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BETTER
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spiritual equivalent of that practised by the Jew, it is explicitly said to be `the circumcision made without hands', and
repudiates `the body of the flesh' (sin is not in question, the revised text omits the words `of the sins'), and this is
accomplished `by the circumcision of Christ'. Now until it can be proved that the circumcision here emphasized is
the literal carnal ordinance, the consequential burial by baptism will have to be understood of the spiritual equivalent
too, and finds its type, not in the many baptisms of the ceremonial law, but in the one baptism of the whole nation at
the crossing of the Red Sea. This `one baptism' forms an integral part of the Unity of the Spirit, which those who
are blessed under the terms of the Mystery are enjoined to keep. The seven parts of this unity are so disposed, as to
throw into correspondence the One Baptism in the One Spirit, thus:
One Lord
One Hope
One Faith
One Spirit
One Baptism
One Body
One God and Father
This sevenfold unity is composed of seven units - and to tamper with the repeated word `one' is to deny
inspiration and to destroy the apostle's insistence. We can no more believe that `one' baptism means two, i.e.,
`water and spirit' than we can import plurality into the realm of faith, hope or the Lordship of Christ. It is the
custom of those companies of Christians who stress baptism in water, to call themselves `baptized believers'. It is
also, unfortunately the habit of many who see the spiritual nature of baptism in Colossians and Ephesians to allow
this claim, but such are wrong. Members of the One Body are `baptized believers' for without this one baptism
membership of the One Body is impossible. To speak otherwise is to magnify the carnal ordinance that pertains to
the ceremonial act, above the spiritual reality. The truth is that no company in the New Testament. has ever known
what true baptism really is, except that Church where baptism in water is absent and unknown.
While much more could be said, the articles in this alphabetical analysis are necessarily limited, but we believe
every essential feature has been considered so that the reader can pursue the matter in detail with every hope of
attaining unto fuller light. The special relation of baptism with the enduement of supernatural gifts, will be
considered together with 1 Corinthians 12 as a whole under the heading MIRACULOUS GIFTS, to which the reader
should refer.
Explanatory note on Baptism, written by Charles H. Welch and originally published in Part 4 of An
Alphabetical Analysis.
Owing to the character of articles in an Analysis, some features may not receive the expansion that could be
wished. There is no thought in this article that Paul was not baptized, the whole point being focused in the phrase
`Had SUCH a baptism ...' referring to the baptism of Acts 2:38 and 22:16 which links baptism with the remission of,
or the washing away of sins. Had Paul submitted to SUCH, he would have started off his distinctive ministry on the
wrong foot. Paul's attitude in 1 Corinthians 1:14-17 shows that `washing away of sins' had no place in what
baptism involved in his ministry.
BETTER. The adjective `good' does not form the comparative with `gooder' but goes to another root (probably from
`boot' e.g., `what boots it?') and gives us `better'. In the Greek this word is either kreisson or kreitton, the spelling
varying with locality, age and custom, but without altering the meaning. The word occurs nineteen times in the
Greek New Testament being translated in every case except one, by the comparative `better', the exception being
1 Corinthians 12:31 where the A.V. reads `best' and the R.V. reads `greater'. The word is used with reference to
dispensational superiority in one book, namely in the epistle to the Hebrews, where it can be looked upon as one of
the key words of the epistle (see HEBREWS2 for structure and general teaching). The word occurs thirteen times in
Hebrews. The great thought in Hebrews is that of going on unto perfection (Heb. 6:1) and of realizing the
superiority of Christ to angels, Moses, Aaron, Joshua and all the Old Testament witnesses put together.
Together with this we have a better testament or covenant, than was given at Mount Sinai (Heb. 7:22; 8:6) which
is established on better sacrifices and is the guarantee of better promises and a better hope (Heb. 8:6; 7:19).
This better hope is related to a better country and a better city namely the heavenly (Heb. 11:16), and the same
principle that adds `the prize of the high calling' to the hope of that calling, and associates it with `the
out-resurrection' (Phil. 3:11), is seen in Hebrews 11:35 where we see some attaining to `a better resurrection'. (For
a fuller treatment, see PRIZE3, OUT-RESURRECTION3 and PHILIPPIANS3). The general trend of the dispensations is