Mike Dickinson Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? I think the nub of the problem between different denominations lays with the different interpretations of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy Wright Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 One baptism, as in all doctrine, needs to unite us as believers. Whether we are immersed as adults or sprinkled as children, we are still all believers who have ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, AND ONE GOD. This is where we unite. Yes, we need to study the scriptures to see what truths are held about these things, but these truths need never divide us! That was never the intention of Jesus as He died on the cross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherdills Posted December 12, 2003 Report Share Posted December 12, 2003 "One baptism" should unite us rather than divide us because we are all baptized in the Spirit. We cannot maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism as long as it is done according to the scripture. Striving for unity should not blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding. We must balance the two by respecting each other's beliefs as long as seeking the Lord is the ultimate goal and the doctrines are based on His word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charliet Posted February 12, 2004 Report Share Posted February 12, 2004 5. To begin with "One Baptism" here in verse 5 is no doubt "Water Baptism"because we have mentioned in verse 4 the 7 elements that unite all christains with "Baptism of the Spirit"being one. So this baptism must be "Water Baptism." Now the mode by which this "One Baptism"takes place should not divide but,unite us as it gives the outward appearance of our death,burial and resurrection with Christ. In striving for unity probably shouldn`t blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding but, I`m afraid it sometimes does. In balancing the two . If they have a different belief than I. If they are saved. We are instructed not to judge.So through prayer and patience,we should "Endeaver to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 The meaning of baptism is the same, whatever the form - death to sin and the old life, and resurrection to life in Christ Jesus - born again in the spirit. What we can agree on is greater and clearer and much more basic than that upon which we disagree. We should strive for both unity and biblical understanding. Nevertheless, no-one has got every thing when it comes to the mysteries of God - God designed it so. God's commandment is primarily to love Him and to love one another. This is above all issues of doctrine. Relationship and people are God's priority and should be ours. Balance them by doing the loving thing, by preferring one another (although not necessarity changing doctrine, but caring for their interests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelOnLine Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? The mode of Baptism isn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoee Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 One baptism should unite instead of seperate no matter what the method of baptism. We must realize there is only one God and and where there is a confusion God is not there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zegeye Posted November 8, 2004 Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 In baptism we die for our flesh/sins ald resurrect for Christ through the Holy Spirit, made members of the body of Christ, and called to kingdom of God, for the Father has elected us. In simple terms, Baptism is the symbolic death of our old lives and rebirth as new beings into the fellowship of all believers, not into any particular denomination. Thus there is one batism that unites the body of Christ, the church. The administration of babtism could however be different for different denominations; that really does not matter as long as it has one purpose of uniting christians to the body of Christ. But again this does not mean that our desire to unity should blur our biblical understanding. We have to balance between compromising practices and biblical truths. We can not change the biblical truth in the name of unity. The truth should rather be the only uniting factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Posted October 20, 2005 Report Share Posted October 20, 2005 EPHESIANS 4:5, Q5--- ONE BAPTISM--- WE ARE ALL BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF THE SAME FATHER, SAVIOUR, SANCTIFIER. WE HAVE ALL IN THIS MANNER BEEN CONSECRATED UNTO GOD, AND DEVOTED TO HIS SERVICE. SHOULD THIS NOT BRING US INTO SOME SORT OF UNITY??.THIS QUESTION IS, THAT THERE WAS REALLY BUT "ONE BAPTISM"- NOT THAT THERE WAS ONE "MODE" OF BAPTISM.THERE HAS BEEN A CONSECRATION TO THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, BY THE APPLICATION OF WATER. PRAISE THE LORD, AMEN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masika Posted February 14, 2006 Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 We all believe that through baptism we are united to Christ so the point of been divided should not arrise among Christians Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion of Grace Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Our baptism is an outward sign that we are Christian believers. We believe we are baptized into one body, through one Spirit, by one faith, in the one Lord, Jesus. We are unified in these beliefs. That is what we claim when we are baptized, or those who baptize infants claim through their own faith for their loved one. We are all saying we are one in the Lord Jesus. I was baptized as an infant and I was later baptized as an adult. The important thing to me is this.......my parents in their belief had faith that as I was baptized I became a part of the body of Christ and later, with full understanding, I was baptized and professed Jesus as my Savior. I knew of the truth of faith through salvation in Jesus and my part as a member of the body of Christ. That was a joy for me, but regardless of the belief system of my former church or my present church, the bottom line is that I am a member of the body of Christ through faith. That faith is in Jesus. I know there are doctrines and interpretations and