Galatians 3:27
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
KJV
Comments:
The word "for" introduces an additional thought or an
explanation of the preceding statement in verse 26. The two verses are
bound to each other in the context. V26, "For ye are all children of
God by [the] faith in Christ Jesus". Keeping in mind that the original
Greek had the definite article associated with the word for "Faith" which
the vast majority of translators chose to omit from the texts. Faith and
baptism are inextricably connected. There is much more to faith in Christ
than simple mental assent of who He is and what He did for us. Faith
implies action and as James explained it in chapter 2, faith without works is
dead. In this context, faith without baptism is dead.
As many of the Galatian Christians as had been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ. Conversely then, all of those who had not
been baptized into Christ had not put on Christ. Baptized into Christ is
an interesting term. Paul also used these words in Romans 6:3, "Know ye
not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
his death?" It is significant to note that there is not one single
verse of scripture in all the New Testament that provides any other way of
getting into Christ. Never does it say that we are in Christ by
confession, or repentance or even faith or belief. The words "into
Christ" are only seen in the New Testament in association with baptism.
Some today advocate that this is an example of Holy Spirit
baptism. If it is then so must be the one Paul wrote of in Romans 6:3-6.
That baptism is one where we are buried with Jesus. In verse 5 the text
says "planted together in the likeness of His death". Notice also
we are "raised up" in the likeness of His resurrection. So it is
clear from the text of Romans 6:3-5 that the element of baptism is something
that we can be "buried" in and then "raised up" from. There
is no example in all of the New Testament where anybody was "raised up"
from Holy Spirit baptism. There is however the example of the Ethiopian
Eunuch who went down into the water of baptism and then came up out of the
waters of baptism (Acts 8:38-39).
The baptism spoken of here in Galatians 3:27 can be non
other than the baptism of the great commission, in water for the remission of
sins and in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
The only one that can be administered by man, and the only one we can submit to
in obedience to the will of God. Paul said in Ephesians 4:5 that there was
one baptism. The baptism of the Great Commission is the only one that was
commanded and the only one that can be obeyed. The only way to put on
Christ Biblically is through baptism in water. There is no salvation
outside Christ for accountable individuals, it is therefore absolutely essential
to one's salvation that they be baptized with the baptism of the great
commission, the burial into and resurrection from water.
Baptized into Christ means into His body. The body of
Christ is the church (Colossians 1:18-24; 2:10-14). The body is "of
Christ" (Colossians 2:17). Therefore the body of Christ is the same
thing as the church of Christ and baptism is how one puts on the body of Christ
and is thus added to the church by God (Acts 2:47).
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