"Baptism is the outward symbol seen by man....." and all that jazz.
"Traditional" Christianity has it backward, since they refuse to rightly divide this word of truth. After being justified by being baptized into Christ, and being new creatures in Christ, with eternal life, having been raised, ascended, and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus(up), "religion" wants to "bury" you(down) you under the element of water , which, as part of the earth, is under a curse, by being dunked until the tadpoles know your social security number.
Water baptism, throughout the OT/NT, was never viewed as "Death/Burial/ & Resurrection."
Baptism - changing the condition, identity, of something because of an action that was performed.; placing or putting something into another substance and performing an action so that it will change the state of the item from its previous condition-it's condition, status, or identity is changed!
Baptism- the idea of being placed into something (the Lord Jesus Christ's death in this dispensation), and an action is performed, so that when we come out we are changed from our previous condition. It is all about our identification; God takes what we are in Adam and places us into the Lord Jesus Christ, and God's action (crucifying the old man) changes our condition- now we are" in Christ." We are no longer what we were in Adam, because God has done something to us and in us. Our previous condition has been changed because of what God has done:
" Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Colossians 2:12
Buried with Him-not like Him.
" Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: {6} Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Romans 6:3-6
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Again:Baptism- 'to change the nature, identity, condition, status, and to IDENTIFY something with its purpose.. For example, Homer, in his book "The Odyssey", desribes the tempering of a sword. When the hot metal was plunged into water, the sword was "baptized" , and thus the change in the condition of the sword was from soft to hard metal. As another example, when a piece of cloth was placed into a dye vat for coloring, there was a change in the condition of the piece of cloth upon emergence from the vat-it had a new color.
Where is the water?
" But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. " Mt. 20:22,23
"And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized with shall ye be baptized". Mk 10:38,39
"And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:" Luke 12:50
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People assume baptism means "water". I can show you other passages where there is no water. There was no water on the cross. The basic idea is IDENTIFICATION for the purpose of change in condition/identity/status. Did you know that in biblical times, to dye a piece of cloth, you would "baptize" it, "overwhelm" it, "cover" it, in a vat of dye. The cloth would now have a "change in condition", a new "identity". The element was dye here. Look at:
"And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea...." 1 Cor. 10:2
They were identified with Moses. Also note Exodus 14:16, 22="dry ground", Exodus 14:29,15:19="dry land". No water! The Egyptians were wet, not the Israelites.
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