John the Baptist was sent before Christ to prepare the way before
him.[68]
John was a prophet of dispensation previous to Christ.[69] He was in the
desert until the time of his showing unto Israel.[70] In the vision he
was with Moses on the Mount and they talked with Jesus.[71] He with
Moses vanished and left Jesus alone.[72]
John said: That he (Jesus) should be manifest unto Israel, therefore am
I come baptizing with water.[73] John defines his commission as only to
Israel (the Jews). His baptism was adapted to Jews only and not to us,
who according to Jewish classification are Gentiles. Evidently John
baptised Jews only and no Gentiles.
It was unlawful for Jews to keep company or come unto Gentiles and there
is no intimation that John ignored this Jewish law.[74]
The woman of Samaria wondered that Jesus (a Jew) asked water of her, a
Samaritan, for Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.[75]
Even in apostolic times we have no record that any full Gentile was
baptized with water; nor that any one born of Christian parents was so
baptized.
Cruden says: Naaman, Cornelius and the Eunuch were all proselytes of the
gate and not full Gentiles.[76]
The Samaritans were a mixed race who observed the law of Moses. They
also were Jewish proselytes and not full Gentiles.[77] When the Jews
numbered the people they did not count the Gentiles. So all Jerusalem
and Judea whom John baptized would not include the few Gentiles who
lived among the Jews.[78]
The freedom with which the Jews followed John to the Jordan indicates
that they were previously familiar with water baptism.[79]
But few of that great multitude whom John baptized appear to have become
the disciples of Christ.
John said: "There cometh one after me mightier than I, whose shoe
latchets I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have
baptized you with water but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
And again: "He must increase but I must decrease."[80]
Christ said: "John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit." Peter quoted this saying of our Lord and
recognized this Holy Spirit baptism to be the same as that which the
prophet Joel foretold should be poured out upon all flesh, upon sons and
daughters, servants and handmaidens.[81]
Two baptisms are here contrasted by John, Christ and Peter. Baptism of
water must decrease with John and Judaism. Baptism of Spirit must
increase with Christ and Christianity.
To whom can we turn with more confidence for knowledge about all
baptisms ordained or intended for us than unto John the Baptist whom we
are told was sent to administer one baptism, and unto Christ who was the
author of another baptism?[82]
Three times in eight verses John says his baptism is of water, thus
distinguishing it from Christ's baptism without water.[83]
They are both quoted as testifying to two dissimilar and distinct
baptisms administered at different times, one with water and the other
without.
Neither of them intimates that these two baptisms shall ever be united,
but they do both plainly intimate that they shall not be united, and
that the first shall pass away and the second remain, and no other be
introduced.[84]
John says: He (Christ) shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit; but John
never says that he nor anyone else shall ever baptize you with
water.[85]
Christ says: Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit,[86] but he
nowhere even intimates that we shall ever be baptized with water, nor
does he ever mention water baptism but once, and this was with his last
words when he introduced his own baptism of the Holy Spirit as its
immediate successor.[87]
As Peter interprets the Prophet Joel: All flesh, sons and daughters
shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit; but Joel never prophesied that
they should be baptized with water.[88]
If in these gospel days we were to have been baptized with water, would
not Joel have prophesied of water as well as of Spirit? [89] Would not
our Saviour at some time have intimated that water baptism should be
continued and have given some instructions about it? And would he not
have baptized his apostles in this way? Would John when teaching that
great multitude of Jews on the banks of the Jordan have impressed upon
them that water baptism was only transient and that they would all need
to be baptized again with the Holy Spirit?[90]
John baptized his disciples with water.[91] Christ called to his
disciples, "Follow Me."[92] Christ did not baptize with water.[93] He is
calling to-day, "Follow Me."[94] The apostle John says: Jesus tarried
with his disciples in Judea and baptized; tho' Jesus baptized not but
his disciples.[95]
Jesus here sanctioned water baptism by his presence for a short time and
then departed,[96] but he never baptized with water himself, nor
directed others to do so, nor gave any instructions about it.
He likewise sanctioned circumcision, and the law of Moses generally.[97]
It was observed all around him and he did not object. He sent the
cleansed leper to the Jewish priest to offer for his cleansing as Moses
commanded.[98]
This offering which Moses commanded was two birds and cedar wood and
three lambs without blemish, &c.[99]
Shall all cleansed lepers of our day do as this one was commanded? Shall
we keep the law of Moses, circumcise our children and baptize with
water, because Jesus sanctioned it in Judea?
Jesus, his disciples and the Judeans were all Jews and this was under
the law before Christian baptism had superceded water baptism at
Pentecost. Of course they baptized with water, circumcised the flesh and
kept the law of Moses; but this is no precedent for us whether Jews or
Gentiles in these gospel days; since the Holy Spirit is poured out upon
all flesh in all the fulness we are able to bear.
Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, saying "_Suffer it to be so now_,"
[100] thus indicating that it should not be so always.[101] He was also
circumcised, and in after life confirmed his early circumcision by
fulfilling and not destroying the law and the prophets,[102] and by
sending the cleansed leper to offer as Moses commanded, and by sending
his apostles before Pentecost to preach to Israel (the circumcised) but
not to Gentiles (the uncircumcised) until the son of man be come.[103]
He here recognized the covenant of circumcision[104] which God gave to
Abraham and that it was not yet fulfilled.[105] He virtually said of
circumcision the same that he had previously said of water baptism,
"Suffer it to be so now." But we find no manifestation of his will that
we should continue to observe the covenants and customs of that
dispensation of which water baptism was one; and he never made any
distinction whatever in favor of it but with his last words introduced
his own baptism of the Holy Spirit as its immediate successor.[106]
Jesus exclaimed upon the cross: "It is finished," and the law and the
prophets were fulfilled.[107]
He opened to us a more excellent way under his own glorious gospel
dispensation of which that of Moses was a shadow.[108] He took away the
first covenant that he might establish the second.[109] He purchased our
redemption by his blood shed on Calvary. He died and was buried, he
arose and ascended. Angels said to his disciples: Why stand ye gazing
up into Heaven?[110] This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into Heaven.
The disciples returned to Jerusalem and tarried there as Jesus had
previously commanded them. Upon the day of Pentecost he came again as
the angels had said and as he had often promised his apostles and
disciples.[111]
He came as the comforter, the Holy Spirit to teach us all things and to
abide with us forever.[112]
By this one spirit are we now all baptized into one body, Jews and
Gentiles, Bond and Free, male and female, all one in Christ Jesus.[113]
All flesh, sons and daughters, servants and handmaidens, old and young.
By no other baptism can we all be baptized into one body. Water baptism
diverts from this, one baptism into one body.
Farrar says: "That this first Pentecost marked an eternal moment in the
history of mankind no reader of history will surely deny. Undoubtedly in
every age since then the sons of God have to an extent, unknown before,
been taught by the Spirit of God; undoubtedly since then to an extent
unrealized before we may know that the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in us.
Undoubtedly we may enjoy a nearer sense of union with God in Christ than
was accorded to the saints of the old dispensation and a thankful
certainty that we see the days which kings and prophets desired to see
and did not see them, and hear the truths which they desired to hear and
did not hear them, and that this new dispensation began henceforth in
all its fulness."[114]