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BAPTISM

While Paul here told his Jewish hearers, speaking in the Hebrew tongue, what Ananias told him to do, there is no

indication in the actual record of Acts 9, that Paul obeyed. In Acts 9 Ananias is called a disciple, but here, because

of the fanatical character of his hearers, Paul tells them that Ananias was `a devout man according to the law, having

a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there' (Acts 22:12). Now Ananias was both a disciple and a devout man

according to the law, but the official and inspired record written by Luke in Acts 9 omits all reference to this side of

his character. Paul was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, as we know, but there is no record or hint anywhere

that he obeyed the suggestion of Ananias. Had such a baptism formed an integral part of Paul's commission, we

should have found it in Acts 9 or in one of the references he makes to that epoch-making experience.

The crossing by Israel of the Red Sea is the occasion of the second New Testament reference to the Old

`All our fathers were ... baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea' (1 Cor. 10:1,2).

Here is an Old Testament baptism often overlooked in controversy, a baptism from which `water' was rigourously,

nay miraculously excluded.

`The children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground' (Exod. 14:22).

`The children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea' (Exod. 15:19).

`He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot' (Psa. 66:6).

`That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness' (Isa. 63:13).

This baptism was `unto Moses', even as in its fuller sense, the baptism of the New Testament was `unto Christ'

but 1 Corinthians 10:1,2 prefigures the baptism of the spirit, not immersion in water, for as we have already seen the

Scripture seems to go out of its way to impress upon us the absence of water at this time. The third reference to Old

Testament usage of baptism is in Hebrews 9. There the tabernacle and its service is reviewed, and the conclusion is

`The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first

tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and

sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in

meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation' (Heb.

The divers `washings' are `baptisms' and include the many specified washings of the priests in the performance

of their duties, the washings at the purifying of the leper and others who contracted any form of defilement. These

`baptisms' are summed up under the heading `carnal ordinances' and they were `imposed until the time of

reformation'. One such `baptism' is immediately considered in fuller detail, and the contrast is made between `the

ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean', not with a better, that is to say Christian ordinance of baptism, but with

`the blood of Christ' (Heb. 9:11-14). Among the words of the beginning of Christ, which these Hebrews were

exhorted `to leave' not `lay again', are `the doctrine of baptisms' (Heb. 6:2), these being among the elements that

were to be left behind as the believer pressed on unto perfection.

The New Testament teaching concerning baptism is distributed thus:

John the Baptist. This baptism falls under two headings:

1.

It was a baptism unto repentance, in view of the near approach of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 3:1,2).

It was the work of John as the forerunner prophesied of by Isaiah in the fortieth chapter of his prophecy.

It was concerned only with Israel or with those who joined themselves to Israel, as the words `Comfort

ye' of Isaiah 40 were concerned.

(d) It was a baptism in water, that spoke of a future baptism with Holy Ghost and with fire.

(e)  It was specifically designed to make manifest to Israel the One Who was sent to be their Messiah (John

The baptism with the Holy Ghost promised by John was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 1:5).

2.

3.

During the Acts, water baptism and the baptism of the Spirit went together (Acts 2:38; 10:47).