Precious friend, Great question - thanks for asking - RE:
#48:
What was God's PURPOSE, In His Two
Different Programs?:
1) In
prophecy/law/covenants, for Israel, the twelve "were sent"
to water baptize, correct?:
Mat 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in The Name of The Father, and of The SON, and of The Holy Ghost"
Rightly Divided (
2 Timothy 2:15) From “Things That
Differ” (
online)
2) In The Revelation Of The
Mystery, To The One Body Of Christ
,
God Inspires His One ( Grace )
apostle, Paul to write:
"Now I beseech you, brethren, by The Name of our LORD Jesus Christ,
that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among
you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in
the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my
brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are
contentions among you. *
Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos;
and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for
you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 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. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides,
I know not whether I baptized any other.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach The Gospel: not with
wisdom of words, lest The Cross of Christ should be made of none effect."
(1 Corinthians 1:10-17)
Now, should we, like some, arbitrarily
interpret this to 'fit a theology'?:
"For Christ sent me not [ secondarily ] to baptize, but and to [ primarily ] preach
The Gospel"? Does God Permit this "subtracting from And adding to" His Word?
Why did Paul "water baptize {
And 'thank God' } he baptized
only these few"?
( Can you
imagine the Twelve saying this ↑ ↑ about
their commission from God? )
Was there not a
Transition Period, God "
Changing His Programs Over from law to
Grace"? Was not "The Revelation Of The
Mystery" Revealed By Christ, From Heaven,
over many years ( while
water baptism was
still in effect? ), before it was Finally
Completed, before Paul departed to Glory?
In light of the following, then, are not these important questions, Scripturally
Answered?:
Besides the last
mention of "Paul's baptism" in Acts 22, the previous was
in chapter 19, Correct? Was it not shortly after this, that God
Revealed to
Paul to send these
carnal believers the scathing rebuke in 1:10-17 above?
Was it not 'at this time' That God Told Paul "he was
not sent to baptize"?
( And then
Revealed to him
his Commission in
2 Corinthians 5:17-6:2? )
+
What else do we find, in the
context of this same letter? Is it not this?:
"For By One Spirit are we all baptized into One Body, whether
we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into One Spirit. " (1 Corinthians 12:13)
Is not this an
indication that "water of the law" was disappearing, and
God Is
Changing Over To His "
ONE ( Spiritual ) Baptism, Under Grace"?
Confirmed By God's
Completed ( by Paul ) "Revelation Of The
Mystery" in
Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:27, Colossians 2:12, and
Ephesians 4:5?
Amen?
* Should we not be praying for those today, having these same
contentions, being all
Divided up over this very '
water ritual' issue?