proofs all around if anyone wants to prove a point, but I know that the "unity of the bond of peace" and our command to love one another is far more important than any other influence. Those who baptize infants profess faith in Jesus and those who baptize as adults profess faith in Jesus, so biblically, I know a pure heart in that belief is a sound faith. God is so much bigger than we can ever imagine. He is so merciful and kind and patient with all of us. I know things done in faith, by a sincere seeking heart in love, is never turned away by God. We need to make sure we are biblically sound in our faith in salvation through Jesus and not sucumb to "legalism" or "judging" others in their walk. We can't become consumed in "straining gnats" out of living out our faith. We are instructed many times on those subjects in the Bible too. We don't want to become like the Pharisees and we are not to act in any manner that offends new believers even if we know the greater truth on any given conviction, nor are we to be a stumbling block to anyone in their growth. We must not judge and we are to live in service and understanding of each other so as to build up the body of Christ. We never know all of the truth and we are all constantly learning from the Holy Spirit. I do believe though, that we need to read and study our Bible to know what it says in it's entirety and also we need to stand firm on our faith in Jesus. If someone won't profess Jesus....then I know they are absolutely not in the truth. If anyone belongs to Jesus, they belong to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve.c Posted August 12, 2006 Report Share Posted August 12, 2006 In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? How do we balance the two? I believe the elements that Paul lists are common to all Christians, including baptism. However it is performed and what ever it is taken to mean, we are all baptised Christians, accepting Jesus as our Lord. This should be a strong linkage between Christians of different persuasions. We should stress what we share in common and not on the differences. The essentials are the same. That said, Jesus is the truth and we should search out and follow the truth. Our faith is not a buffet where we can chose the bits we like. That truth is contained in God's Word and only in His Word. While I am not a theologian, I take that to mean that baptism should only be administered to a person who can understand what it means. Baptism should be performed as it was at the time of the apostles, immediately after accepting Jesus and repenting, by total immersion in water. Baptism completes the process of rebirth. It starts our new life in Jesus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plethra Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? How do we balance the two? Exposition Baptism should unite us because we are united with Christ. I know many fuss and fight about how to baptize and in what name to baptize, I believe we can disagree on some issues but not become disagreeable. We can disagree and still love and be kind. Just because I disagree with someone doesnt mean that I can't still be friends with them and love them. Agree to disagree. I don't believe you should compromise what you believe - but don't be biligerant about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissioned Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissioned Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? "One baptism" unite us rather than divide us because the act of baptism unites us with Christ. How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? We maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism when we accept that the methods may be different but the act of uniting with Christ is the end result that we all achieve. Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? How do we balance the two? Striving for unity should never blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding. If we obey Christ command to love each other we would maintain unity as we endeavor to understand the Bible. We balance the two by allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us truth and act on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted December 24, 2007 Report Share Posted December 24, 2007 Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? How do we balance the two? Through baptism all Christians are united in Christ Jesus. Baptism is not about division. Putting Ephesians 4:2 in practice, we should be humble, gentle, and patient with one another in love over all how other Christians are convicted in administering baptism. We are all one in Christ Jesus. Striving for unity should not blur may faithfulness to my Biblical understanding, however I'm not going to blash or condemn those Christians who love Jesus Christ and are serving Him if they don't believe in administering baptism the way I understand it. I will let God deal with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJeff Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 The key word is one. To God we are all one and that is the approach we must take if we are to please Him, which is what we are here to do. The Spirit of God in us is the tie that binds. If we are in the Spirit there can be no discord, no acrimony or strife, period. God cannot deny Himself so if we are prdejudiced against another member of our church or another denomination we are carnal, not Spiritual. Because our ministry caters to the homeless we have visitors to our services from every denomination and religion. We have learned by the school of hard knocks that it is better not to offend with caustic criticism of one's faith as you can win more souls with sweet water rather than bitter. James chapter 3 talks about the use of our tongues which is totally appicable here. Besides, in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 we're told that we only know in part and will not get the whole story until we are with the Lord in glory. Whose to say that the part he gave me is supposed to agree with your part anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodExcels Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 As a faith community we believe that baptism brings us closer to Christ. And as with our salvation, witness and testimony we have come to the same