"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know....the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel...He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God" (Jn. 1:26-34).
Baptism is not what we go through to join a church; it is more a soul-bath that prepares us to receive the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus in us. In the Acts of the Apostles, there is a small passage about a Jew named Apollos, who came to Ephesus from Alexandria: He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John....When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately (Acts 18: 24-26).
I wonder what difference it would make if "the way of God" were explained to us "more adequately"--that is, if we knew that the only aim of our baptism, our prayer, our good work, our study or meditation,or whatever we do, would be to receive the Holy Spirit from the Son of God. I wonder what difference it would make to our lives if we did receive the Holy Spirit from Jesus.
In the Letter to the Romans, Paul writes, A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and phyiscal. [We might read "baptism" here for "circumcision"]. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code (Romans 2:28).
When Jesus said, "Many are called, but few are chosen," I wonder if he was thinking of all who are "called" by circumcision and/or baptism, but whose hearts have never been baptized/ circumcised by the Holy Spirit. Would that our churches contained more "Priscillas and Aquilas" who could more adequately explain to us "the way of God" when all we know is the baptism of John!
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