WATER BAPTISM OR HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM? By Steve Finnell

Found here. My comments in bold.

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Mr. Finnell must be responding to those of us who are challenging his position on water baptism. Reluctant to enter into a dialogue, he simply creates new posts on his blog where he restates his position, emphatically, without offering anything new. 

I suppose this is easier and safer than actually debating with one's interlocutors. It relieves him of the necessity of the give and take of intellectual exchange. 

I posted an extensive discussion of baptism here, the points of which I shall try to avoid repeating.

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Did Jesus command water baptism or Holy Spirit baptism? There is just one baptism; which did Jesus command? Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, (NASB) (Indeed there is one baptism we are called to. Was it water baptism?)

Matthew 28:16-19 But the eleven disciples...18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (NASB) (The reader will note that Jesus did not say, "baptizing them in water." One would think that if Jesus was requiring water baptism, He would have been baptizing thousands himself. In fact, Jesus was not a baptizer. "The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples." Jn 4:1-2  

Jesus did not baptize anyone, nor is there any record of Him commanding His disciples to baptize with water. 

Helpfully, John the Baptist tells us what Jesus would do: "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." [Mt. 3:11] This is John the Baptist minimizing his own baptisms and pointing to a better one.

Jesus frequently referred to the Holy Spirit, even indicating that it was better He should go so that the Holy Spirit could come. And, we see the Holy Spirit is important to Jesus, even to the point of Him imparting the Holy Spirit to the disciples: "And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit." Jn. 20:22  

You would have thought he would have baptized them if water baptism was so important, but He didn't. Instead, he pointed to the One he would send. That's where we should look as well.)

Was Jesus telling the eleven disciples to baptize all nations with the Holy Spirit in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? No, He was not. Remember there is just one baptism. The one baptism is immersion in water. (Mr. Finnell uses his premise to make his conclusion. This is circular reasoning.)

Mark 16:15-16 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.(NASB)

Jesus told His disciple to preach the gospel. What were the promised results of those who obeyed the gospel? Those who believe and were baptized were saved. Were they baptized with the Holy Spirit in order to be saved? No, they were not. There is no Scripture that states being baptized with the Holy Spirit saves anyone. (Mr. Finnell, under the mistaken impression that baptism is required for salvation, tries to refute the baptism of the Holy Spirit by appealing to salvation. Of course there is no mention of being saved by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, sir, because baptism is not required to be saved!)

The disciples were baptizing converts in water in order for them to be saved. There is just one baptism. (Mr. Finnell is simply wrong. We read in Ac. 19:2-5: 

"'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' 3 So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?' 'John’s baptism,' they replied. 4 Paul said, 'John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus."

Take careful note of the profound connection Paul makes. He asks them if they received the Holy Spirit, and they say "no." He then asks them, "Then what BAPTISM did you receive?" He equates the Holy Spirit with baptism! Note also how Paul views John the Baptist's water baptism as inadequate. Paul believed and taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was critical. 

Paul also describes the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1Co. 12:13: "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." There is the one baptism... One Lord, one faith, one baptism, and, one Spirit.) 

Acts 2:36-38 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ---this Jesus whom you crucified."37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NASB)

The three thousand believed Peter when he preached Jesus. Did Peter tell them to repent and and be baptized with the Holy Spirit so their sins would be forgiven and that they might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? No, he did not. You cannot command someone to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. You, can, command men to repent and be immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins. There is just one baptism. (Again, Mr. Finnell is using his premise as his conclusion.)

Acts 8:34-39 The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, beginning from the Scriptures he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" 37 [And Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."]..........

The eunuch heard the gospel and believed Jesus was the Son of God, however, the eunuch did not asked "what prevents me from being baptized with the Holy Spirit?" The eunuch believed in Jesus and was immersed in water in order to be saved. There is just one believers baptism. (Note in this particular case Mr. Finnell is arguing from silence. Scripture is clear that we receive the Holy Spirit when we believe, so the fact that He is not mentioned here is irrelevant. 

As I mentioned in my prior post, I do not object to water baptism. Water baptisms were happening in the NT. The issue is, we must be baptized in the Holy Spirit.)

There are millions who reject the premise that water baptism is in order to be saved and millions more who reject water baptism altogether.

You can believe Scripture or man-made tradition; however, only one is true.

Jesus and His disciples preached he that believes and is baptized in water shall be saved.