tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332804130255871970.post5395601505410507393..comments2014-04-13T15:09:41.870-05:00Comments on The Word of God Is Not Bound: WHAT ABOUT CHURCH "MEMBERSHIP"--IS IT SCRIPTURAL?Ed Franklinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05878045658191730881noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332804130255871970.post-61646415561517039792010-03-21T00:02:55.266-05:002010-03-21T00:02:55.266-05:00I appreciate your view on this, Ed, I really do. I...I appreciate your view on this, Ed, I really do. I am happy that you understand that believers are baptized into Christ, and not into "a" church.<br /><br />I would dicker with you one one thing and that is that there are two baptisms. I believe in fact that they happen at the same time. When we are born of water we are simultaneously born of Spirit. Ephesians 4:5 only refers to one baptism. Either Paul was speaking about Holy Spirit baptism and not water baptism or water baptism and not spirit baptism or he was considering it one and the same thing. I vote for the latter since the other choices leave out clear scriptural statements of fact. In Titus 3:5 Paul joins the two together very clearly, I think. In Colossians 2:11-14 he again clearly says that the circumcision we experience is one "made without hands", but goes on to join it to being "buried" in baptism. There is no other way to interpet this than spiritual circumcision of the heart and water immersion. There is no other meaning that explains the sense (or symbolism) of burial than immersion in water. Baptism of the Spirit is never considered an immersion, hence the Methodists liken their baptism to a pouring based on that view.<br /><br />I love you brother for your stand concerning the incumbency of baptism and the reality that it doesn't baptise anyone into a local anything, but rather into the body of believers, past and present, who make up the body of Christ in spirit.Prodigal Knothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15414230356322258269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4332804130255871970.post-34917378139434616702010-02-26T08:56:59.154-06:002010-02-26T08:56:59.154-06:00Excellent post Bro. You addressed something that I...Excellent post Bro. You addressed something that I think a lot of us see, but don't know how to express. Thanks for writing this... I don't know what makes you think it is disorganized. It makes very important points and is very well structured.<br /><br />Blessings,<br />MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com