Christ through different experiences, understandings and practices, so with baptism it is no different. One baptism is interpreted in many ways and we should practice grace and humility as the Spirit reveals and teaches the body how to respond, practice and demonstrate baptism. But in the struggle for mutual awareness, those who have been blessed with understanding should be patient as others are learning. Yet we should not deny the truth that has been revealed to us for walking in the truth as we understand it is what God asks of us. As Christ remains the center and focus of the Good News all other things shall come to life and truth in the Spirits timing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithj7 Posted June 14, 2009 Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? How do we balance the two? Exposition In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? In Ephesians 4:5 Paul speaks of one baptism as a unifing phenomanea amoug Christians. He brings up the same idea in 1 Corinthian 12:13 (For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body...) Through this baptism we become part of one body. How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? Maybe we could agree to disagree... Or we could sit down and try to understand another's reason or ideas about the mode of baptism. For example, in the early christian days, I believe there was a conflict about whether one had to be baptised in living water (running water --a river verses a lake). So we have gradually changed the arguement to something new. Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? We should never accept false teachers or sin. How do we balance the two? To me balancing unity with false teaching and acceptance of sin within the church is problematic. In late 2003, the Episcopal Church consecrates Eugene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the denomination's history. The church has been split apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth2me Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 just something intresting i found about unity.........Romans 12 vs 1 I beseech you therefore bretheren,by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies [plural] a living sacrafice [singular] Together we make a living sacrafice...1 unit....Pat, I love you answer about all being One body; that is 'unity' personified in Christ our Lord. Betty (truth2me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wifee Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 5a) The purpose of baptism which is to fulfill God's instructions Matthew 28:19.&unite us through faith to Christ, is more important than the mode used which is academic. The most important thing is to understand the symbolism of using water - not how much is used or how it is administered. 5b) If our heart is prepared for love, we Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion of Grace Posted July 17, 2010 Report Share Posted July 17, 2010 "One baptism" unites us into faith in Christ. This should be our main focus and our statement of faith. "How" it's done or "when" can be varied, but we are all one in Christ through baptism. This is OUR faith! We can disagree on "modes" of baptism and still maintain our unity of Spirit, because we ARE of one Spirit. That Spirit in us, guides us into all truths and just like the disciples had to grow`and learn in truth, so shall we. How often did we believe "for sure" one thing, but as we grew and prayed for truth, even more excellent ways were shown to us? We pray and ask for wisdom and continue to grow. We should not however, "strive" for unity so much we can start allowing anything. If we are in the Word, we will recognize blatant untruths that can not be accepted as truths of our own. I don't know as there is a "balance" of the two, as in having unity of the Spirit and acceptance of untruths, but I think it is important to always remember truth in love and love in truth. What is untrue is untrue, but there is a way in love to deal with untruth so as to not alienate others who may not have come to the complete realization of the truth. That is making every effort to maintain unity....but not compromising what we know to be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marloes Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? How do we balance the two? Exposition Baptism unites us in Christ. We should be glad when people are baptized. It's a disgrace only to complain that it wasn't done right (read: exactly as you're used to). We should be close to the Bible. Balance is difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted November 4, 2010 Report Share Posted November 4, 2010 Q5.(Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? There is only one baptism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anne1151 Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 Q5. (Ephesians 4:5) In what sense should "one baptism" unite us rather than divide us? Baptism signifies our uniting with God by accepting the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. As we are united with God, we are united with one another as brothers. How can we maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism? We must keep God first. Petty squabbles about sprinklin versus immersion etc pull us away from God. That is not what God wants. He wants us to love Him, worship Him in unity, and leave the small stuff for Him to handle. As long as the Baptism occurs, that is what is important, not the manner Should striving for unity blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding? No, it shouldn't. We are to read the Bible and strive to understand the message God put there for each of us. Sometimes we read a verse and see it differently from others. Maybe our interpretation is right, maybe theirs is, but we know the Bible is true and right. We may get new insights (like in the forums here) that may help us see a Bible passage differently, in a new light, bringing Gods word to life for us. How do we balance the two? Read the Bible. Prepare the Sunday School lesson so you can enter fully in the learning process. Listen to your pastor and teachers. Talk to others, not in a confrontationals manner but in love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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