Agreed, I said the same thing. We are the body of Christ--1 Corinthians 12:27--with various gifts and ministries.
Do you think that all of the gifts are currently active in the present day?
Agreed, we are saved through faith in Christ and not by works of the Mosaic law.
Starting with Paul. Not so for Israel. Israel was required to do the works of the law. We, the body of Christ, are not under the law.
Here what James says to the twelve tribes:
Jas 2:14 (AKJV/PCE)
(2:14) What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
That the rhetorical question with the implicit answer of NO!
James says that Abraham was justified by WORKS. James 2:21
Paul says that Abraham was justified by FAITH. Romans 4:1-5
Disagree, John the Baptist's baptism in water and in public view was not the Jewish ceremonial washing under the Mosaic Law for the priesthood.
John was a Jew (Israelite). He was sent to baptize, Paul was sent not to baptize. There's a difference.
John 1:31 (AKJV/PCE)
(1:31) And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
So, regardless of the priesthood, John's mission was
ISRAELITE in nature. It had nothing to do with the BoC.
Washing was happening during the same time in the Temple. No one accused John, or Jesus disciples, of doing the same thing the Temple Priest was doing. His was a baptism of repentance of sins for everyone in preparation for the coming Messiah. Jesus told his disciples to do the same thing, perform water baptisms in public view, because the Messiah has come. John proclaimed, "behold the Lamb of God".
All JEWISH and NOT related to the BoC!
Acts 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance [in water and in public view], saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Baptism by water in public is an act of commitment to Christ that depicts an inward transformation, representing the washing away of sin, dying to an old life, and rising to a new life. But, baptism in water is not the means of our salvation, we are save though faith in Christ.
You are following the lead of Churchianity. Following man-made tradition.
Jesus commanded us to believe, repent, and be baptized in water.
NO, HE DID NOT!
You are trying to be a JEW and you should be in the BoC.
Again, you are following TRADITION and not the scripture.
Jesus never told US, i.e., the BODY OF CHRIST, to be baptized in water.... NEVER!
All of Jesus' instruction for US, the body of Christ, are in Paul's epistles.
Like so much of Churchianity, you are stuck in the past trying to "obey" commands that were NOT given to YOU.
To believe, repent, and be baptized are not works under the Mosaic law. We believe, repent, and are baptized in obedience to Christ. In water baptism we are not at work--not active--we are passive in the arms of another being put in water, like being dead and buried as Jesus was, and then being pulled out of the water, like being resurrected as Jesus was. Roman 6:3 "Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Religionist nonsense, pure tradition.
Being immersed into one body by the Spirit for participation in the life of the church, which is the body of Christ, (I Corinthians 12) is not the same thing as being immersed into his death by the spirit in order to obtain spiritual and eternal life. We must be baptized into his death before we can be baptized into his body. We must be born of the spirit before we can become the body of Christ.
Such confusion you have Dave.
Being immersed into His body IS being immersed into His death. It's all one package deal!
