The Two Baptisms

Discover how the two baptisms relate to man’s salvation, water baptism and the Baptism into Christ’s body.

There is confusion in the body of Christ between water baptism and the baptism into the body of Christ.

They are two distinct baptisms, and if you don’t know the difference you will confuse them with each other. The scripture says: 1 Cor. 12:13 “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” If you notice it is the Spirit who is doing the baptizing, and the Spirit baptizes us into Christ’s body. The pastor baptizes us in water, but the Holy Spirit baptizes us into Christ’s body. There are two distinct baptizers, the Holy Spirit and the pastor. There are two distinct elements of baptism, water and the body of Christ; therefore, they are two distinct baptisms.

BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST

Paul speaking on the subject of being baptized into Christ’s body tells us we were also baptized into his death. Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (Romans 6:3)

This baptism is also called the new birth, when you were born again the Holy Spirit baptized you into Christ death, burial and resurrection. Romans 6:5 says “… if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection”).

The new birth is an operation of the Spirit of God not man, and so is being baptized into Christ body; “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” (1Cor.12:13)

The writer of Colossians shows that this baptism is an operation of the Holy Spirit and not man, by comparing it to spiritual circumcision, or circumcision that is made without hands.

The new birth is a spiritual rebirth; it is also called a circumcision because the old man has been cut away. Here the writer tells us that spiritual circumcision, or being buried with Christ and being raised with Christ in baptism is all the same thing; and that they all are “the working of God.”

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. Col 2:11-12 (NKJV)

Water baptism is an outward expression of an inward condition. You are making a public confession through water baptism that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and that you publicly identify with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection.

Remember; your spirit man is receiving spiritual baptism.