God's spirit poured upon them thereby fulfilling Joel's prophecy about baptism with the HS with fulfilled meaning to cease, bring to an end.  So spirit baptism cannot be the one baptism of Eph 4:5.

Your remarks about the Holy Spirit are not from the Bible.

Context matters here as it always matters.

The context is those Corinthians were divided, rather than all following Christ they were following after the person who baptized them, 1 Cor 1:10-12.

Therefore the reason Paul said he did not baptize (verb) was so that he would not create followers of him at Corinth..."I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name."   

Again, the REASON Paul said he was thankful he did not baptize (verb) was because he did not want to create Paulites, he did not want to create followers of himself.  Paul NEVER said nor even remotely suggested that baptism (noun) is not necessary to salvation as being the reason why he did not baptize some at Corinth.

In the great commission of Christ, all disciples including Paul have been commissioned/commanded to go, teach and baptize therefore Paul is not contradicting Christ in 1 Cor 1:14.  And Christ's baptism of the great commission had disciples/humans as Paul and Phillip (Acts 8) water baptizing men.

1 Cor 6:11 "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." The verb 'washed' being in the middle voice shows the Corinthians submitted themselves to water baptism...'you had yourselves washed', how? By obeying the command of Christ in being water baptized.  As Paul and others water baptized those Corinthians per Christ's great commission.

Actually, Paul's rhetorical  question in v13 PROVES the necessity of water baptism.