Hi Terry. I don't want to belabor the point too much, but just a few comments because I do not think you have understood my points.
Terry wrote: > Then go and look again at what Peter says in verse 21. > Not the removal of the filth of the flesh. If we wanted > to remove the filth of the flesh, we would use water, but > that is not what we are trying to do here, so water is out. I agree that the physical water and its actions upon removing dirt from our physical body is not what water baptism is all about. What I was trying to point out is how Peter's very statement here would be moot if water was not involved in the baptism that he is talking about. The fact that he specifies, "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh" means that he has in view water baptism as we understand it. Terry wrote: > Our goal is a good conscience with God. That means, as > Kevin pointed out, that we have to be baptized into Christ. > That is a spiritual thing. I hope this time it will soak in. I agree with the spiritual aspect described by both you and Kevin. What I see as the right order of things is that this typically is done at the time of water baptism. It isn't always done this way because of bad teaching and lack of understanding. Nevertheless, the apostles seem to have understood that baptism was meant to be the initiating event, closely connected with the conversion experience. For all the evangelists out there who practice water baptism, I encourage them to follow the Biblical model. In other words, rather than leading the new convert into a sinner's prayer, patting him on the back and then telling him that he has just been born again, lead him to the waters of baptism and receive him into Christian fellowship this way. Consider the full result of focusing only upon the spiritual baptism that you and Kevin have emphasized. What good then is water baptism at all? It either only becomes a dead work, an outward symbol of something that inward that took place earlier, perhaps years earlier, or it is completely dropped as an archaic Judaic practice that has no real meaning for Christians at all. Some have held to this position, as I think Bible Jim has an article on our website at www.InnGlory.org which argues that water baptism is not a valid sacrament of the church. Peace be with you. David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
